You’ve come to the right place to find all the catchers that are fit to stream. Here’s a look at each team’s schedule and their starting and backup catcher options. Scroll to the right to see the full week’s worth of matchups.
Depth Chart and Matchups
Everyday Options
Some catchers jump out to me as substantially under-rostered:
Samuel Basallo – BAL (37% on Yahoo): Basallo is an elite hitting prospect who’s still working out the kinks. His .966 OPS with 23 home runs at Triple-A last season paints a convincing picture of what he could bring to the big leagues now that he’s getting a shot. He and Adley Rutschman are in a symbiotic timeshare at the moment, splitting both catching and designated hitter duties. As long as that keeps up, both players will draw enough starts to be fantasy relevant. Basallo was having a slow start to the season until he hit his first home run of the year on Wednesday. He’ll have to keep that momentum going if he wants to really lock down the starting job, as his skills behind the plate are lagging behind his bat. He’s just 21 years old, and there’s a risk the Orioles will send him down if he doesn’t click. But the job is his if he’s ready.
Carter Jensen – KCR (22% on Yahoo): There are a lot of similarities between Basallo and Jensen. Both young players have huge potential, but have something to prove. Both have a clear path to everyday roles if they can get into gear, but neither has unlimited time to figure things out. Jensen may be in the doghouse after sleeping through his alarm and forcing the team to make a last-minute roster change. He’s had a slow start to the year, going two for his last 16 with no home runs. Still, he’s the Royals’ top prospect, and there’s not much pressure from anyone on the team to take the DH role from him. His ceiling might be a bit lower than Basallo’s, but he’s had a slightly better overall record at the big-league level. I prefer Jensen by a hair in redraft leagues for his longer leash and proven ability to hit in the majors.
Liam Hicks – MIA (18% on Yahoo): Hicks is off to a ridiculous start to the year. He’s 7-for-15 with three home runs in just five games. He’s halfway to his home run total of six from last year, which he eked out over 119 games. He had a good eye at the plate last year, striking out 14.4% of the time and walking 11%, but he had next to no power with an average exit velo of 84.6 mph. Now, that’s rocketed up to 93.5 mph. He looks like a different hitter, and while he won’t keep up his scorching 71 home run pace, it’s not insane to think he can keep enough of these power gains to be an impact bat. I wouldn’t expect the world from him, but he looks like a legitimate option in all league sizes. He’s started behind the dish and at first, and I suspect Miami will get him in the lineup anyway they can.
Streaming Options
Austin Wells – NYY (16% on Yahoo): He’s lined up against Miami, Sacramento, and Minnesota. While not off to the hottest start, he is coming off a 21-home run season. He’s due.
J.T. Realmuto – PHI (22% on Yahoo): A date with Coors will brighten anyone’s day. 3-for-15 on the year, but he’s already slugged a home run.
Victor Caratini – MIN (0% on Yahoo): Drawn starts in five of six games, more than teammate and presumed primary catcher Ryan Jeffers. Off to an okay start with a .267 average. Sneaky pickup in very deep leagues.
Samuel Basallo – BAL (37% on Yahoo): He’ll see Pittsburgh followed by the White Sox. He could end up as an elite catcher, so now’s as good a time as any to give him a spin.
Danny Jansen – TEX (1% on Yahoo): Boasts an .824 OPS. Not the best matchups but he’s very widely available.
