The 2024-25 NBA season is fast approaching, so in conjunction with my last points And fantasy basketball rankings down, it’s time to dig into my levels post by post. I’ve covered the playmakers, shooting guards, small forwards And strong attackers earlier this week, so today I’m going to finish the series with the centers.
Draft Levels: PG | SG | SF | PF | Cs
NOTE: Only certain players will be analyzed when listed in the tiers below. Players eligible for multiple positions will only appear in the position tier where they played the most minutes last season or are expected to play this season.
(Create or join a Yahoo Fantasy basketball league for the 2024-25 NBA season)
In the fantasy basketball center landscape, it’s important to remember that Yahoo’s default leagues have two spots reserved for centers. Rebounders 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: Elite Centers
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
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Victor Wembanyama is my top player in all formats because he has the potential to be a 3-point version of David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon — a fantasy basketball cheat code.
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You can’t go wrong with Nikola Jokić first overall. He’s a three-time MVP and has finished in the top three in points and 9-team leagues for four straight years.
Level 2: The 5 most deserving centers
1. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
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Joel Embiid is one of the best players in fantasy basketball in terms of games played, but he also has one of the most questionable injury profiles in the game. Embiid is down in draft rankings, but his on-court production is worth any pick from five to seven.
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Anthony Davis has a slight edge over Embiid in ADP (seventh to eighth overall), and that’s fair enough. There’s less injury risk, and the Lakers will once again rely on him too much. AD hits just about every category and also projects to be one of the league’s top scorers in points.
Level 3: Multipurpose centers
1. Domantas Sabonis, Kings of Sacramento
2. Alperen Sengün, Houston Rockets
3. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
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Domantas Sabonis had the best triple-double and double-double in the NBA last season. Sabonis won’t be much help with 3-pointers, stock, and free throw percentage, but everything else is covered.
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Şengün is a must-have 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.
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Bam Adebayo is a safe third-round pick. You might expect more points from a perennial All-Defensive Team honoree, but his production in points, rebounds and assists at the position makes him a regular in fantasy.
Level 4: Early and 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 VucevicChicago Bulls
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Jalen Duren was one of my “guys” last season, and I question him. The Philadelphia native took a big step forward in his sophomore season, upping his free throw percentage to 79 percent while also being one of the league’s best rebounders and double-double aggregators. At just 20 years old, he’ll be a big fit for an improved Pistons team.
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I’m not sold on Deandre Ayton this year, but if you need a big man in the sixth round, he’s a fair and reasonable option. The fact that the Blazers spent their seventh overall pick on center Donovan Clingan was a weird signal that I don’t want to be a part of, because Portland is shaping up to be one of the worst teams in basketball.
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Nikola Vucevic is clearly in decline. However, he is a consistent 17-and-10 double-double threat who can knock down threes per game with a few assists. Vuč’s ADP early in the fifth round is slightly rich, but I might get there closer to the end of the fifth round.
Level 5: Mix of high floor centers and rising 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
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I like Nic Claxton. I just wonder what more he can do to improve his fantasy game. We know about the blocks and the high field goal percentage, but only 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.
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Fantasy managers still have the scars from Mark Williams’ lost season in 2023-24, but he’d be healthy and ready to break out. I prefer Williams over Claxton because he plays with a better point guard, which should elevate his level as a lob threat and finisher near the basket.
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Isaiah Hartenstein earned a sack and perhaps the starting center spot on one of the league’s best teams. Hartenstein provides much-needed help on the glass and at the basket for the Thunder, and he’s an underrated playmaker on the block. A late-seventh-round ADP could be a steal.
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The Clippers don’t have much of a presence in the post, so with Ivica Zubac dropping to No. 100, that’s a huge 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.
Tier 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. Al Horford, Boston Celtics
7. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
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The Celtics haven’t provided a return date for Kristaps Porziņģis and frankly, they don’t need one. After winning a championship, they’ll want Porziņģis at 100 percent. KP will likely need to step up as soon as he’s ready anyway. The projected five-to-six month recovery timeline puts KP out of play until at least December. As such, I’d feel more comfortable drafting the Latvian center in the ninth round rather than his eighth-round ADP.
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Brook Lopez is on the decline but remains a specialist in three-point shooting and blocking. But don’t expect much more.
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John Collins had a great season with the Utah Jazz last year and has proven to be an underrated 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 good value if you need a big man in the late rounds with Collins’ efficiency and versatility.
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Draymond Green’s last season was a real ride. I doubt he’ll go that far again, so I like Dray at his ninth-round ADP. Green’s bread and butter are rebounds, assists, and plays.
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Every season, you wonder when the Hawks are going to trade Clint Capela. And then he comes along, starts, and averages a double-double with a block per game. Capela’s low ADP in the eighth round is why Onyeka Okongwu cut back on his minutes.
Level 7: Young (or rather) 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
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Dereck Lively is a timeshare, but he’s going to prevail. The second-year big man is more gifted offensively than Daniel Gafford and comparable defensively. Plus, having a point guard like Luka Dončić, who can create easy opportunities for Lively at the rim, has its advantages.
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Trayce Jackson-Davis is a center I’m targeting in the late rounds because of his blocking potential. Kevon Looney faltered last season, and Steve Kerr is finally buying into the Warriors’ youth movement.
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Zach Edey is my highest-ranked rookie this season because he’ll be a starter and has the size and skill set to produce fantasy points in limited minutes. In the 10th round, it’s all about rebounds, blocks, and shooting percentage 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 Matkovic, New Orleans Pelicans
4. Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
5. Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat
6. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
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Pick Andre Drummond as Joel Embiid’s insurance. He remains an above-average rebounder who can generate scoring stats whenever Embiid inevitably misses time.
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Karlo Matković is my most gifted player. The Croatian rookie stood out at the Las Vegas Summer League and his combination of athleticism, defense and shooting make him a good fit alongside a paint-clogger like Zion Williamson. Daniel Theis is his competition and in time, Karlo will be the guy the Pelicans rely on to fill the center spot.
