Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, April 23rd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-04-23 17:42:25 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 Wednesday!

We had some underwhelming games last night, as all three were decided by at least 8 points. The Pacers and Thunder took commanding 2-0 leads in their respective series, while the Lakers were able to even up their series against the Wolves. Even though I’m not a Lakers fan by any stretch of the imagination, it sure is fun watching Luka Doncic and LeBron James play together.

We have 3 more games on the schedule tonight. The Celtics and Cavaliers are looking to take 2-0 leads with wins at home, while the Rockets will treat tonight’s game as a must-win since three of the next 5 games will be at Golden State. Based on my early research, it looks like I’ll be straying off the beaten path with my player pool tonight. Stay tuned to see some of my favorite sleepers for tonight’s slate.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, April 23rd

• 3-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics
  - 7:30 PM ET – Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 9:30 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
• 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

This section will be updated as injury news is released throughout the day.

Team Previews

Orlando Magic (at BOS)

The Magic led at halftime in Game 1 but ultimately lost by 17 points to the defending champs. Their chances of winning tonight’s game increased with the news that Jayson Tatum likely won’t suit up. However, the Magic are still listed as 10.5-point underdogs and have a team total that is 12 points lower than their season average. It’s a brutal matchup, as the Celtics were 4th in 3-point percentage allowed, defensive rating, and points allowed. Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner are still out.

Cory Joseph started at point guard and logged 26 minutes in Game 1. All he could muster up in those minutes were 2 assists and 5 personal fouls. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cole Anthony and Anthony Black get a little more run in Game 2. Joseph will be more popular, so I don’t mind pivoting to the other two in tournaments. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for 51 shot attempts in Game 1 and are both viable tonight despite the tough matchup. The two project similar on a per-dollar basis.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a cheap way to get exposure to minutes in the low to mid-30s. His usage rate is low, but he’s a serviceable lineup filler. Wendell Carter logged 28 minutes in Game 1 and grabbed 13 rebounds. While he didn’t do much else, the high rebound count was promising. Jonathan Isaac is a solid per-minute producer and is a good bet to play 16-20 minutes. He’s another punt I prefer over Joseph.

Here is an example of the DFS tables that are provided to our Premium Subscribers

Want to read more? Sign up for Premium!