It’s time to start prepping for fantasy basketball drafts as the 2025-26 NBA season approaches. To help guide managers, this five-part series sorts players into draft tiers based on their position, ending with the centers.
Note that a player’s position can vary across fantasy sites, so other eligibility is listed in brackets. The good, average, and bad categories are based on a player’s latest season stats and Hashtag Basketball. Tiers don’t necessarily correlate to rounds.
Read more: point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards
Fantasy Basketball Center Tiers 2025-26
Tier 1
Nikola Jokic
Good: REB, AST, FG%, PTS, STL, FT% | Average: 3PM, BLK | Bad: TO
The clear first overall pick in fantasy drafts is none other than Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP is a model of consistency, versatility and availability. His consistency rate was 81.4% last season, he only lacks in turnovers, and has played under 70 games just once in his 10-year career. Three-pointers used to be another weak spot of his, but he set a new career high in them by averaging two. Ultimately, there’s no doubt that ol’ reliable won’t deliver another stellar campaign.
Victor Wembanyama
Good: BLK, PTS, REB, 3PM, FT% | Average: AST, STL, FG% | Bad: TO
In July, Victor Wembanyama was medically cleared after dealing with deep vein thrombosis. Following an offseason of intense training, the Frenchman is ready to return to the court. He’s a generational talent and one of the most exciting fantasy players. Wembanyama’s already made huge improvements to his game and is continuing to grow. Last year, he significantly improved his three-point shooting and became more efficient. The alien is an elite shot-blocker who can do it all, with the only hole in his game being turnovers.
Tier 2
Karl-Anthony Towns (PF)
Good: REB, PTS, FG%, FT% | Average: AST, STL, BLK, 3PM | Bad: TO
Karl-Anthony Towns enjoyed a resurgence in his first season with the Knicks after ranking outside the top 25 in category leagues for the past two years. Despite New York’s star-studded lineup, their lack of big men allowed Towns to increase his production. He’s not a big shot-blocker for a center, but he is a double-double threat and very well-rounded. The 29-year-old’s worst flaw is turnovers. Little is expected to change for the former first-overall pick, and he could return first-round value again.
