Rankings are all well and good, but how close are players in value, really? Is the gap between the top-ranked center and the fourth-ranked center chiasmic? How about the gap from 17-29? Tiers can help to illustrate a closer approximation of value and show which players share similar ranges of outcomes.

This is the final installment in our series of positional tiers which assume a standard 9-category format: PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG%, 3PM, FT% and TO.

Tier 1: Best of the Best

Nikola Jokic

Jokic is deservedly in a tier of his own here. No other player can stand toe-to-toe with him, as the 2020-21 MVP possesses all of the skills you want with a No. 1 pick: shooting, scoring, assists, rebounds, threes – he’s a true unicorn given his nightly triple-double upside.

Tier 2: Elite Options

Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Nikola Vucevic, Domantas Sabonis, Bam Adebayo

Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best centers in the league. Barring any time out, expect him to be near the top of the fantasy rankings at the end of the season.

There’s not much to be said about Embiid on a per-game basis, but his availability is always a looming question mark for fantasy managers. After a rough couple years marked with injury and family tragedy, KAT should be ready to assume his rightful spot as one of fantasy’s most elite players. As for Anthony Davis, fantasy managers are hoping for the best after one of the worst statistical seasons of his career. If he can return to pre-2020-21 form, he’ll likely be one of the best values of the fantasy hoops season.

Tier 3: Upside & Consistency

Rudy Gobert, Richaun Holmes, Julius Randle, Myles Turner, Jaren Jackson, Robert Williams, Clint Capela, Deandre Ayton

Julius Randle had one of the best breakout seasons we’ve seen in some time. Expect him to match that and maybe outperform it this year.

One of these players is not like the other. Ok, actually two of these players. When it comes to consistency, JJJ is far from the poster child, and we haven’t seen Time Lord put together a full season of healthy play that includes consistent minutes. You know what you’re going to get from the rest of these guys, and while the aforementioned two players come with plenty of risk, that risk is baked into their rankings and tier placement and includes their massive upsides.

Tier 4: Super Center

John Collins, Christian Wood, Kristaps Porzingis, Jusuf Nurkic, Pascal Siakam, Isaiah Stewart, Draymond Green, Jonas Valanciunas, Jarrett Allen

The guys in Tier 4 can be great options, but they’re not the types of players you necessarily want as your top center. Collins and Wood are fairly safe, but Porzingis, Nurkic, and Siakam come with injury risk, Stewart has yet to be given a featured role for an entire season, and JV’s outlook is uncertain in New Orleans.

Tier 5: Good (but not great)

Mitchell Robinson, Brook Lopez, Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher, P.J. Washington, Robert Covington

Boucher has the upside to move up a tier or two, but his playing time was whacky last season, and he’s likely to split time with Khem Birch this season. Can Blockinson finally live up to fantasy managers’ lofty standards?

Tier 6: Serviceable Plays

Bobby Portis, Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk, Thaddeus Young, Derrick Favors, Daniel Gafford, Khem Birch, Wendell Carter, Ivica Zubac, Larry Nance, Isaiah Roby

Bobby Portis had an electric end to the 2020-21 season which should motivate him for a productive 2021-22 fantasy season.

Plumlee, Olynyk, Young, Favors, and Nance will all play for different teams this season, so their roles are not assured. All of the players in this tier have the potential to be regular starters on your fantasy team, but you can’t count on it. They’re a step above the late-rounders but not any more valuable than that.

Tier 7: Late-Rounders

Evan Mobley, Nerlens Noel, Mo Bamba, Lauri Markkanen, Montrezl Harrell, Marcus Morris, Al Horford, Thomas Bryant

These are the guys to take a shot on late in drafts, but you certainly shouldn’t hang your hat on their production.