Fantasy Basketball Preview 2010: Center Position

A fantasy basketball team is incomplete without big men. Today's group of centers is more versatile than ever. There are guys who can score, shoot the three, grab rebounds, and block shots are present across the league.

The real trouble is finding the best of the best, and I've taken care of that task for you. Read on to see the top 20 bigs in the game, plus four sleepers to keep your eye on...

Note: I had to find a cutoff for what qualifies as a center and a power forward. Guys that play center for extended periods during the regular season but are technically listed as power forwards are listed below.

Other borderline guys—Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, etc. will be listed under the forward rankings released later this week.

Top 20 Rankings

1. Dwight Howard-Dwight is the closest thing the NBA has to a dominant center today. He will contend for the rebound and block titles, and score over 20 points a game. If he can develop more post moves and improve that ugly free throw motion, watch out.
2. Amar'e Stoudemire-For fantasy value, Amar'e Stoudemire is right on Dwight Howard's tail. He scores well over 20 points a game, grabs close to 10 boards, blocks shots, and unlike Dwight, shoots a great free throw percentage. The problem here isn't production; it's staying on the court. Stoudemire is returning from a bizarre injury with his eye and has had knee troubles for years. I suspect the loss of Shaq should raise his stats in 2010, but be weary of Amar'e missing games.
3. Al Jefferson-Big Al and Kevin Love represent the twin towers of hope in Minnesota—assuming Jefferson can stay on the court after surgery last year. If he can, Al is a double-double machine and an underrated commodity inside. If you can land him in the second round, you're in good shape.
4. Brook Lopez-If any big man is going to take the "next step" and become a star in the association, it's going to be Lopez. Brook had a great rookie season, averaging 13 and eight while blocking nearly two shots a game. Without Vince Carter, Lopez's scoring could increase big time, as New Jersey will be looking for anyone to fill the scoring void VC left. I foresee a first time all-star appearance for Lopez; close to 20 ppg, and 10 boards.
5. David Lee-David Lee might be a little undersized as a center, but in that New York Knicks offense, who really cares? Tons of offensive possessions mean tons of shots for every Knickerbocker, including Lee. He's also the only guy for Mike D'antoni who even attempts to grab rebounds, and he does that darn well. Another double-double average is highly likely for David, who finds himself in yet another contract year.
6. Andris Biedrins-Just like David Lee, Andris Biedrins plays in a high-octane offense with plenty of shots to go around. Biedrins will grab over 10 boards and score around 15 points a game, which is extremely helpful if you want a center that can do more than just rebound.
7. Nene Hilario-Nene averaged a very impressive 15 and eight last season, and appeared in 77 games for the Nuggets. Assuming he can put up those stats again, Hilario looks like a great option at center or power forward for anyone's fantasy team.
8. Spencer Hawes-The Kings are awful. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Hawes, however, has a chance to make an impact on the scoreboard, as he, Kevin Martin, Jason Thompson, and rookie Tyreke Evans are the only offensive options for Sac-Town. Hawes is just 21 years old and still has time to grow, but could be in line for a great season individually. 
9. Kevin Love-Whether he lines up at power forward or center, Kevin Love will do all the dirty work for a fantasy team. He averaged 11 and nine in 2009, and should easily eclipse 13 points and 10 boards in 2010. You can't go wrong with this pick.
10. Emeka Okafor-Chris Paul isn't used to working with a center that scores off his post moves, so Okafor could initially struggle as a Hornet. More than likely though, Paul's presence will only benefit Emeka in the scoring department, and we already know he will get 10 rebounds and two blocks a game. 
11. Marcus Camby-If Camby played for any team other than the Clippers, he would be higher on this list. Unfortunately, he has to compete with Chris Kaman and up-and-coming DeAndre Jordan for playing time, so all bets are off as to what kind of stats the former defensive player of the year can put up.
12. Andrea Bargnani-You have now entered the zone of shooting centers. The former No. 1 pick Bargnani was looking more and more like a bust until the second half of last season, when he exploded onto the scene and finished with 15 points per game. Don't count on rebounding from Andrea—he averaged just 5.4 RPG, but he's a bonafide three-point threat. Pair him with a big who specializes in rebounding and your fantasy squad should be in good shape.
13. Mehmet Okur-Okur put up better stats than Bargnani last year, but he's in a much more crowded frontcourt and didn't have the second half that Andrea surprised the NBA with. Don't blow off Mehmet, because he will still provide lots of long bombs and get six or seven rebounds.
14. Luis Scola-Without Yao Ming, the Rockets will turn to 6'9" Luis Scola and hope for the best. Luis demonstrated what he was capable of after Yao went down against the Lakers in the playoffs, and I expect something in between his memorable performances in that series and his regular season stats (13 and eight).
15. Al Horford-The Hawks are looking to take flight in the Eastern Conference, and if they are going to, Horford will need to improve on a disappointing 2009 campaign in which he missed 15 games and failed to raise his rebounding average. That shouldn't be a problem this season—Al will be good to go. 
16. Andrew Bynum-Bynum has failed to stay healthy and live up to the potential he has shown flashes of, but he's still worth drafting in the middle-later rounds of a fantasy draft. Make sure to find at least one solid backup as an insurance policy if you go with Bynum as a starter.
17. Andrew Bogut-Bogut played in just 36 games last season. He's capable of putting up stats similar to those of Andrew Bynum, Al Horford, and Luis Scola, but don't mess with him until towards the end of your draft.
18. Chris Kaman-Kaman or Camby? Who knows? Chris was playing like a man on a mission two years ago, and looked lost last year. He's a risky move because the Clippers are such a mess, so proceed with caution here.
19. Joakim Noah-Noah is a hustle player, plain and simple. If that's what you need late in your draft, he's a worthy pick. Otherwise, steer clear and search for someone who can score more points.
20. Shaquille O'Neal-What's a list of centers without one of the greatest the game has ever seen? Shaq semi-rejuvenated his career with Phoenix and now teams up with Lebron. What to expect? Probably around 16 points and seven boards, but also more DNPs than Allen Iverson has tattoos. Try to draft Zydrunas Ilgauskas after O'Neal if he's still around. 

Honorable Mentions: Tyson Chandler, Brad Miller, Jermaine O'Neal, Greg Oden, Marc Gasol, Brendan Haywood, Samuel Dalembert

Sleepers

• Greg Oden-It's year three of the Oden experiment in Portland, and the impatience level with Trail Blazers fans is running high. Oden is supposedly playing much looser this summer, and the temptation associated with a No. 1 pick might make him worth a very late draft selection. He's a high risk, high reward big man.
• Samuel Dalembert-Dalembert has been promised more playing time than his abysmal 24 MPG in 2009, so he could be as valuable as some of the other bigs on my top 20 list. He will certainly block shots, if that's something you need.
• Roy Hibbert-Hibbert is flying under the radar in Indiana, but don't be fooled and overlook his poor stat line from 2009. Hibbert averaged just 15 minutes a game, and that could increase big time this season. He's competing with Solomon Jones and Jeff Foster for the starting center position, and is considered the favorite at this point.
• Darko Milicic-Milicic has been a sleeper for the past three years, but when playing for the Knicks under Mike D'Antoni, even the worst of players can put up solid stats. That should be the case with Darko, and there's always that .00001 percent chance he finally arrives and lives up to being a No. 2 pick.