👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Catchers

It's 'bout that time, eh chaps? The Winter Meetings have come and gone. With it, some of the biggest offseason dominoes have already fallen. The 2017 fantasy baseball draft board is beginning to come into focus. Now it's time to delve into player rankings. As is often the case, we'll start with our 2017 catcher fantasy baseball rankings for December.

This first round of rankings features picks from Kyle Bishop, Nick Mariano, Bill Dubiel, and me. I know I've had my initial lists in place since mid-October, and my colleagues here weren't too far behind me.

This year, we'll begin by presenting our rankings then share a few thoughts round table style.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Catchers

Ranking Tier Player Brad Kyle Nick Bill Composite
1 1 Buster Posey 2 1 1 1 1.25
2 1 Jonathan Lucroy 1 2 2 2 1.75
3 1 Kyle Schwarber 3 4 4 3 3.5
4 1 Gary Sanchez 4 3 3 4 3.5
5 2 Yasmani Grandal 5 6 5 5 5.25
6 2 Willson Contreras 6 5 6 6 5.75
7 2 Russell Martin 7 10 7 8 8
8 2 J.T. Realmuto 8 9 9 7 8.25
9 2 Brian McCann 9 8 8 10 8.75
10 2 Evan Gattis 10 7 11 11 9.75
11 2 Salvador Perez 11 11 10 9 10.25
12 3 Cameron Rupp 12 12 13 13 12.5
13 3 Matt Wieters 13 17 14 12 14
14 3 Yadier Molina 14 13 16 15 14.5
15 3 Welington Castillo 17 15 17 14 15.75
16 4 Stephen Vogt 15 14 20 16 16.25
17 4 Austin Hedges 16 21 15 17 17.25
18 4 Tom Murphy 24 16 12 20 18
19 4 Travis d'Arnaud 18 20 18 18 18.5
20 4 Derek Norris 19 24 19 19 20.25
21 4 Wilson Ramos 22 19 21 21 20.75
22 4 Mike Zunino 20 18 23 25 21.5
23 4 Francisco Cervelli 25 23 22 22 23
24 4 Blake Swihart 23 30 27 24 26
25 5 Bruce Maxwell 21 32 29 23 26.25
26 5 James McCann 26 27 25 27 26.25
27 5 Devin Mesoraco 29 26 26 26 26.75
28 5 Yan Gomes 32 25 24 33 28.5
29 5 Sandy Leon 33 22 30 35 30
30 5 Chris Herrmann 27 33 33 28 30.25
31 5 Tony Wolters 28 36 28 30 30.5
32 5 Andrew Susac 30 31 32 32 31.25
33 5 Tyler Flowers 34 29 37 31 32.75
34 6 Nick Hundley 31 36 36 29 33
35 6 Jett Bandy 35 34 35 34 34.5
36 6 Jason Castro 38 28 41 38 36.25
37 6 Jorge Alfaro 38 36 34 38 36.5
38 6 Tucker Barnhart 37 36 41 36 37.5
39 6 Austin Barnes 38 36 38 38 37.5
40 6 Christian Bethancourt 38 36 39 38 37.75
41 6 Omar Narvaez 36 36 41 38 37.75
42 6 Kurt Suzuki 38 36 41 37 38
43 6 Miguel Montero 38 36 40 38 38
44 6 Carlos Ruiz 38 35 41 38 38

 

Are there any picks you want to defend?

Brad: I tabbed Murphy 24th. Everyone loves Murphy's fantasy potential. I'm included in everyone.

There's just one problem. The Rockies really like Tony Wolters' defensive ability, and he hits enough to start in the majors. So, does Wolters take 300 PA or 450 PA? I don't know yet - I'd guess closer to 450. And that doesn't leave much room for Murphy to provide fantasy value.

Kyle: I'm the high man on Sandy Leon. Do I think for a second he'll flirt with a .400 BABIP again? No, but he has enough pop and plate discipline to be a decent option in AL-only and two-catcher formats. He'll again be part of one of baseball's best lineups and he's good enough defensively to have earned some job security.

Everyone likes Derek Norris more than I do. Again, BABIP regression is likely - this time in the other direction - but Norris's strikeout rate spiked last season and he didn't even get a power boost out of the deal. Also, don't hold your breath on him coming near double-digit steals again now that he's left the Padres and their kamikaze baserunning ways.

Nick: I'm way up on Murphy at #12, which combines his power ceiling at Coors with my disillusionment with the pack. I'd rather grab a catcher who hit .327 with 19 HRs in 321 Triple-A PAs before slugging five bombs in 49 MLB PAs last year. Wolters' plus defense will keep the rotation very honest, but just 300 PAs of Murphy is likely more valuable than most. It also allows you to platoon for a nice composite if you're savvy. And if Wolters gets hurt, look out. All of this gets baked into my ranking, so here we are.

Bill: I'm highest on four-time All Star Salvador Perez, although not by much. I understand my colleagues' trepidation after Perez hit just .247 last year, clearly trading contact for power--he set career highs in homers, ISO and strikeouts. I'm considering last year the outlier, as Perez has never been that kind of hitter in the past. I'm banking on him getting his average back up in 2016.

Sweet sassy molassey I love me some J.T. Realmuto. The dude hit .303 across 509 ABs last year, and while you can chalk some of that up to his .357 BABIP you still have to figure he'll fall within .275-.285 if he stays healthy. Combine that with the fact that he's got at least 15 homers and 10 stolen bases, and there is top-five potential here.

 

Which picks by others look overly bullish/pessimistic?

Brad: I'll point out a couple of Kyle's. Gattis as the seventh catcher was correct pre-McCann trade. Once Houston trades Gattis, it'll be right again. Until then, we're all wrong (but Kyle's most wrong). Leon at 22nd is crazy, but at least it won't hurt much given the alternatives. Leon looked like a pure fluke while he was raking, then he turned pumpkin down the stretch.

Nick tagged Murphy as the 12th catcher which will look smart if Wolters suddenly ceases to exist. Otherwise, it's quite the reach for Zunino's Colorado cousin.

Kyle: Brad and Bill are driving the Bruce Maxwell bandwagon. I'm not seeing it. He's 26 year old with thoroughly uninspiring minor league numbers outside of a nice run at Triple-A last season, and he's going to have a tough time finding at-bats. Oakland has Vogt, Josh Phegley, and a cadre of 1B/DH types.

Also, none of have Tuffy Gosewisch ranked, which pretty much invalidates this entire exercise.

Nick: Vogt being around #15 is too high for me, as I think he'll still be limited by Oakland's platooning ways (as he should be) and unlike Murphy, Vogt's ceiling does not justify a bump. Out of 35 catchers with at least 250 PAs last season, Vogt's 26.8% hard-hit rate checked in at a meager 31st despite the ninth-highest soft-contact rate of 21%. Not good at 32 years old. If you need roughly 12-15 homers with few strikeouts, then fine, you go Glen Coco. I'll pass.

Bill: Everyone else is higher on Mike Zunino than I am, with Kyle being the highest at 18. The only positive for Zunino that I see is playing time--he doesn't have much in the way of competition, with Carlos Ruiz behind him and Jesus Sucre lurking in the minors. Zunino has struck out in almost a third of his professional at bats, and while the power numbers are nice (.262 ISO in 2015) he's a career .195 hitter in the majors. It's a smallish sample size and he's still maturing as a hitter, but even if he improves, we're looking at maybe .225 with 20-25 homers? He'll be a power boon for rotisserie leagues, but that batting average and the strikeouts are a huge detraction in any format.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Emeka Egbuka

the New WR1 in Tampa Bay?
Trey Benson

Upside Limited in Crowded Backfield
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Currently the Lead Back in Washington
Harrison Smith

Vikings Release Harrison Smith With Post-June 1 Designation
Jedrick Wills Jr.

Bears Sign Jedrick Wills Jr. to a One-Year Deal
Derrick Nnadi

Signs with the Colts
Charles Omenihu

Commanders Sign Charles Omenihu to a One-Year Deal
A'Shawn Robinson

Buccaneers Sign Defensive Lineman A'Shawn Robinson
Javon Hargrave

Packers Sign Javon Hargrave to a Two-Year Deal
Owen Tippett

Multi-Point Effort Leads Philadelphia to a Victory
Drake Batherson

Scores Twice Versus Montreal
Bradley Chubb

Reaches Agreement on Three-Year Deal With Bills
Osa Odighizuwa

49ers Acquire Osa Odighizuwa From Cowboys on Wednesday
Kyler Murray

to Visit With Vikings on Thursday
Julian Hill

Patriots Agree to Terms With Julian Hill
Lucas Krull

Broncos Re-Sign Tight End Lucas Krull
Carson Wentz

Looking Unlikely for the Jets
LeBron James

Questionable Thursday Against Bulls
Foster Moreau

Texans Sign Foster Moreau to Add to Tight End Room
Dallas Goedert

Eagles Buy Some Extra Time to Negotiate With Dallas Goedert
Matas Buzelis

Probable Thursday After Career Night
Lamar Jackson

Ravens Still Hopeful They Can Reach Extension With Lamar Jackson
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Added to Injury Report as Probable
Josh Giddey

Likely Active Thursday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Remains Out Against Boston
Chet Holmgren

Ready to Play Thursday
Josh Hart

Won't Play Wednesday vs. Jazz
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable vs. Nuggets
Keyonte George

Set to Suit Up Wednesday
Jakob Poeltl

Cleared to Play Wednesday vs. Pelicans
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Out at Least Two Weeks
Grant Williams

Sidelined Against Kings
John Metchie III

Signing One-Year Deal to Join Panthers
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Jaguars Signing Chris Rodriguez Jr. on Wednesday
Coby White

Active On Wednesday
Stephen Curry

Expected to Miss 10 More Days
Jake Browning

Plans to Sign One-Year Deal With Buccaneers
Bryce Miller

Shuts Down Bullpen Due to More Oblique Discomfort
Zac Gallen

Named Arizona's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Teel

Could Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Josh Hader

to Start the Year on the Injured List
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Shayne Gostisbehere

to Remain Out for "Couple of Games"
Robert Thomas

Blues Hopeful Robert Thomas Can Play Through Upper-Body Injury
Ross Colton

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Tuesday Night
Connor Ingram

"Feeling Well" After Tuesday's Early Exit
Dylan Larkin

Doubtful for Rest of Road Trip
Andrew Copp

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
Justin Brazeau

Out Week-to-Week
Ace Bailey

Cleared to Play Wednesday
Keyonte George

Still Dealing With Illness, Questionable Wednesday
Mitchell Robinson

Available for Wednesday's Tilt
Josh Hart

Questionable for Wednesday Night
Jarrett Allen

Remains Out Wednesday
Cameron Johnson

Considered Probable Wednesday
Kyle Teel

Exits Tuesday's Game With Hamstring Injury
Jamal Murray

Probable for Matchup With Rockets
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Heading to Players Championship
Rory McIlroy

Set to Return at Players Championship to Defend Title
Jake Knapp

Set to Return at Players Championship
Viktor Hovland

Continues Strong Start to 2026 Season
Jakub Dobes

Makes 17 Saves in Victory
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking for Bounce-Back at Players Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Will Need to Find Putter to Compete at Players Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Continues Improving Heading to Players Championship
Alexis Lafrenière

Alexis Lafreniere's Hat Trick Leads New York to Victory
Carter Verhaeghe

Wins it for Florida on Tuesday
Merrill Kelly

Set to Make Spring Training Debut on Friday
Francisco Lindor

"100 Percent Optimistic" he Can be Ready for Opening Day
Justin Thomas

Continues Competitive Return at The Players Championship
Colton Parayko

Rejoins Blues Lineup
Shayne Gostisbehere

Unavailable Against Penguins
Marcus Johansson

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Darren Raddysh

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Sam Reinhart

Out Tuesday
John Gibson

Available Tuesday
Dylan Larkin

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Corbin Carroll

Set to Play in Cactus League Game on Wednesday
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
James Reimer

Posts Shutout With Seventh Franchise
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Stretches Point Streak to 13 Games
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo, Phillies Agree on Five-Year Extension
Corbin Carroll

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
Max Holloway

Drops Decision At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Becomes The New BMF Champion
Caio Borralho

Bounces Back
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Rob Font

Gets Dominated
Raul Rosas Jr.

Extends His Win Streak
Michael Johnson

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Drew Dober

Knocks Out Michael Johnson
Rafael Devers

Back in Cactus League Lineup on Monday
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Consecutive Phoenix Cup Series Win
Christopher Bell

Falls Short of Victory Despite Dominating at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Earns Hard-Fought Finish of Third at Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Quietly Gains Another Top-Five Finish at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Crashes out at Phoenix Despite Strong Run
Tarik Skubal

Could Make Another Start in World Baseball Classic
Jackson Chourio

Should Return to WBC Lineup on Monday
Byron Buxton

"Fine" After Being Hit by Pitch
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
Brandon Woodruff

Making Cactus League Debut on Saturday
Byron Buxton

Leaves WBC Game After Being Hit by a Pitch on his Elbow
Jackson Chourio

"Fine" After Suffering Hand Contusion
Max Holloway

A Favorite At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Set For BMF Title Fight
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Looks To Bounce Back
Caio Borralho

Set For UFC 326 Co-Main Event
Rob Font

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Raul Rosas Jr.

Looks For His Fifth Consecutive Win
Drew Dober

Returns At UFC 326
Michael Johnson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Rafael Devers

Could Return to Game Action Next Week
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Hopes to be Ready for Opening Day
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF