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

Week 17 Waiver Wire - Catcher

With the All-Star break now behind us, it's time to look ahead to the second half of the Fantasy Baseball season. While we already know who most of this year's breakouts are, looking at you Max Muncy, catcher remains one of the trickiest positions to figure out in fantasy circles.

Those who sacrificed early picks on players such as J.T. Realmuto and Willson Contreras are sitting pretty. Others who may have waited at catcher are now scrambling to find the next big thing. If you're in the second group, and I'm sure most of you are, this is the article for you.

The players listed below are the best options for fantasy success heading into Week 17. They've found themselves in situations where they'll receive regular playing time and have done well enough to warrant a pick up. While none will give you the production of a Realmuto or Contrearas, they're all good enough to help carry the load at the catcher position during Week 17 and potentially on ward.

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

All catchers listed are owned in less than 50% of leagues and readily available. If you're in need of a backstop, these six five players are cheap options who can help take your team to a Fantasy Baseball championship.

 

Tier One

If you're in need of a catcher, these players are the ones you want to own heading into Week 17. They offer the most season-long value and are the players you want to target if you're struggling at the catcher position in your Fantasy Baseball league.

Elias Diaz (C, PIT) - 16% owned

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Elias Diaz has been one of the most underrated catchers in fantasy circles during the 2018 season. Despite being the backup to Francisco Cervelli, he has been able to put up solid numbers. With Cervelli now on the disabled list with recurring concussion problems, Diaz will have an opportunity to run with the starting job, making him arguably the best catcher option off waiver wires heading into Week 17.

Diaz is hitting .283 with seven home runs, 23 RBI and 26 runs scored over 54 games in 2018. If he qualified, Diaz's .283 avergae would rank third in the MLB among catchers while his seven home runs and 26 runs scored ranks tied for 17th and 14th respectively.

Pittsburgh's new starting catcher has had a strong month of July, hitting .270 with two home runs, four RBI and a .514 slugging percentage, his highest since April. The Pirates have clearly noticed Diaz's rise in 2018 as he has batted cleanup in his last two starts. If he continues to bat fourth his run scoring chances will only increase.

This is Cervelli's second time on the DL for concussion systems, meaning there's a chance he spends more time than the minimum 10 days. Diaz will have an opportunity to shine as a starter in the middle of the Pirates lineup. He is having the best offensive season of his career in 2018, giving him the talent and opportunity to help your team to the fantasy championship.

Omar Narvaez (C, CWS) 2.8% owned / Welington Castillo (C, CWS) - 1.4% owned

The Chicago White Sox find themselves in an interesting position at catcher heading into Week 17. In the short term, Omar Narvaez has looked great and deserving of everyday starts. However, Welington Castillo is set to return from his 80-game PED suspension on August 24; the team didn't pay him $15 million over two years to sit on the bench.

Narvaez has been a pleasant surprise in 2018, despite splitting time with Kevan Smith, he has managed to hit .286 with three home runs 17 RBI and 12 runs scored over 52 games. He has been one of the best fantasy catchers during the month of July, hitting .458 with two home runs and seven RBI. His .458 average ranks first among all catchers during that span.

Narvaez has done nothing but hit over the past two months and is worthy of a pickup as long as he sees starts. Castillo still has a little over a month left on his suspension, making Narvaez worthy of a pickup during that time. Following Castillo's activation however it's anyone's guess as to how the White Sox use Narvaez.

Prior to being hit with his suspension, Castillo was hitting .267 with six home runs and 15 RBI. He's coming off of four straight double digit home run seasons, including a 20-homer campaign in 2017. Castillo has been one of the better fantasy catchers due to his underrated offensive firepower.

With Castillo expected to return in one month and just six days, he should be monitored closely and is worth a pickup in deeper leagues. However, Narvaez is still the primary waiver wire claim while Castillo is suspended as he'll see the majority of starts during that time. It'll be interesting to see how the White Sox divvy up their starts behind the plate, but Castillo should be 1a with Narvaez functioning as 1b.

 

Tier Two

These players offer high potential, but aren't as sound as the tier one options. If no tier one options are available in your league, tier two catchers work as solid streamers who could eventually turn into season-long options.

Austin Hedges (C, SD) - 6.1 % owned 

San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges has been featured on this list before and continues to see low ownership. Hedges has been on fire during the month of July and should see more opportunities as the Padres slip to the bottom of the standings. If he continues to hit the ball well, owners should be willing to add the Padres catcher during his surge.

Hedges is hitting just .232 on the season with four home runs, 17 RBI and nine run scored. However, after missing most of the month of June with an injury, Hedges has had an electric July, hitting .382 with two home runs and six RBI. His .382 average ranks fourth highest among catchers during the month of July.

The problems surrounding Hedges are that he hits at the bottom of the lineup and is in an offense that currently ranks 27th in runs scored. He won't have as many opportunities to produce or score runs as others on the list.

That being said, Hedges has been one of the hottest catchers in the MLB during the month of July. He's coming off of an 18 home run season and has the potential to match that number in 2018. As long as he is swinging a hot bat, Hedges is worth a pickup for catcher needy teams in 12-14 person leagues.

Jorge Alfaro (C, PHI) - 3.7% owned

Much like Hedges, Philadelphia Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro is also in the middle of a hot streak. While he's never been a great offensive threat, Philadelphia's lineup is vastly improved which should help Alfaro both score and produce runs.

On the season, Alfaro is hitting .254 with six home runs, 21 RBI and 22 runs scored. The home runs, RBI and runs scored are all career highs. Over the last seven days, Alfaro is hitting .455 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. During the month of July, Alfaro is hitting .276 with a home run, five RBI and four runs scored. He also holds an impressive .805 OPS which ranks 17th among all catchers.

Alfaro will continue to see starts as the Phillies see what they have in their young catcher. There's also a strong possibility that after missing out on Manny Machado, Philadelphia will add a big-hitting infielder prior to the trade deadline. Adding to a lineup that already features the likes of players such as Rhys Hoskins, Carlos Santana and Cesar Hernandez will only increase Alfaro's chances of both producing and scoring runs.

Alfaro may not be the most consistent or offensively inclined catchers in the league, but he has been hitting well on one of the hottest teams in the MLB. He's in the middle of the best offensive season of his career and is worth a pickup if he continues this stretch.

 

Waiver Wire Order

1) Elias Diaz
2) Omar Narvaez
3) Welington Castillo
4) Austin Hedges
5) Jorge Alfaro

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers




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 Knicks

Tosan Evbuomwan Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
San Antonio Spurs

Bismack Biyombo Returns to Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves

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
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
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
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
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
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
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
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa

RANKINGS

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