Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, November 25th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-11-25 22:58:40 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 only have 3 NBA games on the schedule tonight. We have a large slate headed our way tomorrow, and then there aren’t any NBA games on Thursday. Speaking of Thanksgiving, this is the best Turkey Day NFL slate that I have seen in a long time. We have GB/DET, KC/DAL, and CIN/BAL. All 3 games are important in the grand scheme of the playoff picture, and these are some of the most fun teams to target in DFS.

Let’s dive into tonight’s 3-game slate. With the games all starting at different times, this is one of the best late swap slates of the season. If your players in the early game get off to a bad start, it makes sense to pivot away from the chalk in the later games. If you get off to a nice start, it makes sense to eat some chalk in the later games.

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NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, November 25th

Slate Overview

• 3-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards
  - 8:00 pm ET – Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 11:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers
• 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

Atlanta Hawks (at WAS)

We kick off the slate with the Hawks, who square off against the Wizards. This might be the best matchup in all of fantasy basketball, as Washington is 4th in pace, 29th in rebounding rate, 30th in points allowed per game, and 30th in defensive rating. The Hawks come into the game with a team total that is 6 points higher than their season average. Trae Young is out, while Luke Kennard is questionable.

Let’s see who benefits the most with Young off the floor this season:

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been a steady producer all season and is starting to show some upside with Young out. Over his last 5 games, he has topped 40 fantasy points three times. At $6,500 on both sites, he’s a strong option for cash games and tournaments. Dyson Daniels only has a 15% usage rate this season, but he’s had a 24% usage rate in each of the last 2 games. If we run into a high-usage game from Daniels, the chances of a ceiling game are high, given the matchup against the Wizards.

Zaccharie Risacher is a starter in name, but he’s only projected for 24 minutes. His outlook could improve if Kennard is unable to suit up. Kristaps Porzingis finally showed some upside in his last time out, scoring 51 fantasy points against the Pelicans. He also logged 33 minutes, which was a season high. Jalen Johnson remains one of the best spends on the slate. The offense flows through him with Young out. He has topped 50 fantasy points in 6 of his last 7 games. Onyeka Okongwu isn’t a starter in name, but he has averaged 30 minutes and 33 fantasy points over his last 3 games.

Washington Wizards (vs. ATL)

It’s always bittersweet seeing the Wizards on the schedule. On one hand, they are the best matchup in NBA DFS. On the other hand, their roster is full of volatile players, and they are constantly on the losing end of blowouts. Tonight, they host the Hawks, who are 12th in pace and 13th in points allowed per game. Tre Johnson is out, while Marvin Bagley and Kyshawn George are listed as questionable.

With George currently in the projections, there’s not a single player on the Wizards with a positive RGValue in LineupHQ. If George is active, I certainly don’t mind looking his way in tournaments. He has scored at least 43 fantasy points in 4 of the last 5 games. If George is out, C.J. McCollum and Bub Carrington would both become viable options. Even if George is active, Carrington could push for minutes in the mid-20s at $3,300 on DraftKings. Alexandre Sarr has topped 40 fantasy points in 6 of his last 8 games and could see a small usage boost if George is ruled out.

I never feel great about the Wizards, but I feel better than usual about them.

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