Nine games are on tap for Saturday, with 18 teams set to tip off across the NBA. That means plenty of big names are expected to take the floor, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James 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:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets at CHA ($12,000)
On a Saturday slate loaded with quality centers, Nikola Jokic stands above the rest. Denver’s face of the franchise has dominated once again this season, putting up 29.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.1 assists. With an average of 68.0 fantasy points per game, the big man is the most consistent producer in all of basketball. Naturally, that leads to a hefty price tag, but that’s the cost of doing business with the best.
It takes a monumental effort on defense to stop The Joker. While the Hornets have allowed a league-average 112.8 points per game (15th), they’ve also given up the fifth-most fantasy points to centers. Jokic has generated 25.4 points, 16.6 rebounds and 9.2 assists over his last five meetings with Charlotte. There’s no use in mentioning anything else. When healthy, the three-time MVP will rank first on any fantasy basketball rankings.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs vs. MIA ($11,000)
Trailing not too far behind Jokic is Victor Wembanyama. The 7’3″ center was already a fantasy basketball monster following his 2023-24 Rookie of the Year campaign. This season, he’s shown major progress as a scorer, with an average of 24.6 points per game on 47.6% shooting. Combined with 10.9 rebounds and a league-leading 4.0 blocks per game, and the 21-year-old is already among the game’s most prolific players.
Wemby has been on a tear recently, notching seven straight double-doubles. Saturday’s opponent, the Heat, will look to bring that streak to an end. Miami employs three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo down low, one of the NBA’s best defenders. Still, the team has surrendered the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing centers. Even if this becomes a low-scoring contest, the Frenchman’s two-way skills give him a path to production in DFS contests.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks vs. LAL ($9,900)
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Karl-Anthony Towns. The center has played through a thumb injury, and while the effort is admirable, it’s clearly impacted his performance. Over KAT’s last five outings, he’s averaged 18.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. The most drastic change has come from beyond the arc, as the big man has knocked down just 16.7% of his three-point attempts.
After looking over those statistics, it might seem difficult to back the four-time All-Star tonight. However, Towns’ opponents, the Lakers, are far more vulnerable. This season, teams have scored 50.7 points per game inside the paint against Los Angeles, fourth-most in basketball. Most of those points came with Anthony Davis on the floor; the big man has already been ruled out of Saturday’s contest with an abdominal strain. If there was ever an opportunity for KAT to return to form, it’s during tonight’s marquee matchup.
