Catcher is often the weakest position in the fantasy baseball landscape. This means fantasy baseball managers need to decide how to approach the position on draft day. The question is whether to go after one of the elite players or wait to assess the position when most remaining players are on a more even playing field.
Managers will need to go beyond simply looking at MLB projections to decide when to grab their catcher. It's a unique position that requires a pre-draft strategy along with pivots depending on what actually happens when it's time to select your team. From Cal Raleigh to Carson Kelly and everyone in between, here's what you need to know.
Why Catcher Is a Unique Position in Fantasy Baseball
Most MLB teams rely on their catchers primarily for defensive purposes. It's also a taxing position, meaning backstops need to commit the majority of their time and energy to that side of the field. That unfortunately means that many of them aren't great fantasy baseball players. There are certainly exceptions, but it's such a unique position that many fail to be difference-makers when it comes to offense.
"Even in shallow leagues, there is a steep decline from the top catcher to the next handful and on down, so 'waiting on catcher' will put you behind at the position regardless of how many catchers start in your league," said RotoWire baseball expert James Anderson.
Understanding Positional Scarcity at Catcher
There are only a handful of truly relevant fantasy
Catcher is often the weakest position in the fantasy baseball landscape. This means fantasy baseball managers need to decide how to approach the position on draft day. The question is whether to go after one of the elite players or wait to assess the position when most remaining players are on a more even playing field.
Managers will need to go beyond simply looking at MLB projections to decide when to grab their catcher. It's a unique position that requires a pre-draft strategy along with pivots depending on what actually happens when it's time to select your team. From Cal Raleigh to Carson Kelly and everyone in between, here's what you need to know.
Why Catcher Is a Unique Position in Fantasy Baseball
Most MLB teams rely on their catchers primarily for defensive purposes. It's also a taxing position, meaning backstops need to commit the majority of their time and energy to that side of the field. That unfortunately means that many of them aren't great fantasy baseball players. There are certainly exceptions, but it's such a unique position that many fail to be difference-makers when it comes to offense.
"Even in shallow leagues, there is a steep decline from the top catcher to the next handful and on down, so 'waiting on catcher' will put you behind at the position regardless of how many catchers start in your league," said RotoWire baseball expert James Anderson.
Understanding Positional Scarcity at Catcher
There are only a handful of truly relevant fantasy baseball catchers. That's an issue because teams in the vast majority of leagues are required to start at least one. Looking at 2026 fantasy baseball rankings, there are only three catchers in the top-100 (Raleigh, Willson Contreras and Ben Rice) and nine in the top-200. In theory, that means a 10-team league is going to be starting a player outside the top-200 at catcher.
The significant drop-off means that managers will have a decision to make no matter how they approach the position. There are always diamonds in the rough (like 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin) that emerge, but it's a fairly straightforward position. You know what you're going to get, with less variance between projections and outcomes than other positions.
"Even so, the gap in plate appearances from the best fantasy catchers to the next tier down is massive. Three catchers had 640-plus plate appearances last year and 10 catchers had 500-plus plate appearances, but by the time you get to the 15th catcher, they are under 450 plate appearances," Anderson said.
Early, Middle and Late-Round Catcher Draft Strategies
Fantasy baseball managers will need to decide whether they're chasing one of the top two or three catchers, whether they're waiting somewhere in the middle or if they'll dig around the bottom of the catcher pool to nab their starter. All three can work, but will take a sound strategy that managers can prep for using RotoWire's fantasy baseball draft kit.
Grabbing either Raleigh or Contreras sets you up at the position for the entire year. These two start 130 games and are often designated hitters on their off-days, so you're getting the most bang for your buck. It may require reaching a few spots earlier than their fantasy baseball ADP or spending a few extra dollars in auction drafts. Drafting either of those two means you can don't have to think about the position the rest of the draft.
Waiting until the middle rounds will require a little bit of luck, and avoiding the dreaded run on catchers. A similar strategy is in play here on reaching a little bit once you feel the rest of your roster is in a good space. Make sure to target second-tiered catchers in this spot. There's no real prize for grabbing the top third-tier catcher, so the draft may make that decision for you.
"If you go for middle-round catchers, you're inviting more variance into the equation, as this is where you'll find rookie catchers with upside, and veteran catchers with perceived high floors, but there isn't such a thing as a high-floor catcher outside of the top seven or eight catchers," Anderson said.
Waiting until the end may feel scary because you're left with a net-negative at the position. But that also means you haven't "wasted" a spot on a catcher, and you have shored up other positions better than your opponents.
"You can go late-round catcher in any one-catcher league, if you prefer to load up at the other positions and don't mind being near the bottom of the league in production at catcher," Anderson added.
Also remember that your team on draft day is not the one you'll finish the season with. You can always pick up a hot free agent or trade for a catcher.
League Formats That Change Catcher Draft Value
All fantasy baseball leagues are different, and roster settings may dictate how you strategize drafting catchers. In two-catcher leagues, fantasy baseball managers will want to draft one early. Catchers gain added importance in these setups, and using RotoWire's custom fantasy baseball rankings will help make those adjustments.
"Two-catcher leagues increase the amount of skill involved to win a league, as you need to know the player pool very well, including knowing about minor league catchers," Anderson said.
Positional requirements may also dictate who gets catcher eligibility, which can increase someone's value in an instant.
Common Mistakes When Drafting Catchers
The most common mistake when drafting catchers is reaching for one simply because you need to fill the spot. This typically happens in the mid-to-late rounds when all your other starting positions are filled. Stay true to your rankings and build depth at positions you'll need over the course of the season. If you're waiting on a catcher, wait a while.
"You need to know how early the best catchers are going to be drafted and whether you are in on them at that price," Anderson said. "In one-catcher leagues, you should generally not take the top player in a tier, as you don't know how long the rest of the players in that tier will last in the draft."
The other mistake would be totally dispelling the position from your rankings. It's not sexy, but Raleigh is ranked 22nd and Contreras is ranked 77th. If that matches with where your board lands when it's time to pick, it's totally fine to get aggressive and fill the spot. It's one less position to think about the rest of the season, and the numbers all count the same regardless of where they're coming from.
You can get the catcher you feel best suits your team's needs, you just need to subscribe to RotoWire have all the right information and to be prepared.
