Who are the top 5 centers for NBA Fantasy? Grading the early contenders

While the start of the NBA season is still months away, player rankings for 2024 are already starting to emerge. Here are the top five centers in the league in terms of fantasy rankings heading into the year.

Top 5 NBA centers for fantasy basketball in 2023-24

5) Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Coming in at the No. 5 spot is Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. The 23-year-old is coming off a career year that landed him his first All-Star nomination and the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Injuries have been a problem for Jackson at times. However, when he is on the court, he is by far one of the top defenders in the NBA. Jackson also keeps growing on the offensive end, averaging 18.6 points this season while shooting 35.5% from beyond the arc.

🐻 JJJ 🐻

🏆 2022-23 DPOY
❌ 1st-Team All-Defensive
⭐️ 1x All-Star

Jaren Jackson Jr. averaged a career-high in PTS, REB, & BLK for the @memgrizz last season!

He is the #5 center according to the early 2023-24 Rankings: on.nba.com/3NENaFr pic.twitter.com/XKbMAI9urK

4) Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Next up is Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis. As a center who can do a little bit of everything, he is a great choice when it comes to fantasy basketball.

This season, Sabonis played a key role in the Kings ending their record-long playoff drought. In 79 games, he averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

3) Anthony Davis, LA Lakers

When it comes to the top centers in the NBA, Anthony Davis is a popular name. Heading into the 2023-24 season, the LA Lakers star finds himself as the third-highest ranked player at his position.

Davis is a gamble when it comes to fantasy, as he is constantly in and out of the lineup. That being said, when healthy, he fills up the entire box score. The former No. 1 pick is coming off a season where he averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks.

2) Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

As expected, Joel Embiid lands in the top two among centers in the league. The Philadelphia 76ers star is fresh off winning his second scoring title and finally securing the MVP award.

Embiid is one of the most dominant forces in the league, which makes him a great pick for fantasy. He is constantly putting up big scoring numbers and is among the best defensive bigs in the NBA right now. In 66 games for Philly, Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

1) Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Rounding out this group is the No. 1 overall ranked fantasy player heading into the 2023-24 season. Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic just won the first championship of his career, and is poised to continue adding to his legacy moving forward.

As a walking triple-double threat every night, Jokic is the ideal player for fantasy. Along with putting up big numbers, he is in the lineup every night. This season, he averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists across 69 games.