Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, February 25th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-02-25 20:26:55 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 a lot to look forward to tonight and in the coming days. We have 6 NBA games on the schedule tonight, but we only have to worry about the first 5 games, as the BOS/DEN game is not included on the main slate. We have the Cognizant Classic kicking off early tomorrow morning for those of you who play PGA DFS, and the start of baseball is right around the corner.

I’ll be on Crunch Time tonight with Beer to help me break down the slate. We’ll go over each position for FanDuel and DraftKings, talk about roster construction, and answer any questions that the chat might have for the slate. We go live at 6:45 PM ET.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, February 25th

Slate Overview

• 6-game main slate
  - 7:30 pm ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Detroit Pistons
  - 7:30 pm ET – Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 7:30 pm ET – San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors
  - 8:00 pm ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 8:00 pm ET – Sacramento Kings at Houston Rockets
  - 10:00 pm ET – Boston Celtics at Denver Nuggets (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

Oklahoma City Thunder (at DET)

We kick off tonight’s slate with the Thunder, who are 45-14 on the season. With a win tonight, they’ll have the best record in basketball. They have a difficult matchup on the road against the Pistons, who are ranked 3rd or better in rebounding rate, points allowed per game, and defensive rating. Oklahoma City has a team total that is 14 points lower than their season average. We are still waiting on their injury report (B2B), but we have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell listed as out in the Situation Room.

Cason Wallace does not project well, but he has scored 50 and 49 fantasy points in the last 2 games. At the very least, he’s worth a look in tournaments. I’d love to take a chance on Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Jared McCain in tournaments, but they are all priced at a premium. My interest in the frontcourt hinges on the availability of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are both rest candidates on the back-to-back. If one or both end up being out, Kenrich Williams and Jaylin Williams will benefit.

Detroit Pistons (vs. OKC)

The Pistons are 42-14 on the season and can reclaim the best record in basketball with a win tonight. It would be great to see these teams square off at full health, but that won’t be the case tonight with OKC missing so many key players. The Pistons are 7.5-point favorites and have a team total that is 5 points lower than their season average. Isaiah Stewart is still suspended, but everyone else should be available.

Cade Cunningham is viable on every slate, regardless of his matchup. He offers such a high floor/ceiling combo that he’s always worth a look. Given this tough matchup, he should check in with low ownership. I have a difficult time trusting Jalen Duren when he’s not seeing more than 28-29 minutes, but he has scored 48 fantasy points in each of the last 2 games. I’m likely going to fade him again, but he’s viable if you are building multiple tournament lineups.

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