Seven games are on tap for Friday, with 14 teams set to tip off across the NBA. That means plenty of big names are expected to take the floor, including Cade Cunningham, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. With so many stars in action, narrowing down who to start in season-long fantasy and DFS formats is a difficult task. Here are the three centers at the top of tonight’s fantasy basketball rankings:
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1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets at PHI ($12,000)
Nikola Jokic suffered one of his worst games of the season on Wednesday, notching 17 points, six rebounds and six assists vs. the Knicks. Still, this is the most dominant force in the NBA. Through 41 games, the Serbian has recorded 29.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.1 assists (68.1 FPTS). Those numbers, combined with efficient 56.7/47.2/81.3 shooting splits, have entrenched the center atop this list.
Denver will continue their East Coast road trip in Philadelphia tonight. The 76ers will be without Joel Embiid (knee) and Andre Drummond (toe) down low. That leaves only 6’8″ Guerschon Yabusele to guard the best center in basketball. Following a mediocre performance in New York, it’s difficult to envision Jokic stumbling in this contest as well. The three-time MVP is an easy pick for number one on Friday’s fantasy basketball rankings.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs vs. MIL ($11,000)
The Joker takes the top spot, but Victor Wembanyama isn’t too far behind. San Antonio’s young superstar has wasted no time establishing himself as one of the game’s most prolific stat-stuffers. On offense, the 20-year-old is producing 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season. On defense? A league-leading 3.9 blocks along with 1.1 steals. The end result is an eye-popping average of 60.3 fantasy points per game.
The Spurs will take on freak of nature Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks tonight. Milwaukee’s defense is stingy down low, having surrendered the third-fewest points in the paint per game (45.1) to opponents. When these two teams last met on January 8th, Wembanyama was held to just ten points and ten rebounds (35.0 FPTS). It’s tough to imagine the big man being stopped twice in one month, but crazier things have happened. As good as the Frenchman has been, he might be a tad overpriced on Friday.
3. Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls at TOR ($8,000)
It’s a steep drop-off from second to third on tonight’s list. As good as Nikola Vucevic has been, he’s not near the elite status of Jokic and Wembanyama. Still, the 32-year-old has been productive this season, averaging 19.8 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 54.6% from the field (42.2 FPTS). Vooch’s numbers benefit from a Bulls offense that plays at the NBA’s second-fastest pace (103.29). With extra possessions come plenty of additional counting stats.
That’s especially true on Friday when Chicago travels up north to Canada. This season, the Raptors have allowed the fourth-most points (119.3) and the 11th-most rebounds per game (52.8) to opponents. Vucevic tallied 24 points, five rebounds and three assists against Toronto on December 16th (39.75 FPTS). A similar outing tonight would make the two-time All-Star a solid investment for fantasy managers.
