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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2018 Catchers - Early Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings

RotoBaller's early 2018 fantasy baseball rankings and tiers for catchers. Our experts are ahead of the game with January mixed league rankings for catchers.

With the holidays in the rearview mirror, it’s time to turn our attention to the upcoming fantasy baseball season. (Or, if you’re me, it’s finally time to start writing about it now that people aren’t focused on the vastly inferior but more popular fantasy sport that is football). Our first round of rankings comes to you courtesy of Pierre Camus and Jeff Kahntroff, in addition to yours truly.

The opening round of rankings presents the highest degree of difficulty, for a variety of reasons. With four months until the regular season begins, there’s typically a fair amount of uncertainty around roles and playing time. That problem is exacerbated by a slow-developing offseason like this one. This may be the first time ever that this many marquee names remain on the market in January. There’s also this:

Suffice it to say there will likely to be a lot of tinkering with our rankings between now and when the final preseason installment drops in March. That doesn’t mean the exercise can’t be instructive, just remember to take this initial foray with a grain of salt. We’ll begin, as always, with a look at fantasy baseball’s thinnest position.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out all of our staff's initial 2018 fantasy baseball rankings for mixed leagues, including tiers and auction values. Analysis columns on all positions are coming soon!

 

2018 Fantasy Baseball Tiered Rankings: Catcher (January)

Ranking Tier Player Position Kyle Pierre Jeff
1 1 Gary Sanchez C 36 40 53
2 1 Buster Posey C/1B 64 78 66
3 2 Willson Contreras C 79 100 173
4 2 Salvador Perez C 98 141 187
5 3 Evan Gattis C 149 198 110
6 3 J.T. Realmuto C 131 191 181
7 3 Yadier Molina C 192 193 208
8 3 Yasmani Grandal C 140 224 265
9 3 Brian McCann C 200 248 #N/A
10 4 Mike Zunino C 216 213 252
11 4 Wilson Ramos C 164 278 251
12 4 Jonathan Lucroy C 184 245 281
13 5 Welington Castillo C 210 270 282
14 5 Robinson Chirinos C 258 #N/A
15 5 Russell Martin C 270 #N/A #N/A
16 6 Austin Hedges C 294 259 292
17 6 Austin Barnes C 284 #N/A
18 6 Jorge Alfaro C 285 #N/A #N/A
19 6 Tom Murphy C #N/A 286 #N/A
20 6 Matt Wieters C 313 300 #N/A
21 6 Travis d'Arnaud C 321 #N/A

 
Tier 1

No surprise here. Gary Sanchez was never going to maintain the monstrous pace he set as a rookie, but last year’s sophomore effort was still far and away the best to be had at the position. Even if this is his ceiling, the 25-year-old has already established himself as the game’s best offensive backstop. Buster Posey is no slouch, of course. He’s logged at least 140 games in each of the last six seasons, averaging 18 home runs per year and never hitting below .288. Given his minuscule strikeout rate, there’s a strong argument that he remains Sanchez’s equal (or perhaps better) in points formats.

Tier 2

Not exactly sure what Willson Contreras did to Jeff to merit such a low ranking. The Cubs’ catcher built on his strong rookie showing, maintaining a virtually identical slash line over a greater number of plate appearances while slightly upping his walk rate and isolated power. He’s similarly bearish on Salvador Perez, even though the veteran has increased his HR total every season and been one of the most durable catchers in baseball, despite Ned Yost actively trying to murder him with heavy workloads. True, his OBP is trash, but that’s of minor importance in standard leagues.

Tier 3

Only four catchers accumulated enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title in 2017 – both guys in our top tier, and two of the five in this group. J.T. Realmuto and Yadier Molina had basically identical seasons. Go ahead, try to tell them apart without cheating:

G AVG HR R RBI SB
141 .278 17 68 65 8
136 .273 18 60 62 9

 

Realmuto is, of course, nearly a decade younger. Molina will be 36 this year, and the risk of decline accounts for the large gap between them in my rankings. The other three players in this tier all played in the World Series last season, though Yasmani Grandal didn’t see the field much after the Dodgers elected to ride Austin Barnes in the playoffs. I still think he’s the primary catcher in Los Angeles, though, and only Sanchez has hit more homers at the position over the last two years. The Astros’ duo of Evan Gattis and Brian McCann come in fourth and fifth, respectively. This may be Gattis’ last season with catcher eligibility, but his expected role as the primary DH in 2018 should make him one of the highest volume options behind the dish. Both are on the wrong side of 30 and will likely drag a bit on your batting average, but they remain solid value picks for those owners disinclined to invest heavily in a catcher.

Tier 4

The high-variance tier. Do you want to bet on Mike Zunino’s power keeping him afloat despite a strikeout rate approaching 40 percent? Maybe you’re more inclined to roll the dice on Wilson Ramos staying healthy and recapturing his 2016 form (.307/.354/.496, 22 HR, 80 RBI). Or you could cross your fingers that Jonathan Lucroy’s cratering last season was a blip on the radar rather than the start of a steep decline. Pros and cons to all three options; personally, Ramos feels like the best balance of risk and reward here.

Tiers 5 and 6

We’re into deep, two-catcher, and/or AL/NL-only territory. The most intriguing name here to my eyes is Robinson Chirinos, assuming the Rangers finally hand him the starting job. He’s been productive as a backup/1-B to this point, and last season he hit .255/.360/.506 with 17 homers in 88 games. If you believe in the batting average boost he experienced in 2017, Welington Castillo is a fine option as well. The remainder is a collection of fading vets and guys for whom playing time is a question mark.

 

More MLB Rankings and ADP Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Eugenio Suárez5 hours ago

Eugenio Suarez Hits Go-Ahead Grand Slam Tuesday
A.J. Puk5 hours ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Michael King5 hours ago

Fans 11 In Five Shutout Innings Tuesday
Christian Yelich5 hours ago

Hits First Homer Of Season, Steals Base Tuesday
Evan Engram5 hours ago

Sean Payton Excited About Evan Engram In Joker Role
Anthony Bender5 hours ago

Earns First Save Of Season Tuesday
Robert Hassell III5 hours ago

Has Three-Hit Day At Triple-A
Thomas Harrington6 hours ago

Hit Hard In MLB Debut Tuesday
Gunnar Henderson6 hours ago

Hits Solo Homer In Triple-A Rehab Game Tuesday
Marcelo Mayer6 hours ago

Hits First Home Run At Triple-A
Caleb Williams6 hours ago

To Spend More Time Working Under Center
Tom Hoge6 hours ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Zebby Matthews6 hours ago

Twirls Five Shutout Innings At Triple-A
Daniel Jones6 hours ago

Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones To Split First-Team Reps This Offseason
Terry McLaurin6 hours ago

Commanders Interested In Extending Terry McLaurin
Rashee Rice7 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Hurston Waldrep7 hours ago

Fans Seven In Win At Triple-A
Garrett Wilson7 hours ago

Jets Plan To Get Garrett Wilson The Ball "As Much As Possible"
Keaton Mitchell7 hours ago

Ravens Have High Hopes For Keaton Mitchell
Angel Genao7 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Injury
Derrick Henry7 hours ago

John Harbaugh Wants Ravens To Extend Derrick Henry
Christian McCaffrey7 hours ago

Is Healthy
Clarke Schmidt7 hours ago

To Return April 15 Or 16
Shane Baz8 hours ago

Strikes Out 10
Mike Tauchman8 hours ago

Begins Rehab Assignment
Wyatt Langford8 hours ago

Launches Another Homer
Nathan Eovaldi8 hours ago

Throws Complete Game Shutout
Michael Petersen9 hours ago

Traded To Atlanta
Matt Fitzpatrick9 hours ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners9 hours ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay9 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Reynaldo López9 hours ago

Reynaldo Lopez To Undergo Right-Shoulder Surgery
Gary Woodland9 hours ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia10 hours ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti10 hours ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
NFL10 hours ago

Tush Push Unlikely To Be Banned For 2025 Season
Xavier Legette10 hours ago

Dave Canales Compares Xavier Legette To DK Metcalf
Brett de Geus10 hours ago

Phillies Claim Brett de Geus Off Waivers From Marlins
New York Giants10 hours ago

Ty Summers Re-Signs With New York
Nick Mears10 hours ago

Beginning Rehab Assignment At Triple-A
Sam Ehlinger10 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Denver
Guerschon Yabusele11 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns11 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals11 hours ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Jevon Carter11 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry11 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Julian Phillips11 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Jalen Smith11 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Lonzo Ball11 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Kevin Huerter11 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Josh Giddey11 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton11 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale11 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant12 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal12 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II12 hours ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons12 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young12 hours ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser12 hours ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud12 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Isaiah Stewart12 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba12 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga12 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry12 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Jaylen Brown12 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault12 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Alex Laferriere12 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Luke Schenn13 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Dante Fabbro13 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Detroit Lions15 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans15 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders15 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear16 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins16 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL16 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä16 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway16 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys16 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal16 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy16 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Josh Norris16 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk16 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Jordan Spieth18 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp18 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim19 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood19 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau19 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole19 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith23 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment23 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka23 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov23 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov23 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes23 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens1 day ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA1 day ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman1 day ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl2 days ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg2 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall2 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara2 days ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez2 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.2 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez2 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas2 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez2 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman2 days ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres5 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum5 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales5 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira5 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF