NBA DFS Core Plays LIVE: Thursday, February 15th
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 Noto will mix it up in all different types of contests. 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 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, you’ve come to the right place.
“Do not go gentle into that good night.” A poem by Dylan Thomas and a line in one of my favorite movies, Interstellar.
We have one more NBA slate before the All-Star Break, and we should not go gentle into that good night. Many will opt to take the night off or won’t put much effort into their lineups, but not us. We are going to grind and head into the break with a win (hopefully). There are only 3 games on the schedule tonight, and 3 of those teams are playing in the second half of a back-to-back (Grizzlies, Warriors, Jazz). This is a slate that could have a lot of moving pieces, as teams may opt to rest anyone with a lingering injury.
Tiger Woods is set to tee off in about 35 minutes, so if you don’t hear from me in the next five hours, don’t be alarmed. Kidding aside, he’s going to play a maximum of six events this year and who knows how many he has left in him the rest of his career. I’m going to cherish the few more times we get to see him tee it up competitively. If you haven’t tried golf and are looking for something to do during the All-Star Break, we will have Showdown content up for Round 2, Round 3, and Round 4 this weekend.
NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Thursday, February 15th
Slate Overview
- 3-game slate
- 8:30 PM ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies
- 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz
- 10:00 PM ET – Minnesota Timberwolves at Portland Trail Blazers
- Teams on the front end of a back-to-back: None
- Teams in the second half of a back-to-back: Grizzlies, Warriors, Jazz
- NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
- 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
Milwaukee Bucks (at MEM): The Bucks have lost 6 of their last 10 games and have a losing record on the road this season. While not ideal, they draw a favorable matchup tonight against the Grizzlies, who have lost more players to injury than any team in the NBA. The Bucks are listed as 11-point favorites and have a team total that is 4 points below their season average. Khris Middleton is still out, which means another start for Jae Crowder. In terms of usage and FP/min production, here’s who benefits the most with Middleton off the floor:
Damian Lillard sees a much bigger boost without Middleton than Giannis Antetokounmpo, but both players are viable this evening. If deciding between the two, I will take the discounted price point and side with Lillard. Brook Lopez has a nice matchup against a short-handed Grizzlies frontcourt, Bobby Portis is worth a look in tournaments, and you can do worse than Crowder and Malik Beasley when it comes to value plays.
Memphis Grizzlies (vs. MIL): The Grizzlies have lost 9 of their last 10 games and are only 6-20 at home this season. While they are double-digit underdogs tonight, they draw a nice matchup against the visiting Bucks and come into the game with a total that is slightly higher than their season average. In addition to all of the season-long injuries, the Grizzlies will also be without Scotty Pippen. Jaren Jackson is set to garner around 30% ownership, which makes him a scary play and a scary fade. He’ll lock horns with Giannis, which increases his chances of getting into foul trouble. I generally like to fade Jackson when he’s popular, so I plan to be underweight this evening. Vince Williams has averaged 37 fantasy points over his last 4 games, Luke Kennard could see around 30 minutes with elevated usage, and Lamar Stevens has scored 22 and 30 fantasy points in his last 2 games. I like the Grizzlies here, but I will be taking my chances with a Jackson fade.
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