2026-27 Fantasy Basketball Center Risers and Sleepers

When draft rooms open for the 2026-27 fantasy season, the script at center starts the same way: Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, then a long, anxious wait. If you’re not sitting in those first two chairs, the real game begins in the middle and late rounds, where managers win leagues by spotting the next wave of big men before everyone else does.

This is where the position gets interesting. Trades have shuffled depth charts, free agency has cracked a few doors open, and a handful of young centers are one opportunity away from becoming weekly matchup breakers in Yahoo’s High Score format.

Here are the risers and sleepers who can tilt a week without costing you a premium pick.

Center Risers

Kel’el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks

Kel’el Ware is the kind of big man fantasy managers dream up in July and chase in October.

The shooting came first. He bumped his 3-point percentage from 31.5% as a rookie to 39.5% last season, and the rest of the profile followed. In just 22 minutes a night with Miami, he still managed 11.1 points, 9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 made threes. Then came the glimpse of what happens when the leash comes off.

In the 10 games where he cleared 30 minutes, Ware exploded: 18.1 points, 14 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 3.3 blocks and 1.8 threes. That’s not upside on paper. That’s a fully formed fantasy star hiding inside a limited role.

With Bam Adebayo locked in as Miami’s anchor, Ware became part of the blockbuster that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Beach. Milwaukee doesn’t view him as a throw-in. He arrives as a frontcourt building block. Myles Turner still sits ahead of him to start the year, but the Bucks are shifting into a new era, and that usually means more minutes for the next core piece, not fewer.

Expect something like 25 minutes early, with a clear path to more as the season wears on.

In High Score leagues, his 30-minute outings are the entire selling point. A line with 3 blocks and 14 rebounds alone is worth about 23 fantasy points before you even count his scoring. When Ware hits his ceiling nights, he can match anyone drafted in his range — and because the format only banks his best game of the week, the volatility barely hurts you.

This is the kind of profile that wins you a playoff week with one monster performance.

Mitchell Robinson, Boston Celtics

Mitchell Robinson quietly rebuilt his value last season. While Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed the headlines in New York’s title run, Robinson gave the Knicks exactly what they needed behind him: size, rim protection and relentless work on the glass.

He played 60 games, his most since 2021-22, and even in a modest 19.6 minutes a night he delivered 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on a ridiculous 72.3% from the field. Limited role, big impact.

Boston noticed.

The Celtics handed him a three-year deal, a clear sign they expect him to matter. Neemias Queta exceeded expectations last year, and the late-season addition of Nikola Vučević never quite meshed with the rest of the rotation. That disconnect created the lane for Robinson. His health history makes 30 minutes a night a stretch, but something closer to 25 is firmly in play — and that’s enough.

Under High Score rules, Robinson is almost purpose-built. Free-throw percentage, his one glaring weakness, doesn’t count. Take it out of the equation and you’re left with a specialist whose strengths translate directly into fantasy points. A 16-rebound, 3-block outing — well within his range — lands around 25 points without him needing to score.

You’re drafting him for those spike games. Boston’s system and perimeter defense will give him chances to clean the glass and erase mistakes at the rim. When he does, your weekly ceiling jumps.

Nic Claxton, Chicago Bulls

Chicago’s decision to move on from Nikola Vučević at last year’s deadline marked the end of one era and the start of another. The Bulls didn’t just replace a steady double-double machine; they changed the type of center they want.

Enter Nic Claxton.

His raw numbers dipped on a young, uneven Brooklyn team last season — 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks — but that assist spike stands out. Claxton isn’t far removed from back-to-back seasons of at least 11.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, and now he walks into a Bulls lineup with more structure and more talent around him.

Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis bring scoring and length on the wings. Josh Giddey, one of the league’s sharpest passers, will run the point and should turn the Claxton lob into a staple. This is a cleaner ecosystem for a big who can finish, defend and keep the ball moving.

In High Score formats, Claxton may be the most complete scorer in this tier. He doesn’t just rebound and block shots; he can rack up assists, which gives his best nights an extra gear. A 10-point, 10-rebound, 3-assist line with 2 blocks translates to roughly 32 fantasy points.

That’s the profile of a center who doesn’t need a career night to give you a winning week — just a normal one in a good matchup.

Center Sleepers

Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte found unexpected stability at center last season when Moussa Diabaté seized the job in December with sheer energy and effort. He rebounded, defended and finished efficiently — 63.1% from the field — but his role never tilted toward scoring. An 11.2% usage rate and 7.9 points per game told that story clearly.

The Hornets responded by reshaping the frontcourt.

Naz Reid arrived from Minnesota, and with Miles Bridges moving on, Reid figures to split time between power forward and center. Then came the draft pick that could matter as the season stretches into winter: Hannes Steinbach.

At Washington last year, Steinbach averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. The offensive polish jumps off the page. He doesn’t just finish plays; he can be a focal point. On a team still sorting out its identity, that kind of skill set tends to find minutes sooner rather than later.

In a High Score league with only 10 roster spots, stashing a rookie is expensive. Bench space is precious. For now, Steinbach sits firmly in the “watch closely” category rather than “draft and hold.” But the rebounding profile translates immediately, and if injuries or rotation tweaks open a lane, he can become relevant fast.

He’s the type of name you want circled before everyone else scrambles to the waiver wire.

Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn turned the page at center when it sent Nic Claxton to Chicago. The Nets didn’t just lose a starter; they opened a vacancy. Day’Ron Sharpe is first in line to fill it.

The Nets’ roster has been reshaped again, this time around Julius Randle and rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr., with Moritz Wagner providing backup size. On paper, Randle can slide to the five in smaller lineups, but the traditional center minutes are there for Sharpe if he can hold them.

We’ve already seen what that looks like. Sharpe started seven games last season, averaging 28 minutes in those starts compared to 18 off the bench. In that role, he produced 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1 block per game.

That’s not a tease. That’s a blueprint.

Under High Score scoring, that starter line clears 30 fantasy points. You’re talking about top-30 production from a player often available in the late rounds. He doesn’t need to do it every night. He just has to reach that level once a week.

If Brooklyn hands him the job — and the depth chart suggests he’s the favorite — Sharpe becomes one of the most efficient ways to attack the position after the early runs on centers dry up.

Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns

Khaman Maluach arrived in Phoenix with heavy expectations after going 10th overall in the 2025 Draft out of Duke. His rookie season, though, barely scratched the surface: 46 games, 8.9 minutes per night, more apprenticeship than impact.

This year, the door might finally creak open.

Mark Williams remains the nominal starter on a new three-year deal, and Oso Ighodaro earned trust last season as a fill-in. But Williams’ health hangs over the rotation. He’s dealt with injuries throughout his career and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, a setback that could sideline him for a significant stretch.

That’s where Maluach’s path begins.

Among Phoenix’s backup options, Maluach carries the higher long-term upside. The immediate goal is simple: claim the minutes that spill out if Williams misses time. If that happens, his combination of length, mobility and defensive instincts gives him a chance to matter in a hurry.

Right now, he’s going undrafted in most leagues, and with 10-man rosters in High Score formats, that’s perfectly reasonable. He doesn’t belong on your bench yet. He belongs on your watchlist.

If the Suns’ rotation cracks open the way Williams’ injury suggests it might, Maluach becomes the first waiver add at center. The kind of midseason pickup that doesn’t just plug a hole, but changes the shape of your team.

And in a season where the top of the position is locked up before most managers even pick, that edge at the margins might be what decides a title.