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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Catcher - Early Points League Rankings and Tiers

Early 2019 fantasy baseball points league rankings for catcher and head-to-head (H2H) formats. January staff C ranks, tiers and analysis on ADP values.

It’s never too early to start looking toward the fantasy baseball season, and I’m here to continue RotoBaller’s position-by-position rankings analysis series for points league and head-to-head (H2H) formats with the increasingly scant catcher position. Traditionally a thin position to begin with, catcher seems to be growing thinner every year as far as fantasy production is concerned. We advise that you either grab one of the surefire studs early, or go ahead and wait awhile during drafts.

Our mixed-league points staff rankings come straight from the minds of myself (a.k.a. the fourth-most accurate MLB expert for 2017 on FantasyPros), JB Branson and Nick Mariano , and we’ve got them broken down into tiers for both the sake of digestible content and because your rankings should always be tiered. For this exercise, hitters get a bump for total bases, walks and take a hit for strikeouts.

Keep an eye out for all other positions to follow! In the meantime, you can also see all of our preliminary 2019 fantasy baseball rankings for mixed leagues here. Bookmark that page and come back for updates throughout the coming months as you prepare to dominate on draft day. Without any more delay, let's take a look at the 2019 catcher points league rankings for January.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

2019 Fantasy Baseball Points League Rankings: Catcher

Rank Tier Player Name Position Nick JB Bill
1 1 J.T. Realmuto C/1B 105 130 114
2 1 Gary Sanchez C 121 114 123
3 2 Buster Posey C/1B 143 138 153
4 2 Yadier Molina C 166 164 170
5 2 Wilson Ramos C 175 170 176
6 2 Yasmani Grandal C 185 177 185
7 3 Willson Contreras C 201 188 200
8 3 Salvador Perez C 216 186 213
9 4 Danny Jansen C 244 309 326
10 4 Isiah Kiner-Falefa C/2B/3B 327 326 323
11 4 Francisco Cervelli C 328 338 324
12 4 Francisco Mejia C 334 331 330
13 4 Jorge Alfaro C 345 327 335
14 5 Austin Barnes C 372 360 352
15 5 Willians Astudillo C 404 356 337
16 5 Yan Gomes C 376 362 #N/A
17 5 Mike Zunino C 416 420 #N/A
18 5 Welington Castillo C 417 422 #N/A
19 5 Tucker Barnhart C/1B 430 440 #N/A
20 5 Robinson Chirinos C 435 442 #N/A
21 5 Tom Murphy C 473 469 #N/A
22 5 Tyler Flowers C 490 471 #N/A
23 5 Kurt Suzuki C 497 474 #N/A

 

Catcher Points League Rankings: Upper Tiers

J.T. Realmuto was one of my higher-ranked catchers coming into last year, and I'm happy to see him fulfill his destiny as a poor man's peak Buster Posey. That sexy combination of batting average and moderate power out of the catcher slot gives you a significant advantage right out of the gate, especially considering the state of the catcher position in 2019. I wouldn't quite consider him a top 100 player, but I could see myself edging him just inside that mark if he gets traded to a team that will help boost his run and RBI totals.

Gary Sanchez's 2018=barf emoji. After an All-Star 2017 campaign in which he hit .278 and dropped 33 bombs, he dropped off a cliff last year, finishing with just 89 games played and a miserable .186 batting average. He still hit 18 homers in that time, but in a points league that subtracts for strikeouts he was a curse--he whiffed 94 times, or more than a strikeout every game. I thought I was being aggressive by predicting a bounce-back for El Gary, but my colleagues are even more bullish than I am apparently. Keep an eye on him during drafts, and if he falls outside the top 120 pull the trigger. His place in a frightening lineup and his power potential is too good to pass up there.

Buster Posey is well-removed from his 2012 MVP season, but he is still well above average for the catcher position. His .284 average last year tied for his lowest in a season, and at age 32 Posey still represents a top option from a points perspective--and he'll come much cheaper than Sanchez/Realmuto.

I'm lowest on Yadier Molina so far, and I think by the time we get into draft season I'll have him in Tier 3. He's simply hitting that wall that comes with age, and it isn't going to get any better. Interestingly, he's posted two of the highest homer totals of his career in the last two seasons, but that makes him a better option for roto than points for me.

Wilson Ramos and Yasmani Grandal both carry very similar potential heading into 2019--top five ceiling with some injury risk. If you draft them right around where we've all got them, you won't be putting yourself at too much risk.

 

Catcher Points League Rankings: Middle Tiers

I'm very interested to see what Danny Jansen brings to the table as a full-time player this season. He earned a late-season call-up at the AAA level last year, hitting .275 with 12 homers across 88 games and even chipping in five steals. I'm most interested in his nearly 1:1 walk-strikeout ratio at that level, as he collected 44 bases on balls compared to just 49 strikeouts--if that ratio is sustainable at the next level, Jansen could profile as a J.T. Realmuto-lite with the potential to blossom into the genuine article as soon as this year. I'll own him in plenty of places this year.

We are all afraid of Francisco Cervelli it seems, and with good reason. Elias Diaz emerged as a legitimate offensive threat for the Pirates in limited duty last season, hitting .286 with 10 bombs across 82 games. While I don't feel strongly enough about Diaz's ability to repeat that to rank him this early, he has me raising my eyebrows about Cervelli.

I'll likely end up owning Francisco Mejia in a bunch of spots this year as a stash for later. He hasn't adjusted to major league pitching enough in his limited MLB action to indicate he's a fantasy asset yet, but the pedigree is there and the Padres will either give him a shot to win the majority of time behind the plate or they'll trade him to a team that will do so. I'm taking the chance with one of my later picks in a bunch of drafts.

 

Catcher Points League Rankings: Lowest Tier

If you're not down with Willians Astudillo, you're not down with me. The big dude drops big boy bombs and...well he doesn't have a starting job right now probably, but he can certainly win one with a big spring. He raked in limited time in the majors last year, hitting .355 across 29 games, and while that isn't sustainable if he can keep his average above .270 or so there will be enough thump to justify a roster spot in points leagues. Just a name to keep on your watch list for the time being.

Mike Zunino has traded in his Mariners grays for Tampa Bay Rays navy blue, and while that doesn't necessarily improve his value, it doesn't kill it either. We pretty much know what Zunino is at this point--a guy who's going to float around the Mendoza Line but hit 20 moonshots while he does it. Another one for the watch list, and you'll want to pounce if he goes on a power binge.

I really want Tom Murphy to take the reins on the catcher position in Colorado, because there is fantasy value to be had there. I'm just not positive this is the year he takes a leap forward--or if there is a leap to be taken at all. His plate discipline is atrocious, and that's simply not easy to overcome at the professional level. Here's hoping he spent some time with the Jugs machine this offseason--rooting for you, Tom!

More Fantasy Baseball Rankings Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Xavier Worthy

Chiefs to Open Up Offense in 2025
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF