Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Thursday, March 26th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-03-26 17:54:36 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 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.

Happy Thursday and happy MLB Opening Day!

While you are reading this, you are likely sweating your MLB or PGA lineups. I wish you the best of luck.

We only have 3 games on the schedule, which means this will be a quick and easy read. All 3 games start at 7:00 PM ET, which means all of the injury news will be available at lineup lock.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Thursday, March 26th

Slate Overview

• 3-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Sacramento Kings at Orlando Magic
  - 7:00 pm ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Detroit Pistons
  - 7:00 pm ET – New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

1:35 PM ET

Caris LeVert is out for the Pistons. Tobias Harris is questionable. Marcus Sasser is probable.

Precious Achiuwa and Killian Hayes will play for the Kings.

Team Previews

Sacramento Kings (at ORL)

We kick off tonight’s slate with the Kings, who have no chance at making the playoffs. They are 15.5-point road underdogs in Orlando, so there’s significant blowout risk here. The Magic rank 18th in pace and 12th in points allowed per game. Sacramento’s team total is 108 points, which is 3 points lower than their season average. Russell Westbrook, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, Drew Eubanks, and Nique Clifford are out, while Killian Hayes and Precious Achiuwa are questionable.

Devin Carter has averaged over a fantasy point per minute this season and has averaged 31 fantasy points over his last 3 games. He already projects as a strong value and will see an even bigger boost if Hayes is eventually ruled out. Malik Monk has scored everywhere from 4 to 47 fantasy points over his last 5 games. He’s not a cash game option, but he offers plenty of upside for tournaments. DeMar DeRozan had that huge game against the Jazz last week, but the Kings have limited his minutes ever since.

My interest in the frontcourt hinges on the availability of Achiuwa. If active, I’m not going to force any of Sacramento’s bigs into my lineups. However, his absence would open up 30 minutes in the rotation and a big chunk of usage in the offense. Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, and Daeqwon Plowden would all see a major boost if Achiuwa is out. It’s also worth noting that Patrick Baldwin Jr. played 27 minutes with Achiuwa out the other night.

Orlando Magic (vs. SAC)

The Magic are 15.5-point home favorites against the Kings, who are 15th in pace and 28th in points allowed per game. Sacramento is also 28th in rebounding rate and 29th in 3-point percentage allowed, so this is one of the best possible matchups. The Magic’s team total is 123 points, which is 7 points higher than their season average. Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac, and Franz Wagner are out, while Jalen Suggs is questionable.

While a blowout is likely here, the Magic have a massive team total and are playing shorthanded. There is certainly a case to be made that Orlando’s upside outweighs their risk. We have to keep an eye on Suggs, as Jevon Carter would draw another start if Suggs were out. Carter has topped 20 fantasy points in 5 of his last 6 games and is still cheap on both sites. If Suggs is active, he makes for an interesting GPP play.

Paolo Banchero has had a usage rate of at least 32% in 4 of the last 5 games. He has a massive ceiling if this game stays competitive. Desmond Bane projects well, but he has been held under 40 fantasy points in 7 straight games. He could always break out of his funk in this matchup, but he’s far from a priority for me. Tristan da Silva is one of my favorite value plays once again. He has topped 30 fantasy points in back-to-back games and should see 30+ minutes in an elite matchup. Wendell Carter Jr. is affordable and has topped 23 fantasy points in 15 straight games. He’s a strong option in all formats.

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