👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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


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.




REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Younghoe Koo

Jets Sign Kicker Younghoe Koo on Wednesday
Quinn Ewers

Looks Good in Wednesday's OTA Practice
Kenley Jansen

Exits Relief Appearance on Wednesday With Groin Injury
Ty Johnson

Taking Part in OTAs
Ja'Tavion Sanders

Cutting Laterally at OTAs
Tre' Harris

has Been a Top-Three Receiver During Offseason Program
Makai Lemon

Already Working With Starters in OTAs
AJ Barner

Undergoes Offseason Procedures, Not Taking Part in OTAs
Zach Charbonnet

Might Not Return Until Midseason
Von Miller

"For Sure" Plans to Play in 2026
Alvin Kamara

Not at OTAs But Preparing for the 2026 Season
Lamar Jackson

"Absolutely" Wants to Stay With Ravens Long-Term
Mason Plumlee

NBA Upgrades Mason Plumlee's Foul to a Flagrant 1
Victor Wembanyama

Receives Warning From NBA
Atlanta Hawks

Hawks Promote Onsi Saleh to President of Basketball Operations
Jalen Williams

Listed as Questionable for Game 6
Ajay Mitchell

Ruled Out for Game 6
Michael Penix Jr.

Not Cleared for 11-on-11 Work
Jacoby Brissett

Still Absent From OTAs This Week
George Kittle

Still Hoping to be Ready for Week 1
Micah Parsons

Expected to Open Training Camp on the PUP List
Tucker Kraft

Packers Hopeful Tucker Kraft Will Participate in Training Camp
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Held Out of OTAs on Wednesday
Jayden Daniels

Participating in Commanders OTAs
Chris Bell

No Timetable for Chris Bell's Return from Knee Surgery
De'Von Achane

Limited in OTAs Due to Recovery From Shoulder Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

Participating in Packers OTAs
Eury Pérez

Eury Perez Pulled Early on Wednesday With Hamstring Issue
CFB

Drew Mestemaker a Top Big 12 Quarterback Right Away?
PGA

Sungjae Im Remains Boom-or-Bust at Colonial
PGA

Michael Thorbjornsen Trending in Wrong Direction Entering Colonial
De'Aaron Fox

Limited to Nine Points in Game 5 Loss
Russell Henley

a Top Option at Colonial
Harry Hall

Hoping Putter Carries Him at Colonial
Julian Champagnie

Notches 22 Points With Four Triples Tuesday
Stephon Castle

Leads Spurs in Scoring Tuesday Night
Rickie Fowler

Looks to Regain Momentum at Colonial
Victor Wembanyama

Struggles in Game 5 Loss to Thunder
Alex Caruso

a Difference-Maker Again in Game 5
Pierceson Coody

Looking to Stay Hot at Colonial
Jared McCain

Produces 20 Points in First Playoff Start
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Scores Game-High 32 Points in Game 5 Win
Martin Necas

Collects an Assist in Game 4 Loss to Golden Knights
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores Only Avalanche Goal in Season-Ending Loss
Carter Hart

Finishes Series-Clincher With 20 Saves
Dylan Coghlan

Continues Unlikely Success Story
Cole Smith

Scores Series-Clincher Tuesday Night
Mark Stone

Nets Another Goal as Golden Knights Finish Off Avalanche
Ludvig Aberg

Looking to Exchange Momentum for a Victory in Fort Worth
Stephan Jaeger

Trending Upward as PGA Heads to Fort Worth
Max Homa

Comes Off Awful Putting Performance at PGA Championship
Tony Finau

Faces Different Test at the Colonial
Robert MacIntyre

Seeks Better Beginning in Fort Worth
Tom Hoge

Ups and Downs Could Continue at Colonial
Brian Harman

Not Having the Best Golf Season in 2026
Austin Eckroat

Struggling Too Often Heading to Charles Schwab Challenge
Zach Bauchou

Tries to Keep Momentum Rolling at Colonial
Keegan Bradley

Looking to Rebound at Colonial
Jared McCain

Moves into Starting Five
Boston Celtics

Joe Mazzulla Wins Coach of the Year
Jalen Williams

is Ruled Out for Game 5 on Tuesday
Zion Williamson

to See More Versatile Role
Cleveland Cavaliers

Kenny Atkinson to Remain Cavaliers Head Coach Next Season
Claude Giroux

Planning to Return for 20th NHL Campaign
Carter Hart

Aiming for Sixth Consecutive Win Tuesday
Evgeni Malkin

Inks New One-Year Deal With Penguins
Mackenzie Blackwood

in Net for Game 4 Against Golden Knights
Valeri Nichushkin

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Nathan MacKinnon

Will Suit Up Tuesday
Ben Griffin

Looking to Repeat This Week at Colonial
Rasmus Hojgaard

a Player to Avoid at Charles Schwab Challenge
Hideki Matsuyama

Needs Solid Driving Week at Charles Schwab Challenge
Justin Thomas

Trending Well Ahead of Charles Schwab Challenge
Akshay Bhatia

Lacking Driving Prowess Needed at Colonial Country Club
CFB

DJ Lagway Looking to Rebound at Baylor
CFB

Josh Hoover Tasked With Leading Indiana Back to the Playoffs
CFB

Braylon Staley the Next 1,000-Yard Tennessee Receiver?
CFB

Ahmad Hardy's Return Timeline Remains Unclear
Evan Mobley

Finishes Season-Ending Loss With 15 Points
James Harden

Wants to Stay in Cleveland
Donovan Mitchell

Remains Committed to Cavaliers
Mikal Bridges

Cools Off in Game 4 Against Cavaliers
Ivan Demidov

Contributes an Assist in Losing Effort
Lane Hutson

Records Power-Play Goal in Game 3 Loss
Frederik Andersen

Enjoys Another Easy Night at the Office in Game 3
Shayne Gostisbehere

Scores First Postseason Goal
Taylor Hall

Ends Four-Game Goal Drought
Andrei Svechnikov

Scores Game 3 Winner in Overtime
Gage Jump

Athletics to Promote Top Pitching Prospect Gage Jump to Major Leagues
Tatsuya Imai

Two Relievers Combine to No-Hit the Rangers on Monday
Valeri Nichushkin

Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin Uncertain for Game 4
Oliver Kapanen

Sitting as Healthy Scratch Monday
Max Domi

Out Indefinitely Due to Offseason Surgery Complications
Dylan Cease

Heading to Injured List With Hamstring Injury
Daniel Suarez

Wins at Charlotte in Rain-Shortened Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell

Finishes as the Runner-Up in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
Denny Hamlin

Falls Short of Winning and Places Third at Charlotte
Tyler Reddick

Places Fourth After Leading Laps at Charlotte
Kyle Larson

Strong and Consistent Day Ends in Fifth at Charlotte
Dylan Cease

Removed From Sunday's Start With Hamstring Discomfort
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Exits Sunday's Game Early with Elbow Contusion
MLB

Reds-Cardinals Game Postponed on Sunday
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Place Edward Cabrera on the 15-Day Injured List
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Win at Charlotte
Tyler Reddick

on Pole for Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell

Could Break Out of Slump
Kyle Larson

May have A Solid Day at Charlotte
Ryan Blaney

Is A DFS Risk for Charlotte Lineups
William Byron

Could have A Great DFS Performance at Charlotte
Chase Briscoe

Is A Solid Tournament Option for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

May not be Worth his Salary for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Chris Buescher

May be a Sneaky Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Has Favorable Upside for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ross Chastain

Is A Strong Addition for DFS Lineups at Charlotte
Austin Dillon

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Austin Dillon for Charlotte DFS Lineups?
Chase Elliott

Should Be Strong at Charlotte
Carson Hocevar

Confident for Coca-Cola 600
Corey Heim

a Chalk DFS Pick at Charlotte
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups?
MLB

Orioles-Tigers Game Postponed on Saturday
MLB

Rays-Yankees Postponed on Saturday
Mickey Moniak

Heads to Injured List With Ankle Sprain
Jackson Merrill

has Sore Ribs, Expected to Avoid Injured List
CFB

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Looking to Take Sophomore Leap
CFB

Jadan Baugh Primed to Lead Florida Offense in 2026
CFB

LSU Hires Ed Orgeron As Special Assistant
CFB

North Carolina and South Carolina Cancel Home-And-Home Series
CFB

Confidence High in Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor
MLB

Reds-Cardinals Game Postponed on Friday
Trevor Story

has Hernia Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-10 Weeks
Roman Anthony

Dealing With Sprained Ligament in his Finger
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF