Top-Ten Fantasy Centers

1) Dwight Howard- He is a beast. By far the best at his position. He will lead the league in blocks and rebounds, shoot over 50% from the field and will average close to 25 points a game. I would never suggest taking a big man like Howard in the first round although his numbers are quite tantalizing. He is a terrible free throw shooter and turns the ball over frequently. Those are two important fantasy stats. Buyer beware. If you can build around him with players who make up for his deficiencies, he is an excellent pick.

2) Al Jefferson- Although he isn't a true center, he puts up big-time numbers on a young, not-so-talented Timberwolves team. He takes up a lot of space down low, and is good for 20 and 10 every night. It will be interesting to see how his game progresses this year and if he can stay healthy. He's an adequate free-throw shooter and doesn't turn the ball over as much as Howard. I had him last year and it really panned out for me.

3) Amar'e Stoudemire- With Shaq out of town, Amar'e will have a lot of space to do what he does best down low. A move back to the 5 position is a bonus for fantasy owners. He can score in bunches and he will rebound and block shots a lot more because of the Suns' lack of depth at the position. Amar'e and Steve Nash have great chemistry and I think we will see a lot of that this year with a lot more room for Amar'e to operate. I expect him to have a big comeback season.

4) Brook Lopez- I might take some heat for this pick. I really liked him in college and think his game will really grow this year. Drafting him high is not really that risky though. He does a lot of good things with regards to fantasy. He shoots a good free throw and field goal percentage, doesn't turn the ball over much, rebounds and blocks shots. A lot of teams limit play time for younger big men. I think this year, the Nets will rely more on Lopez. He will be one of the go-to guys and will log close to 30 minutes a night. Expect good things from the Nets' center this season.

5) Nene Hillario- He is definitely a health risk but the numbers are too attractive to sleep on this guy. He shoots good percentages, plays defense, doesn't turn the ball over and rebounds with the best of them. He's looked good so far this pre-season and will look to make a big impact in Denver this year.

6) Andrea Bargnani- He might not be one of the best centers; he might not even be a true center, but Bargnani might be a huge surprise for fantasy owners this year. His ability to fill it up behind the ark, block shots and shoot a nice percentage at the free-throw line is key when talking fantasy. With rumours of Bosh being traded swirling, Bargnani could really be a surprise for anyone who takes him. He should also benefit from Hedo Turkoglu's presence. It will open up the floor a lot more for the former number one overall pick.

7) Shaquille O'Neal- He is really hard to predict. He put up some big numbers last season but will be a role player on a Cleveland squad, led by LeBron James. I still expect him to be a viable fantasy option. He is still a huge presence down low and should put up solid rebounding and block numbers. Everyone knows about his free-throw shooting woes and his fading age but I think he is still relevant. This makes for a risky pick but when I took him as my second option last year, he became my starter when Yao went out and really picked up the slack.

8) Andris Biedrins-  Biedrins is a mini Dwight Howard. He does a lot of the same things, just not in "bulk". He is the only true big-man on the Warriors and pulls down a lot of rebounds, can block some shots and shoots well from the field. He won't score as much as Howard nor is he the defensive force that D12 is. Regardless, you know what you get with Biedrins and he is a solid fantasy player.

9) Al Horford- He is healthy and will get a lot more touches in Atlanta this season. Hawks coach Mike Woodson has said repeatedly that he expects the young center to be a lot more involved in the offense this year. On top of that, he shoots good percentages, he's a solid defender and rebounds the ball very effectively. He is a really safe pick for fantasy owners.

10) Mehmet Okur- Okur's game is very similar to Bargnani but age is a factor. He's hit his ceiling and isn't getting any better at this point in his career. The team will also play Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap a lot more together which might affect Okur. He is one of the better shooting big-men in the league, he can pass, rebound and block shots as well. If Boozer gets traded, his numbers will rise drastically.

Honourable Mentions: Marcus Camby, Andrew Bynum, Emeka Okafor, Tyson Chandler, Marc Gasol, Greg Oden, Brad Miller