Our Fantasy Face-Off series will feature two SportsEthos staffers making their arguments in a head-to-head battle of comparable fantasy players. We turn our attention to the frontcourt for this matchup, with two Central Division centers taking center stage. Nikola Vucevic is a former All-Star, and one of the league’s first wave of talented offensive big men to willingly step beyond the arc and launch away. He’s no longer at his peak but Vucevic remains a fixture of the Chicago starting lineup despite some trade rumors. In Cleveland, meanwhile, you have Jarrett Allen, the rim-running, rim-protecting anchor of the Cavs defense. He doesn’t have the offensive polish of Vucevic, but has posted big fantasy seasons while staying in his lane. Points League expert Jacob Dunne and Dynasty Expert Pedro Oliveira step into the ring.

Last Season

Nikola Vučević

C, Chicago Bulls

Jarrett Allen

C, Cleveland Cavaliers

Vucevic kept his nose clean in what was a messy season for the Bulls. While other players dealt with big injuries, crowded rotations and trade rumors, Vucevic had none of that — his name was floated in trade talks but at his age and salary, those predictably went nowhere. In the end, Vucevic was present for pretty much the entire season — not something to take for granted — and although all of his field goal, 3-point and free throw percentages declined, he still averaged a double-double and about 1.5 combined defensive stats a night. The percentage dips pushed Vucevic down from his typical, set-and-forget standing, but he ended up at a rock solid 52/49 in 8/9-cat leagues.

It was an uneasy start as Allen missed the first five games of the season, but from there it was pretty steady. Unfortunately the blocks dipped, but Allen was able to counteract that with a career-high in points and the second-best free throw percentage of his career. Things got even better when Evan Mobley went under the knife. In 32 games without Mobley, Allen averaged 17.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 blocks, posting top-20 value in the 22-game span when Mobley was recovering from knee surgery. It was a reminder of the kind of peak Allen could have, but was not asked to attain when the Cavs were at their best. When the dust settled, Allen was No. 49/45 in 8/9-cat value.

The Case for Nikola Vucevic

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