RADIO
Most Big Guy players don't get enough love unless they’re superstars like Anthony Davis or drama queens like Dwight Howard. I always draft my primary Center a couple rounds too late, but there are some consistent performers and sleepers in those 5th and 6th round picks if you draft wisely. It’s worth checking out lower tiered players as well, that way you have a backup plan in the event that your roster is a dumpster fire by mid-season.
All positional eligibility is based on Fantrax league defaults, and will include anyone who qualifies at the position. As a result, players ranked here may not qualify at the position on all other sites.
All of the initial position tiers are coming from different writers -- so don't come complaining to us if there's no consistency between them. Just relax, enjoy, and hate on each set of rankings separately.
Fantasy Basketball Tiered Center Rankings
Tier 1
- Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans - an obvious first round pick, but there’s more consistent strong performers available if you’re in one of the first 3 positions of your draft order. But I could end up eating my words with the new support Davis will be receiving at the hands of Demarcus Cousins.
- DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans - Speaking of…. It’s always a risk drafting a star player new to a team with another star player already in the same position. With that being said, DeMarcus and Davis seem poised to well off each other and I expect an uptick for both of them overall.
- Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves - With Karlito at his back, Towns is poised to dominate as the the Timberwolves’ leading big man this season. A solid pick, you won’t regret.
Tier 2
- Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Lakers - Eh, I’m always gonna feel hesitant about a player new to a team that’s in the midst of rebuilding.
- Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies - I’ll never NOT recommend Marc Gasol.
- LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs - I don’t know you guys. That heart arrhythmia last season left me shook. Also, let’s not forget that embarrassing sweep during the playoffs.
- Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat - Do it for the RBs.
Tier 3
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets - this baby deer was still finding his legs last season, but coming into his third season in the league should help him find some steadier footing.
- Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors - It’s been a couple of season since Ibaka played for a team where he had a strong foundation, not that this man needs it. Ibaka is committed to his craft and will deliver no matter where he is, but this is a player that realizes their full potential in a team situation where he feels at home.
- Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic - If you’re only going to have one Nikola on your team, make it this one. A nice consistent performer.
- Myles Turner, Indian Pacers - An exciting player that is sure to deliver an even stronger performance this season.
Tier 4
- Enes Kanter, Oklahoma City Thunder - Maybe he'd be in Tier 3 if he did something about that mustache.
- Zach Randolph, Sacramento Kings - I don’t expect Zach Randolph to play like he’s still on the Grizzlies and neither should you.
- Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz - Gobert delivered all last season, but let’s keep an eye on him as he starts the season after an injury during playoffs.
- Markieff Marcus, Washington Wizards - Dealing with court in the preseason is never ideal. Proceed with caution.
- Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons - It’s incredible to think that at 24, Drummond still has so much to show us. I am here for Andre Drummond.
- Ryan Anderson, Houston Rockets - Anderson posted impressive numbers last season, proving to be unfazed by a team jump. Keep your eye on him.
- Dwight Howard, Charlotte Hornets - The dramatics of Dwight "Diva" Howard bore me.
- DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers - If you look at DeAndre Jordan and squint, he kind of looks like a Beanie Baby™
- Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors - A nice safe draft.
Tier 5
- Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks - I wouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
- Frank Kaminsky, Charlotte Hornets - Kaminsky thinks Gordo is "the most relatable character on Lizzie McGuire". I urge you to make your drafting decision based on that information alone. Only you will know what’s right for your roster.
- Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder - You can never go wrong with Khal Drogo.
- Taj Gibson, Minnesota Timberwolves - Give him some time to adjust to the Timberwolves before having any big expectations.
- Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards - A solid backup center to have for your bench.
- Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets - Did you know Mason Plumlee has a boring blog with a terrible logo? It reveals nothing about his prospects as a fantasy player but you might find some inspo for your Pinetrest!
- Robin Lopez, Chicago Bulls - Why settle for the lesser Lopez? Just sayin'.
- Jon Leuer, Detroit Pistons - He’s steadily increased his PPG the last two seasons averaging a little over a two point increase each season after taking a dip his last season in Memphis. I predict an uptick this season as well.
Tier 6
- Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota Timberwolves - We have the same birthday! We’re also both on the small side (relatively speaking), one thing to keep in mind as you consider the stacked Timberwolves roster.
- Channing Frye, Cleveland Caveliers - I had no idea that Channing Tatum was older than Channing Frye.
- Kelly Olynk, Miami Heat - As the most senior Center on the Heat roster following Assad Whiteside, Olynk will prove a great pickup if we find Whiteside sidelined unexpectedly.
- Marreese Speights, Orlando Magic - I never consider it a good sign when a player bounces around as much as Speights does. He hasn’t really found a place to call home since leaving Philly. Even as a late round pick, don’t rely too much on Speights unless you find yourself in a real pickle with your roster.
- Willy Hernangomez, New York Knicks - Baby faced Hernangomez might have some potential in him, but probably won’t prove to be a real asset for rosters for another season at least.
- Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings - It’s hard to tell what will come of CS. While he certainly has potential, he’s yet to prove why we should put our faith in him and him in our rosters.
- Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers - B+ for attendance
Tier 7
- Alex Len, Phoenix Suns - Alex Len and his indecision with the Suns is the talk of the town in Phoenix, but Phoenix is a slow town.
- David Lee, San Antonio Spurs - Lee’s performance since leaving Golden State has been like that kid you knew in high school who never got over their parent’s divorce that happened in 3rd grade. Proceed with caution.
- Justin Hamilton, free agent - When the league looks at you and shrugs "meh", you have Justin Hamilton.
- Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks - a decent late round pick
- Kosta Koufos, Sacramento Kings - It’s hard not to feel like Koufos has peaked, but I also can’t identify a point in his career that would be considered a “peak”.
Tier 8
41. Amir Johnson, Philadelphia 76ers - There's two ways you can interpret Johnson's one year contract, he's either trying to prove himself, or he's completely uncommitted to the franchise. Either way, I'd let a few weeks of gameplay pass before you decide on your own interpretation.
42. Kyle O'Quinn, New York Knicks - definitely not a draft pick to write home about, but if you find yourself in trouble later in the season, he's a decent enough substitute for a few games.
43. Spencer Hawes, free agent - Hawes has been getting passed around for a few seasons now. His limited playtime last season along with his waiver from the Bucks doesn't bode well for the future.
44. Mike Muscala, Atlanta Hawks - Muscala might not deliver the big numbers but he's a consistent performer that could come in handy if you find yourself stuck up fantasy creek without a Center to paddle.
45. JaVale McGee, Golden State Warriors - while I wouldn't put him at "sleeper" status, I expect an uptick in stats From McGee this season, with a possible upgrade to "sleeper" depending on his performance during the early season.
