Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, October 28th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-10-28 22:06:43 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!

I did my best to stay up for the end of Game 3 of the World Series last night, but I fell asleep shortly after Clayton Kershaw got a crucial out with the bases loaded. I want to say I lasted until the 13th inning. While I was sad to miss the Freddie Freeman walk-off home run live, my brain is certainly thanking me for it today. I would have been a zombie had I stayed up for another 5 innings. The ever-important Game 4 is tonight for those interested. We have the MLB First Look and projections in LineupHQ.

I was excited to wake up and see a 5-game slate on tap in the association. The huge slates can be fun every now and then, but I much prefer slates that have 5 and 8 games. There are enough options to keep ownership spread out, but not so many that it becomes overwhelming. More importantly, it’s easier to track post-lock injuries on small slates.

Let’s dive into tonight’s slate!

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NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, October 28th

Slate Overview

• 5-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Philadelphia 76ers at Washington Wizards
  - 7:30 pm ET – Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat
  - 8:00 pm ET – Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 8:00 pm ET – New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 11:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors
• 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

Philadelphia 76ers (at WAS)

We kick off tonight’s slate with the Sixers, who are playing on the second half of a back-to-back. They have not submitted their official injury report yet, but we expect them to be without Paul George, Trendon Watford, Dominick Barlow, and Jared McCain. Joel Embiid will play after resting in the first half of the back-to-back. Philly draws an elite matchup against the Wizards and comes into the game with a team total of 121 points, which is the 2nd highest on the board.

Tyrese Maxey has been terrific this season, averaging just under 60 fantasy points per game with a usage rate of 28%. He likely won’t be as efficient on a per-minute basis with Embiid back in the lineup, but he still makes for a nice tournament play on this slate. VJ Edgecombe has scored at least 42 fantasy points in all 4 games this season and has played at least 39 minutes in each of the last 3 games. How do we not play him at his current price point and in this matchup?

Embiid has only played 20 minutes in each of the first 2 games of the season. It’ll be hard for him to pay off his expensive salary on a minute restriction. Kelly Oubre and Quentin Grimes will both push for minutes in the 30s and can be used as lineup fillers on this short slate.

Washington Wizards (vs. PHI)

The Wizards have a mediocre matchup on paper, but the Sixers are shorthanded and playing on the second half of a back-to-back. This is a pretty good spot for Washington as a whole. They come into the game with a team total of 117 points, which is nearly identical to their season average. Bilal Coulibaly has been ruled out, while Tre Johnson is listed as questionable.

I’ve never been a CJ McCollum truther. He’s been volatile in his first 3 games with the Wizards, scoring 21, 17, and 41 fantasy points. He’s affordable enough to deserve consideration, but I’m not making him a priority in my builds. Kyshawn George has shown more upside, especially on a per-minute basis this season (1.44 DK / 1.41 FD). He put up 66 fantasy points against the Mavericks the other night.

Johnson has topped 25 fantasy points in every game, so his absence would open up some playing time and usage. Bub Carrington would become a strong value play in all formats. Cam Whitmore and Corey Kispert could also see small upticks in playing time. Whitemore has averaged close to a fantasy point per minute this season. Khris Middleton is a strange fit on this team and is a secondary option this evening. Alexandre Sarr (1.39 DK / 1.41 FD) has a tough individual matchup against Embiid, but he’s firmly in play for GPPs.

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