👉 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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cameron Payne

Out at Least Two Weeks
Duncan Robinson

Iffy for Monday
Jerami Grant

Out Again Monday
Tobias Harris

Questionable Vs. Magic
Karl-Anthony Towns

Back Against Atlanta
Joel Embiid

Available Monday Vs. Spurs
Mike Trout

Exits Early After Getting Hit by Pitch
Brandon Williams

Good to Go Sunday
Marvin Bagley III

Available Sunday Against Lakers
Moussa Diabaté

Moussa Diabate Back in Lineup Sunday
Kirill Kaprizov

Bags Sixth Career Hat Trick Sunday
Stuart Skinner

Nursing Upper-Body Injury
Charlie Lindgren

Gets the Nod Sunday
Pavel Buchnevich

Ready to Play Sunday Night
Jordan Staal

Jordan Martinook Unavailable Sunday
Frederik Andersen

Takes on Senators Sunday
Linus Ullmark

Faces Hurricanes Sunday
Trevor Lawrence

Can a Dynamic Surrounding Cast Lead Trevor Lawrence to Another Career Year?
Malik Willis

Dolphins Want to Build Around Malik Willis
Courtland Sutton

Has Courtland Sutton's Dropping Dynasty Value Made Him a Buy-Low?
Ryan Rollins

Available Against Grizzlies
David Njoku

One of the Top Remaining Free Agents
Leonard Miller

Matas Buzelis Out Sunday, Leonard Miller Joins Starting Lineup
Tyler Warren

Has Room to Grow in Year Two
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Back in Action Sunday
Josh Giddey

Won't Play Against Suns
Trey Murphy III

Out Sunday
Dejounte Murray

Misses Second Straight Game
Anthony Edwards

Won't Play Sunday
Pete Fairbanks

Serving as Opener Before Going on Paternity List
George Klassen

Called Up to Start on Sunday
Stephon Gilmore

Announces his Retirement
Hunter Brown

Placed on 15-Day Injured List with Right-Shoulder Strain
Matthew Stafford

Rams to Put Matthew Stafford on Pitch Count Ahead of 2026 Season?
Isaiah Likely

John Harbaugh "Certain" Isaiah Likely Will Break Out
New York Jets

Jets "Leaning Toward" Arvell Reese at No. 2 Overall
Cleveland Browns

Browns Targeting Carnell Tate at No. 6 Overall?
Tennessee Titans

Titans "Love" Their Running Back Room
Jauan Jennings

Asking for Too Much Money?
Brandon Aiyuk

Nothing Imminent With Brandon Aiyuk
Luther Burden III

Bears Want to Continue to Get the Ball to Luther Burden III
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo Dominates Rockies on Saturday
Byron Buxton

Back in Sunday's Lineup
Mookie Betts

Heading to the Injured List With Oblique Strain
A.J. Brown

to be Traded to Patriots on June 2?
Cade Horton

Cubs Place Cade Horton on 15-Day Injured List With Forearm Strain
Isaiah Collier

Out Again Sunday
Immanuel Quickley

Still Sidelined Sunday
Nicolas Claxton

Won't Play Sunday
Evan Mobley

Sidelined Sunday
Jarrett Allen

Won't Play Against Indiana
Clayton Keller

Collects Four Points Against Canucks
Jack Eichel

Records Three Assists in Saturday's Win
Gabe Perreault

Nets First Career Hat Trick
Nicolas Hague

Exits Early Against Sharks
MacKenzie Weegar

Listed as Day-to-Day
Jack McBain

Considered Week-to-Week
Justin Faulk

Questionable Sunday
MarShawn Lloyd

a Dynasty Trade Target with Long-Term Upside?
Emanuel Wilson

a Low-Risk Trade Target in Dynasty Leagues?
Jalen Nailor

Seems Likely to Face Competition
Adrian Kempe

Delivers a Four-Point Performance
Dylan Sampson

a Candidate for Standalone Value in 2026?
Jaylin Noel

Still the Texans' WR4 for 2026?
Evgeni Malkin

Collects Four Points on Saturday
Keenan Allen

Remains a Free Agent in Early April
Mookie Betts

Considered Day-to-Day, Heading for an MRI on Saturday
Juan Soto

Day-to-Day With Minor Groin Strain, No Decision on IL Yet
Nick Lardis

Available Against Kraken
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Won't Play Saturday
MLB

Cubs-Guardians Game Postponed on Saturday
Mookie Betts

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Tyler Kleven

Out Week-to-Week
Mason Marchment

Expected to Return Saturday
Aliaksei Protas

Returns on Saturday
Alejandro Kirk

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Thumb Fracture
Juan Soto

Mets Concerned About Juan Soto's Calf Injury
Juan Soto

Removed with Calf Tightness
Byron Buxton

is Day-to-Day with Forearm Contusion
Byron Buxton

Leaves on Friday After Being Hit by a Pitch
Cade Horton

Headed for Injured List Stint
Isaac Paredes

Placed on Bereavement List
Jordan Lawlar

Suffers Fractured Wrist, Set to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Alejandro Kirk

Having X-Rays on his Thumb
Chris Duncan

Set For UFC Vegas 115 Main Event
Renato Moicano

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 115
Tabatha Ricci

Set For UFC Vegas 115 Co-Main Event
Virna Jandiroba

Looks To Bounce Back
Brendson Ribeiro

In Desperate Need Of Win
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Ethyn Ewing

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Rafael Estevam

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Gunner Stockton Looking "Great" After Offseason Injury
CFB

Sam Leavitt Showing "Encouraging Signs" at LSU Practice
J.J. Spaun

Needs the Putter to Cooperate in San Antonio
Thorbjorn Olesen

Trending Up in San Antonio
Denny McCarthy

Carrying Momentum into San Antonio
Chris Kirk

Has Course History on His Side in San Antonio
Billy Horschel

a Volatile Option at the Valero Texas Open
Joe Highsmith

Still Searching for Form in San Antonio
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks to Find Form at the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

a Horse for Course History at TPC San Antonio
Robert MacIntyre

Has One Flaw to Overcome at Valero Texas Open to be a Must-Play
Maverick McNealy

In Exceptional Form This Season
Michael Thorbjornsen

Playing Well But Still Searching For A Win
Hideki Matsuyama

Playing Well Heading to the Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Heads to Valero Texas Open For Final Tune-Up Before Masters
Collin Morikawa

Withdraws From Valero Texas Open
PGA

Stephan Jaegar Still Looking For Consistency at Valero Texas Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

is Red-Hot Coming to TPC San Antonio
Tony Finau

a Risky Proposition at Valero Texas Open
Ludvig Aberg

Looks to Shake Off Collapse at Valero Texas Open
Patrick Rodgers

Needs to Make More Birdies in San Antonio
Sepp Straka

Seeks Opportunity in San Antonio This Weekend
Nick Taylor

Could Again Struggle at the Valero Texas Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF