2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Rankings: Center draft tiers

The 2025-26 NBA season is nearly here, and with it comes draft season. We’ve covered the guards and forwards, and now it’s time to close out the positional tiers with the centers. As always, these tiers are based on points league scoring, where raw production (points, boards, assists, stocks and efficiency bonuses) often outweighs category specialization.

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Centers continue to dominate fantasy because of their rebounding, high FG% and stock upside. But in points leagues, it’s important to weigh usage and playmaking in addition to traditional big-man stats.

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Let’s dive into the final tiers.

Tier 1: The fantasy pillars

• Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

• Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Nikola Jokić: The Joker remains the undisputed king of fantasy basketball. The three-time MVP could legitimately be in a tier of his own after averaging over 64 FPPG last season (and a triple-double). Jokić is an auto-pick at first overall.

Victor Wembanyama: A mid-season blood clot ended Wemby’s sophomore campaign after just 46 games. I’d still take Wemby over Giannis in points leagues because we haven’t seen Wemby’s ceiling yet. 25-10-4 with almost 4 blocks per game is his floor.

Tier 2: Elite anchors

• Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

• Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets

Domantas Sabonis: Sabonis has led the league in double-doubles for three consecutive seasons. He’s also played in at least 70 games in every season over that span. His passing is elite for the position, making him one of the best picks in the early rounds in points leagues. I’d wait til the mid-second in category formats because he doesn’t help much in stocks, 3s or FT%.

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Karl-Anthony Towns: KAT is a first-round talent in category formats because of the efficiency and 3s he provides from the center spot. For points leagues, he’s not far behind, averaging over 45 FPPG for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

Alperen Şengün: Coming off a successful run at Eurobasket, Şengün is poised to put up career numbers playing alongside Kevin Durant in the frontcourt. Averaging 20-10-5 is in sight, as he’s one of the most well-rounded bigs. With shades of Jokić, Sengun’s blend of usage, scoring and playmaking makes him deserving of elite status.

Tier 3: All-Star caliber bigs

• Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers

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Chet Holmgren: Injuries limited Holmgren to 32 games last season, halting the breakout many fantasy managers anticipated. Holmgren only played an average of 28 minutes per game last year, so as that creeps into the 30s, we’ll see an uptick in production from the 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game he put up last year. His early third-round ADP is a bit too high for me in points leagues, but I get it for category leagues for his high block rate, efficiencies and 3s.

Ivica Zubac: Pairing him with James Harden is one of my favorite stacks in fantasy hoops. He’s a consistent double-double threat, though I worry we’ll see some dropoff in production with the Clippers adding two assets in John Collins and Brook Lopez to their frontcourt.

Tier 4: High-risk, high reward

• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

• Kristaps Porzinigis, Atlanta Hawks

• Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

• Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles Lakers

• Mark Williams, Phoenix Suns

Joel Embiid: On a per-game basis, Embiid is always in the top tier of centers. The problem is he’s as unreliable as any player in the league right now. He looks noticeably slimmed down, which should be good? Getting him in the fifth round would be a steal if he plays over 50 games. A substantial “if.”

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Kristaps Porziņģis: KP’s ADP is very close to Embiid’s fifth-round ADP. He’s managed to play at least 65 games in just three of his 10 seasons in the NBA. However, given his expiring contract and performance for Latvia this summer, fantasy managers shouldn’t write him off. Thirty-five FPPG is a very safe floor.

Walker Kessler: Kessler could be a younger version of Rudy Gobert, anchoring Utah’s defense. I don’t think mid-season tanking will be as prevalent this season, but I think his fifth-round ADP is too high for points leagues since you won’t be able to capitalize on his high FG% and the scarcity of a high block rate.

Mark Williams: Williams has the tools to be a viable double-double threat. I like the fit in Phoenix; now, it’s all about staying healthy. His medicals have been quite concerning over the past few seasons. At cost, he’s going about 30 picks later than KP and Kessler with a similar floor. Not sure I have the stones to do it, but I get it if you do.

Tier 5: Reliable, veteran starters

• Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

• Nikola Vučević, Chicago Bulls

• Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Myles Turner, Milwaukee Bucks

• Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

• Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors

• Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

• Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets

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Jalen Duren: It’s a big year for Duren, who is eligible for a rookie extension on an ascending Pistons unit. There’s still room for growth as a scorer and playmaker, but fantasy managers are getting a player who finished top-10 in double-doubles last season, averaging 33 FPPG. In terms of production, I think he’ll be right there with most of the Tier 4 guys this year. Oh, and stack him with Cade Cunningham.

Isaiah Hartenstein: Hartenstein had 28 double-doubles in 57 games last season. For reference, Walker Kessler had 28 in 58 games, yet Hartenstein is going almost 30 picks later than Kessler. The OKC big averaged his first double-double of his career while averaging over two stocks per game in under 30 minutes. His ADP is too low, especially in points leagues.

Myles Turner: I’m not a fan of his fit next to Giannis in points leagues, as I think he’ll revert to a more Brook Lopez-type role. He remains a solid center for category leagues, offering valuable contributions from a blocks and 3s perspective.

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Rudy Gobert: The Frenchman remains a double-double machine. Despite his slight decline in production over the past few seasons, availability matters. He’s played in over 65 games in seven straight seasons. I prefer Gobert more in points leagues over category leagues at his current sixth-round ADP.

Tier 6: Upside bigs

• Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

• Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers

• Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks

• Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

• Dereck Lively, Dallas Mavericks

• Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

Donovan Clingan: With Ayton in L.A., the sophomore center joins the starters in what should be a breakout campaign. I anticipate a time share due to Portland’s center depth, considering Clingan played over 30 minutes in 8 of his 67 games last season. Still, he generated 1.17 fantasy points per minute (FPPM) last year, which is starter-level efficiency. Playing between 25-28 minutes could net 30-33 FPPG, much like Hartenstein. He’s another steal at his current price in the late 90s.

Kel-el Ware: Coach Spo didn’t have glowing remarks around Ware coming into the summer; however, I’m still bullish on his potential. He averaged 1.07 FPPM last season. Ware also averaged 10 points with 10 rebounds in 36 games as the Heat’s starting center. His ADP is rising into the high 70s and I see why. He’s one of my targets for center in all formats.

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Jay Huff: He’s a sleeper worth taking a flier on any format because of his opportunity. The Pacers found an affordable replacement for Myles Turner, grabbing Huff from the Grizzlies for his ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor. Despite playing limited minutes across his first four years in the league, he’s averaged 1.10 FPPM thus far, indicating there’s potential. He’s currently a market inefficiency, going outside the top 140 in all formats.

Tier 7: Back-end depth

• Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic

• Daniel Gafford, Dallas Mavericks

• Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz

• Zach Collins, Chicago Bulls

• Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers

• Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons

• Jonas Valanciunas, Denver Nuggets

• Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic

• Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks

• Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers

• Steven Adams, Houston Rockets

• Nick Richards, Phoenix Suns

• Clint Capela, Houston Rockets

Daniel Gafford: The pricey backup center for the Mavs finds his way into fantasy relevancy every year. No matter the role, he’s an impactful fantasy player. With a career average of 1.14 FPPM, he’s a logical selection for anyone in category leagues needing FG%, blocks or rebounds late in the draft. However, there’s not enough volume to support rostering him in points leagues unless Lively gets hurt (which could easily happen).

Kyle Filipowski: The Vegas Summer League MVP looked eerily similar to Lauri Markkanen. I came away very impressed, thinking he would surely be a major factor in their rotation if this play carries over into training camp. Who knows what the Jazz will do, so keep him penciled in as a late-round flier with upside.

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Zach Collins: Keep an eye on Collins because Vučević is on an expiring contract. There’s a strong possibility he could be dealt by midseason. Collins thrived in 12 games as a starter last year, averaging 14.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26 minutes per game.

Al Horford: The veteran big remains unsigned, although he’s been linked to the Warriors all offseason. If that ends up being his landing spot, he’d be more valuable in category leagues than points.

Tier 8: Young hopefuls

• Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors

• Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics

• Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets

• Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns

• Luka Garza, Boston Celtics

• Luke Kornet, San Antonio Spurs

• Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans

• Yang Hansen, Portland Trail Blazers