There is one certainty when it comes to winning money with FanDuel Basketball and that is you must have a lineup comprised of as much top-tier talent as you can afford. Of course by buying high on many of the game’s best players it leaves little cash left to fill out a balanced lineup. To this end, one must find value plays that are coming into underpriced on the night and who are poised to outperform their assigned price tag. After the point guard spot, in particular the PG1 spot, the next most important piece to fill out is the center position. Not only is this the only roster spot where only one player is used; this is a spot that too often folks skimp on and it is here that many a dollar is won and lost.

In advance of any set pricing coming out from FanDuel on the upcoming NBA season, we will take a look at players from each position and from each conference who are poised to contribute nicely in those secondary roles. While none of these guys are going to carry your lineup night in and night out, they will give you that value play that could just make the difference between winning and losing money.

Top 5 Fantasy Value Plays for Centers - Eastern Conference

Tyler Zeller Boston Celtics

Zeller is still just a 25-year old kid playing in his fourth NBA season. He has made steady gains each year, despite being relegated the bench during LeBron James first season in Cleveland. Last season he average a decent 10.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 apg and 0.6 blocks per contest in 55 starts, averaging only 21.1 minutes of action a night. It would appear as though Boston is willing to make a fairly significant financial investment in this young man moving forward here, so it stands to reason that Zeller will see an increased role on the squad. If Zeller can earn actual starter minutes equal to around 28-31 minutes a night, then his numbers will be close to double-double-like stats which would be a bargain for fantasy players.

Robin Lopez New York Knicks

Lopez is a high-basketball IQ player who will fit in nicely with the Knicks triangle offense. Lopez is not a terrific player when it comes to creating offense; however, his court awareness, spacing and ball cuts often lead to easy hoops. Add in the fact that Lopez can hit the glass for rebounds and putbacks and there is real value here. Lopez will likely be overshadowed to start the season as there are certainly more recognizable names on the board and the fact that he is starting off with a new team not exactly renowned for ball movement and shot selection. Be patient with Lopez though and watch for how he adjusts to the ‘Big Apple’.

Jordan Hill Indiana Pacers

This will be quite the change for Indiana who finally moved on from Roy Hibbert this offseason. Hill is a gazelle on the court and he can take advantage of the Pacers athletic backcourt and wing players to really be a factor in the transition offense. Hill can pose some matchup problems offensively as he is such a versatile center that the traditional low post center will be run off his feet by night’s end. Hill should start the season near the middle of the pack in terms of salary; however, expect a gradual rise in value as his role with the Pacers will be vastly different than that of the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

John Henson Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks went out and signed Greg Monroe this offseason to be their force in the middle. Monroe will undoubtedly see big minutes in a significant role for Milwaukee. A scenario that could unfold is one where Henson and Monroe are on the court together as this will force teams to play big and perhaps away from their small-ball strength. Henson is not a lane clogger like Andre Drummond so having him on the floor with Monroe wouldn’t impede anyones offensive games; however, it will give the Bucks some weakside rebounding which will be key as the Bucks will want to push the pace this season with Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo filling the lanes.

Timofey Mozgov Cleveland Cavaliers

This is an interesting player to watch, particularly with the on-going salary saga that is Tristan Thompson. Should Thompson not get his max-deal by October 1st, there is the looming threat that he will walk away from Cleveland after this season. While all this is going on, Mozgov will be quietly playing out his club option year in hopes of hitting free-agency himself come season’s end. Mozgov is in-line for a massive pay increase and another solid season of defense, rebounding and low-post play will all but guarantee a him a big pay bump. Look for a motivated Mozgov this season to try and improve upon his 9.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 1.2 block per game averages.