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

Five Deeper Sleepers at Catcher for 2017

Today’s fantasy catcher landscape leaves much to be desired after the first few guys off the board, making the idea of hitting on a deep sleeper even more intriguing. But we are here to dig deeper, and try to find some catcher draft values and sleepers for the 2017 fantasy baseball season.

Below are a handful of catcher that could be available late in drafts or even post-draft, that could give fantasy owners more than they bargained for in 2017.

Editor's note: You can find more draft values and potential sleepers in our running list all preseason long, and be sure to also check out our rankings dashboard which is loaded with lots of great analysis.

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

 

Deeper Catcher Draft Sleepers

Derek Norris, Washington Nationals - ADP: 321

If you hadn’t been paying attention to baseball since 2014, you’d wonder how Derek Norris could ever be considered a sleeper. That was the year he slashed .294/.402/.477 in the first half and made the All-Star team as a member of the Oakland A’s. But it was all downhill from the second half of 2014 on, and the fifth year backstop hit rock bottom last year with an atrocious .186/.255/328 line in 458 plate appearances with San Diego. It can’t possibly get worse, can it?

The Padres cut bait this winter and dealt Norris to the Washington Nationals, where he was expected to split time behind the dish with Jose Lobaton, before the Nats signed Matt Weiters. Now he's expected to be traded, but regardless of where he ends up, he's due for a bounceback season as long as he gets the playing time. Even with the batting average below the Mendoza line, his hard contact rate, at 34.4 percent, was better than his career average and he still managed to tie his career-high mark with 14 homers in 2016. And he’s leaving one of the league’s premier pitcher’s parks in San Diego. Sometimes when a guy has a year as bad as Norris had, a change of scenery can make a world of difference.

 

Jett Bandy, Milwaukee Brewers - ADP: 407.5

Speaking of a change of scenery, Jett Bandy is another player who was dealt this offseason, and the move could provide a nice sleeper opportunity for him. Bandy, who took over as the Angels’ main catcher midway through last season, was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers where he will be competing for playing time with Andrew Susac and Manny Pina. The 26-year-old Bandy might be the one that ends up winning the majority of time behind the dish for the Brew Crew.

He is regarded as an excellent defender and was sixth best in MLB at throwing out would-be base-stealers, gunning down 39.6 percent of runners. He also showed some nice pop last season with eight bombs in just 231 plate appearances, and he did that while playing most games in a home ballpark that produces below-average offense. Bandy will find Miller Park much more to his liking, and if he emerges from spring training as the Brewers’ main guy at catcher, he could be worth keeping an eye on for fantasy owners.

 

Tom Murphy, Colorado Rockies - ADP: 249.7

I don’t think I could put together a list of sleepers without including a catcher on the Rockies that many people have never heard of. Tom Murphy is that catcher. Fantasy owners have to be licking their chops at the idea of Murphy getting 200+ plate appearances at Coors Field this season, as the 25-year-old catcher hit five bombs in just 49 plate appearances during his September call-up last season and flashed some big-time power in the minors. It’s a small sample size, but Murphy has put up an OPS+ of 133 in 32 games as a big leaguer, so it’s easy to dream of 20-25 homers from this guy as the Rockies’ regular catcher. But, he hasn’t earned the starting gig yet. He’ll share time with Tony Wolters, and with Wolters being a lefty hitter while Murphy bats righty, Murphy might find himself on the short side of a more traditional platoon. He could club his way into the lineup more regularly though and is certainly worth taking a flier on as a backup catcher.

 

James McCann, Detroit Tigers - ADP: 272

James McCann has a nice year for the Tigers in 2015, slashing .264/.297/.387 as a rookie, but last year he appeared to take a step back, as his OPS was down (.629) while strikeouts were up (109). The one thing he did to generate some optimism in the Motor City was hit 12 bombs in 373 plate appearances. It’s too bad that had to come at the cost of more strikeouts and a dismal .221 average and .272 OBP. However, a closer look at the power surge shows he hit the ball in the air way more than he did the year prior (40 percent fly balls in 2016 versus 27 percent in 2015), and the homer rate on fly balls was up to 12.6 percent from 8.4 percent. His hard contact rate was up as well, from 26.6 percent to 33.9 percent.

Does that mean McCann has taken his power game up a level now at age 26? It’s possible, and he’ll get the chance as Detroit’s starting catcher in 2017 to try to continue to put it all together. Many fantasy owners may stay clear of McCann at one look of that batting average and strikeout total from last year. But he’s worth taking as a backup catcher in deep leagues on the chance that power surge turns out to be sustainable.

 

Chris Herrmann, Arizona Diamondbacks - ADP: 432

Chris Herrmann took a big step forward in production last season in his first year with the Diamondbacks, posting a career high 118 OPS+. The problem is he did it in only 166 plate appearances, as his season ended prematurely when he fractured his hand. Also, a .364 BABIP has left fantasy owners skeptical. The skepticism is certainly warranted, but the Diamondbacks still non-tendered Wellington Castillo, effectively handing Herrmann the starting job going into 2017. He’ll have some veteran competition from Jeff Mathis and Chris Iannetta, but all indications are the Diamondbacks plan to go into the season with three catchers on the roster.

Herrmann also brings another element to his game that fantasy owners find appealing: versatility. In addition to handling duties behind the plate, he also got some time at both corner outfield positions and first base last season. Fantasy owners can expect Herrmann to continue to move around the diamond this season, add some extra positional eligibility and log 350+ at-bats if healthy. Increased playing time and a home ballpark that is extremely favorable to lefty hitters could keep Herrman’s numbers at closer to his 2016 level than years prior.

 

More Potential Draft Values and Sleepers




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

Jaylen Waddle

Good to Go For Thursday Night Football
Tucker Kraft

Suffers "Little Knee Tweak," Checks Out OK
Jaylen Waddle

Expected to Play and be a "Big Factor" on Thursday Night
Tucker Kraft

Suffers Knee Injury During Thursday's Practice
Clayton Kershaw

Will Retire at the End of the Season
Malcolm Brogdon

Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon Both Staying with the Knicks?
Detroit Pistons

Charles Bediako Agrees to a Training Camp Deal with Detroit
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery, Uncertain for Training Camp
Charlotte Hornets

DaQuan Jeffries Waived by the Hornets
CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Questionable For Saturday
Braden Schneider

Limited in Training Camp
Lars Eller

Recovering From Abdominal Procedure
Nick Jensen

in Danger of Missing Start of Season
Brandon Montour

to Miss Two Weeks After Ankle Surgery
Gabriel Landeskog

a "Full Go" for the Season
Samuel Girard

Avalanche Hope to Have Samuel Girard Available for Start of Season
Mackenzie Blackwood

Out Week-to-Week
Alex Tuch

Day-to-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Jordan Greenway

to Sit Out Training Camp
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Considered Day-to-Day
Simon Edvinsson

to Miss a Couple of Weeks
Mikael Backlund

Signs Two-Year Extension
Connor Ingram

to Be Waived by Mammoth
Zach Hyman

Misses Start of Training Camp
Nick Paul

Out Until November
Kris Letang

Cleared for Training Camp
David Pastrnak

Out for Start of Training Camp
Matthew Tkachuk

Expected to Be Out Until December
NBA

Trevelin Queen Joins Chinese Team
Damian Lillard

Not Rushing His Return
Brooklyn Nets

Keon Johnson Waived by Nets
Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP