Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Thursday, March 19th

by Taylor Smith (tcsmith031) Last Updated 2026-03-19 19:33:22 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been rotaming 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. On weekends, Taylor Smith takes the reins. So, who better to walk you through the madness of NBA DFS slates on DraftKings and FanDuel? 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! Noto (load management) is out today, so I’m filling in for him as your trusty host. We’re getting into the best part of the sports calendar. The NBA and NHL playoffs are on the horizon, while MLB Opening Day is exactly a week away. Today is also the first day of the NCAA Tournament. You already know you’re not getting any work done today, so you might as well pass the time by playing some NBA DFS.

We’re looking at 6-game main slates on both DraftKings and FanDuel. While last night’s slate was laden with blowouts, we’ve only got 2 games on the schedule tonight with double-digit spreads. In related news, the only tanking team in action tonight is the Wizards.

Without further delay, let’s dive in.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Thursday, March 19th

Slate Overview

• 6-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Detroit Pistons at Washington Wizards
  - 7:00 pm ET – Orlando Magic at Charlotte Hornets
  - 8:00 pm ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls
  - 8:00 pm ET – Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs
  - 8:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Clippers at New Orleans Pelicans
  - 8:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat
• 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

Detroit Pistons (at WAS)

We’ll tip things off with the Pistons, who got some rather devastating news this morning. Cade Cunningham is out indefinitely with a collapsed lung, which is an incredibly bad break for a team with as good a chance as any of winning the Eastern Conference. On the bright side, they’re probably going to win their first game without him because they’re facing the Wizards tonight. Detroit is a heavy 14.5-point favorite on the road, and their 123 implied team total is the 2nd highest on the board. Isaiah Stewart will also miss tonight’s contest with a calf injury.

Without Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins will almost surely draw a start at the point. Jenkins has played well (0.98 FP/minute) in Cade’s stead this season, though we’re currently projecting him to split the point guard minutes in half with Marcus Sasser (0.94 FP/minute). Sasser is the far better value on FD – where he’s $2,400 cheaper – while Sasser is $100 more expensive than Jenkins on DK. Jenkins may have a higher ceiling, and I’d expect the ownership to favor whoever starts.

Caris LeVert (0.98 FP/minute) is another capable ball-handler, while Kevin Huerter (+3.7%) and Duncan Robinson (+2.8%) have gotten small usage bumps without Cunningham. LeVert is a stellar SG/SF play in the $4,000 range, but the ownership looks like it’ll be there. The headliner here is Jalen Duren (1.51 FP/minute), who also draws the best individual matchup against Washington’s pathetic frontcourt. Duren won’t come cheap, but we’ve seen him post 45-50 fantasy points in under 30 minutes on numerous occasions. Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris look like secondary considerations at their elevated price points.

Washington Wizards (vs. DET)

The Wiz only lost to the Pistons by 13 points when they met the other night, which, for them, is an accomplishment. Detroit has been among the stingiest defenses in the league all season. Washington’s 108.5 total in this one is, predictably, the lowest on the slate. Trae Young, Kyshawn George, Leaky Black, and Anthony Davis are out. Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly are questionable.

If Sarr and Coulibaly suit up, I don’t want to have much to do with this team. Nobody projects as a positive RGValue. If Sarr and Coulibaly sit, you could potentially talk me into Justin Champagnie, Carlton Carrington, Will Riley, and Sharife Cooper in tournaments. I’m inclined to cap my Washington exposure to 2 – at the very most – in large-field contests.

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