Anthony Davis has missed three games already, but it hasn’t affected his status as the No. 1 fantasy basketball center…yet.
The only real knock on Davis has been his checkered injury history, because he excels at everything else. In reality, it was his younger years where he missed a bunch of time, since he actually played 75 games in each of the last two seasons, but his early bout with an elbow injury shows why fantasy basketball owners have always been cautious with the New Orleans Pelicans stud center.
Joel Embiid is right on Davis’ tail and would be poised to take over the top spot if the latter’s injury continues to linger. Embiid has been an absolute force, scoring 30-plus points in seven of 11 games en route to a 28.4 per game average. The 24-year-old is also grabbing 12.6 boards, swatting 2.2 shots, knocking down 1.3 threes, and even averaging a full turnover less per game than he did last year. The Sixers “trusted the process” and won.
The rest of the top 10 in my rest-of-season center rankings goes as follows: Nikola “Triple Double” Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns (remember when frantic owners said he “sucked” the first week? Okay.), Rudy Gobert, Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, Nikola Vucevic, DeAndre Jordan (who magically discovered how to shoot a free throw), and Clint Capela.
You’ll notice a few guys there, like Drummond, Capela, and inevitably Jordan, whose values swing a lot depending on how you weigh their free throw shooting. If you’re punting the category, they’re gods. If you’re not, they drop like a bag of Joakim Noah bricks. That element is one of the reasons the Davises, Embiids, KATs, and Jokics of the fantasy basketball world are so far ahead of everyone else at the position.
Some notable risers in the rankings include JaVale McGee, Wendell Carter Jr., Julius Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, Clippers duo Montrezl Harrell and Boban Marjanovic, Zach Collins, and Domantas Sabonis.
Falling some are Myles Turner and Brook Lopez — two guys who know to block shots but couldn’t grab a rebound to save their life — Hassan Whiteside and his injury issues, Paul Millsap, Kevin Love, and Derrick Favors.
For more fantasy basketball coverage and analysis, follow Seth Klein on Twitter at @SethDaSportsMan.
Once you get done devouring Seth’s rankings, head on over and check out the latest fantasy basketball waiver recommendations.
Fantasy Basketball Rest of Season Center Rankings
| # | Player (team) | ECR | vs. ECR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Davis (NOR – PF,C) | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Joel Embiid (PHI – PF,C) | 4 | +2 |
| 3 | Nikola Jokic (DEN – PF,C) | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN – C) | 2 | -2 |
| 5 | Rudy Gobert (UTH – C) | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Blake Griffin (DET – PF,C) | 12 | +6 |
| 7 | Andre Drummond (DET – PF,C) | 6 | -1 |
| 8 | Nikola Vucevic (ORL – PF,C) | 11 | +3 |
| 9 | DeAndre Jordan (DAL – C) | 14 | +5 |
| 10 | Clint Capela (HOU – PF,C) | 7 | -3 |
| 11 | Draymond Green (GSW – PF,C) | 8 | -3 |
| 12 | LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS – PF,C) | 10 | -2 |
| 13 | DeAndre Ayton (PHO – C,PF) | 16 | +3 |
| 14 | JaVale McGee (LAL – C) | 27 | +13 |
| 15 | Myles Turner (IND – PF,C) | 13 | -2 |
| 16 | Marc Gasol (MEM – C) | 9 | -7 |
| 17 | Al Horford (BOS – PF,C) | 15 | -2 |
| 18 | Jarrett Allen (BKN – PF,C) | 17 | -1 |
| 19 | Steven Adams (OKC – C) | 20 | +1 |
| 20 | Hassan Whiteside (MIA – C) | 18 | -2 |
| 21 | Serge Ibaka (TOR – PF,C) | 25 | +4 |
| 22 | Julius Randle (NOR – PF,C) | 24 | +2 |
| 23 | Enes Kanter (NYK – C) | 21 | -2 |
| 24 | Wendell Carter Jr. (CHI – C) | 30 | +6 |
| 25 | Jonas Valanciunas (TOR – C) | 22 | -3 |
| 26 | Willie Cauley-Stein (SAC – PF,C) | 31 | +5 |
| 27 | Jusuf Nurkic (POR – C) | 26 | -1 |
| 28 | Larry Nance Jr. (CLE – PF,C) | 33 | +5 |
| 29 | Paul Millsap (DEN – PF,C) | 23 | -6 |
| 30 | Montrezl Harrell (LAC – PF,C) | 34 | +4 |
| 31 | Brook Lopez (MIL – C) | 37 | +6 |
| 32 | Domantas Sabonis (IND – PF,C) | 38 | +6 |
| 33 | Dwight Howard (WAS – PF,C) | 28 | -5 |
| 34 | DeMarcus Cousins (GSW – PF,C) | 35 | +1 |
| 35 | Dario Saric (PHI – PF,C,SF) | 32 | -3 |
| 36 | John Collins (ATL – PF,C) | 29 | -7 |
| 37 | Taj Gibson (MIN – PF,C) | 39 | +2 |
| 38 | Zach Collins (POR – PF,C) | 43 | +5 |
| 39 | Kevin Love (CLE – PF,C) | 19 | -20 |
| 40 | Kelly Olynyk (MIA – PF,C) | 45 | +5 |
| 41 | Boban Marjanovic (LAC – C) | 46 | +5 |
| 42 | Alex Len (ATL – PF,C) | 48 | +6 |
| 43 | Bam Adebayo (MIA – PF,C) | 49 | +6 |
| 44 | Mitchell Robinson (NYK – C) | 51 | +7 |
| 45 | Markieff Morris (WAS – PF,C) | 52 | +7 |
| 46 | Mohamed Bamba (ORL – C) | 50 | +4 |
| 47 | Dewayne Dedmon (ATL – C) | 36 | -11 |
| 48 | Derrick Favors (UTH – PF,C) | 47 | -1 |
| 49 | Pau Gasol (SAS – PF,C) | 55 | +6 |
| 50 | Ed Davis (BKN – PF,C) | 57 | +7 |
| 51 | Dwight Powell (DAL – PF,C) | 59 | +8 |
| 52 | JaMychal Green (MEM – PF,C) | 61 | +9 |
| 53 | Mike Muscala (PHI – PF,C) | 62 | +9 |
| 54 | Bobby Portis (CHI – PF,C) | 64 | +10 |
| 55 | Willy Hernangomez (CHA – C) | 63 | +8 |
| 56 | Mason Plumlee (DEN – PF,C) | 65 | +9 |
| 57 | John Henson (MIL – PF,C) | 56 | -1 |
| 58 | Gorgui Dieng (MIN – PF,C) | 67 | +9 |
| 59 | Tristan Thompson (CLE – PF,C) | 68 | +9 |
| 60 | Cody Zeller (CHA – PF,C) | 58 | -2 |
| 61 | Dirk Nowitzki (DAL – PF,C) | 42 | -19 |
| 62 | Kyle O’Quinn (IND – PF,C) | 54 | -8 |
| 63 | Nerlens Noel (OKC – PF,C) | 60 | -3 |
| 64 | Davis Bertans (SAS – PF,C) | 66 | +2 |
| 65 | Frank Kaminsky (CHA – PF,C) | 70 | +5 |
| 66 | Marcin Gortat (LAC – C) | 41 | -25 |
| 67 | Jakob Poeltl (SAS – C,PF) | 53 | -14 |
| 68 | Jordan Bell (GSW – PF,C) | 40 | -28 |
| 69 | Harry Giles (SAC – PF,C) | 76 | +7 |
| 70 | Richaun Holmes (PHO – PF,C) | 77 | +7 |
| 71 | Robin Lopez (CHI – C) | 72 | +1 |
| 72 | Kosta Koufos (SAC – PF,C) | 69 | -3 |
| 73 | Patrick Patterson (OKC – PF,C) | 74 | +1 |
| 74 | Amir Johnson (PHI – PF,C) | 75 | +1 |
| 75 | Greg Monroe (TOR – PF,C) | 71 | -4 |
| 76 | Ryan Anderson (PHO – PF,C) | 73 | -3 |
| 77 | Zach Randolph (SAC – PF,C) | 79 | +2 |
| 78 | Aron Baynes (BOS – C) | 78 | 0 |
| 79 | Thomas Bryant (WAS – C) | 80 | +1 |
| 80 | Bismack Biyombo (CHA – PF,C) | 81 | +1 |
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