Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Sunday, December 7th

by Taylor Smith (tcsmith031) Last Updated 2025-12-07 22:37:07 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. International pop music icon Taylor Smith takes over on weekends. 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.

Hello! I was building a few NFL lineups before I sat down to write this. Yet again, I see J.J. McCarthy kinda popping as an intriguing salary-saver at QB. Must be a good slate! Surely, nothing can go wrong this time.

Speaking of disgusting value plays, we’re looking at quite a few of those on tonight’s NBA slate as well. Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Golden State are all dealing with injuries to star players, so there should be no shortage of viable cheap stuff available. The sites are once again aligned with 5-game slates, which is always nice to see. Just note that, as usual, we’re looking at a slightly earlier lock time of 6 PM ET on this fine Sunday. Let’s dive in.

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NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Sunday, December 7th

Slate Overview

• Slate size – 5 games
  - 6:00 pm ET – Denver Nuggets at Charlotte Hornets
  - 6:00 pm ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 7:00 pm ET – Golden State Warriors at Chicago Bulls
  - 7:30 pm ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 8:00 pm ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

Here’s where I’ll provide news updates.

Team Previews

Denver Nuggets (at CHA)

The Nuggets have been scuffling lately, especially on the defensive end of the floor, thanks to the injuries to Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. Those are Denver’s best defenders, so it’s understandable. They’re in a favorable spot tonight, as they’re favored by 10.5 points with a healthy 122 implied team total as they take on a shorthanded Hornets team in Charlotte.

Nikola Jokic is the top overall play on the slate, but there’s zero margin for error with his $13,000 (DK) and $12,800 (FD) salaries. If he loses some minutes to a blowout or makes a mid-game trip to the locker room, there’s a decent chance he’s burning you at those premium price points. A guy averaging 1.82 DK FP/minute and facing the Hornets makes for a phenomenal play, and he’s admittedly a scary fade on such a small slate. There’s enough cheap value on the slate to afford him pretty comfortably, but I’d just stop short of calling Jokic a must.

Jamal Murray (1.23 FP/minute) has been outstanding this season, and he topped 50 points in a game earlier this week. There’s plenty of ceiling here, and he’s generally easier to play on FD where you can slot him in at a shooting guard spot. Peyton Watson and Cameron Johnson are very similar plays at this point. I think the matchup sets up a bit more favorably for Watson, as the Hornets haven’t generally been a defense that gives up tons of catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts.

Charlotte Hornets (vs. DEN)

As mentioned, the Hornets are down quite a few bodies for this one. LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Pat Connaughton, and Grant Williams are all out, while Moussa Diabate is questionable. Charlotte’s 111.5 implied team total is also the lowest of the slate despite the Nuggets’ recent defensive issues.

The absences of Ball and Sexton leave Charlotte thin on ball handlers. We’re projecting KJ Simpson to draw the start, as he’s really the only true PG left on the active roster. Simpson is at a respectable 0.93 FP/minute with Ball/Sexton on the bench this season, and he’s affordable in the $4,000 range on both sites. The usage here should flow through Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Kon Knueppel. While Miller is cheap by his standards, he’s also playing through a shoulder injury, and he’s struggled with efficiency as a result. I’d rather attack the Nuggets through Bridges or Knueppel, who should directly benefit from the injuries to Gordon and Braun, respectively. Both players have also gotten cheaper, especially on DraftKings.

The minutes for Ryan Kalkbrenner could solidify if Diabate is out, I’m just not thrilled about targeting an inexperienced rookie center matched up directly with Jokic. The only other big body available in that scenario is Tidjane Salaun, who isn’t really a center. Salaun would be a viable large-field punt at low ownership if Diabate is out, but my interest in Charlotte’s frontcourt is fleeting at best.

Portland Trail Blazers (at MEM)

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