After an enthralling 11-game slate yesterday, the NBA is back to a more moderate showing, with just five games on the docket for Thursday’s action.
However, don’t think for a moment that a lack of games means a lack of quality options. Nikola Jokić, Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama, and Joel Embiid are not in action (well, Embiid’s always out of action), but there are still plenty of decent big men available for DFS players to choose from. Here are the top three centers to consider tonight:
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1. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder ($6,500)
The Thunder are basically a perfect team, but virtually their one weakness is inside. Oklahoma City has by far the best defense in basketball, allowing the fewest points, third-fewest assists, and…third-most rebounds?! Since losing Chet Holmgren to a hip fracture early in the season, the Thunder haven’t been able to keep opposing bigs off the boards. Out of Cleveland’s four All-Star caliber players, it was Allen who played the best in the teams’ first matchup, dropping 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and three steals (57.25 FPTS) last Wednesday.
He should find it even easier tonight with Isaiah Hartenstein out with a calf strain. In 23 starts this season, Hartenstein has averaged 0.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, ranking third in defensive box plus-minus, 18th in defensive win shares, and first in defensive rating. His replacement, six-foot-eight Jaylin Williams, is more of a stretch big, taking 83.3% of his shots from beyond the arc and averaging just 0.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per contest.
2. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets ($9,800)
The Beam Team is back, as the Kings have won seven of their last eight games, even with De’Aaron Fox missing three games across that span, and Sabonis is making a strong bid for his fourth career All-Star appearance. Over that eight-game hot stretch, the Lithuanian is averaging 19.4 points, 16.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. He’s surpassed Karl-Anthony Towns for the league lead in rebounds, and — somehow — surpassed Nikola Jokić for the league lead in three-point percentage. Sabonis is the most expensive center on tonight’s slate, and for good reason: over the last 10 days, he’s averaging a ridiculous 57.1 FPTS per game.
In theory, Houston should be well-equipped to slow him down. The Rockets allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing centers, and center Alperen Şengün is playing by far the best defense of his career. This season, Houston has allowed the fourth-fewest points, seventh-fewest rebounds, second-fewest assists, and third-fewest made three pointers per game, so it really has no defensive weakness. However, the Rockets have ranked just 23rd in defensive rating in their last six games, since power forward Jabari Smith Jr. suffered a broken hand during shootaround.
3. Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards vs. Phoenix Suns ($5,600)
The Suns apparently felt bad enough about the play of centers Mason Plumlee and Jusuf Nurkić that they decided to trade for Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards. While it’s a slight improvement on their current big man rotation, neither Richards nor Nurkić is expected to suit up tonight, leaving Plumlee as the lone big, although Kevin Durant will get some minutes as the backup center. Overall, Phoenix has allowed the ninth-most rebounds per game and the 12th-most FPTS to opposing centers this season.
Enter Sarr, who has started to show some of the promise that made him the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, scoring double-digit points in 15 of his last 16 games and is now a +130 favorite to win Rookie of the Year at DraftKings Sportsbook. His 1.6 blocks per game are also the ninth-best among 236 players who have appeared in at least 30 games this season. In his last 15 games, he’s averaged 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting an eye-popping 42.6% from deep on 4.5 three-point attempts per game. While he’s no Victor Wembanyama, it’s not far-fetched to think that he’ll pass Rudy Gobert as the league’s second-best French center some time in 2025.
II am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
