The Central Division was probably the best division in basketball this season. Each of the five teams in the division made the Play-In Tournament. This division was also very good for fantasy basketball, as they had six of the top 40 fantasy scorers this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers were an elite team all season. The Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks were very fun teams to watch. The Chicago Bulls finally chose a direction for the team, and the Detroit Pistons were one of the most surprising teams in the entire NBA this season. That success translated to fantasy basketball, so let’s get into the fantasy MVPs.
2024-25 Fantasy Basketball MVPs: Central Division
Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
Out of every NBA team, the Cavaliers were the most difficult team to pick an MVP for. They had four players who scored between 2500 and 2700 fantasy points this season. Ultimately, I decided to go with Evan Mobley as the pick. Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this season. He also finished the regular season with 37 double-doubles . The Defensive Player of the Year also added 2.6 stocks (steals + blocks) to his already impressive stat line. This decision was very difficult, however. The Cavs’ other two All-Stars, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland , were also very good fantasy producers this season. Jarrett Allen was also very much in the conversation while playing all 82 games this season. But, Mobley is going to get the fantasy MVP for the Cavs.
Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton
This was a two-way race between Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam for the Pacers. I chose Haliburton because of the ceiling that he provided for fantasy players this season. Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game this season. He also finished with 31 double-doubles on the season. However, perhaps the most impressive part about Haliburton’s statline is that he only averaged 1.6 turnovers this season, which equates to a whopping 5.61 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season. Haliburton was voted by players as the most overrated player in the NBA , but his production does not show that these players are correct. All things considered, Haliburton finished inside the top 20 in total fantasy points, so he gets the nod for the Pacers’ fantasy MVP this season.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo getting the Bucks’ fantasy MVP was not a hard decision at all. Giannis added another All-NBA caliber season to his resume as he averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game this season. It can be argued that Giannis just wrapped up one of his best individual seasons of his career. He finished with 55 double-doubles and 11 triple-doubles on the season as well. There’s not much more to say as Giannis finished third in total fantasy points scored this season, and he earned the Bucks’ fantasy MVP nod this season.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
The Pistons had one of the most surprising turnarounds in the NBA this season. They finished with 30 more wins in the 2024-25 season compared to the 2023-24 season. The emergence of Cade Cunningham was one of the main reasons for this improvement. Of course, the additions of veteran presences like Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris helped. But Cade’s improvement was at the front and center of the Pistons’ season. Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game this season. Cade also added 31 double-doubles and nine triple-doubles on the season. The Pistons guard was extremely impressive this season, and he earned the Pistons’ fantasy MVP this season.
Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vučević
The Chicago Bulls turned their season around in the second half of the season. The fantasy MVP was a tough choice to decide between Josh Giddey and Nikola Vučević . I went with Vučević because of the consistency he provided throughout the entire season. Vučević averaged 18.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 10.1 rebounds per game for the Bulls this season. He finished the season with 45 double-doubles and one triple-double as well. It still was not an easy decision as Josh Giddey averaged 21.2 points,10.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game in his 19 games after the All-Star break. But, Vučević still gets to be the Bulls’ fantasy MVP for his consistency all season long.
The Last Word
This season, the Central Division was great top to bottom. This translated to fantasy basketball, as this division gave us some of the best fantasy players all season long. Antetokounmpo and Cunningham both finished in the top ten for total fantasy points scored. Mobley and Haliburton finished top 25 in total fantasy points scored, and Vučević was one of the most consistent fantasy players all season long. Some other notable players from the division include Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Josh Giddey, Pascal Siakam, and Coby White .
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