Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, March 19th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-03-19 22:40:57 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!

After a fairly quiet winter here in Utah, we’ve had nonstop snow over the last 2 days. I don’t hate the snow as much as most, but we are into March. It’s time for watching college basketball, hitting up the golf course, and loading up on Girl Scout Cookies. Unfortunately, it looks like I’m only getting one of those three this week. I can’t golf in the snow, and apparently, thin mints have traces of metal in them. Who am I kidding? A little metal never hurt anyone.

After a quiet 4-gamer on Tuesday, we have a massive 11-game slate on tap tonight. All 11 games are featured on the main slates for both FanDuel and DraftKings.

Thanks for joining me…now let’s dive into the slate.

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NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, March 19th

• 11-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Dallas Mavericks at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic
  - 7:30 PM ET – Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat
  - 8:00 PM ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves
  - 8:00 PM ET – Philadelphia 76ers at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 8:00 PM ET – New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs
  - 9:00 PM ET – Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz
  - 10:00 PM ET – Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
  - 10:00 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns
  - 10:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers
  - 10:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Sacramento Kings
• Front end of a back-to-back: Knicks, Pacers, Bulls, Kings, Lakers
• Back end of a back-to-back: Cavaliers
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

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

Team Previews

Dallas Mavericks (at IND)

We kick the slate off with the Mavericks, who draw a nice matchup against the Pacers. The Mavericks come into the game with a team total that is only 2 points lower than their season average. That may not seem like a positive, but it is when you consider the fact that they are without Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Dante Exum, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, Caleb Martin, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper. Brandon Williams, Kai Jones, and Jaden Hardy are all questionable.

Williams is the most appealing option on Dallas if he’s able to suit up. He has scored at least 34 fantasy points in 5 of his last 6 games with a usage rate of 22% during that stretch. If he’s out, more minutes and usage will open up for the already shorthanded Mavericks.

Indiana Pacers (vs. DAL)

The Pacers have a favorable matchup at home against the Mavericks and come into the game with a team total that is 6 points higher than their season average. There are 2 key injuries to monitor here, as Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are both listed as questionable.

If both players are active, not much sticks out in the context of this 11-game slate. If Haliburton is out, value will open up in the backcourt. If Siakam is out, Haliburton will become a more enticing option and minutes will open up in the frontcourt. We can take a wait-and-see approach for now.

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