Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Friday, December 12th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-12-12 21:58:12 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. So, who better to walk you through the madness of an NBA DFS slate? Core Plays LIVE will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best plays, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, you’ve come to the right place.

Happy Friday!

We have officially made it to the weekend, which is always a great feeling. Happy 12/12 to all those who celebrate. If you look at the clock at 12:12 on 12/12, it has to be good luck. Sorry, East Coasters, but that time has already passed at the time of writing this.

We’ve had a light schedule in the association this week, but we finally have a full slate on tap tonight. There are 7 games on FanDuel’s main slate and 6 games on DraftKings’ main slate. I’ll be on Crunch Time again at 6:15 PM ET. We’ll break down the slate and answer any questions the chat has for us. To watch live, click the link below:

CRUNCH TIME AT 6:15 PM ET

Let’s dive into the team previews.

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NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Friday, December 12th

Slate Overview

• 7-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets
  - 7:00 pm ET – Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 7:00 pm ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards
  - 7:00 pm ET – Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons
  - 8:00 pm ET – Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 8:30 pm ET – Brooklyn Nets at Dallas Mavericks
  - 10:00 pm ET – Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors
  - 10:00 pm ET – Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings
• 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

Chicago Bulls (at CHA)

We kick off tonight’s slate with the Bulls, who have an interesting matchup against the Hornets. On the season, Charlotte is 25th in pace and 2nd in rebounding rate, yet they are dead last in 3-point percentage allowed and 24th in defensive rating. The Bulls have a team total that is a point higher than their season average. Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter are both out.

With Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Tre Jones all healthy, it’s hard to trust them individually in cash games and small tournaments. White has been held under 35 fantasy points in 4 of his last 5 games, Giddey has been held under 50 fantasy points in 4 of his last 5 games, and Jones hasn’t shown much upside since White returned from injury. It hasn’t been any better for Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic. To make matters worse, they are facing one of the best rebounding teams in the league.

I’m not overly excited about targeting any Bulls.

Charlotte Hornets (vs. CHI)

The Hornets have an elite matchup at home against the Bulls, who are 2nd in pace and 27th in points allowed per game. The Hornets are 2.5-point underdogs and have a team total that is a point higher than their season average. LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, Collin Sexton, Grant Williams, and Pat Connaughton are all out, while Moussa Diabate is questionable.

The combination of a great matchup at home and being shorthanded is always good for DFS. The Hornets have five players with positive RGValues. We have Kenneth Simpson projected to start at point guard, who has averaged 29 minutes and 26 fantasy points over his last 2 games. Kon Knueppel has shown a high ceiling in his rookie season and should see a major uptick in usage with Ball and Sexton both out.

Brandon Miller hasn’t been great this season, but the minutes are trending upward, and he’s had a 30% usage rate on the season. A breakout game feels imminent. Miles Bridges should naturally soak up more usage and has topped 40 fantasy points in 3 of his last 6 games. Ryan Kalkbrenner already projects well in this spot, so he’ll become a Core Play if Diabete is ultimately ruled out.

Don’t be shy with your exposure to the Hornets.

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