Draft tiers at forward/center

To build a winning fantasy women's basketball team, you don't have to spend tons of time preparing. You just need a plan.

That's where breaking the positions into draft tiers can be extremely helpful. Those fantasy managers who do a little extra work to know which players and positions to focus on early in the draft and which to leave until the middle or later rounds gain a big advantage.

On the basis of our projections and tiers, the forward/center position is much deeper than the guard position this season, so be sure to factor that in when making your selections.

With that in mind, here are our draft tiers at forward/center for this season.

Tier 1

A'ja Wilson
Breanna Stewart
Napheesa Collier

There are three names in the top tier: A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Also known as the reigning WNBA MVP, the previous MVP and the reigning MVP runner-up. They are the only three frontcourt players to average a rounded 40 FP or more last season, and the only three projected to average over 40 FP/G and over 1600 total FP this season. And the gap between them and Tier 2 is large, with that tier projected to be 200 - 250 FP back.

Tier 2

Alyssa Thomas
Dearica Hamby
Aliyah Boston
Jonquel Jones
Angel Reese
Nneka Ogwumike

Tier 2 is populated by a combination of veteran and young All Stars. Alyssa Thomas takes her triple-double game to Phoenix this season, and has the highest projected point total in this group. Angel Reese, on the other hand, projects to the highest per-game FP average in this tier as she prepares for her sophomore season. Aliyah Boston is the other very young player in this tier that would seemingly still have the best chance to improve and potentially play herself up to Tier 1 in the future.

Tier 3

DeWanna Bonner
Satou Sabally
Ezi Magbegor
Natasha Howard
Brionna Jones

Four of the five players in Tier 3 will be playing for new teams this season, with only Ezi Magbegor remaining on the team she played with last season. DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard will both play on the newly beefed-up Fever squad along with Caitlin Clark and Boston. Satou Sabally has the highest potential in this group, projected to a 36.2 FP/G average that is higher even than any of the players in Tier 2. The only reason Sabally is in this tier is because of her history of injury, but if she stays healthy she could make a leap in her first season in Phoenix.

Tier 4

Alanna Smith
Brittney Griner
Rickea Jackson
Teaira McCowan
Tina Charles
NaLyssa Smith

This is another tier that mixes the veteran with the young. There are two former MVPs in this tier in Brittney Griner and Tina Charles, both also among the trend of stars playing in new locations. This tier also includes sophomore Rickea Jackson, one of the most impressive in last season's elite rookie class. NaLyssa Smith was the second overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, and will be looking to jump start her production in her first season in Dallas. This tier is projected to between 1000 and 1100 fantasy points this season.

Tier 5

Kamilla Cardoso
Leonie Fiebich
Aneesah Morrow
Azura Stevens
Aaliyah Edwards
Elizabeth Williams
Cameron Brink

Tier 5 rounds out the list of forwards and centers that project to be universally drafted in FWBA leagues, bookended by the second and third picks from the 2024 WNBA Draft. Kamilla Cardoso was injured to start her rookie season but finished strong, while Cameron Brink got off to a fast start before getting injured early in her first campaign. Brink is expected to miss the start of this season, but projects to score well once she returns. This tier also includes our first rookie from this season in Aneesah Morrow, and fellow rookie Dominique Malonga is just outside of this tier as well.