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Centers always tend to hold significant value in NBA fantasy basketball because of their stat-heavy nights with both rebounds and points. A night with a minimal amount of total games makes drafting centers that much more difficult. Many underresearched fantasy basketball players will then favor bigger names,
With larger names comes larger salaries, but not always greater value at the end of the day. Here are all three games on October 21st, 2021 and their listed start times:
- Dallas Mavericks (0-0) at Atlanta Hawks (0-0) | 7:30 PM EST
- Milwaukee Bucks (1-0) at Miami Heat (0-0) | 8:00 PM EST
- Los Angeles Clippers (0-0) at Golden State Warriors (1-0) | 10 PM EST
The Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks matchups stand out to me for fantasy basketball since those are two teams with stellar offensive resumes, but subpar defenses. Expect a scoring battle there to end with many notable fantasy basketball stars and a high point total.
The only centers mentioned in injury reports are Onyeka Okongwu, who is day-to-day, and Serge Ibaka, who is confirmed out for opening night.
Here are the five centers I consider to be value deals for fantasy basketball on October 21st, 2021.
#5 Dewayne Dedmon
Estimated salary: $3,700
The fifth center on this list was never going to be a flashy name, as there are so many options available for fantasy basketball players on a night with three total games.
Dewayne Dedmon gets a mention because he is one of the few players who is guaranteed playing time at this salary level, even if it won't be much behind Bam Adebayo. I hesitate to consider Miami's starting big since he is matched up against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
Dedmon's ability to space the floor with the three-ball could prove useful in opening up the paint for Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler.
I don't love the idea of picking Dedmon in daily fantasy basketball today. But if you find yourself with minimal salary remaining and in need of a center then you could consider him.
#4 John Collins
Estimated salary: $6,400 - $6,800
The only reason I don't have John Collins significantly higher on this list is because he is one of the 15 highest salaried players in tonight's fantasy basketball slate.
It's not hard to imagine Collins notably outperforming his current estimated salary against a struggling defense like the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe Dallas's interior defenders Kristaps Pozingis, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell will outperform my expectations. However, Trae Young will still manage to pass Collins open on the perimeter.
Listing Collins as a center feels weird since he rarely plays that position in the NBA. Both DraftKings and FanDuel allow the 6'9" big to fill that slot on daily fantasy basketball rosters.
It's hard to overlook a potential 20/10 contributor going up against one of the lower level defenses in the NBA.
#3 Clint Capela
Estimated Salary: $7,200 - $7,600
I know. I was just talking about John Collins high price tag, but Clint Capela is criminally underrated in fantasy basketball. The big man from Switzerland led the entire NBA in rebounds per game last season with an average of 14.3 a night.
Capela's Hawks just so happen to be matching up against one of the NBA's ten worst rebounding teams from last season with the Dallas Mavericks. Capela also scores the basketball at a decent rate, and as I've mentioned before, the Mavericks Hawks showdown should be an offensive race.
Personally, I think his top-ten salary is well deserved. I much prefer Capela against the Mavericks than Bam Adebayo against the Milwaukee Bucks, and Bam is often salaried at a higher point. Clint Capela is a fantasy basketball darling and is going against a team that struggles to slow down his strengths.
#2 Ivica Zubac
Estimated Salary: $4,200 - $5,000
Ivica Zubac's spot on his value fantasy basketball list is all about playing time and a small salary. Zubac averaged 22.3 minutes per game with the Clippers last season, and their other reliable center (Serge Ibaka) is confirmed to be unavailable.
So, unless Ty Lue is comfortable rolling out Isaiah Hartenstein for significant stretches against the Golden State Warriors then Zubac will carry a large burden. That responsibility does not include scoring at an above-average clip but he could be found sitting with 12/10 at night's end with little surprise.
If you are looking for a relatively cheap center to fill out your fantasy basketball roster, Ivica Zubac deserves some consideration. However, make sure you check out the last name on this list as well.
#1 Dwight Powell
Estimated Salary: $3,300 - $3,700
As I've said over and over again, the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks game is the one I am most interested in when it pertains to daily fantasy basketball. Two proven bad defenses going up against one another on opening night, when rotations are expected to be even more sloppy than usual.
Dwight Powell is the lowest-paid player of the five I have listed, and he is expected to start for the Dallas Mavericks. Powell is not going to blow you away, but the return on investment at under $4,000 is intriguing to say the least.
His total minutes played fluctuated last season, so I guess we'll have to see how Jason Kidd views Powell. Even eight points and eight rebounds would make this selection worth it on October 21st, 2021 in daily fantasy basketball.
Guess the Lakers players!
