Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, January 29th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-01-29 23:16:59 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 are back at it with a 9-game main slate on both FanDuel and DraftKings. There are actually 11 games on the schedule, but both sites have decided to leave MIN/PHX and OKC/GSW off their main slates. We have 2 teams playing on the back end of a back-to-back (Sixers, Warriors) and 3 teams playing on the front end of a back-to-back (Wizards, Cavaliers, Wolves).

Not that you need an update on my personal life, but some out there seem to enjoy them. My sister has decided to buy my house, which is amazing on so many fronts. The house gets to stay in the family, her littles will now have a ton of grass to play on and parks nearby, and we save a bunch of time and money trying to list and sell the house. The last domino to fall is finding a house to buy before the baby arrives (late May). If not, the five of us are going to be stuck in my girlfriend’s apartment, which is meant for 2 people. Wish us luck!

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, January 29th

• 9-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards
  - 7:00 PM ET – Brooklyn Nets at Charlotte Hornets
  - 7:30 PM ET – Denver Nuggets at New York Knicks
  - 7:30 PM ET – Sacramento Kings at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 7:30 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat
  - 7:30 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics
  - 8:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs
  - 8:00 PM ET – Dallas Mavericks at New Orleans Pelicans
• Front end of a back-to-back: Wizards, Cavaliers, Wolves
• Back end of a back-to-back: Sixers, Warriors
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
• 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 sites available today.

News Updates

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

Team Previews

Detroit Pistons (at IND)

We kick off tonight’s slate with the Pistons, who have already ruled out Jaden Ivey. Everyone else should be available against the Pacers, who are 6th in pace and 21st in points allowed per game this season. The Pistons are sizable underdogs but have a team total that is nearly identical to their season average.

Nobody is showing up in the optimals at a high rate, but Cade Cunningham is always viable in tournaments at low projected ownership. Jalen Duren is still only $5,800 on DraftKings despite topping 23 fantasy points in each of his last 17 games.

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