X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Draft Rankings: Centers

Karl-Anthony Towns - NBA DFS Lineup Picks, Daily Fantasy Basketball

Justin Carter's 2020-2021 fantasy basketball draft rankings for centers. He analyzes them for potential sleepers and value picks, as well as overhyped players.

The fantasy basketball season is just around the corner, which means you're likely doing -- or soon will be doing -- fantasy drafts. And to do a draft, you need some solid rankings to use in your drafting!

That's why we here at RotoBaller put out our 2020-21 fantasy basketball draft rankings last week. But what are rankings without analysis? So, in a three-part series, I'll be looking at how each position shaped up in the rankings. Players who we have listed at multiple positions will appear in multiple articles, though players who are listed at both power forward and center will only appear in the center article.

We end this series with centers. Let's see what insights we can reveal about the position by analyzing our ranks.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Fantasy Basketball Center Rankings

Note: These rankings are based off of our staff's H2H 9-cat rankings.

Overall Rank Player Team Positions
2 Karl-Anthony Towns MIN C
4 Anthony Davis LAL PF,C
6 Nikola Jokic DEN PF,C
15 Joel Embiid PHI PF,C
17 Deandre Ayton PHO C,PF
18 Bam Adebayo MIA PF,C
24 John Collins ATL PF,C
27 Nikola Vucevic ORL PF,C
30 Rudy Gobert UTH C
39 Andre Drummond CLE PF,C
41 Jusuf Nurkic POR C
43 Domantas Sabonis IND PF,C
45 Mitchell Robinson NYK C
49 Jonas Valanciunas MEM C
50 LaMarcus Aldridge SAS PF,C
53 Clint Capela ATL PF,C
55 Hassan Whiteside SAC C
56 Myles Turner IND PF,C
60 Kristaps Porzingis DAL PF,C
61 Kevin Love CLE PF,C
65 Draymond Green GSW PF,C
72 Thomas Bryant WAS C
76 Wendell Carter Jr. CHI C
79 Richaun Holmes SAC C,PF
81 Davis Bertans WAS PF,C
82 Julius Randle NYK PF,C
83 Blake Griffin DET PF,C
84 Brook Lopez MIL C
85 Al Horford OKC PF,C
87 Steven Adams NOP C
96 Jarrett Allen BKN PF,C
97 Serge Ibaka LAC PF,C
98 James Wiseman GSW C
102 Montrezl Harrell LAL PF,C
114 Larry Nance Jr. CLE PF,C
116 Ivica Zubac LAC C
124 DeAndre Jordan BKN C
125 Chris Boucher TOR PF,C
126 Derrick Favors UTH PF,C
128 Daniel Theis BOS C
139 Aron Baynes TOR PF,C
144 Jakob Poeltl SAS C,PF
147 DeMarcus Cousins HOU PF,C
148 Nerlens Noel NYK PF,C
151 Zach Collins POR PF, C
161 Jaxson Hayes NOP C
162 Tristan Thompson BOS PF,C
171 Mason Plumlee DET PF,C
177 Paul Millsap DEN PF,C
184 Marc Gasol LAL C
191 Dewayne Dedmon N/A C
201 Dwight Powell DAL PF,C
203 Enes Kanter POR C
205 Cody Zeller CHA PF,C
208 Mohamed Bamba ORL C
214 JaVale McGee CLE C
216 Willie Cauley-Stein N/A PF,C
218 Dwight Howard PHI PF,C
219 Bobby Portis MIL PF,C
223 Gorgui Dieng MEM PF,C
226 JaMychal Green DEN PF,C

 

The Case For KAT at No. 1 Overall

Karl-Anthony Towns comes in second in our rankings, behind only James Harden. One of our rankers, Kev Mahserejian, had KAT ranked first overall, so I'm going to try to make the argument that I think Kev would make for KAT. Apologies to him if actually I make a completely different pro-Towns argument!

First, let's start with the reasons why we should be wary of Harden at No. 1. While he has officially reported to Houston, his trade demand hangs over everything, and as he continues to expand the list of teams he's willing to be dealt to, the chances that he winds up somewhere else to tip off the season keeps growing.

That uncertainty can be frustrating for fantasy managers, who probably want to use the top pick on someone they're sure will be a stud from the get. Harden's like 99 percent sure to still be that, but maybe he winds up sitting out some games until a trade happens, or maybe he winds up in Brooklyn where his usage rate drops.

With KAT, there are no questions. He should be fully recovered from the wrist injury that limited him to 35 games last year and should be ready for his fifth consecutive season averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, with the point total likely coming in at at least 25 per game. He averaged 4.4 assists per game last year, giving you someone who can provide strong assist numbers from the center position, something you don't always find. He'll block between 1.2 and 1.6 shots per game, plus doesn't kill you in free throw percentage like other centers and has shot over 40 percent from three in three consecutive seasons, including an absurd number for a big man last year: 41.2 percent on 7.9 attempts per game.

Towns has the upside to finish as the top player in fantasy basketball. He has a strong case to be the 1.01 pick.

 

Deciphering The Top Players

There are only two other players who qualify at center who are ranked in our top 10: Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic. So, which one should fantasy managers prefer?

Two of our rankers had Jokic ranked fifth, while another had him sixth. Davis was sixth for two of us, while the other had him second. This feels like an accurate portrayal of where opinion on the two is at, because Anthony Davis pretty clearly has the higher ceiling of the two, but Jokic and his health feels like a much safer bet to make.

If you do take the risk on Anthony Davis, you get a guy who averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game last year on a 50.3/33.0/84.6 shooting split. Davis is an elite player who won't hurt fantasy managers in any categories except turnovers, where he averaged 2.5 per contest.

Davis only missed 10 regular season games last year, so maybe concerns about his durability are a little overblown? Especially on a Lakers team where LeBron James is the one who'll likely see more of the DNP-Rest decisions this year, since his age is more of a concern than Davis's health.

But if you are worried about AD, there's another option: Nikola Jokic! He doesn't have the scoring highs that Davis does, but the Joker averaged 19.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks on 52.8/31.4/81.7 shooting. He doesn't give you the blocks you want from a starting center, but if you go with a punt-block build, his tremendous passing can get you ahead of the curve on the assist category right out of the gate.

 

Top 100 Guys With The Most Downside

So, which guys that we ranked in our collective top 100 have the most downside? (In other words, who am I lower on than our other two rankers.)

Hassan Whiteside - Sacramento Kings
RB ranking: 55, Justin ranking: 61

Hassan Whiteside's ability to put up solid raw numbers makes him a nice fantasy piece. Last year, he averaged 15.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game, all while shooting 62.1 percent from the floor.

Those numbers came via him averaging his most minutes per game since 2016-17 though, and he now joins a Kings team where there's no guarantee Whiteside starts over Richaun Holmes. Marvin Bagley III is also likely to see some time at the five, as will Frank Kaminsky. Whiteside's path to 30 minutes per game is cloudy. If he gets there, solid pick. If he doesn't, a drop in his numbers makes him a little risky to take in the top 50 like one of our rankers had him ranked.

Thomas Bryant - Washington Wizards
RB ranking: 72, Justin ranking: 86

Thomas Bryant is a solid big man, but the Wizards also spent a good bit of money to bring in Robin Lopez this year, which is going to cut into Bryant's development because neither guy should be playing anything but the five with the way this team is constructed. Bryant averaged 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the floor and making 0.8 threes per game, but with RoLo in D.C., it's hard to see much room for improving on those numbers this year. You're drafting him very close to his ceiling right now, which is never something I love doing.

 

Who Are Some Sleepers?

Who are guys outside of our top 150 that have the best chance of breaking in? (And which deep guys did I rank above our collective ranking?)

Paul Millsap - Denver Nuggets
RB ranking: 177, Justin ranking: 136

I understand that Millsap is getting older and the Nuggets are going to give plenty of run to Michael Porter Jr. and JaMychal Green at the four, but we're still talking about a guy who played 24.2 minutes per game in the playoffs, and while those numbers -- 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on 39.8 percent shooting -- weren't great, he still averaged 11.6 and 5.7 in the regular season on 48.2 percent shooting. I was probably too high on him in my rankings, but I'd feel comfortable taking him around 150th as a solid floor guy.

Enes Kanter - Portland Trail Blazers
RB ranking: 204, Justin ranking: 189

Hassan Whiteside ate up the starting center role in Portland last year (see above), and I expect Jusuf Nurkic to do the same this year. But Nurkic missed all but eight regular season games last year with a broken leg, and if the Trail Blazers want to keep him healthy, we might see Enes Kanter play around 20 minutes per night, either beside Nurkic or backing him up. In that role, Kanter's scoring ability and efficiency can come in handy.

Gorgui Dieng - Memphis Grizzlies
RB ranking: 223, Justin ranking: 195

It looks like Jaren Jackson Jr. will be out to start the season for Memphis, which means we could see a decent bit of Dieng in the early going. He averaged 18.7 minutes per game for the Grizzlies last year in 17 games, with 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per contest. His value takes a hit when JJJ is back, but if you need a deep-league streamer to open the season, I like Dieng a good bit.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Brock Purdy

"a Long Shot" to Play on Sunday
Aaron Rodgers

Dealing With Back Tightness
Dallas Goedert

Questionable for Week 2 at Chiefs
Anthony Rizzo

Retires
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Jadeveon Clowney

Visiting With the Cowboys on Wednesday
Masyn Winn

Will Require Offseason Knee Surgery
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Christian Watson

Agrees to One-Year Contract Extension
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Kyle Stowers

Dealing With Strained Side
Kyle Tucker

Placed on Injured List With Calf Strain
Jauan Jennings

Considered Day-to-Day, has a Chance to Play in Week 2
Jalen Carter

Receives One-Game Suspension, Will be Eligible for Week 2
Bo Bichette

Goes on Injured List With Knee Sprain
George Kittle

Placed on Injured Reserve
Tyreek Hill

Accused of Domestic Violence
Jauan Jennings

Avoids Serious Shoulder Injury
Garrett Crochet

Shuts Out the Athletics
Royce Lewis

Launches Two Homers Monday Night
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
New York Knicks

Malcolm Brogdon on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
Tyler Glasnow

Fans 11 in Seven No-Hit Innings Monday
Slade Cecconi

Takes No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning Monday
Max Muncy

Batting Cleanup in Return to Dodgers
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Younghoe Koo

Falcons Auditioning Kickers, Could Replace Younghoe Koo
Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Says Broncos Need to be Better With Run-Pass Balance
Tank Bigsby

Eagles Acquiring Tank Bigsby From Jaguars on Monday
George Kittle

Likely Out 3-5 Weeks, Could Land on Injured Reserve
Chase Burns

to be Activated on Friday
Brock Purdy

Dealing With Multiple Injuries, Could Miss Week 2
Tyler Glasnow

Cleared to Start on Monday
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on Concussion Injured List
Christian Yelich

Returning on Monday
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Daniel Palencia

Cubs Place Daniel Palencia on Injured List With Shoulder Strain
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Returning on Monday
Sean Murphy

Done for the Year With Hip Labral Tear
Alec Bohm

Lands on Injured List With Cyst in his Shoulder
Trea Turner

Going on Injured List, Phillies Hope to Have him Back for Playoffs
Brock Bowers

Considered Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
Jonathan Taylor

is "Good" After Taking a Hit to his Neck in Week 1
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Russell Wilson

Remains the Giants Starter
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Xavier Worthy

Week-to-Week with Dislocated Shoulder
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Rhys McKee

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Axel Sola

Successful In His UFC Debut
Robert Ruchała

Robert Ruchala Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
William Gomis

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Derrick Henry

Scores Twice but has Costly Fumble on Sunday
Lamar Jackson

Shines With Three Total Touchdowns in Loss to Bills
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Jayson Tatum

"Moving Around Way Better"
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP