Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Sunday, November 23rd

by Taylor Smith (tcsmith031) Last Updated 2025-11-23 22:40:43 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. 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.

Happy Sunday! DraftKings and FanDuel are aligned on their NBA slates tonight, so I guess Christmas came early. No time for storytelling or shenanigans, though, as we’ve got a lot to sort through for this one.

Let’s do that, shall we?

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NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Sunday, November 23rd

Slate Overview

• Slate size – 7-game main slate
  - 6:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 6:00 pm ET – Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics
  - 6:00 pm ET – Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors
  - 6:00 pm ET – Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks
  - 7:00 pm ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 8:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz
  - 8:00 pm ET – San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns
• 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 throughout the afternoon.

Team Previews

Los Angeles Clippers (at CLE)

The Clippers finally got back into the win column yesterday in Charlotte, and all it took was James Harden scoring a franchise-record 55 points. Today, they’re in a much more difficult matchup at Cleveland, but Kawhi Leonard is expected to return after missing the last 10 games with an ankle injury. He’s officially questionable, as is Bogdan Bogdanovic after he missed yesterday’s game. Bradley Beal, Derrick Jones Jr., and Jordan Miller are still out.

Kawhi’s return would sap some usage from Harden, while it would also presumably send Kobe Sanders back to the bench. Harden’s now up to $10,000 or more on both sites. I think he’s capable of supplying a ceiling considering Leonard will surely be on a limit; it’s just a narrower path at this hefty price point. Ivica Zubac has been more of a high-floor/low-ceiling play this season, though he rates out as a decent enough value on FanDuel ($7,100). Kawhi is a relatively easy fade because he won’t see full minutes, and nobody else on this team projects well.

Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. LAC)

The Cavs haven’t yet reached the great heights they achieved during the last regular season, but it’s early, and they’ve dealt with some injuries. Darius Garland returned again in the last game, though they’re still without Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, and Max Strus, while Craig Porter Jr. and Lonzo Ball will also miss this one. Despite it all, Cleveland is still a solid 8.5-point favorite.

Allen’s absence slides Evan Mobley over to center, which is generally favorable for his fantasy outlook. He’s at 1.25 FP/minute this season with Allen on the bench, and he generally spends more time around the rim. $8,000 on DK and $8,500 on FD are pretty cheap salaries for the upside here. Donovan Mitchell (32.3% usage, 1.3 FP/minute) is putting up similar numbers to last season. The Clippers’ defense gets a little better with Leonard back, yet Mitchell still rates out pretty well in the mid-$9,000s. I do prefer Mobley, though both are viable. I’d prefer not to play them in the same lineup, however.

We’re projecting Jaylon Tyson to draw a second straight start in Allen’s stead. Tyson doesn’t generate much usage, but he’s still decently active (0.85 FP/minute). He’s a much better play on DraftKings, where he’s only $4,000 with G/F eligibility. Garland logged 26 minutes in his return from a toe injury, so he’s unlikely to crack 30 again today. I like the price point, but I don’t think there’s much of a ceiling here. Guys like De’Andre Hunter and Nae’Qwan Tomlin can stay in a large-field GPP player pool as dart throws.

Orlando Magic (at BOS)

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