Don't Sleep on These Centers! Late Round Values For Fantasy Basketball (2025-2026)

Zach Reifschneider discusses some of his favorite sleeper and breakout picks at center for the 2025-2026 NBA fantasy basketball season. Players discussed include Onyeka Okongwu, Draymond Green, Santi Aldama, Dereck Lively, and more.

The center position is one that always seems to dry up quickly in fantasy basketball. Once you get to a certain point towards the end of drafts, finding key starters or high-minute players is not easy.

In a year where the position has dried up considerably more with some teams stacking up options while others are left very thin, hitting on late-round centers could be a massive difference in your season. Finding players who will play significant roles, receive meaningful minutes, and deliver crucial production is the biggest difference maker when taking fliers this late.

Today, we’re going to discuss some sleepers, late-round targets, and potential breakout centers that could help you win your leagues. For this exercise, I will be utilizing Yahoo’s current 2025-2026 ADP (as of 10/15/2025). I will mostly look at targets that teams will be taking after the halfway point of most drafts, with ADPs ranging from just in or out of the top 100 to the top 150 and beyond. This will be for players listed at C and may include PF-eligible players as well.

Late Round Sleepers: Centers

Onyeka Okongwu, C - ATL

• Yahoo ADP: 93.3
• 2024-2025 Stats: 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks

It's funny how different basketball formats can lead to vastly different analyses. I wrote about Onyeka Okongwu from a dynasty perspective earlier this week as a possible sell, but I find the difference in price points in both formats intriguing. At an ADP of 93.3 for redraft formats on Yahoo, this feels like a really strong value considering Okongwu finished 30th in per-game value in the last 3 months of the 2024-2025 season.

7 straight points for Onyeka Okongwu!

Bringing that offensive punch for Atlanta 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Mu0GJ7PMnX

— NBA (@NBA) October 12, 2025

Kristaps Porzingis may complicate some things there in terms of how minutes are distributed and force Okongwu to remain under 30 minutes per game, but considering Porzingis has always struggled to stay healthy and there are worlds where Quin Snyder can get creative with playing the two together, it would be shocking if he doesn’t finish in the top 100 this year. Plus, considering Okongwu did what he did last season at 27.9 minutes per game, I’m not too worried about splits unless it gets massively tilted against him.

Draymond Green, PF/C - GSW

• Yahoo ADP: 106.1
• 2024-2025 Stats: 9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 1 block

As we discussed in my last article, all about players to build around for a PTS/REB/AST build, Draymond Green has a lot to like for a later-round center. Along with quality rebounds, stocks, and out-of-position assists, Green is a consistent starter who will always play a role in Golden State. If you’re not building a traditional center team, spending a late pick on Green to round you out could really make a key difference.

Santi Aldama, PF/C - MEM

• Yahoo ADP: 106.5
• 2024-2025 Stats: 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists

Readers from my last article will recognize another carryover in Santi Aldama, another player I’ve discussed often in my dynasty work. I’m a fan of his, and I like the progress he made last season. This season, with Memphis lacking in a lot of big man depth early with Zach Edey out for a few months and Jaren Jackson Jr. looking a bit banged up to start the season, I expect Aldama to open the season as a starter for lengthy stretches.

Santi Aldama at Grizzlies training camp pic.twitter.com/k0BpKdxbTn

— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) September 26, 2025

What I like about Aldama is that, despite not starting many games (16 starts compared to 65 appearances), he’s a good per-minute guy with those numbers above coming off 25.5 minutes per night.

Dereck Lively II, C - DAL

• Yahoo ADP: 110.6
• 2024-2025 Stats: 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 blocks, 70.2% FG

Lively has continued to struggle with injuries since his rookie year and had his second year cut short with only 36 games played. He also faces some logjams in the frontcourt this year with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, and 1st overall pick Cooper Flagg all figuring into the equation at power forward and center. Where does that split leave Lively?

Still, at 110.6, he’s going to be one of your last picks in the draft, and considering his first two seasons have put him just outside of the top 100 per game value, he just needs to be healthy. In an ideal world, when Kyrie Irving is healthy again, Lively starts at center with Flagg and Davis at SF and PF, and with that, Lively can find enough minutes to contribute positive value. It’s a reasonable swing to take this late.

Deep League Sleepers: Centers

Isaiah Stewart, PF/C - DET

• Yahoo ADP: 134.1
• 2024-2025 Stats: 6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks

Despite career lows in points and minutes per game at 19.9, while starter Jalen Duren took a step up, Stewart came into his own as a defender this past year as one of the more impactful bench players in the NBA. I’m predicting more of the same this year, but if Duren suffers any injuries, Stewart is due for a big increase in counting stats. At 134.1, he’s someone who can still provide solid big man stats across the board if you’re in a deeper league or need a pickup. 

Wendell Carter Jr., C - ORL

• Yahoo ADP: 138.1
• 2024-2025 Stats: 9.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2 assists, 46% FG (54.4 TS%)

What’s this? A real starter available this deep? Fantasy owners who are familiar with Wendell Carter Jr. know that, despite the opportunity for minutes, he’s never shown to be a standout fantasy player. In his past two seasons with Orlando, with a nice chunk of minutes and plenty of starts, he’s failed to reach above the top 150 in per-game value mark.

He especially took a tumble with his field goal percentage dropping to 46%, the lowest mark of his career and his first time dipping under 50% since his rookie year. This year, the Magic are loaded with a starting unit of Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero. WCJ can be their X-factor if he plays well this year, simple as that. If he doesn’t, one of his teammates that I mentioned below is rising and could take his job for good.

Neemias Queta, PF/C - BOS

• Yahoo ADP: 140.3
• 2024-2025 Stats: 5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 blocks

Boston opens the season with perhaps the most unproven center rotation in the NBA, and I don’t think it’s particularly close. Still, someone has to start, and through the summer with his EuroBasket play, I think Queta is likely their best and most qualified center to start if they want someone who can play on both sides of the ball. It’s far from ideal as Queta is not always the prettiest to watch with some areas of his game, but there is definite upside if he’s given the nod. Queta has the potential to be one of this season’s big breakouts if he starts, and I’m closely watching to see how the center rotation looks early into the season.

Jay Huff, C - IND

• Yahoo ADP: 141.2
• 2024-2025 Stats: 6.9 points, 2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.3 made 3s, 40.5% 3PT

My deep leaguers and ball-knowers know Jay Huff is a demon, and his previous season with the Memphis Grizzlies was rife with upside from a fantasy perspective.

Jay Huff—breakout candidate...

Legit 3P shooter. Legit feel on the short roll. Legit dunker (especially in reverse for no reason). Legit drop defense. His mobility & rebounding leave some to be desired, but he's going to put up numbers and impact with an expanded role in IND. https://t.co/h7pchYUipG pic.twitter.com/6n1ceJPgUb

— NBA University (@NBA_University) October 1, 2025

This season, Indiana will have some decisions to make at center between Huff, Isaiah Jackson, and Pascal Siakam, playing a little at the five. Personally, I'm a bit scared of Isaiah Jackson at cost, and I have real questions about him this year that I need to see answered. I think Huff has the most intriguing upside of the two if he does start. Even if he doesn’t, he could still provide some valuable stretch big stats even if he tops out closer to a consistent 16-minute per game role. It would be a bit surprising to me if the return on investment hits the under on that good of an ADP.

Adem Bona, C - PHI

• Yahoo ADP: 141.8
• 2024-2025 Stats: 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, 70.3% FG

If the 76ers intend to win games when Joel Embiid misses time and continue nurturing the growth of their youngsters, Bona is the clear backup big man moving forward. We can never be too confident Embiid is going to play many games on a year-to-year basis, even if word is positive this summer.

If he can clean up his foul problems, Adem Bona can really blossom into a premier rim defender at the NBA level

Great timing, coupled with a huge wing span and verticality

And a tireless motor for a big man
pic.twitter.com/w9u3qNUOEh

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 10, 2025

If anything goes wrong or Embiid gets load-managed at any point when the playoffs come around, Bona can and will play and has looked much better than expected early on as a second-round rookie in 2024. 

Moussa Diabate, C - CHA

• Yahoo ADP: 142.4
• 2024-2025 Stats: 5.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks

We’ll close it out with Moussa Diabate. I have no idea which of Mason Plumlee or Diabate starts to open the season for the Hornets following this summer's Mark Williams trade, but regardless, you can anticipate Plumlee will not play heavy minutes in his age-35 season. It took Diabate a while to come along after starting his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he hit his stride in Charlotte as a replacement for Nick Richards and Williams.

Diabate quietly had a very strong defensive season for Charlotte as one of their brighter spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Can he keep it up and earn a more consistent role with more minutes and starts this season? With Plumlee in the mix, rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner behind them, and LaMelo Ball hopefully healthy and throwing plenty of lobs, I'd bank on Diabate coming through with a solid season. 

Other Centers To Consider in Deep Formats

In honor of my deeper league folks playing in 16-team leagues or deeper, I’ll close this out with a few players that caught my eye that don’t have a listed ADP on Yahoo yet. While many of these are going to be reserve players or lottery scratch-off players, I still think these players have interesting opportunities they can take up.

Goga Bitadze, C - ORL

• 2024-2025 Stats: 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.4 blocks, 61.1% FG

Day’Ron Sharpe, C - BKN

• 2024-2025 Stats: 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks

Luke Kornet, C - SAS

• 2024-2025 Stats: 6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 1 block

Guerschon Yabusele, PF/C - NYK

• 2024-2025 Stats: 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 50.1% FG, 1.5 made 3s, 38% 3PT

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