Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, April 3rd
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, and Noto will mix it up in all different types of contests. 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 NBA DFS picks, 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!
This will be my last Core Plays article of the week, as I am heading to Scottsdale for a golf trip with some friends. Taylor Smith will have you covered on the Core Plays front while I’m gone. I’m excited about the trip, but traveling is a lot more of a hassle than it was in my early 20s. Responsibilities be damned. I have to make sure everything is covered for work, I have to battle through the guilt trip given by my 8-year-old son, and I have to pack (which is one of my least favorite things in the world). And then there’s the issue of recovering from a vacation like this. We are planning to play 36 holes each day, and we have to stay hydrated on the course with beer and seltzers. I don’t make the rules. It’s going to be a blast, but I’m sure I will be paying for it come Sunday.
As for tonight, there are 9 games on the schedule. There is only one late game, so naturally, FanDuel and DraftKings decided to leave it off their main slates. There are seven teams playing in the second half of a back-to-back (Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, Wizards, Thunder, Wolves, Cavaliers) and one team playing in the front half of a back-to-back (Hawks). After all of the injuries during last night’s slate, I’m honestly a little excited not to think about NBA DFS for a few days. I’m ready for the playoffs to start.
NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, April 3rd
Slate Overview
- 9-game slate
- 7:00 PM ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Charlotte Hornets
- 7:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Washington Wizards
- 7:30 PM ET – Detroit Pistons at Atlanta Hawks
- 7:30 PM ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Boston Celtics
- 7:30 PM ET – Indiana Pacers at Brooklyn Nets
- 8:00 PM ET – Orlando Magic at New Orleans Pelicans
- 8:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Milwaukee Bucks
- 8:00 PM ET – Toronto Raptors at Minnesota Timberwolves
- 10:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Phoenix Suns
- Teams on the front end of a back-to-back: Hawks
- Teams on the back end of a back-to-back: Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, Wizards, Thunder, Wolves, Cavaliers
- NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
- Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays
News Updates
1:30 PM ET – We didn’t need any more value tonight, but Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have both been ruled out. This makes me a lot less interested in the Celtics, given the potential blowout. Josh Giddey, Cason Wallce, and Lu Dort are all viable here, but I see the Hornets and Wizards as offering better value on tonight’s slate.
For the Bucks, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Patrick Beverley have all been ruled out.
Team Previews
Portland Trail Blazers (at CHA): We kick off the slate with the Blazers, who are 19-56 on the season and who have long been eliminated from the playoffs. Tonight they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets, who are 29th in rebounding rate and 29th in defensive rating. The pace of this game isn’t ideal, but this is a very solid matchup for the Blazers. They come into the game with a team total that is only 2 points below their season average. Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Malcolm Brogdon, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant, and Toumani Camara are all expected to miss tonight’s game. I’ve been hesitant to play Deandre Ayton the last few weeks because the Blazers have constantly been double-digit underdogs. Now that they are playing in a game they could easily win, he’s on my radar in all formats. He has topped 40 fantasy points in 4 of his last 9 games. Scott Henderson and Dalano Banton should both dominate the usage offensively. For value, you can certainly do worse than Jabari Walker and Kris Murray, who should both see 30+ minutes in this favorable matchup.
Charlotte Hornets (vs. POR): The Hornets didn’t have the season they envisioned. Their star point guard was hurt most of the season, and they currently boast a record of 18-57. They have lost 8 of their last 10 games, so tonight’s game against the Blazers is truly up for grabs. The Hornets are listed as 2.5-point favorites with a team total that is higher than their season average. LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, Seth Curry, Nick Richards, and Miles Bridges are all expected to miss tonight’s game. Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Aleksej Pokusevski, Grant Williams, and Davis Bertans are all strong options tonight. If you need value, this is a good place to find it.
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