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

Catchers to Stream - Week 4 Waiver Wire

Eric Samulski's catchers to stream as fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 4. Consider adding and streaming these free agent catchers for the week ahead.

It's your resident catcher advocate here, with my weekly defense for baseball's most maligned position. Instead of giving into easy narratives about the lack of talent at the catcher position and how they're the kickers of fantasy baseball, I'm here to create a place where catchers are celebrated for how they can help our teams.

Each week, I will take a look at the upcoming schedule ahead and give you my favorite streaming options at catcher. By looking at lineup trends, amount of games ahead, the location of the games, and potential pitching matchups, I'll try to guide you towards catchers that I think can be most useful for you in the upcoming week. For each catcher listed, I'll also add a chart that will provide you with data about the potential opposing pitchers that I think are meaningful in terms of allowing potential fantasy production. Plus, I'll also give a short explanation about why this catcher made the list. Every week I'll also look back at my previous recommendations so that we can have some transparency about what's working or not.

Since many fantasy managers will pay no attention to the catcher spot, your ability to constantly look for the best matchups will be a good way to get an advantage over your competition.

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

 

Last Week Check-In

Not including Sunday's games (4/12):

  • Pedro Severino: (4 starts) 2-14, (LOSS - but damn, he had the ABs)
  • Omar Narvaez (4 starts) 3-17, 3 Runs, 1 RBI (LOSS - went 1-11 to end the week)
  • Yadier Molina (4 starts) 5-17, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 Runs (WIN - and now he's no longer a streamer)
  • Victor Caratini (4 starts) 1-14, 1 RBI (LOSS - well, that was fun while it lasted)
  • Jose Trevino (4 starts) 5-17, 2 Runs (WIN - he's the clear starter)

STREAMING RECORD: 6-6

All matchup projections are made in conjunction with Roster Resource and @Rotoquotes on Twitter, which is a great fantasy resource for upcoming schedules. 

 

Week Four Catchers Waiver Wire (4/19 - 4/25)

For the purposes of this article, we are considering a "streaming catcher" one who is rostered in under 50% of Yahoo! leagues. Whether or not these catchers will be useful for you will depend entirely on your league size and the number of catchers you need to play. In order to help, I will keep a weekly list of "Untouchables," meaning catchers who, in my opinion, should NEVER (if healthy) be dropped for a streaming option.

Untouchables: Catchers who shouldn't be dropped for these streamers in any format: J.T. Realmuto, Salvador Perez, Yasmani Grandal, Willson Contreras, Will Smith, Travis d'Arnaud, Christian Vazquez, Gary Sanchez, James McCann, Wilson Ramos.

NoteSince pitchers haven't thrown enough innings yet this season, the stats below are from 2020.

 

Omar Narvaez, Milwaukee Brewers (34% Rostered)

Narvaez hurt us with a rough patch at the end of the week, against the Pirates of all teams too; however, we're going back to the well here. He is 10th among all catchers in plate appearances and has been batting 5th in a solid lineup. The RBI opportunities are there, and he has always been a pretty solid hitter before his down year in the shortened season last year. Already, his strikeout rate has dropped to 14.3% and his ISO climbed back up to .171, both of which are in line with his previous career numbers. I think it's safe to say that last year was a one-year blip.

The schedule for him isn't the best with games against Joe Musgrove and Kyle Hendricks, but I'm not particularly worried about the other four arms he's set to face. Given his spot in the batting order and the likelihood that he sees four starts this week, I'm okay with firing him up as a streamer for another week.

 

Carson Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks (24% Rostered)

After a slow start to the season, Carson Kelly has begun to heat up for a spunky Diamondbacks squad. Over the last two weeks, he's hitting .348 with two home runs, five RBI, and four runs. Perhaps more importantly, he's started four of the team's last five games as he has begun to wrestle playing time away from veteran Stephen Vogt. For the upcoming week, Kelly will get six games, three of which will come against the Reds in hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.

Additionally, while Kelly will have to start the week off against Luis Castillo, he gets a relatively easy run for the rest of the week and will avoid any of either team's major starters. To top it off, Castillo is also looking vulnerable this year, with his velocity dropping and his pitches not as effective as they were last year. I wouldn't plan on that continuing, but he's one of the more vulnerable aces in the game right now.

 

Yan Gomes, Washington Nationals (6% Rostered)

Yan Gomes was a catcher I was excited about heading into the season because I thought he was a solid bet for 110-120 games started. Then the Nationals had a minor COVID-outbreak and Gomes got a late start to the season. However, the veteran is hitting .368 in his six starts with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. I think he's set to get about 75% of the Nationals' starts at catcher, so he's one of the better streaming bets when it comes to simple plate appearances, which, as we've discussed before, is one of the most important stats for a good streaming option.

In the upcoming week, Gomes will have six games, with three each against the Cardinals and Mets. However, with the Mets' rainouts, it appears as though Gomes will avoid Jacob deGrom, which is a luxury that cannot be overstated. Jack Flaherty is the only dangerous arm on the slate, while both Carlos Martinez and Joey Lucchesi are arms we should be excited to play Gomes against. The Nationals lineup still has punch, so there could be some big games here.

 

Jacob Stallings, Pittsburgh Pirates (4% Rostered)

This is the option I'm least excited about, but Jacob Stallings is currently fifth overall in plate appearances by a catcher, and I told you that he would be a regular fixture in this column. Stallings got off to a hot start last week, but struggled against Corbin Burnes and the Brewers pitching staff. Even with that poor run, Stallings' .273 batting average last week would actually have been a boon at the catcher position. Although he might not give you massive power numbers, he should keep your average afloat and contribute something in other categories simply due to being in the lineup so often.

He also has a relatively attractive six-game week against the Tigers and Twins. Seeing Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda is certainly not something we would normally like in a streaming option, but I think that is balanced by the starts against Michael Fulmer, Tarik Skubal, and Jose Urena. Stallings should be able to do some damage in those games and then remain a net positive for the week.

 

Kurt Suzuki, Los Angeles Angels (2% Rostered)

With Max Stassi (thumb) on the IL, Kurt Suzuki immediately becomes an interesting option as he's set to see the vast majority of the playing time with the Angels, a fact that some people may miss considering the Angels' last two games this week were canceled due to COVID exposure on the Twins. On top of the increased playing time, the Angels are one of only three teams to play seven games next week, so this is lining up as a perfect storm for the veteran.

Suzuki hasn't been scorching the ball so far this season, but he is 3-for-11 with an RBI in his last three games, so he hasn't exactly been an anvil either. With the potential to play the most games of any streaming catcher on the slate and three games against a trio of attackable Rangers starters, Suzuki is an enticing option for deeper leagues this week.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
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
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
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
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
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

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

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF