When it comes to drafting a fantasy team; be it a keeper, daily, salary cap or anything in-between league, you must be aware of the value a player will bring in his position. For example: Is it more beneficial to have a top flight center in say Dwight Howard or is it better to have a top forward in Kevin Durant?

For me, I prefer to have top ranked players at the more skilled positions than at center. Reason being is the potential to accumulate fantasy points seems to be greater for wing players or a point guard than it is for a center.

This isn’t to say that I would pass on an Andrew Bynum, but I wouldn’t start filling my roster spots by drafting center first. If I can’t get a top three to five guy at this position; I wait it out and pick a mid-range guy and use my high picks on a stat-stuffing forward.

When it comes to drafting a center, there is a clear division between the top tier players and everyone else. In my opinion, this has got to be the weakest and shallowest talent pool of the five positions.

There are but a handful of centers in the league that can dominate and be the focal point of an offence. Here is my list of the top ten:

1- Andrew Bynum – Philadelphia 76ers
The center-piece in the Dwight Howard trade is now the face of the Philadelphia franchise. With this will come some expectations; expectations that Bynum should be able to live up to. Bynum can do it all for your fantasy team; score, rebound and block shots. Given that Bynum will be the focal point of most offensive schemes in Philadelphia, expect an increase over last season’s numbers simply because he will being seeing the ball more often. There is no reason to think that Bynum won’t get you a double-double every game.

2- Dwight Howard – LA Lakers
There are some lingering questions as to the health of Dwight Howard entering this season. Speculation has Howard missing the preseason games and possibly being ready for the season opener. I don’t think the return from injury is as big a deal as it will be to see how Howard fits into the Lakers offensive schemes. With Kobe Bryant still demanding the majority of the scoring opportunities and Pau Gasol crashing the boards; Howards scoring and rebounding numbers will suffer some. Once the team starts to gel and become a cohesive unit, Howard will go back to dominating. Defensively he is still the best in the game, and will get you great shot blocking numbers.

3- Al Jefferson – Utah Jazz
Entering this season in a contract year, one can bet that Al Jefferson is playing for a max deal somewhere. A workhorse in the middle, Jefferson has been a model of consistency in terms of fantasy value. Still under-appreciated by many, Jefferson doesn’t receive the same hype as Howard or Bynum; however, the fantasy production is right there. When it comes to drafting a center, let your co-GM’s take Bynum and Howard off the board and let Jefferson fall to you.

4- DeMarcus Cousins – Sacramento Kings
Another unsung big man is DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento. All he did last year was average a double-double in points and rebounds while anchoring the Sacramento defense. Did I mention that he is entering only his third NBA season? There is a maturation process for players entering the Association and unfortunately Cousins has been slow to come around to that. With renewed focus and desire, this season could be a tremendous year for Cousins.

5- Greg Monroe – Detroit Pistons
I see Greg Munroe as the single biggest under-valued center in the league. In only his second season, Munroe started all 66 games and averaged 15.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg and chipped in with 2.3 apg. Munroe’s averages were only 3 ppg and 2 rpg off of Andrew Bynum’s stat line for the year all the while playing four minutes fewer per game than Bynum. A ton of potential in this young player and with a more refined offensive approach, Munroe will explode into one of the most-talked about bigs in the league.

6- Marc Gasol – Memphis Grizzlies
Long considered just the little brother to Pau, Marc Gasol has made his own mark in the NBA. Marc has shown his ability to score, rebound and pass the ball. Actually, Gasol is an excellent passing center and scores you extra fantasy points with the descent assist totals. The previous three seasons has seen Gasol start every game he has played in for the Grizzlies and thus far has shown ability to play without getting too banged up. A consistent shooter both from the field and the charity line, Gasol can score against any defender

7- Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks
Coming back from a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him for all but 11 games last season, Horford will be ready to join the Atlanta Hawks for preseason games. If it not for the injury last season, Horford would be ranked higher for certain. I’d expect to see a return to the pre-injury fantasy production of about 15 ppg and 10 rpg.

8- Chris Bosh – Miami Heat
The lesser of the three ‘Heattles’, Chris Bosh still plays a vital role in the Miami Heat’s success. The days of 20 + ppg averages are gone and so are any great rebounding numbers. Problem is he plays with two of the best rebounding guards in the game in Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. The familiarity factor here pushes Bosh’s fantasy value up. Don’t buy into the hype, pass on Bosh as he has a glass ceiling whereas other younger centers have a ton more potential to break out and be huge fantasy contributors.

9- Roy Hibbert – Indiana Pacers
The 2011-12 playoffs served as a wake-up call to the rest of the league and to Roy Hibbert himself. Finally, Hibbert came to realize his potential. The two series against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat hopefully served as motivation during the off-season to keep working and to polish those offensive skills. Defensively, Hibbert can be a beast; he blocked nine shots against the Orlando Magic in a playoff game. I’d like to see Hibbert score more and bring that average up to at least 15 ppg.

10- Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs
Entering his 16th season in the NBA, “Mr. Fundamental”, Time Duncan is still getting it done. Able to average 15.4 ppg and 9 rpg in only 28 minutes of court time; Duncan is still a force to reckoned with. Until something changes in San Antonio, Tim Duncan is the undisputed leader of the team. So long as Duncan stays healthy throughout the season then expect similar fantasy production. Downside to drafting Duncan is that Coach Gregg Popovich is likely to limit the minutes for his big man in hopes of having a rested Duncan for the playoffs.