Catchers

Tier 1:             Buster Posey

Tier 2:             Yadier Molina, Joe Mauer, Carlos Santana, Jonathan Lucroy

Tier 3:             Brian McCann, Wilin Rosario, Salvador Perez, Matt Wieters, Wilson Ramos, Jason Castro

Tier 4:             Miguel Montero, AJ Pierzynski, Evan Gattis, Devin Mesoraco

Tier 5:             Yan Gomes, Carlos Ruiz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Russell Martin, Alex Avila, Mike Zunino

* Note: Players in bold are those whom I expect to outperform their ADPs.

Posey once again stands alone at the top level, albeit with Molina, Mauer, Santana and Lucroy not too far behind in value. With respect to catchers, I said this last year, and the year before, and the year before that, etc. – while Posey and company are fantastic, I recommend waiting until the later rounds to draft a catcher.

I advocate this strategy with catchers for a number of reasons:

1) get injured more than any other position players

2) post less consistent offensive numbers from year to year than other position players

3) play less games than other position players, among other reasons.

In fact, I see no issue with using the waiver wire to pick up the hot hand when it comes to catchers.

That being said, for those looking to draft a catcher sooner rather than later, I like Joe Mauer this year. In case you haven’t heard, Mauer has fully transitioned to first base this season. So, look for his health prospects to increase, and for a batting average in the .330 range. Also, be aware that Mauer will lose C eligibility in leagues next season, so for those in dynasty leagues, keep that in mind.

For those willing to wait on catchers, I am all in on Wilson Ramos this season. Ramos hit 14 home runs from July through September last year, and I view this as a young player making major strides. Jason Castro also broke out last season, and his steps forward were no fluke either. For those in very deep leagues, Devin Mesoraco is worth a flier. He’s got a good eye at the plate and has shown power in the minor leagues, so keep an eye on him as a sleeper.

Neema Hodjat is the fantasy sports writer for RealGM.  He can be reached via email at nhodjat@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @NeemaHodjat.