Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, March 31st

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-03-31 18:52:16 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 Tuesday!

We have officially made it to the last day of March. I have now seen Project: Hail Mary two times, and it’s about to be a third. I read the book a few years ago, so I was pumped when I heard they were making a movie. I told my better half that we had to go when it came out. I also talked my good friend into reading the book, and he naturally wanted to see it with me. And then my two boys just had to see the movie that their friends were talking about. I loved it the first time. I loved it the second time. We’ll see if I love it the third time. Ideally, I could have accomplished all of this in one fell swoop, but alas, the stars did not align.

On this fine Tuesday evening, there are 7 games on the NBA schedule. We only have to worry about the first 5 games, as FanDuel and DraftKings have both decided to roll out a 5-game main slate.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, March 31st

Slate Overview

• 7-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Phoenix Suns at Orlando Magic
  - 7:30 pm ET – Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets
  - 8:00 pm ET – New York Knicks at Houston Rockets
  - 8:00 pm ET – Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons
  - 8:00 pm ET – Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 10:30 pm ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Lakers (not on main slate)
  - 11:00 pm ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers (not on main slate)
• 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

Phoenix Suns (at ORL)

We kick off tonight’s 5-gamer with the Suns, who are 7th in the West. They are likely stuck in that spot, but they still have the motivation to win games. They are 2.5-point road underdogs against the Magic, who are 19th in pace and 14th in points allowed per game. Phoenix’s team total is 111 points, which is 2 points lower than their season average. This is a back-to-back, but we do have their injury report — Mark Williams, Haywood Highsmith, and Amir Coffey are out.

With everyone currently in the projections, there’s not a single player on the roster who has an RGValue close to being in the positive. Devin Booker hasn’t shown much upside this season, Jalen Green has been held under 40 fantasy points in 5 of his last 6 games, and there are fewer minutes to go around on the wing if Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen are both active. Oso Ighodaro offers a higher floor than you might expect, as he has topped 23 fantasy points in 8 straight games.

Orlando Magic (vs. PHO)

The Magic are currently 8th in the East, but they could finish anywhere from 5th to 10th based on the next couple of weeks. They are 2.5-point home favorites against the Suns. Phoenix ranks 25th in pace and 6th in points allowed per game, so this is far from an ideal spot. Orlando’s team total is 114 points, which is 2 points lower than their season average. Anthony Black, Franz Wagner, and Jonathan Isaac are all out.

The Magic don’t project much better than the Suns, but they are missing some key pieces offensively. Paolo Banchero is coming off a brutal game against the Raptors, but he had topped 50 fantasy points in each of his previous 3 games. At low projected ownership, he’s a strong tournament play. Desmond Bane is a tough click at the moment, as he’s been held under 40 fantasy points in 10 straight games. Tristan da Silva has been hit or miss recently, but he offers 30+ fantasy point upside. Wendell Carter Jr. offers a high floor, as he’s scored 27 or more fantasy points in 8 of his last 10 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