NBA DFS Core Plays LIVE: Wednesday, January 31st
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 everyone! If I had known DFS was as easy as asking for a win, I would have done it a long time ago.
I mentioned in yesterday’s introduction that I could use a good night of NBA DFS after getting fleeced by the orthodontist. Then out of nowhere, I have my best night of the season. It wasn’t a huge win or anything, but it certainly helps pad the bankroll. Or better yet, it helps pay for a few visits to the teeth straightener. All of the core plays were featured in the lineup, and I mentioned liking Jaxson Hayes, Jayson Tatum, and DeMar DeRozan in the article.
As for this evening, there are 10 games on the schedule. The sites are in agreement for once, as both FanDuel and DraftKings have decided to roll out a 9-game main slate. This means the MIL/POR game will only be available on the late and Showdown slates. Despite 20 of the 30 teams being in action tonight, we only have one team playing on the front end of a back-to-back (Cavaliers) and one team playing on the second half of a back-to-back (Bulls).
Let’s dive into the slate and try to carry over some momentum from last night.
NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, January 31st
Slate Overview
- 10-game slate
- 7:00 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets
- 7:00 PM ET – Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers
- 7:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Washington Wizards
- 7:30 PM ET – Sacramento Kings at Miami Heat
- 8:00 PM ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets
- 8:00 PM ET – Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves
- 8:00 PM ET – Orlando Magic at San Antonio Spurs
- 8:00 PM ET – Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder
- 8:30 PM ET – Phoenix Suns at Brooklyn Nets
- 10:00 PM ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers
- Teams on the front end of a back-to-back: Cavaliers
- Teams on the back end of a back-to-back: Bulls
- NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
- 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
Chicago Bulls (at CHA): We kick off tonight’s big slate with the Bulls, who are coming off of a loss last night against the Raptors. They now travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets, who are 27th or worse in rebounding rate, three-point percentage allowed, and defensive rating. While the matchup is solid on paper, Chicago has a lower team total than their average points per game this season. The Bulls will once again be without Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Torrey Craig. Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso have been solid lineup fillers recently (especially on slates that lack value), while Coby White, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic all projects as strong RGValues. Given how bad Charlotte has been on the glass, I’m tempted to side with Vucevic as my favorite play from the Bulls.
Charlotte Hornets (vs. CHI): The Hornets have lost 4 games in a row and are 10-35 on the season. Believe it or not, they have the worst point differential in the league and it’s by a decent margin as well. Tonight they host the Bulls, who are the slowest-paced team in the NBA. The Hornets have a team total of 107.3 points, which is the 2nd lowest of the slate and 1.3 points below their season average. Mark Williams, Gordon Hayward, and Kyle Lowry are all still out, while LaMelo Ball is listed as doubtful. With Terry Rozier now in Miami, there’s a lot of usage to go around in this offense. Brandon Miller, Nick Richards, Miles Bridges, and PJ Washington all project as positive RGValues. Cody Martin started the other night and should play around 30 minutes at a cheap price point.
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