This article is part of our Centers of Attention series.
NBA Media Days are behind us and the preseason schedule is set to tip off Friday. It's an exciting time in the world of fantasy basketball as drafting season begins in earnest.
The offseason is always a chaotic period and this summer was no different as several teams went through significant roster overhauls. As teams look to shape their rotations during the preseason, there are a few position battles worth keeping an eye on as your draft approaches.
Zeroing in on the center position, here are a few murky situations that could lead to significant swings in fantasy value for the players involved.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls continued their rebuilding process by selecting Wendell Carter Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 Draft. A promising center out of Duke, the Bulls hope Carter and Lauri Markkanen will be the anchors of their starting frontcourt for many years to come. Carter looked every bit like a top-10 pick at the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 29 minutes per game.
The Bulls are in a similar situation with Carter this season as they were with Markkanen last year. Markkanen was expected to start the year coming off the bench behind Nikola Mirotic but was thrust into a starting role after Mirotic was injured in a fight with Bobby Portis that also left Portis suspended.
Carter enters this season in a battle with veteran Robin Lopez to start at center. The Bulls also used Portis at center last year, so they have some quality depth at the position. While Lopez is a solid veteran who presence is valued in the locker room, he'll be a free agent after this season and is not a part of the Bulls' long-term plan.
The most likely scenario is that Lopez begins the year as the starter before eventually giving way to Carter -- either because the Bulls have fallen out of the playoff hunt, or because Lopez is traded to a contending team. Even if Lopez does start, Carter could significantly eat into his playing time. It might be best to avoid Lopez altogether in drafts. Keep an eye out for Carter in the later rounds, though, as he could be an asset in rebounds, blocks, threes and field goal percentage, especially if he wins the job outright during the preseason.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers made the biggest splash this summer by signing LeBron James away from the Cavaliers. James was certainly their flashiest addition, but their roster underwent a substantial overhaul, as they also brought in Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson.
The Lakers have quality depth at several positions, but center is clearly their weakest point. They lost both Brook Lopez and Julius Randle during free agency, signing JaVale McGee and drafting Moritz Wagner as their replacements.
Ivica Zubac is also in the fold at center for the Lakers, but they could go with a lot of smaller lineups that don't include McGee, Wagner or Zubac. There has already been talk of James possibly playing center, at times, when they do decide to go small.
None of the Lakers true centers have significant fantasy upside. It might be worth taking a flier on McGee late in drafts since he has averaged 0.9 blocks in back-to-back seasons, despite averaging less than 10 minutes per contest. Even if he plays 15 minutes per night, he'll have some single-category value. Wagner can stretch the floor, but he likely won't get enough opportunities as a rookie to be worth a roster spot in the majority of fantasy leagues.
Charlotte Hornets
Dwight Howard had a bit of a renaissance under Steve Clifford last year, but both are now gone as the Hornets look to take the franchise in a new direction under James Borrego. Borrego has already talked about multiple starting jobs being up for grabs in the preseason, one of which is the center spot.
With Howard now a member of the Wizards, the Hornets have a big hole to fill in the middle. Not only did Howard average 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over 30 minutes per game, but he was also heavily involved offensively with a 24.2 percent usage rate.
The Hornets did add some depth at the position, bringing in Bismack Biyombo in a trade with the Magic. He'll battle with holdovers Cody Zeller and Willy Hernangomez for the starting job. Frank Kaminsky could also see some minutes at the position.
Zeller, who started the preseason opener, is the favorite to start heading into the year, and he showed promise across 58 starts two seasons ago, averaging 10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, one steal and 0.9 blocks per contest. His 68.9 percent shooting from the charity stripe was a drag, but he shot 56.9 percent from the field.
While Zeller might end up being the preferred option at center, injuries have limited him to 62 games or fewer in three of the last four seasons. Perhaps the player with the highest upside is Hernangomez, who has been productive when given extended playing time. In five games in which he played at least 20 minutes last season, Hernangomez averaged 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and one steal. If you find yourself searching for rebounds late in your draft, Hernangomez carries some appeal.
Atlanta Hawks
As far as rebuilds go, the Hawks are certainly in the infantile stages. They added Trae Young and Kevin Huerter to their youthful core of Taurean Prince and John Collins, but they still have a lot of work to do before they can become competitive again.
The Hawks did add some veterans to the roster over the summer, bringing in Jeremy Lin, Vince Carter and Alex Len. Lin might be the sexiest name of the bunch, but Len could also carve out a significant role on this team. Collins is likely to see the majority of his minutes at power forward, leaving Len and Dewayne Dedmon to battle it out for the starting center job.
Dedmon averaged a career-high 25 minutes per contest last season, helping him generate 10 points, 7.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game. His percentages provided value, as well, at 52.4 percent from the field and 77.9 percent from the charity stripe. However, for a young team that is a long ways away from winning, he's really not much more than a placeholder at the position.
On the other hand, Len presents an intriguing addition with at least some upside. The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft wasn't able to carry the torch at center for the Suns, often finding himself in a battle for minutes with Tyson Chandler, among others, over the last three seasons.
Still just 25 years old, Len has a chance to carve out added playing time for himself. That could be huge for his value considering he averaged 10.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the 36 games in which he logged at least 20 minutes last year. Even if Len comes off the bench to start the year, as anticipated, he should get enough playing time to provide value based on the Hawks limited depth. Should Dedmon get injured again or be traded to a contending team, the starting role would then be Len's for the taking.
