2009 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleepers and Undervalued Players

The catcher position in fantasy baseball is often one of the most overlooked, for several reasons. Sleepers are fairly common at the position.

There are a limited number of elite catching options out there, as most catchers are not known for possessing top-notch batting skills.

In 2009, the top fantasy baseball catchers should be the Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan Doumit, and the Atlanta Braves' Brian McCann.

Where should I draft my catcher?

In fantasy baseball, many owners believe that solidifying your catcher position early on in your draft is a strategic move to make. Most of the time, this is pretty solid thinking. However, more likely than not, fantasy baseball owners will inflate the top catcher's values so much that the catchers will not be worth the price you pay. For this reason, it is important to look for other values to fill the catcher position on your roster.

Who are the best values at catcher for fantasy baseball this season?

2009 looks like a deep talent pool for catchers, and the fantasy baseball owner simply needs to pick the right sleeper catcher for his/her needs. Speed is not common from catchers, so do not expect to receive many, if any, stolen bases from your catcher.

Here are the best sleepers for fantasy baseball catchers in the 2009 season!

Mike Napoli - Catcher - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

ESPN.com ranks Mike Napoli as the seventh best catcher in their draft guide. Ladies and gentlemen, Napoli is much, much better than his current #7 ranking.

Try this on for size-just last season, Napoli posted 20 home runs and a .273 batting average. He also added 7 stolen bases. How many at-bats did he get? He accumulated all of these stats in 227 at bats. If Napoli doubles those at-bats, we could see some serious production out of him this year. Look for Napoli to approach 30 home runs, as well as 10-15 stolen bases. His batting average should not fall significantly, either. He is a premier catcher sleeper, and should be selected much higher than the seventh catcher off the board.

Matt Wieters - Catcher - Baltimore Orioles

Ever heard of a fantasy baseball player that is so overhyped that he loses all of his sleeper value? Wieters could be that guy this year. Wieters, the best prospect in all of baseball, should get a chance to start for the Baltimore Orioles behind the plate. In the offseason, the Orioles moved veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez to make room for Wieters, who will undoubtedly contribute at the plate for the O's immediately.

As with all rookies, it is extremely difficult to project a statistical line for Wieters. He has good power and hits for a good batting average, so it may not be about of the ballpark to expect 15 home runs and a .290 batting average. Those numbers would definitely help any fantasy owner in pursuit of a fantasy baseball championship.

Wieters will be hyped, but if you can get him as the sixth to eighth player off the board, then you will be very good to go. Wieters has some major skill-why not take a chance on him to produce for your fantasy baseball team?

Chris Snyder - Catcher - Arizona Diamondbacks

Snyder has been overlooked in many drafts this year, coming in 15th in the ESPN.com's Mock Draft Results. Even though he posted an extremely low batting average last year, be encouraged. Snyder has a major power bat and 20+ home run upside. Look for a healthy batting average rebound, possibly to .250, as he continues to develop in the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup.

Other Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleepers:

John Baker (Florida Marlins)
Kurt Suzuki (Oakland Athletics)
Rod Barajas (Toronto Blue Jays)
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Texas Rangers)
Gerald Laird (Detroit Tigers)