Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, April 15th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-04-15 17:25:24 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!

It turns out that when there are stakes involved, the NBA can actually have a good product. We had two incredible games last night. The Hornets beat the Heat in overtime to keep their postseason dreams alive. They’ll play the winner of tonight’s ORL/PHI game. The Blazers put together a strong defensive performance in the second half against the Suns and claimed the 7th seed in the West. The Suns will host the winner of tonight’s GSW/LAC game for the 8th seed.

Based on the spreads of tonight’s games, we should be in for another fun night of basketball. The Sixers are 1.5-point favorites against the Magic in Orlando, while the Clippers are 5.5-point favorites at home against the Warriors.

Let’s dive into the team previews.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, April 15th

Slate Overview

• 2-game main slate
  - 7:30 pm ET – Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 10:00 pm ET – Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers
• 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

Orlando Magic (at PHI)

The Magic won 7 of their last 10 games and finished with the 8th-best record in the East. They now have two chances to punch their ticket to the playoffs. They draw a mediocre matchup against the Sixers, who are 15th in pace and 19th in points allowed per game. Orlando’s team total is 6 points lower than their season average. Jonathan Isaac is questionable, but everyone else should be available.

Franz Wagner played 26 minutes in his final regular season game, so he’s inching closer and closer to playing 30 minutes. He has averaged 1.14 DK / 1.13 FD points per minute this season, so he could easily pay off his price point. He carries more risk than most players given the uncertainty of his minutes, but he’s viable in tournaments. Jalen Suggs has struggled with consistency, but he has topped 40 fantasy points in 4 of the last 8 games. On a per-dollar basis, he’s my favorite play from the Magic.

Paolo Banchero has underwhelmed often in the second half of the season, but he’s priced at a discount on both sites. He could push for 40 minutes in this one. Desmond Bane has one of the widest ranges of potential outcomes. In the last 7 games, he’s been held under 20 fantasy points 3 times and has scored over 40 fantasy points 3 times. Anthony Black is cheap and should see minutes in the mid-20s (likely off the bench), while Tristan da Silva is a decent punt at $3,600. Even when Joel Embiid is out, the Sixers typically have a center on the floor at all times, which bodes well for Wendell Carter Jr.

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