Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Rookie Centers to Watch with Noah Rubin
Massive Fantasy Basketball Rookie List!
Arguably the deepest position group in this class is at center. Even into the second round, there are reasons to be excited about the players that are available. There’s a wide variety of bigs with different strengths and weaknesses, and many teams will be able to fill a need by selecting one of these guys. So, let’s highlight nine centers that will be enticing picks next week.
Khaman Maluach
There’s no guarantee that it happens, but the big man from Duke will likely be the first center off the board. Standing 7’2”, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.2 minutes per game at Duke. Statistically, he is one of the best offensive rebounders in this class, which contributed to him shooting 71.2 percent from the floor. He also showed a little bit of shooting touch and could be even more dangerous if he develops that aspect of his game.
Derik Queen
The freshman from Maryland had a big season, which is why he’ll be a lottery pick despite not testing well at the combine. He averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game for the Terrapins last year and helped them advance to the Sweet Sixteen with a big shot against Colorado State. He’s a tad undersized and not a great defender, but he projects to be a dangerous offensive player that can be a fantasy stud in the right situation.
Thomas Sorber
A foot injury ended his season early, but Sorber had a really productive freshman season at Georgetown prior to the injury. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. At 6’10”, he’s not the tallest center, but he makes up for it with a 7’6” wingspan. He passes well for a center, and he showcased some shooting touch, but it’s the defensive production that will be most attractive to fantasy managers.
Maxime Raynaud
The 22-year-old is arguably the best offensive center in this class. Last season at Stanford, he averaged 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.9 threes per game. He may not be selected to be a starting-caliber center initially, but even in a backup role, he should be able to make an impact early on. Floor-spacing centers that can pass and block shots have become increasingly valuable in today’s game.
Danny Wolf
Another contender for best offensive center in this class is Wolf, who spent last season at Michigan after spending his first two years at Yale. He averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 three-pointer per game. He also averaged 3.2 turnovers per game, which wasn’t pretty. The shooting splits were subpar. There are certainly concerns about Wolf. But what he has going for him is that there aren’t many seven-footers that can pass better than him, and the ones that can are All-Stars.
Joan Beringer
Beringer is an upside swing. The 18-year-old played 18.8 minutes per game across 64 appearances for KK Cedevita Junior, where he averaged 5.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He’s young and athletic and can provide value in traditional center stats, such as rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. He may not become a dynamic offensive player, but there are tools here for him to be an impactful player for a long time.
Ryan Kalkbrenner
The 7’2” senior was dominant for Creighton last season, averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.7 blocks per game. He shot 65.3 percent from the floor and was able to space the floor at times, though it wasn’t something he relied on. He should at least be able to fill out backup center minutes in year one, which is enough time for him to provide some blocks, but there is room for him to contribute more than that.
Hansen Yang
While playing for Qingdao in the Chinese Basketball Association last season, Yang averaged 16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 blocks per game across 53 appearances. He’ll turn 20 years old on the second night of the draft, where he will likely be selected, though there is a chance he creeps into round one. He’s a high-level passer that stands 7’2”. Even if there are questions about how his production will translate, there is a lot to like here.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser
The 22-year-old seven-footer showcased a 37” vertical at the combine this year, which helped him average 2.3 blocks per game for Penn State last season. He also contributed 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor. There is a lot to like about his game, but the athleticism is the key and the most exciting thing about him. If he lands in the right system, he could be a beast as a roll man and rim runner.
Check back next week as I recap the first night of the draft and give some thoughts on who is still available ahead of round two.
Noah Rubin - NBC Sports Rotoworld
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Robbin Marx
NBA Fantasy Analyst
Experience: NBC Sports - Rotoworld, HashTag Basketball, Bleav Network
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