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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NBA Fantasy Basketball Draft Busts: Centers

Antonio Losada looks at NBA centers who could be draft busts in the 2020-2021 season. These are players who you should consider avoiding in fantasy basketball drafts.

A key part of doing a fantasy draft is avoiding players who find themselves in a bad situation. The wrong pick can completely tank your season.

Today, let's talk about some potential busts at the center position. For whatever reason -- be it talent, lack of opportunity, or some combination of those two things -- these are players who I'm actively avoiding in my fantasy leagues this season.

Let's look at five centers who have bust potential this year in fantasy basketball leagues.

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!

 

Mitchell Robinson - New York Knicks

The Knicks are so barren of talent that Mitchell Robinson has slowly but surely turned into their most viable trade chip and most valuable player at this point. No wonder, considering Robinson beat Wilt Chamberlain's historic field goal percentage mark last season hitting 74.2 percent of his shots from the field and setting a new NBA record. But still, he smells like busting.

Mitch Rob wasn't that bad or that great. He was limited to just 23.2 mpg because he plays for the Knicks and the Knicks don't have a clue what they're doing. In those 23-plus minutes of run per game, Mitch averaged almost a 10-7 line, stopping at 9.7 ppg. Rob is null from long range, though, so forget about a floor stretching big here. He hit that high percentage of shots, though, but wasn't nearly as good at the line hitting just 56.8 percent of his freebies...

Currently at an ADP of 46.3, that draft position surely looks bonkers considering Robinson's situation. Yes, the upside should be high in theory given his exploits on just two-thirds of what could be a 34 mpg season coming in 2021, but are we sure he can keep up his mental efficiency? No, sir.

 

Steven Adams - New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans traded for Adams this offseason and then proceeded to extend his contract for a couple of years, making it clear that they will probably hold onto the Kiwi for that period. That doesn't sound totally wrong, making the Zion-Adams pair the couple to go to in NOLA's interior. It's not a bad pairing.

Stevie wasn't a league-winning player biggie last season, but he was far from the worst player, finishing as the 9th-best center in the league in total fantasy points. On a per-game basis, he almost reached 30 fantasy points per game (29.4), but he was rather mediocre from a per-minute angle averaging just 1.10 PF/min and ranking 18th in that leaderboard, even below Tony Bradley, Jarrett Allen, and Willy Hernangomez.

The Pels are not going to hand Adams more opportunities and touches than those he had in OKC, so it's not lik3 his usage will rise and boost his numbers up. Adams is a perennial rebounder with small upside anywhere else. He finished averaging an 11-9-2 line close to a dub-dub, but he only posted 22 double-doubles on the year (63 games played). His 75 ADP in early drafts looks a little bit high right now, that's for sure.

 

Tristan Thompson - Boston Celtics

We're humans and as humans we're biased. We like new, fresh stuff, no matter how good or bad it could potentially be. It's new, so we just like it. Enter TT, new Boston Celtic. I like this signing, don't get me wrong, but Thompson will probably get fantasy GMs a little bit more hyped than they should be this draft season.

Playing for a mediocre Cavs team, Thompson got plenty of chances to rack up fantasy points but he ended the season as an average player at best. TT averaged 30.6 FPPG and a rather bland 1.01 FP/min, which, again, is an average mark as best. He did so playing more than 30 mpg (30.2) and shooting 9.9 fga per game. He closed 2020 with a 12-10 dub-dub line, but that was pretty much all he did barely edging 2.0 dimes per game.

Thompson's environment is clearly better now than it was just a month ago. That being said, we'll see how he does in Boston given the numbers other bigs put up last year while playing there. Gordon Hayward is gone, which means some shots will open, but that shouldn't mean TT will get a monster uptick in the times he will put his hands on the ball.

 

Marc Gasol - Los Angeles Lakers

I was on the verge of getting Gasol off this list after he signed with the Lakers (I built the column before he did so, and had him labeled as a Free Agent). Even after that, though, I still think Gasol could turn into a fantasy bust, and even more if we factor his ADP (currently 120.3) into the equation. Sure, he's a 12th-round draftee in 10-team leagues, but even there he might still be a little bit overvalued by fantasy GMs.

Playing for the Raptors last season, in 44 games (that's the first concern) he averaged 23.7 FPPG and below one fantasy point per minute, getting just 0.9 FP/min while playing 26.4 mpg. Gasol played little time, and he wasn't efficient on his short runs. He finished the year averaging a rather bad 7-6-3 line. That's not atrocious because he was able to add some dimes, blocks, and steals to his average stat lines, but he just doesn't cut it for me as a drafted player instead of a high-upside WW target.

The Lakers have built one of the best big-man trios in the league by putting together an LBJ-AD-MG group that clearly improves on the first two + JaVale/Dwight that we saw last season. Even then, though, Gasol would probably raise his stats a bit (nothing crazy) but it is not that he will start shooting 10+ shots from the field or whatever.

 

Jarrett Allen - Brooklyn Nets

As ridiculous as it sounds, bringing Kevin Durant to Brooklyn meant the Nets were also going to need to sign DeAndre Jordan to bring the amigos together and pair them in BKN. And even more stupid is the fact that Allen, one of the most promising biggies we've seen getting to the L of late, was always going to lose playing time to veteran DAJ. And that, in fact, was the case last season.

Allen played 70 games to Jordan's 56, but neither averaged more than 27 minutes of playing time. But maybe the Nets were right, and we were wrong, as Allen finished 2020 with 1.11 FP/min compared to DAJ's 1.17 average FP per minute. The latter was more efficient than the younging, and DAJ averaged an 8-10-2 line with 0.9 bpg compared to Jarrett's 11-9-1 with 1.3 bpg. Those lines couldn't be closer, truth be told, but Allen doesn't have any edge on DAJ in long-rage shooting, his rebounding fell behind the veteran's, and he couldn't even beat Jordan in ft%.

Allen is getting drafted as a top-100 player (ADP of 99), and he was playing into a much more favorable environment last season than he will do in 2021. Sure, KD will boost the team's winning chances every day, but that will mean fewer balls going Allen's way. On top of that, there have been rumors of a James Harden trade, and who knows if Allen will be playing for the Nets come Christmas Day. No matter what, this feels like a pretty risky pick and a potential bust for the price fantasy GMs are paying for Jarrett these days, even as a borderline 10th-rounder.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis



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!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

RANKINGS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pittsburgh Steelers

Cameron Heyward, Steelers Reach Agreement on Revised Deal, Will Play in Week 1
Bubba Chandler

to Make First Start on Sunday
Samuel Basallo

Exits Early with Hand Injury
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Travis Hunter

to be Every-Down Wide Receiver
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
Shedeur Sanders

Unlikely to Play in 2025
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Leaves Early on Saturday After Fouling Ball Off his Knee
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
Christian McCaffrey

RapSheet: Signs Pointing Towards Christian McCaffrey Playing in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Signs Fully Guaranteed Deal with Cleveland
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Quentin Johnston

Scores Twice in Brazil
Justin Herbert

Spectacular in Win Over Chiefs
Marquise Brown

Sees Absurd Target Share Friday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Dealing With Back Spasms
Bobby Witt Jr.

Exits Early on Friday
Xavier Worthy

Injures Shoulder Early in Brazil, Questionable to Return
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Placed on Injured List With Quad Strain
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched on Friday With Back Tightness
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Play in Season Opener
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Questionable for Season Opener With Calf Issue
Tyreek Hill

Cleared for Week 1
Rasmus Hojgaard

Finishes Tied For Second at Omega European Masters
Tyrrell Hatton

Finishes Tied for 32nd at LIV Indianapolis
Matt Fitzpatrick

Finishes Fifth at Omega European Masters
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied For Second in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Xander Schauffele

Finishes 42nd in 2025 FedEx Cup Standings
Tyler Glasnow

Scratched From Friday's Start for Undisclosed Reasons
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 1
Shohei Ohtani

Returning to the Mound on Friday
Kyle Finnegan

Lands on Injured List With Adductor Strain
Aaron Judge

Returns to Right Field on Friday
De'Von Achane

Without Injury Designation Heading Into Week 1
Christian McCaffrey

Seen Working on Side Field During Friday's Practice
Malik Nabers

Cleared to Play on Sunday
Willson Contreras

' Suspension Reduced, to Start Serving it on Friday
Kodai Senga

Mets Send Kodai Senga to Triple-A to Get Right
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 1
Malik Nabers

' Reps Limited Friday Due to "Tight" Back
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
Axel Sola

Alex Sola Set To Make His UFC Debut
Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500