NBA Fantasy Draft Strategy for 2024-25: Center Tiers

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Published on September 17, 2024

Center is arguably the strongest position group in the NBA, as the last four MVPs have all been centers. While it could be easy to view centers as top-heavy due to the dominance of Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, there is also a lot of depth. Now more than ever, centers are filling up the stat sheet beyond the typical points and rebounds fans had become accustomed to.

Tier 1

Anyone in Tier 1 is capable of being the highest-producing player in all of fantasy basketball.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic is coming off his third MVP campaign in three seasons. He averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes across 79 regular-season appearances. The 29-year-old big man continued to display impressive efficiency, posting 58.3/35.9/81.7 shooting splits. Jokic is a constant triple-double threat who has proven to be consistently available throughout his career and shows no signs of slowing down.

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Wembanyama is on a meteoric rise to superstardom after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and winning Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old big man's freakish measurables helped him record a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game as a rookie, along with 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals. If Wembanyama can improve upon his 32.5 three-point percentage, he will not only be vying for Defensive Player of the Year but perhaps MVP sooner rather than later.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid posted a career-high 34.7 points and 5.6 assists per game last year. However, injuries continued to plague the former MVP, as he made just 39 regular-season appearances. While availability will likely continue to be an even bigger concern as Embiid has now turned 30, there is no doubt that he is the NBA's most dominant scorer when healthy.

Tier 2

Tier 2 is full of elite options which are a nice consolation prize if you miss out on the cream of the crop.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Despite having a reputation for being injury-prone, Davis made 76 regular-season appearances last year, the most of his career. The 31-year-old big man still managed to average 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 35.5 minutes. If Davis can stay healthy again, his elite shot-blocking and double-double threat make him one of the top fantasy options in 2024-25.

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Sabonis recorded a league-leading 26 triple-doubles in 2023-24, beating out Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Sabonis really does it all for Sacramento, as he averaged 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists last year. The 28-year-old center has also proven reliably available, as he played in all 82 regular-season games last season and 79 the year before.

Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets

Sengun had a major breakout campaign in 2023-24, averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals. In each of his three seasons in the NBA, the 22-year-old big man has made a significant statistical improvement. If Sengun can continue his upward ascension, he should secure his first All-Star nod as one of the best passers at his position.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Not only is Adebayo a constant double-double threat, but he is also a strong passer for the position. Perhaps most intriguing for Adebayo's 2024-25 outlook is the development of his three-point shot. Over the last 25 games of the 2023-24 season, the 27-year-old shot 40.5 percent on 1.8 three-point attempts per contest and continued to show that improvement during the Paris Olympics.

Tier 3

Everyone in Tier 3 is either a more-than-capable outside shooter or an elite shot-blocker, on top of being a double-double threat.

Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Turner averaged 1.9 blocks per game and shot 35.8 percent on 4.2 three-point attempts per contest last season, making him a quality two-way option. He also played in 77 regular-season games last year, his most since 2016-17.

Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

While Gobert's fantasy value doesn't quite match up with his four Defensive Player of the Year awards, he still posted 54 double-doubles and averaged 2.1 blocks in 2023-24. Additionally, his 66.1 percent shooting from the field offers elite efficiency.

Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets

Claxton offers a similar but slightly reduced fantasy profile to Gobert as a constant double-double threat and shot-blocking machine. Claxton has also played in 71 and 76 regular-season games over the last two seasons, respectively.

Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks

Even in the twilight of his career, Lopez still managed to average 2.4 blocks across 79 regular-season contests last year. Splash Mountain also converted 36.6 percent of his 5.1 three-point attempts per game.

Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls

Vucevic is arguably the best scorer out of this group, averaging 18.0 points per contest in 2023-24. However, he shot just 29.4 percent from three, his lowest since 2015-16, and has averaged less than a block per game in each of the last two seasons.

Tier 4

Most of the players in this tier offer very similar profiles, as they average roughly 10 points, 10 rebounds and one block per game, but not much else. Jarrett Allen is the standout scorer of this tier, while Walker Kessler is the premier shot-blocker. Naz Reid is also interesting, as he would likely see increased counting stats if he wasn't a backup to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.

Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks

Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns

Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers

John Collins, Utah Jazz

Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks

Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers

Tier 5:

Practically everyone in this tier is either a platoon center vying for a starting job or just simply doesn't produce volume stats. Kristaps Porzingis would surely be at least two tiers higher if he wasn't set to miss at least a month recovering from foot surgery. Zach Edey is also tough to predict as a rookie but could see success as a pick-and-roll partner with Ja Morant.

Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics