The All-Star break is over and it's been hard to get back into the swing of things. Well, many of the catchers have been able to use that excuse for a large portion of the season. We're back looking for gold in all this patch of dirt.
Anyway, we're in the second half of the season and we're looking at the usual suspects here in terms of those who can help either your one or two-catcher leagues. The hottest days of the summer are coming up and it's not unreasonable to think that many of these catchers that don't play a vast majority of their games indoors will suffer even more of a letdown. Still, we'll find what we can. As always, our cutoff is sub-70% ownership in Fleaflicker leagues.
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Week 16 Waiver Wire Catchers
Welington Castillo (C, ARI) 66% - This one is a surprise. Castillo has been a fantasy darling for much of the season. True, he has tailed off in July, collecting only six hits in the month and hitting both of his homers on the first two days of the month, but he could be poised for a rebound. If you're looking for a catcher who could give a punch in the arm in August, grab him.
Yadier Molina (C, STL) 62% - You'd think the guy who is tied for fifth in hits among all catchers would have a higher ownership percentage. Not so. Then again his lack of power even in this crop of catchers hurts him. Still, he scores a fair amount of runs and he's not totally woeful at driving them in either. He's even got a nice seven-game hit streak going. Yes, the temperatures in St. Louis are going to be hotter than the surface of the sun in the next few weeks, but Yadi won't melt.
Evan Gattis (C/OF, HOU) 56% - Yes, Gattis did leave with a contusion on his hand. Chances are good after Thursday's off-day he'll be fine for Friday. He's still got catching eligibility in leagues and it's always good to have someone with double-digit homer power in your lineup. Over the past 10 game, he's gotten a hit in five of them, so here's hoping that he can keep that up when he returns. At this point in the season, a chance like this is worth taking.
Derek Norris (C/1B, SD) 36% - The Great Bearded One has slumped a bit again in July, hitting only two homers. He has gotten a hit in five of his last 10 games, though. He's on another bad Padres team and has been one of the few brighter spots not named Wil Myers of late. The way Norris was hitting earlier this year, even his reaching 12 homers would have been considered a miracle. Grab him for a two-catcher league.
Francisco Cervelli (C, PIT) 35% - Cervelli's missed a good portion of June and has just made his way back into the starting lineup after having a broken hand. He started off the season really hot and though he faded, he's also coming back relatively fresh after missing the time. If he rounds back into form after a few more games, this guy could be a steal in two-catcher leagues. He's good enough of a hitter to bounce back.
Yasmani Grandal (C, LAD) 30% - Remember, two-catcher leagues focus on a single area where a catcher can help you. Grandal may be hitting around the Mendoza Line, but he's also got a lot of power for a catcher. He's currently tied with three others for second in long balls among backstops. Also, if you were lucky enough to have him on July 8, he gave you a heck of a stat line with his five hits.
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