Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, April 1st

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-04-01 19:06:35 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 Wednesday!

We have officially made it to April. For those pranksters out there, this is one of the best days of the year. I’ve never been huge on pulling pranks myself, but I love watching a good prank unfold. I do have a 10- and 12-year-old boy in the house, so shoot me a DM if you have a good prank that I could pull on them.

The start of the Masters is only 8 days away. This week’s event (Valero Texas Open) gives us one last chance to pad our bankrolls before the year’s first major. We have a ton of PGA DFS content for you to consume this week, so make sure to check it out.

Now, let’s talk about the association. There are 9 games on the schedule, but only the first 7 games are featured on the main slates on FanDuel and DraftKings. I’ve always said that between 6 and 8 games is the sweet spot for DFS. There are plenty of options at each position, but there aren’t too many to where we have decision fatigue.

I’ll be on Crunch Time tonight with Dean and TJ to help break down the slate and answer any questions. We go live at 3:45 PM ET.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, April 1st

Slate Overview

• 7-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Philadelphia 76ers at Washington Wizards
  - 7:00 pm ET – Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
  - 7:30 pm ET – Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
  - 8:00 pm ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Houston Rockets
  - 8:00 pm ET – Sacramento Kings at Toronto Raptors
  - 8:00 pm ET – Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls
  - 8:00 pm ET – New York Knicks at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 9:00 pm ET – Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz (not on main slate)
  - 10:00 pm ET – San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (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

Philadelphia 76ers (at WAS)

We start tonight’s 7-game slate with the Sixers, who are 15.5-point road favorites against the Wizards. This is an elite matchup, as Washington is 29th in points allowed per game and dead last in rebounding rate. Philadelphia’s team total is 127 points, which is 11 points higher than their season average. While there’s some risk with this large spread, we have to like the Sixers without Joel Embiid and in an elite matchup.

Here’s who benefits the most with Embiid off the floor:

As you might expect, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and VJ Edgecombe all see major boosts in usage with Embiid off the floor. Maxey has topped 48 fantasy points in 4 of his last 6 games and is an easy click in a matchup against the Wizards. George should have gotten himself suspended earlier, because he’s been on a tear since returning to the lineup. He has topped 50 fantasy points in 2 of the last 3 games. Edgecombe is a way to get different, and we know he offers a high ceiling. Adem Bona and Andre Drummond will split the minutes at center. They are both decent values, but I’ll side with the one that gets the start.

Washington Wizards (vs. PHI)

The Wizards are major underdogs against the Sixers, who are 16th in pace and 19th in points allowed per game. Washington has nothing to play for, and we have to worry about a blowout here. Their team total is 112 points, which is 1 point lower than their season average. Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, D’Angelo Russell, Julian Reese, Alex Sarr, and Cam Whitmore are out, while Leaky Black is questionable.

The Wizards don’t project particularly well, but they are going to be without two of their centers in Sarr and Reese. Anthony Gill and Tristan Vukcevic should both see an uptick in minutes, and they see a matchup boost with Joel Embiid out for the Sixers. I don’t want to mess with anyone else on Washington, but I do think Gill and Vuk are worth a look in tournaments.

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