Fantasy basketball center rankings for 2026-27 start with Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, but unless you're picking first or second, neither one is walking through the door. That makes the middle and late rounds the real battleground at the five, where offseason trades, free agency and a few opportunity changes have quietly reshaped the position. Below are the fantasy basketball center sleepers and risers whose value climbed this summer — Kel'el Ware, Mitchell Robinson, Nic Claxton, Hannes Steinbach, Day'Ron Sharpe and Khaman Maluach — who can win you a category or two at a fraction of the draft cost.
Fantasy Basketball Center Risers
Kel'el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks 
Ware is a tantalizing fantasy option. After shooting 31.5% from behind the arc during his rookie season, he shot 39.5% last season. In just 22 minutes per game with the Heat, he put up 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers a night. In the 10 games that he logged at least 30 minutes, he averaged 18.1 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 3.3 blocks and 1.8 three-pointers.
The Heat already have Bam Adebayo, so it made sense for them to include Ware in the deal that landed them Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason. Ware goes from being stuck behind Adebayo to being one of the building blocks for the Bucks up front. Myles Turner and his hefty contract are standing in the way of Ware being completely unleashed out of the gate,
Fantasy basketball center rankings for 2026-27 start with Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, but unless you're picking first or second, neither one is walking through the door. That makes the middle and late rounds the real battleground at the five, where offseason trades, free agency and a few opportunity changes have quietly reshaped the position. Below are the fantasy basketball center sleepers and risers whose value climbed this summer — Kel'el Ware, Mitchell Robinson, Nic Claxton, Hannes Steinbach, Day'Ron Sharpe and Khaman Maluach — who can win you a category or two at a fraction of the draft cost.
Fantasy Basketball Center Risers
Kel'el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks
Ware is a tantalizing fantasy option. After shooting 31.5% from behind the arc during his rookie season, he shot 39.5% last season. In just 22 minutes per game with the Heat, he put up 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers a night. In the 10 games that he logged at least 30 minutes, he averaged 18.1 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 3.3 blocks and 1.8 three-pointers.
The Heat already have Bam Adebayo, so it made sense for them to include Ware in the deal that landed them Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason. Ware goes from being stuck behind Adebayo to being one of the building blocks for the Bucks up front. Myles Turner and his hefty contract are standing in the way of Ware being completely unleashed out of the gate, but Turner was awful last season. Now a rebuilding team, the Bucks would probably love to trade him if they can find a taker at any point during the season. Even if he's not traded, he could be shut down at some point during the second half. Ware should play around 25 minutes a game to begin the season, and then potentially more as it moves along. That makes him an excellent target in fantasy.
Mitchell Robinson, Boston Celtics 
Robinson helped the Knicks end their championship drought last season, filling the role as a key reserve behind Karl-Anthony Towns. He appeared in 60 games, which were his most since the 2021-22 campaign. However, he only played 20 minutes a night. That left him with averages of over 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He was awful from the charity stripe, but he shot 72.3% from the field.
The Knicks couldn't keep Robinson in the fold with the Celtics luring him away with a three-year contract. Neemias Queta overachieved for them at center last season, and the Celtics eventually traded for Nikola Vucevic to try and upgrade. That move was a flop, paving the way for the signing of Robinson. There is the potential for Robinson to play more, but it would be a shock if he even approaches 30 minutes a night, given his extensive injury history. Still, if he approaches 25 minutes a game, he can help fantasy managers with rebounds and blocks.
Nic Claxton, Chicago Bulls 
With the Bulls trading Vucevic at the deadline last year, it ushered in a changing of the guard at center. The team didn't have a ton of success during his tenure, but he was a walking double-double who mostly avoided injuries. As the Bulls turned the page, they landed Claxton in a deal with the Nets during the offseason to now lead the way at the position. He didn't exactly light the world on fire with the rebuilding Nets last season, averaging 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks.
Claxton isn't that far removed from posting back-to-back seasons in which he averaged at least 11.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. The Nets were a disaster last season and didn't have much talent around him. The Bulls are also rebuilding, but their roster has young talent in place. In addition to Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, they have Josh Giddey leading the way at point guard. As one of the best passers in the league, the Giddey-Claxton lob connection could be a match made in heaven. A change in scenery could do wonders for Claxton's fantasy value.
Fantasy Basketball Center Sleepers
Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets 
Moussa Diabate exceeded expectations last season, taking over as the Hornets' starting center in December. Known for his energy and rebounding, he wasn't much of an offensive threat. He shot 63.1% from the field, but only averaged 7.9 points because of his 11.4% usage rate. For his career, his usage rate is 12.5%. For a team that has hopes of making a long playoff run, he is probably better served as a backup option off the bench.
Knowing their need to upgrade up front, the Hornets acquired Naz Reid in a trade with the Timberwolves. They traded away Miles Bridges, though, so Reid should split his time between power forward and center. They also drafted Steinbach, who is much more of an offensive threat than Diabate. In college last season, he averaged 18.5 points to go along with 11.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a game. Even if he doesn't start right away, Steinbach could work his way into fantasy relevancy as the season moves along.
Day'Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets 
The Nets had one of the least talented rosters in the league last season. They have upgraded to an extent by trading for Julius Randle and drafting Mikel Brown. While they added Moritz Wagner to provide depth at center, it's Sharpe who has the potential to fill the starting role that was vacated by Claxton.
Sharpe started seven games last season. He averaged 28 minutes in that role, compared to 18 minutes a game when he came off the bench. The added playing time helped him average 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 blocks in his starts. The Nets can play Randle at the five some, but Sharpe is lined up to play more this season. That makes him a late-round target in fantasy.
Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns 
Maluach was a highly regarded prospect coming out of the Duke, which resulted in the Suns taking him with the 10th pick in the 2025 Draft. His rookie season didn't lead to much of an impact in fantasy, as he appeared in only 46 games. In those games, he averaged just nine minutes. Mark Williams was the starting center, and he is back in the fold after signing a three-year contract to remain with the Suns during the offseason. Also on the depth chart is Oso Ighodaro, who started some games when Williams was injured last season.
Williams hasn't been healthy during his career. Ighodaro was a second-round draft pick in 2024, so he doesn't have the upside that Maluach does. It's also worth noting that Williams' three-year contract was only for $38 million. That's not exactly must-start money. To begin the season, the best-case scenario for Maluach is probably to beat out Ighodaro for the backup center job. That would put him one Williams injury away from possibly starting. Maluach is going undrafted in most leagues, so he might be worth a dart throw with your last pick. At the very least, he's someone to monitor on the waiver wire.
