Fantasy Basketball Rankings: Center draft tiers for 2024-25 NBA season
The 2024-25 NBA season is fast approaching, so in conjunction with my latest points and category fantasy basketball rankings dropping, it's time to dig into my position-by-position tiers. I've covered the point guards, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards earlier this week, so today, I'll close out the series with the centers.
Draft Tiers: PGs | SGs | SFs | PFs | Cs
NOTE: Only some players will have analysis when listed in the tiers below. Players with multi-position eligibility will only appear in the positional tier where they played the most minutes last season or are projected to play this season.
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 Jokić, 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 can't go wrong selecting Nikola Jokić first overall, either. He's a three-time MVP and has finished top-three in points and 9-category leagues for four years straight.
Tier 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 from five to seven.
Anthony Davis has a slight edge over Embiid in ADP (seventh vs. eighth overall), and it's fair. There is less injury risk, and the Lakers are going to be overly reliant on him yet again. AD touches just about every category and projects as one of the top scorers in points leagues, too.
Tier 3: Versatile centers
1. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
2. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
3. Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets
4. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Karl-Anthony Towns joining the Knicks is massive for his fantasy prospects. Towns' value plateaued playing alongside Rudy Gobert because he played more as a stretch-four. With Mitchell Robinson injured, KAT will slide over to center, where he played a familiar role under coach Thibs in the past. Finishing inside the top 24 looks promising now that he'll get more boards and blocks to complement his scoring efficiency.
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 can't-miss 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 you'd expect more stocks 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.
Tier 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 Vučević, Chicago Bulls
Jalen Duren was one of "my guys" last season, and I'm running 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 top rebounders and double-double aggregators. At just 20 years old, he will cook 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 option. The Blazers spending their seventh overall pick on C Donovan Clingan was a weird signal that I want no part of, as Portland projects to be one of the worst teams in basketball.
Nikola Vučević is clearly declining. 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 slightly rich, but I could get into it closer to the back end of the fifth round.
Tier 5: Mix of high floor and upside centers
1. Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
2. Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers
3. Jusuf Nurkić, Phoenix Suns
4. Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors
6. Jonas Valančiūnas, Washington Wizards
7. Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
I like Nic Claxton. I'm just wondering 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.
The Clippers don't have much of a 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.He's one of my favorite bigs going after round six.
Fantasy managers still have the battle scars from Mark Williams' lost 2023-2024 season. Just when we thought it was all good, Williams suffered a foot strain that will likely keep him out for the start of the season. There's risk but it could be worth the reward if he slides far enough in drafts.
Tier 6: Late-round veteran centers
1. Kristaps Porziņģis, Boston Celtics
2. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
3. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
4. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks
6. John Collins, Utah Jazz
7. Al Horford, Boston Celtics
The Celtics haven't provided a return date for Kristaps Porziņģis and frankly, they don't need to. Coming off winning a championship, they'll want Porziņģis at 100%. KP will likely need to ramp up whenever he's ready anyway. The projected five-to-six-month recovery timeline puts KP out until at least December. As such, I'd 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 blocks specialist. Don't expect much beyond that, though.
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 stocks.
Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) will miss 5-6 weeks so fantasy managers will have to wait over a month to capitalize on his breakout potential. Hartenstein was previously in Tier 5 and fantasy managers should treat him as a draft-and-stash in the ninth or 10th rounds.
It feels like every season, we wonder when the Hawks will trade Clint Capela. And then he goes out there, starts and averages a double-double with a block a game. Capela's depressed ADP in the eighth round accounts for Onyeka Okongwu eating into his minutes.
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 gets dealt at some point, but seeing that 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.
Tier 7: Young(ish) centers with potential
1. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
2. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
3. Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
4. Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks
5. Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks
6. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors
7. Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic
Walker Kessler is starting and his ADP is on the rise. He's moved into the eighth round and it wouldn't surprise me to see him go in the seventh. He's an exceptional blocker who can post a low-end double-double in less than 30 minutes a night.
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. Going in the 10th round, it's all about the rebounds, blocks and FG% for the ninth overall pick in the 2024 Draft. I love drafting him at this price.
Dereck Lively is in a timeshare, but he'll win out. The second-year big man is more offensively gifted 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 benefits.
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a center I'm targeting in the later rounds because of his block potential. Kevon Looney faded last season, and Steve Kerr is finally embracing the Warriors' youth movement.
Tier 8: Watchlist backup centers
1. Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Kelly Olynyk, Toronto Raptors
3. Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
4. Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat
5. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
6. Karlo Matković, New Orleans Pelicans
7. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
Pick up Andre Drummond as Joel Embiid's insurance. He's still an above-average rebounder who can generate counting stats whenever Embiid inevitably misses time.
Karlo Matković is my deepest sleeper. The rookie from Croatia stood out at the Vegas Summer League and his mix of athleticism, defense and shooting makes 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 lean on to handle the center spot.
