Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, March 4th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-03-04 23:55:42 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!

Maybe not for the Mavericks and their fans. After losing Anthony Davis for the season right after the trade, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL last night and is set to miss the rest of the season. It’s crazy to think that Dallas was in the NBA Finals last season. I feel for the fans and the organization, even though I don’t agree with some of the decisions they made (cough, cough, Luka Doncic, cough, cough).

We have 9 games on the schedule tonight. The first 7 games are included on the DraftKings main slate, while all 9 are included on the FanDuel main slate.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, March 4th

• 9-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic
  - 7:30 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at New York Knicks
  - 7:30 PM ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls
  - 8:00 PM ET – Philadelphia 76ers at Minnesota Timberwolves
  - 8:30 PM ET – Brooklyn Nets at San Antonio Spurs
  - 10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
  - 10:30 PM ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers
• Front end of a back-to-back: Bucks, Cavaliers, Wolves, Clippers
• Back end of a back-to-back: Warriors, Sixers, Hawks, Rockets
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

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News Updates

2:35 PM ET

Kyle Kuzma is now questionable for the Bucks. If he’s active, I’ll have less interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Fred VanVleet has been ruled out for the Rockets, while Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jalen Green are all questionable. Jock Landale is now questionable. Stephen Curry is now questionable for the Warriors, while Gary Payton has been ruled out. Tyrese Maxey has been ruled out for the Sixers, while Paul George, Justin Edwards, and Quentin Grimes are all questionable. Guerschon Yabusele and Kelly Oubre will both play.

Team Previews

Houston Rockets (at IND)

The Rockets are playing on the second half of a back-to-back and have yet to submit an injury report. In the Situation Room, we currently have Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and Dillon Brooks listed as questionable. They have a favorable matchup against the Pacers and come into the game with a team total that is nearly identical to their season average. There’s not much we can do until we get an update from the Rockets about their injury situation. I’ll circle back and provide an update on my thoughts.

Indiana Pacers (vs. HOU)

The Pacers have one of the most difficult matchups on the slate, but at least the Rockets are playing on the second half of a back-to-back. They come into the game with a team total that is nearly identical to their season average. Isaiah Jackson is out, Bennedict Mathurin is doubtful, and Quenton Jackson is questionable.

Pascal Siakam projects well on most slates, but he hasn’t shown much of a ceiling. He’s been held to 40 or fewer fantasy points in 6 of his last 7 games. Myles Turner has a slightly higher ceiling on a per-dollar basis, but the Rockets are the best rebounding team in basketball. I have the most interest in Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, who should both push for 30+ minutes with Mathurin likely out. They are both priced under $5,000 on DraftKings.

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