Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, December 23rd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-12-23 23:37:38 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 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 Tuesday!

We are 2 days away from Christmas. I am officially done with my Christmas shopping and have my Christmas onesie ready to go for Thursday. The only thing missing is a big DFS win to help fill the stockings hanging on the mantle. With no games tomorrow, we’ll have to make the most of tonight’s slate. There are 14 games on the schedule, but DraftKings and FanDuel have both decided to roll out an 11-game main slate this evening.

I’ll be back to break down the Christmas games, but I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays!

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.

NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, December 23rd

Slate Overview

• 11-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 7:00 pm ET – Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets
  - 7:30 pm ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:30 pm ET – Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat
  - 7:30 pm ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 7:30 pm ET – Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks
  - 8:00 pm ET – Denver Nuggets at Dallas Mavericks
  - 8:00 pm ET – New York Knicks at Minnesota Timberwolves
  - 8:30 pm ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
  - 9:00 pm ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Utah Jazz
  - 9:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• 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

Brooklyn Nets (at PHI)

We start tonight’s massive slate with the Nets, who have a mediocre matchup against the Sixers. They are 9.5-point underdogs and have a team total that is 5 points lower than their season average. Cam Thomas and Haywood Highsmith are still out.

Michael Porter Jr. doesn’t have a positive RGValue for the first time in a long time, but he’s still viable in tournaments. He has averaged 44 fantasy points per game with Thomas out and has seen a usage rate north of 30% in 5 of his last 7 games. Nic Claxton is one of the most volatile players at his price point, but he does offer 50+ fantasy point upside. For cash games and small-field tournaments, I’ll continue to play Noah Clowney over Claxton at a much cheaper price point.

Philadelphia 76ers (vs. BKN)

The Sixers have a mediocre matchup against the Nets. While their defense is nothing to write home about, this projects to be one of the slowest-paced games on the slate. The Sixers have a team total that is 4 points lower than their season average. Kelly Oubre and Trendon Watford are out, while VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, and Quentin Grimes are questionable.

The issue with the Sixers is threefold: they could be close to full strength, they have a low team total, and the slate is massive. Tyrese Maxey is having a career season, but he’s priced at a premium. Paul George feels underpriced, but his low floor has been costly for DFS players this season. Joel Embiid is my favorite target here. He has played at least 30 minutes in 3 straight games and put up 48 and 56 fantasy points in his last 2 games.

Want to read more? Sign up for NBA Premium!

Here is an example of the DFS tables that are provided to our Premium Subscribers