Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, May 14th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-05-14 17:52:06 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!

The Cavaliers were unable to win at home last night against the Pacers, which means the top seed in the East has been eliminated from the playoffs. A huge congratulations to the Pacers and their fans for advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the late game, the Nuggets put up a great fight in Oklahoma City, but the Thunder were able to pick up the win and now lead the series 3-2.

I hate to say it, but this could be the final 2-game slate of the season. It’s been a pleasure breaking down NBA games with you all season. I really do appreciate you, and I hope these articles have helped along the way. Now, let’s dive into tonight’s 2-game slate.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, May 14th

• 2-game main slate
  - 8:00 PM ET – New York Knicks at Boston Celtics
  - 10:30 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
• 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

New York Knicks (at BOS)

The Knicks didn’t look great at times in Game 4, but they picked up a huge win at home to grab a 3-1 lead in the series. It wasn’t their defense that was the hero either, as their offense put up 70 points in the second half. They are now one victory away from the Eastern Conference Finals. With Jayson Tatum out for the season, they have to like their chances of winning this series. They enter tonight’s game as 4.5-point underdogs and have a team total of 102 points.

Jalen Brunson continues to be a core play in my eyes, and he continues to dominate in the postseason. In the 4 games in this series, he has averaged 48 fantasy points with a usage rate of 32%. I don’t see a reason why he shouldn’t continue to be a staple in DFS lineups. Mikal Bridges has averaged 44 minutes per game in this series. It’s tough to make a strong case against him when he’s logging that many minutes. OG Anunoby has struggled with consistency in the playoffs and has had a usage rate under 15% in each of the last 3 games. He’s my least favorite starter on the Knicks.

Josh Hart has struggled over the last 2 games but has still topped 34 fantasy points in 6 of his last 8 games. I prefer him over Anunoby and view him as a comparable point-per-dollar target as Bridges. Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most frustrating players in all of NBA DFS. He will have 5-minute stretches where he looks unstoppable, but then he’ll disappear for the next quarter. I’m encouraged by the recent usage rate (22%, 26%, and 24% over the last 3 games) and still love the price point. Mitchell Robinson is a fine punt on DraftKings ($3,900) if you need a salary saver.

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