Below you’ll find the top-10 centers for 2024-25 fantasy basketball drafts, as compiled by the Rotoworld Basketball crew
You can see the full list of centers, as well as breakdowns and projections for every other position in the 2024-25 Rotoworld Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit. You’ll also get access to rankings for various formats and projected category leaders for season ahead. And the best news? It’s completely FREE!
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2024-25 Fantasy Basketball Top 10 Centers
1) Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Age: 20 HT: 7-4 WT: 210
2023-24: There was great excitement surrounding Wembanyama’s arrival in the NBA, and with good reason. The 7-foot-4 phenom had already displayed his immense talent while playing professionally in France and for the French national team at the youth level. Wembanyama proved to be the real deal, winning Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second behind Rudy Gobert in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. In 71 games, Wemby averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 3.6 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers in 29.7 minutes. Initially used at power forward next to Zach Collins, Wembanyama took off once the Spurs realized he was physical enough to be the sole big on the court. Following his first NBA season, Wembanyama helped lead France to a silver medal in the Paris Olympics, falling to the United States in the final.
What’s Changed: Nothing has changed regarding the Spurs’ rotation at center; it’s Wembanyama’s world, and everyone else is living in it. However, adding Chris Paul should result in a needed upgrade at point guard, benefitting Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs roster.
Outlook: Wemby’s rookie campaign likely represents his floor in both “real” and fantasy basketball, which is a terrifying thought for the rest of the NBA to deal with. After finishing last season as a top 10 per-game player in 8- and 9-cat formats, he’s on the short list of players who should be considered for 1.1 in category leagues. It’s Wembanyama or Nikola Jokic in the eyes of many, and fantasy managers can’t go wrong with either. As for points leagues, that list gets a little longer, but Wemby remains a top 5 target at worst. Provided he avoids a debilitating injury that can sideline him for an extended period, Wembanyama will be a crucial building block for many championship-winning fantasy teams this season.
2) Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Age: 29 HT: 6-11 WT: 284
2023-24: After three straight seasons as fantasy’s top overall player, Jokic fell precipitously to third overall for the 2023-24 campaign. The big man averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 boards, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 1.1 triples while shooting 58.3% from the floor and 81.7% from the foul line. Joker captured his third MVP in four seasons and led his team to 57 wins in a competitive Western Conference. Jokic compiled at least 10 triple-doubles for the seventh straight season and moved into fourth place on the all-time triple-double list. He’s averaged better than 20 triple-doubles over the last five seasons, showcasing his versatility as a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator. Minnesota had an early exit in the playoffs, but Jokic capped off his summer tremendously in Paris. Jokic finished Serbia’s Olympic run with a bronze medal and averages of 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists, becoming the first player in Olympic history to lead all players in total points, rebounds, and assists.
What’s Changed: The Nuggets brought in Russell Westbrook, but he’ll fill Reggie Jackson’s role as a secondary playmaker and scorer off the bench. He’s no threat to steal playmaking duties from Jokic, and the team’s frontcourt depth remains thin.
Outlook: We’ve run out of superlatives for Jokic at this point. There is serious debate about who should be the top draft pick in fantasy hoops – he or unicorn Victor Wembanyama – speaks volumes about Joker’s elite skillset. As expected for a seven-footer, Jokic scores and rebounds at a high level, but he’s also one of the league’s best passers who racks up defensive stats at a respectable clip, shoots well from the charity stripe and knocks down triples with relative ease. Until he gives us a reason to believe otherwise, Jokic is locked into a top-5 selection in fantasy basketball drafts.
3) Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Age: 31 HT: 6-10 WT: 253
2023-24: After years of being incredibly limited by injuries, AD flipped the script last season and set a new career-high with 76 games played. He has consistently been among the top five producers in 9-cat leagues throughout his career, which was the case again last year. He averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game on efficient shooting splits. He made an All-NBA and All-Defensive team for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
What’s Changed: The Lakers didn’t really make any roster moves this summer, and even if they did, there isn’t a move that would impact AD’s spot in the rotation. However, JJ Redick has talked about using AD more and making him the offense’s focal point. Assuming his body can handle that after playing 76 games last season and suiting up for Team USA, AD could see a jump in production.
Outlook: There is no question that AD will once again rank among the top players in fantasy basketball regardless of format. There should still be concerns about his health, which is why he is typically drafted in the second half of the first round. However, managers should feel more confident drafting him than they did in the past. If Redick can figure out new ways to utilize him, Davis could see enough slight improvements across the board to be in the conversation for the top finisher in 9-cat leagues.
4) Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Age: 30 HT: 7-0 WT: 280
2023-24: On the heels of his first Most Valuable Player award, Embiid came out hot last season. In 25 games before Christmas, he averaged 35.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 1.1 3-pointers, shooting 54.0% from the field and 89.3% from the foul line. Unfortunately, he would only play nine more games before a knee injury suffered during a January 30 loss to the Warriors sidelined Embiid for over two months. While he did play in five of Philadelphia’s final seven games of the regular season, Embiid wasn’t much help to fantasy managers looking to win league titles. In 39 games, The Process averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 3-pointers, shooting 52.9% from the field and 88.3% from the line. While ranked first in 8- and 9-cat per-game value, the total value suffered due to his knee injury.
What’s Changed: While he looked like a shell of himself during Philadelphia’s first-round series against the Knicks, Embiid did play for the United States at the Paris Olympics. His role changed based on the matchup, and there were questions regarding how healthy Embiid was. But he got through the experience with a gold medal to show for it and no significant health concerns.
Outlook: After playing 68 and 66 games the two seasons prior, Embiid’s knee injury may have spooked some fantasy managers. He’s certainly capable of producing at a level worthy of being a top 3 pick in drafts, but there’s no justifying selecting him that high. Embiid being chosen on the back end of the top 5 in drafts would not be egregious, but look for him to come off the board in the 6-8 range in most leagues. That would make him a fantasy steal if Embiid can avoid an extended absence due to injury.
5 Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Age: 22 HT: 7-1 WT: 195
2023-24: Holmgren’s NBA career got off on the wrong foot, quite literally. The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot while playing in a CrawsOver Pro-Am game shortly after getting drafted. The injury cost him the entire 2022-23 season, but he returned healthy for the 2023-24 campaign and appeared in all 82 regular-season games. Holmgren finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind averages of 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 triples. Holmgren shot 53.0% from the floor and a respectable 79.3% from the charity stripe while committing just 1.6 turnovers per tilt. He would have won ROY in most other seasons but had to contend with unicorn Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren was a first-rounder for much of the season and ultimately finished 20th in per-game fantasy hoops value. Wemby’s stat lines have rightfully been recognized as ridiculous, but Holmgren had some crazy games of his own. Most notably, he racked up a 36/10/5/2/2/2 line at Golden State on November 18.
What’s Changed: The Thunder signed former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein to a lucrative deal in the offseason, and Hartenstein will likely take over as the team’s starting center.
Outlook: Hartenstein’s arrival means Holmgren should shift to the four, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be alarmed about the position switch. The two bigs will play plenty of minutes together, but Holmgren should slot back in at center when Hartenstein’s on the bench. As a player who can handle the ball and shoot an outside shot, Holmgren should have no problem adjusting to his new role on the team. His early ADP (per Hashtag Basketball) has him going as a mid-second-rounder in fantasy drafts, and that feels appropriate given his elite production in Year 1.
6) Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Age: 28 HT: 6-10 WT: 240
2023-24: While playing in a career-high 82 games, Sabonis was dominant last season. He posted new career-highs with 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists while also averaging 19.4 points per game. His 9-cat value was limited by a poor free throw percentage and a lack of defensive production, but his combination of boards, dimes, and a high field goal percentage allowed him to provide third-round value. He also recorded a double-double in 61 straight games from December to April, the seventh-longest streak in the history of the NBA.
What’s Changed: The Kings are running things back with mostly the same team, with the addition of DeMar DeRozan. He may take away a shot or two per game from Sabonis, though that won’t impact him too much since he isn’t a high-volume scorer. They still don’t have a great backup center option, though that wouldn’t impact Sabonis’ minutes either way.
Outlook: Managers should know what to expect from Sabonis at this point. The defensive production won’t be there, he won’t hit many 3-pointers, and his free-throw percentage will be bad. However, there aren’t many comparable rebounders in the league, and even fewer that can pass as well as Sabonis can. He fits multiple punt builds, and he’ll have a chance to finish in the top-10 in both rebounds and assists once again. He’s worthy of a selection in the second round this year.
7) Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Age: 27 HT: 6-9 WT: 255
2023-24: As one of the best defenders in the league, the expectation is that Adebayo will dominate in both steals and blocks. While he doesn’t do that, he is still an excellent fantasy option. He finished just outside the top 50 in 9-cat leagues last season with averages of 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. His free throw percentage dropped from 80.6% to 75.5%, which resulted in his 9-cat value dropping. He was able to add to his game by expanding his range past the 3-point line over the final month of the season.
What’s Changed: Miami used their first-round pick to bring in a backup for Bam in Kel’el Ware. They’ve rotated through several different backup options in recent seasons, but none have been consistently effective. Adebayo also built on his late-season 3-point success this summer with Team USA as he proved to be a real threat from deep. He isn’t going to start hitting two or three 3-pointers per game, but it just makes him more dangerous for the Heat.
Outlook: It will be interesting to see how Erik Spoelstra uses Adebayo this season now that they have Ware in the mix. Could he play both at the same time with Bam at the four? How much will they lean into Adebayo’s newfound 3-point shot? Managers should expect top-50 production from him, though how much better he can be will depend on his defensive numbers and playmaking. His best fantasy season came when he averaged 5.4 assists per game, so if he can make a slight improvement, he could be in for a top-25 finish. Still, he has an incredibly high floor and should be solid across the board.
8) Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Age: 28 HT: 6-11 WT: 250
2023-24: Turner posted 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game last season. The Pacers center’s stats dropped slightly across the board, but he did play in 77 games and finish as a fringe top-10 option at his position. He’s scored more than 17.0 points per game in two straight seasons after falling short of 15.0 points per game in his first seven campaigns. He’ll look to continue being more of an offensive threat while maintaining his value as a prolific shot blocker in 2024-25.
What’s Changed: Turner matched a career-high with 11.8 shot attempts per game last season and was the number two scoring option behind Haliburton before Siakam joined Indiana. The big man averaged 18.9 points in 37 games with Siakam last season and will need to find the right balance playing alongside him for all of next season.
Outlook: Turner is no superstar center but can produce at a level just below the All-Star caliber players. He’s projected to be a top-50 player and get drafted around the fifth round in most drafts ahead of 2024-25.
9) Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
Age: 25 HT: 6-11 WT: 215
2023-24: Coming off of his best offensive season as a pro, Claxton’s production took a slight dip last season. He averaged 11.8 points, slightly lower than his career-best mark of 12.6 per game the season prior while shooting 62.9% from the field. However, Claxton’s rebounding (9.9) and assist (2.1) averages increased, and he still contributed 2.1 blocks per night. Ranked just outside the top 75 in 9-cat, per-game value, Clax was an excellent center for managers willing to punt freethrow percentage. Remove his 55.1% mark from the charity stripe, and Claxton was close to a top-25 player in fantasy.
What’s Changed: Claxton agreed to a significant payday this summer, signing a four-year, $97 million deal to remain with the Nets. Given the many departures in recent seasons, the athletic center is a crucial building block for this rebuilding franchise.
Outlook: The Nets have questions all over the court, which can be problematic for many players regarding fantasy value. However, Claxton does enough as a finisher, rebounder, and rim protector to avoid any significant hits to his value. He’s a career 54.4% shooter from the line, so managers should not expect marked improvement in that category. He’ll be most valuable in free throw punt models, especially for managers who use their first-round pick on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Claxton should not fall outside the first 50 picks in drafts.
10) Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Age: 20 HT: 6-10 WT: 250
2023-24: In his second season in the league, Duren was one of the best rebounders in the league. He averaged 13.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 61.9% from the floor and 79% from the free-throw line. He improved his free throw numbers by shooting 84.1% over the final two months, a category that isn’t a strong point for centers. However, he doesn’t impact the defensive end as much, which evens out his fantasy impact.
What’s Changed: Detroit fired Monty Williams and brought in J.B. Bickerstaff, who had been the head coach for Cleveland over the last few years. Bickerstaff had been coaching Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, so we’ll see if he can get more out of Duren on the defensive end. Their only center addition was Paul Reed, but Isaiah Stewart will remain Duren’s backup.
Outlook: Duren has been a poor defender through his first two seasons in the league. That has led to a lack of production in those categories, which has limited his fantasy value. The issue is less that he isn’t blocking shots and more that his lack of defensive impact may prevent him from developing further into a star big man. His rebounding and field goal percentage will continue to be his strongest categories, but he is a young, athletic big who can develop into an impactful defender. He boasted a strong block rate in college, but it just hasn’t happened yet. Managers should expect most of his fantasy impact to come from his rebounding and shooting percentages, but a defensive improvement is within his realm of possibilities.
Read the rest in the FREE 2024-25 Rotoworld Basketball Draft Kit.
