Dominating the Paint: Drafting Centers

Published on October 24, 2023

While flashy guards and high-scoring wings dominate the highlight reels, fantasy basketball championships are frequently won entirely in the trenches. Centers provide massive value in highly specific, incredibly scarce statistical categories. If you ignore the Center position during the draft, your team will bleed points in Rebounds, Blocks, and Field Goal Percentage every single week. In this guide, we break down the different archetypes of big men and how to perfectly integrate them into your overarching draft strategy.

The Traditional Big Man: Rebounds and Blocks

The traditional Center archetype is the easiest to understand. These players live exclusively in the paint. They don't shoot three-pointers, they don't rack up assists, and they are often terrible free-throw shooters. However, what they do provide is absolutely essential: they secure 10+ rebounds a night, block 2+ shots per game, and shoot over 60% from the field because all of their attempts are dunks and layups. Players fitting this archetype are incredibly valuable for anchoring your Field Goal Percentage. If you draft a traditional big man, you must be prepared to punt Free Throw Percentage, as their poor shooting from the line on high volume will destroy your team's average.

The Modern 'Unicorn': Floor Spacing Bigs

The "Unicorn" is the holy grail of fantasy basketball Centers. These are the rare big men who provide the traditional defensive stats (rebounds and blocks) but also possess the ability to step outside and hit three-pointers, shoot over 80% from the free-throw line, and occasionally run the offense. Players like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns fall into this elite category. Because they do not hurt your FT% and provide out-of-position stats like 3-pointers and assists, they are usually drafted in the first or second round. If you acquire a Unicorn, you can build a highly balanced roster without needing to punt any specific category.

Positional Scarcity at Center

As mentioned in our Draft Strategy Guide, positional scarcity is a massive factor when evaluating Centers. After the top 15-20 big men are off the board, the talent pool completely evaporates. You will be left looking at backups who only play 15 minutes a night or aging veterans who frequently sit out games due to load management. Therefore, it is highly recommended to secure at least one reliable Center in the first four rounds of your draft. Do not wait until round 7 to address the position, or you will be structurally disadvantaged for the entire season.

The Danger of 'Empty Stats'

When scouring the waiver wire for backup Centers, beware of "empty stats" players. An empty stats Center is someone who plays 25 minutes a night, scores 12 points, and grabs 7 rebounds, but provides zero blocks, shoots poorly from the field, and turns the ball over. While the 12 points and 7 rebounds look decent on the surface, the lack of defensive stats and poor efficiency actually hurt your team more than they help. Always prioritize Centers who block shots and shoot a high percentage, even if their overall scoring is low.