RADIO
It is officially playoff season in fantasy baseball across all leagues and finding stop gaps in every position can be the key to advancing deep into the playoffs towards a championship.
The Catcher position is often hard to fill or appropriately analyze due to the low number of players that are rostered across your league. Here are some names that can help you no matter what type of league you are in.
Waiver Wire Analysis For Catchers
James McCann (C,DET)
Owned in 5% of Fleaflicker Leagues
The Tigers may be done but James McCann is making sure he is a big part of the team for 2016 with his recent play and his determination to get better every chance he gets. McCann is hitting .375 over the past few weeks with 3 XBH and 6 RBI while displaying modest power for a young player. The plate discipline still needs some work as his low BB totals do not help his escalated K totals in his first full season in Detroit. The BABIP is at .333 and his OBP of .308 and SLG of .406 are right on track with his averages. With more time and seasoning NcCann should turn out to be a nice cheap option at C for years to come.
For now McCann can be acquired in deeper leagues with hope that he can finish his season on the high note that he seems to be on right now.
Baller Move: Add in 12+, Dynasty and 2-Catcher Leagues
Wilson Ramos (C,WSH)
Owned in 20% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Ramos has indeed been struggling and so have most of the Nationals not named Bryce Harper as of late. The team is barely hanging on by a thread for any hope of a 2015 playoff berth and Nationals' players are widely becoming more and more available in fantasy leagues. This is the perfect time to swoop in for maximum value on those players!
Ramos has been the healthiest he has ever been and even though his numbers across the board are down now is the time to cash in. His BA, OBP, SLG%, wOBA, wRC+ and ISO are all way down from his career marks but Ramos is not going to be displaced nor is he going to lose playing massive amounts of playing time to Jose Lobaton. His health is a good sign of things to come and should be taken seriously as a big sleeper for next year.
Baller Move: Add in all Dynasty,Keeper and 2-Catcher Leagues
Hank Conger (C,HOU)
Owned in 2% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Conger had been struggling to find regular at-bats until Jason Castro got hurt and Conger has had to step in and has done so gallantly. The .257 BA is 30 points higher than his average but that is not his calling card at all. The ISO of .221 is however a site to behold and he has shown off that power display with three of his nine hits in the past two weeks going for extra bases to go along with his 11 RBI.
His .441 SLG% and his career best 105 wRC+ does not make owners completely forget about his paltry BA or his .258 BABIP but his 10.3 BB% is a great sign of things turning around for Conger to become the catcher of now for Houston.
Baller Move: Add in 14+ Leagues
Peter O'Brien (C/1B/OF,AZ)
Owned in: 1% of Fleaflicker Leagues
This is the definite wild card of this week's list for very good reason. The Diamondbacks are not going anywhere this season and they are in full talent development and assessment mode. Peter O'Brien has massive power upside and his minor league numbers prove it without question. The 100+ HR and the 300+ RBI across his four seasons in the minors to go along with his above .300 BA make him a superstar in the waiting. The problem is that Paul Goldschmidt, Yasmani Tomas, A.J. Pollock, Ender Inciarte, David Peralta and Welington Castillo all stand in the way of regular playing time. In his short time with the Diamondbacks O'Brien has made sure that he makes the decision a difficult one come Spring Training 2016 and owners should be taking notice now if they already were not licking their chops to begin the 2015 season as to O'Brien's potential once given a shot to play.
Comparisons to Kris Bryant are unfair but the power numbers suggest big things are on the horizon and owners should take a chance on the Diamondbacks committing to him in a big way sooner rather than later.
Baller Move: Add in Dynasty and Keeper Leagues
