The 2024-25 NBA season is quickly approaching, so along with my latest points and category fantasy basketball rankings dropping, it’s time to dig into my position-by-position. I covered the point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards earlier this week, so today, I’ll wrap up the series with the centers.
NOTE: Only some players will have analysis when listed in the levels below. Players with multi-position eligibility will only appear in the position portion where they played the most minutes last season or are projected to play this season.
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In the landscape of fantasy basketball centers, it’s important to remember that Yahoo default leagues have two roster spots reserved for centers. Rebounds and blocks can be found on waivers, but securing a dominant center to anchor your team is a preferred strategy for long-term success.
Tier 1: The elite centers
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Victor Wembanyama is my top player in any format because he has the potential to be a 3-point shooting version of David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon – a fantasy basketball cheat code.
You also can’t go wrong picking Nikola Jokić first overall. He is a three-time MVP and has finished top-three in points and 9-category leagues for four straight years.
Level 2: Top 5 worthy centers
1. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Joel Embiid is one of the best fantasy basketball players on a per-game basis, but he also has one of the sketchiest injury profiles in the game. Embiid is sliding down draft boards, but his on-court production is well worth any pick five through seven.
Anthony Davis has a slight advantage over Embiid in ADP (seventh vs. eighth overall), and it’s fair. There is less risk of injury, and the Lakers will again depend on him excessively. AD touches almost every category and projects as one of the top scorers in points leagues, too.
Tier 3: Multilateral centers
1. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
2. Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets
3. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Domantas Sabonis led the NBA in triple-doubles and double-doubles last season. Sabonis won’t help much for 3s, shares and FT percentage, but everything else is covered.
Şengün is a must pick in the early-to-mid third round. Şengün is one of six players who averaged at least 20 points with nine rebounds and five assists last season.
Bam Adebayo is a safe pick in the third round. One could argue that you’d expect more stock from an all-time All-Defensive Team honoree, but his production in scoring, boards and assists at the position make him a consistent performer in fantasy.
Layer 4: Early-to-mid round centers
1. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
2. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
3. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers
5. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Nikola VučevićChicago Bulls
Jalen Duren was one of “my guys” last season, and I’m getting it back. The Philly native took a significant step forward in his second season, raising his free throw percentage to 79% while being one of the league’s leading rebounders and double-double aggregates. At just 20 years old, he will be cooking with an improved Pistons roster.
I’m not feeling Deandre Ayton this year, but if you need a big man in the sixth round, he’s the fair and reasonable pick. The Blazers spending their seventh overall pick on C Donovan Clingan was a strange sign that I want no part of, as Portland projects to be one of the worst teams in basketball.
Nikola Vucevic is clear decreasing. However, he is a consistent 17-and-10 double-double threat who can knock down a three-game with a few assists. Vuč’s early fifth-round ADP is a little rich, but I might enter it closer to the back end of the fifth round.
Level 5: Mixture of high floor and upper centers
1. Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
2. Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
3. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns
5. Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors
6. Jonas Valančiūnas, Washington Wizards
7. Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
I like Nic Claxton. I just wonder what more he can do to improve his fantasy game. We know about the blocks and high FG%, but just 30 double-doubles in 71 games is definitely an opportunity for growth. With the Nets in tank mode, 10 rebounds a night with two blocks and 14 points seems achievable.
Fantasy managers still have the battle scars of Mark Williams’ lost 2023-2024 season, but he’s said to be healthy and ready to rock. I prefer Williams over Claxton because he plays with a better point guard, which should raise his floor as a lob threat and finisher near the rim.
Isaiah Hartenstein has earned himself a sack and possibly the starting center spot on one of the best teams in the league. Hartenstein provides much needed help on the glass and rim protection for the Thunder, and he is an underrated player on the block. A late-seventh-round ADP could be a steal.
The Clippers don’t have much post presence, so with Ivica Zubac going around pick 100, that’s considerable value compared to the rest of this tier. Zubac averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game last year, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
Layer 6: Late-round veteran centers
1. Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics
2. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
3. John Collins, Utah Jazz
4. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
5. Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks
6. To Horford, Boston Celtics
7. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
The Celtics have not provided a return date for Kristaps Porziņģis and frankly, they don’t need to. Winning a championship, they will want Porziņģis at 100%. KP will probably need to step up whenever he’s ready anyway. The projected five-to-six-month recovery timeline puts KP out until at least December. As such, I would feel more comfortable drafting the Latvian center in the ninth round instead of his eighth-round ADP.
Brook Lopez is fading but remains a 3s and block specialist. Don’t expect much other than that, though.
John Collins had a bounce back campaign with the Utah Jazz last year and ended up being an unsung fantasy asset. There’s a good chance he’s dealt at some point, but seeing as he’ll be in the starting lineup again, he’s a good value if you need a big man in the later rounds with Collins’ efficiency and versatility.
Draymond Green’s last season was a wild ride. I doubt he’ll go to those lengths again, so I like Dray at his ninth-round ADP. Green’s bread and butter are rebounds, assists and shares.
It seems like every season, we wonder when the Hawks are going to trade Clint Capela. And then he goes out there, starts and averages a double-double with a block game. Capela’s depressed ADP in the eighth round accounts for Onyeka Okongwu eating into his minutes.
Level 7: Young(ish) centers with potential
1. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
2. Derek Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
3. Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks
4. Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic
5. Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks
6. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors
7. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Dereck Lively is on a timeshare, but he will win. The second-year big man is more talented offensively than Daniel Gafford and comparable defensively. Plus, having a point guard like Luka Dončić who can create easy looks at the rim for Lively has its advantages.
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a center I’m targeting in the later rounds because of his blocking potential. Kevon Looney faded last season, and Steve Kerr is finally embracing the Warriors’ youth movement.
Zach Edey is my highest-ranked rookie this season because he will start and has the size and skill set to produce fantasy points in limited minutes. Heading into the 10th round, it’s all about the rebounds, blocks and FG% for the ninth overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
Level 8: Attention reserve centers
1. Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Kelly Olynyk, Toronto Raptors
3. Karlo Matkovic, New Orleans Pelicans
4. Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
5. Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat
6. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Take Andre Drummond as Joel Embiid’s insurance. He’s still an above-average rebounder who can generate scoring stats whenever Embiid inevitably misses time.
Karlo Matković is my deepest sleeper. The rookie from Croatia excelled at the Vegas Summer League and his mix of athleticism, defense and shooting make him a good fit alongside a paint stopper like Zion Williamson. Daniel Theis is his competition and in time, Carlos will be the guy the Pelicans lean on to handle the center spot.
