The second day of 2025 brings an exciting six-game slate for NBA fans to enjoy. Some highlights include the Boston Celtics traveling to Minnesota to face off against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors trying to get back on track against the suddenly healthy Philadelphia 76ers.
With nearly half the league in action, there is no shortage of quality options for DFS players. Here are the top three centers to consider tonight:
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1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets ($11,400)
Antetokounmpo is eligible at both power forward and center, but beyond the Greek Freak, there are deeper options at power forward than center tonight with LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Jalen Williams all playing and Nikola Jokić, Karl-Anthony Towns and Victor Wembanyama all out of action. DFS players can still splurge on Antetokounmpo at center and still get decent production at the power forward position. For a value pick to pair with Antetokounmpo, I like Jonathan Kuminga ($6,000) against the Philadelphia 76ers, but I digress, since this column is about centers.
Antetokounmpo, arguably the league’s best player, would be a no-brainer regardless of the matchup; in his worst game this season, he still amassed 44.5 FPTS, better than the average output of every other center in the league besides Anthony Davis. The Nets allow the ninth-most FPTS to opposing centers, even though they play at the league’s slowest pace and center Nicolas Claxton is the best defender on the team. Antetokounmpo should have no trouble producing against Brooklyn; it has the sixth-worst defensive rating in the NBA and allows the ninth-most assists and fourth-most blocks.
2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Golden State Warriors ($9,400)
The question for Embiid isn’t whether he’ll play well when he gets on the court, but whether he’ll suit up at all. Thankfully for the 76ers, The Process has suited up in seven of the team’s last 10 games and has been brilliant across that stretch, averaging 26.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, even with his numbers dragged down by a December 23 game against the San Antonio Spurs in which he played 14 minutes before getting ejected. With Embiid finally healthy and suiting up alongside Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia has won 10 out of its last 14 games to climb to 13-18, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid shouldn’t have any trouble producing against an undersized Warriors team that really hasn’t done anything to address its lack of an interior presence. Golden State’s second-year starting center, Trayce Jackson-Davis, has been great for the 57th overall pick, but he averages just 5.7 rebounds per game and is far from the kind of post deterrent that can slow down an all-time great like Embiid. The Warriors allow the fourth-most rebounds and third-most blocks to opposing players and give up the 10th-most FPTS to centers.
3. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. LA Clippers ($7,600)
Since making his season debut on November 20, Hartenstein has completed the Thunder, which is scary news for anyone else in the NBA. The seven-foot German big doesn’t have a huge offensive burden to carry, given Oklahoma City’s talent and depth, but he has proven to be a strong anchor in the middle, averaging 12.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.0 combined steals + blocks per game. The Thunder have won 16 of Hartenstein’s 17 starts, and they’re outscoring opponents by a ridiculous 12.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the court.
Hartenstein has a favorable matchup tonight against a Clippers team whose best two players are both small guards. Center Ivica Zubac is one of the better rim protectors in the league — opponents shoot 8.2 percentage points worse than usual from within six feet when Zubac is guarding them — but he’s still a plodding traditional big who might not have the foot speed to keep up with a quick and athletic Oklahoma City team. Overall, LA has allowed the 12th-most FPTS to opposing centers.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
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.
