The 2024-25 NBA season is quickly approaching, so as my final points and category fantasy basketball rankings drop, it’s time to examine my position-by-position tiers. I covered point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards earlier this week, so today I’ll wrap up the series with centers.
Concept levels: PGs | SG’s | SF’s | PF’s | Cs
NOTE: Only certain players will have analysis when listed in the tiers below. Players with multi-position eligibility will only appear in the positional tier in which they played the most minutes last season or are projected to play this season.
[Create or join a Yahoo Fantasy hoops league for the 2024-25 NBA season]
In the fantasy basketball center landscape, it’s important to remember that Yahoo Standard 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.
Level 1: The Elite Centers
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
2. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
-
Victor Wembanyama is the best player in any game type for me because he has the potential to be a 3-point version of David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon — a fantasy basketball cheat code.
-
You also can’t go wrong by selecting Nikola Jokić first overall. He’s a three-time MVP and has finished in the top three in points and 9-category competitions for four 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 has been slipping down the draft boards, but his on-court production is worth every pick from five to seven.
-
Anthony Davis has a slight edge over Embiid in ADP (seventh vs. eighth overall), and rightfully so. There’s less chance of injury and the Lakers will be overly reliant on him again. AD touches nearly every category and is also projected as one of the top scorers in points leagues.
Level 3: Versatile centres
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, stocks and FT percentage, but everything else is covered.
-
Şengün is a clear choice 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 third-round pick. You could argue that you’d expect more stock from a perennial All-Defensive Team honoree, but his production in scoring, boards and assists at the position makes him a consistent performer in fantasy.
Level 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 VuCzechChicago Bulls
-
Jalen Duren was one of “my boys” last season, and I’m going to run it back. The Philly native took a significant step forward in his sophomore season, raising his free-throw percentage to 79% while being one of the league’s best rebounders and double-double aggregators. At just 20 years old, he’ll be cooking with an improved Pistons roster.
-
I don’t want Deandre Ayton this year, but if you need a big man in the sixth round, he’s a fair and reasonable option. The Blazers spending their seventh overall pick on C Donovan Clingan was an odd signal that I want nothing to do with considering Portland is projected to be one of the worst teams in basketball.
-
Nikola Vučević is clearly in decline. However, he’s a consistent 17-and-10 double-double threat who can knock down a three-a-game with a few assists. Vuč’s early fifth-round ADP is a little rich, but I’d put him closer to the end of the fifth round.
Level 5: Mix of high floor and upside centers
1. Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
2. Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
3. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Jusuf Nurkić, Phoenix Suns
5. Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors
6. Jonas Valanciūnas, Washington Wizards
7. Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
-
I like Nic Claxton. I just wonder what else 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 to grow. With the Nets in tank mode, 10 rebounds a night with two blocks and 14 points seems doable.
-
Fantasy managers are still scarred by Mark Williams’ lost 2023-24 season, but he’s reportedly healthy and ready to rock. I prefer Williams over Claxton because he plays with a better point guard, which should increase his floor as a lob threat and finisher at the rim.
-
Isaiah Hartenstein earned a bag and possibly the starting center position 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’s an underrated playmaker 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 the 100 pick, that’s a significant value compared to the rest of this tier. Zubac averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game last year, along with 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
Level 6: Experienced centers in the final round
1. Kristaps Porziņģis, Boston Celtics
2. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
3. John Collins, Utah Jazz
4. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
5. Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks
6. Al Horford, Boston Celtics
7. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
-
The Celtics haven’t given a return date for Kristaps Porziņģis and honestly, they don’t have to. After winning a championship, they want Porziņģis at 100%. KP will likely have to accelerate when he’s ready anyway. The expected five-to-six month recovery time will keep KP out until at least December. For that reason, I’d feel more comfortable drafting the Latvian center in the ninth round rather than his ADP in the eighth round.
-
Brook Lopez is fading but remains a 3s and blocks specialist. Don’t expect much more than that though.
-
John Collins had a resilient campaign with the Utah Jazz last year and ended up as an unsung fantasy asset. There’s a good chance he’ll be traded at some point, but given that he’ll be back in the starting lineup, he’s a solid 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 that far again, so I like Dray in his ninth round ADP. Green’s bread and butter is rebounds, assists and stocks.
-
It feels like every season we wonder when the Hawks are going to trade Clint Capela. And then he steps on the court, starts and averages a double-double with a block per game. Capela’s low ADP in the eighth round leaves Onyeka Okongwu eating up his minutes.
Level 7: Young(er) centres with potential
1. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
2. Dereck 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 gifted offensively than Daniel Gafford and comparable defensively. Plus, there’s an advantage to having a point guard like Luka Dončić, who can give Lively easy chances at the rim.
-
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a center I target in the later rounds for 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’ll start and has the size and skill to produce fantasy points in limited minutes. In the 10th round, it’s all about rebounds, blocks, and FG% for the ninth overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
Level 8: Watchlist Backup Centers
1. Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Kelly Olynyk, Toronto Raptors
3. Karlo Matković, New Orleans Pelicans
4. Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
5. Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat
6. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
-
Go with Andre Drummond as insurance for Joel Embiid. He’s still an above-average rebounder who can put up meaningful stats when Embiid inevitably misses time.
-
Karlo Matkovic is my deepest sleeper. The rookie out of Croatia stood out in Vegas Summer League and his mix of athleticism, defense and shooting makes him a good fit next to a paint clogger like Zion Williamson. Daniel Theis is his competition and Karlo will be the guy the Pelicans lean on to fill the center position in time.
