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

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-03-25 18:43:34 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’s the official start of the MLB season today, although there is only 1 game on the schedule. There are few better feelings than the start of spring. We have the Masters, the start of baseball, and some meaningful basketball (soon). The best baseball article in the business is already out for tomorrow’s slate:

Cheese’s Million Dollar Musings

As mentioned yesterday, I spent a good amount of time developing two new metrics for my PGA DFS model: safety rating and upside rating. We often build lineups based on median projections, but we should build lineups based on the type of contests we are entering. Check out the video and download the model to check them out:

Noto’s PGA DFS Model Breakdown – Texas Children’s Houston Open

As for tonight in the association, there are 12 games on the schedule. This is a massive slate of games, but luckily, FanDuel and DraftKings have both decided to leave the final 4 games off of their main slates. Let’s dive into this 8-gamer.

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

Slate Overview

• 8-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 7:00 pm ET – Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons
  - 7:00 pm ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:30 pm ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Boston Celtics
  - 7:30 pm ET – Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 8:00 pm ET – San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 9:00 pm ET – Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz
  - 9:30 pm ET – Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves
  - 10:00 pm ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers (not on main slate)
  - 10:00 pm ET – Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets (not on main slate)
  - 10:00 pm ET – Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors (not on main slate)
  - 10:30 pm ET – Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Clippers (not on main slate)
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

12:40 PM ET

Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura are out for the Lakers. Deandre Ayton is questionable.

Team Previews

Chicago Bulls (at PHI)

We kick off the slate with the Bulls, who have all but been eliminated from the playoffs. They head to Philly to take on the Sixers, who are close to the league average in pace, rebounding rate, and points allowed per game. Chicago’s team total is nearly identical to their season average. Zach Collins and Jaden Ivey are out, while Isaac Okoro, Guerschon Yabusele, and Anfernee Simons are doubtful.

Josh Giddey’s game log has all of the colors of the rainbow. Over the last few weeks, he’s topped 60 fantasy points and has been held under 20 fantasy points. I don’t love his current price point, but his upside puts him in play for large-field tournaments. On a per-dollar basis, I prefer Collin Sexton, who has topped 38 fantasy points in 3 of his last 5 games. With Simons and Ivey likely out, Sexton should have a path to 25+ minutes. Matas Buzelis feels a tad overpriced for a player who has scored fewer than 40 fantasy points in 4 of the last 5 games. Nick Richards offers decent value at center and could see a matchup boost if Joel Embiid is out again.

Philadelphia 76ers (vs. CHI)

The Sixers are currently 7th in the East, so they need a strong finish to the season to avoid the Play-In Tournament. They draw an elite matchup against the Bulls, who are 4th in pace and 26th in points allowed per game. Philly’s team total is 7 points higher than their season average. Tyrese Maxey is out. Tyrese Martin is doubtful. Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes are questionable.

There is certainly some sticker shock on VJ Edgecombe, but he has scored 54, 47, and 70 fantasy points over the last 3 games. There’s a massive ceiling there, and he draws an elite matchup against the Bulls at home. I have some interest already, and that will increase if Embiid and/or Grimes end up being out. Paul George is back from suspension, but we only have him projected for 24 minutes. As for Embiid, he’s an easy fade if active, as the Sixers will ease him back into action.

This is a tricky situation because it’s an elite matchup, but there’s not a lot that stands out on the Sixers.

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