Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Wednesday, March 4th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2026-03-04 19:47:57 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!

I’m still curious as to how my main lineup found its way above the cash line last night. It turns out that fading Quentin Grimes was all it took to cash in small-field tournaments. There are few better feelings than expecting a loss but seeing a profit when you open up DraftKings. I will certainly take it.

We have 6 games on the schedule tonight, but FanDuel and DraftKings decided to leave the 2 late games off of their main slates. While this is welcome from a content-producing perspective, it does limit our options on tonight’s slate. With fewer games to break down, I’ll do a deeper dive into each team.

As is the case every Wednesday, I’ll be on Crunch Time tonight with Beer to break down the slate. We’ll be on at 6:15 PM ET.

NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Wednesday, March 4th

Slate Overview

• 4-game main slate
  - 7:00 pm ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at New York Knicks
  - 7:30 pm ET – Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics
  - 7:30 pm ET – Utah Jazz at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 8:00 pm ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 9:30 pm ET – Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks (not on main slate)
  - 10:30 pm ET – Indiana Pacers 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

1:00 PM ET

Mitchell Robinson is officially out for the Knicks.

Team Previews

Oklahoma City Thunder (at NYK)

We kick off tonight’s slate with the Thunder, who are playing on the second half of a back-to-back after beating the Bulls last night. They have a much tougher draw against the Knicks, who are 23rd in pace and 5th in points allowed per game. OKC’s team total is 6 points lower than their season average. We don’t have their injury report yet, but we know they’ll at least be without Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Branden Carlson.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be back in the lineup. He has logged 33 minutes in each of the last 2 games, so we don’t have to worry about him being on a minutes restriction. Even though a matchup against the Knicks leaves much to be desired, he’s priced down, and we have plenty of value to choose from for a 4-game slate. With SGA back, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, and Jared McCain all feel overpriced.

Isaiah Hartenstein will be back in the lineup, which limits the appeal of Aaron Wiggins, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylin Williams. My favorite play from this frontcourt is Hartenstein, who has averaged 1.19 DK / 1.21 FD points per minute this season. He’s projected for 26 minutes in a revenge game against his former team.

New York Knicks (vs. OKC)

The Knicks have been on a tear over the last month of play and have vaulted up to 3rd place in the East. They are playing on the second half of a back-to-back and have a tough matchup at home against the Thunder, who are 2nd in points allowed per game and 1st in defensive rating. New York’s team total is 9 points lower than their season average. We don’t have their injury report yet, but we have Miles McBride listed as out and Mitchell Robinson listed as doubtful in the Situation Room.

Jalen Brunson has topped 40 fantasy points in 4 of the last 5 games. It’s not a good matchup, but Brunson tends to play up to his competition. At the very least, he’s worth a look in tournaments. Even on a short slate, I have a hard time making a strong case for Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby. Jose Alvarado would typically have some appeal, but there are better value plays elsewhere tonight. Karl-Anthony Towns could see a small boost if Robinson is out, and the Thunder are 22nd in rebounding rate. Like Brunson, he’s worth a look in tournaments.

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