Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, March 25th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-03-25 22:37:13 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. He has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career and has long been one of the top NBA DFS minds in the industry. On weekends, Taylor Smith takes the reins. Their Core Plays LIVE article will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best NBA DFS picks, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, Core Plays LIVE has everything you need for your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.

Happy Tuesday!

Brevity is a skill that I have learned in my writing over the years. With 8 games on the schedule and much to cover in the team previews, I will keep today’s introduction brief. However, I am happy to report that Operation Move-in was a success and that we are officially 2 months away from adding a 5th member to the family.

As for the slate, all 8 games are included on the main slates for both DraftKings and FanDuel.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, March 25th

• 8-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Orlando Magic at Charlotte Hornets
  - 7:00 PM ET – San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons
  - 7:30 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Miami Heat
  - 7:30 PM ET – Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets
  - 9:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Utah Jazz
  - 10:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Portland Trail Blazers
  - 10:00 PM ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Sacramento Kings
• Front end of a back-to-back: Knicks
• Back end of a back-to-back: Magic, Mavericks, Kings
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog Fantasy promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.

News Updates

2:00 PM ET

PJ Washington and Brandon Williams are both questionable for the Mavericks. Caleb Martin has been ruled out.

Team Previews

Orlando Magic (at CHA)

Let’s kick off the slate with the Magic, who are playing on the second half of a back-to-back after beating the Lakers last night. Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner are still out, while Cole Anthony is likely to miss another game. We’ll have to wait and see with the rest of the roster. The Magic have a team total that is 3 points higher than their season average.

With Suggs and Anthony off the floor this season, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have dominated the usage. Over the last couple of weeks, the latter has been more productive. Banchero has topped 40 fantasy points in 8 straight games and has topped 50 fantasy points in 4 of those games. While they project similarly on a per-dollar basis, I prefer Banchero. Wendell Carter and Cory Joseph can be added to your MME player pool.

Charlotte Hornets (vs. ORL)

The Hornets have one of the worst possible matchups, as the Magic are 1st or 2nd in points allowed per game and defensive rating. The Hornets are only 5-point underdogs but have a team total that is 3 points lower than their season average. Damion Baugh, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams are all out, while Josh Okogie is questionable.

I have a difficult time trusting the Hornets when it comes to DFS, especially on these large slates. There’s not a single player on the roster with an RGValue better than -4.0.

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