Fantasy Basketball Rankings: Top Centers for DraftKings NBA Best Ball 2025-26

Since you’ve clicked on this article, both ball and fantasy are life for you. The NBA season begins once again on October 21st. Life is good. Until then, we have plenty of time to add more fantasy leagues into the portfolio, but don’t fret, this article is about best ball, which means all the benefits of drafting with no in-season management. It’s like eating a cake fed to you by a robot arm that wipes your mouth, washes the dishes and bakes more cake!

Here is the spill before you dive into the rankings:

Drafts are 16 rounds with 12 teams in each league. While we still have time, there are two options for drafting: a 30-second clock and an eight-hour clock. As it gets closer to opening night, drafts will all have 30-second clocks.

Lineups will consist of two G, two F, one C, two UTIL and nine BENCH (G/F/C). The highest-scoring players for your contest lineups are automatically chosen by our bot overlords from the players you draft.

Scoring is a points format. Each real-world point is worth one DraftKings fantasy point. A three-pointer is 0.5 fantasy points, a rebound is 1.25 points and an assist is 1.5 points. A steal is worth two fantasy points and a block is also worth two points. A turnover is -0.5 points. Bonuses exist for double-doubles (1.5 points) and triple-doubles (three points).

As for the tournament format:

Round 1 starts October 21 and ends on February 22. The NBA Cup championship game on December 16 will not be included. Top two teams advance.

Round 2 starts February 23 and ends March 8th. Top team advances.

Round 3 starts March 9 and ends March 22. Top team advances.

Round 4 starts March 23 and ends April 5. This round consists of 34 teams with every team receiving a payout.

These rankings are skewed towards the playoff weeks.

Now to the rankings:

Jalen Duren: Duren is only 21 years old, so there’s untapped upside. He showed the passing acumen but it’s been the improvements in the defensive stats that are most encouraging. Taking his game to the next level is well-within the range of outcomes, but what is most appealing about Duren is the playoff schedule. Detroit plays the most games at 23 and has two rounds with eight games, which includes the final round.

Myles Turner: I think Turner thrives in Milwaukee at both ends of the court. The gravity of Giannis Antetokounmpo eradicating interior defenses of opponents should leave Turner wide open for good looks from beyond the arc. On the defensive side, the scheme should allow for the blocks to be bountiful. The playoff schedule is good as well with 22 games.

Kel’el Ware: I have had Ware projected to start alongside Bam Adebayo all offseason, so there is some concern that Nikola Jovic started the first preseason game. That said, Ware is still going to play a ton, although a few minutes could be shaved off my initial projections.

Jarrett Allen: My projections are much lower for Allen than the default rankings. Allen averaged 28 mpg last season, the first time under 30 mpg since 2020. Cleveland plays 20 games during the playoffs with six games in Round 2.

Luka Garza: The center rotation is one of the big unknowns for Boston this season. Neemias Queta will likely start, but I have the center minutes split right down the middle between he and Garza. Queta is the better defensive player but I do think Garza gets plenty of run due to his ability to score and spread defenses out. Due to the ability to score more points, he naturally has the potential to rack up more fantasy points. Boston plays 22 games with at least seven games in every round, including eight games in Round 2.

Isaiah Stewart: Backs up Jalen Duren so likely won’t play more than 20 mpg. That said, Detroit plays the most games in the playoffs with 23, and what if something happens to Duren?

Onyeka Okongwu: I think Okongwu is a significant part of the rotation, but not in a starting capacity. Therefore, I only have him down for 28 minutes a night. There is some upside though since Kristaps Porzingis will likely miss some games, but the playoff schedule for Atlanta is brutal with only 19 games and five games in Round 2.

Goga Bitadze: Wendell Carter Jr. is the starter at center in Orlando, but Bitadze has shown that he’s a more-than-capable backup. He only averaged 20.4 mpg last season, but did start 42 games. Orlando also has a good playoff schedule with 22 games, including seven games in each round with eight games in the final round.

Nick Richards: Phoenix has a terrible playoff schedule with 20 games, six in Round 2 and the final round. Richards is also not starting, but Mark Williams hasn’t been a bastion of health. I have the projections for Richards much higher than what the default rankings have him at.

Steven Adams: Adams only averaged 13.7 minutes backing up Alperen Sengun last season but there were plenty of games down the stretch and in the playoffs in which Houston went double big. Houston has the best playoff schedule so Adams gets a boost.

Kevon Looney: New Orleans plays 21 games during the playoffs, with six games in Round 3, so it’s not the best schedule. Looney isn’t starting and likely won’t sniff 20 minutes a night, but he’s played 82, 82, 74 and 76 games over the last four seasons.

Jaxson Hayes: Like Looney, Hayes won’t sniff 20 minutes backing up Deandre Ayton, but the Lakers have a very good playoff schedule with 22 game, at least seven games in every round, and eight in Round 2.

Sandro Mamukelashvili: Averaged 11.2 minutes off the bench in 61 games for San Antonio last season. Mamukelashvili is now in Toronto and slated to be the direct backup to Jakob Poeltl, so the minutes should increase a bit. His ability to stretch the floor has been mentioned as a positive asset.

Oso Ighodaro: Averaged 17.1 minutes last season in 61 games during his rookie campaign. He looked explosive during Summer League and could garner minutes backing up both the power forward and center positions, especially since Mark Williams has had difficulties staying healthy. The playoff schedule isn’t great, but the projections are much better than what the default rankings have.

Derik Queen and Hansen Yang are both too high. Both are rookies and Queen is recovering from injury. I just don’t think they get a ton of playing time this season, but I’ve been wrong in the past and will be wrong many more times in the future.

Mitchell Robinson has been starting with Mike Brown employing the double-big lineup. Big things could be in store for Robinson this season. I wanted to move up Robinson, but there are health concerns and the Knicks have a terrible playoff schedule with 20 games and five games in the final round.