Today's Fantasy Rx

National League Catchers with Draft Value below $-1

Quick Key to the tables:
AB = At-bats.  H = Hits.  BA = Batting Average.  HR= Home Runs.
RBI = Runs Batted In.  SB = Stolen Bases.  R = Runs.  B = Bats.  T = Throws.
Pos = Position qualification based on 20 appearances or max. # of games in 2004.
Age = Player's Age as of October 1, 2004.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
RAR = Runs Above Replacement; Adjusted RAR = RAR modified to
consider a player's 2004 defensive rating in Scoresheet fantasy baseball.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest. As the majority of fantasy leagues allow you to keep anyone traded to the other league, all players are listed in the league where they began the season.

30.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Justin Knoedler		1	0	.000	0	0	0	0	C
SF Giants		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 24	B:R    T:R	-2		-3		-0.2		-0.2

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: San Francisco for my comments on Knoedler.

38.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
J.R. House		9	1	.111	0	0	0	1	C
PIT Pirates		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 24	B:R    T:R	-2		-3		-1		-1

Please refer to our Post-2004 Prospect Review: Pittsburgh for my comments on House.

46.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Jason Phillips		362	79	.218	7	34	0	34	C1
NY Mets		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 28	B:R    T:R	-5		-3		-10.1		-10.8

A poor spring training could push Phillips off the roster completely after this awful performance. However, nothing in his skills explains a season-long slump, so he easily could return near the .298/.373/.442 line he posted in 2003, especially if New York simply leaves him at a single position. I expect Phillips to finish closer to double-digit value than another $-5, making him an intriguing gamble if you can roster him for only a few bucks.

49.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Chad Moeller		317	66	.208	5	27	0	25	C
MIL Brewers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 29	B:R    T:R	-6		-5		-14.3		-16.2

With the signing of Damian Miller allowing Moeller resume his career as a part-time player, he should add an acceptable average to his respectable power numbers. While I don't envision him exceeding $5 any time soon, decent patience and power potential make him a surprisingly safe choice during Dollar Days. Drafting him in a league where you can't replace him at your leisure is a risky move, but Moeller otherwise should help many owners in standard leagues next year.

50.		AB	H	BA	HR	RBI	SB	R	Pos
Dave Ross		165	28	.170	5	15	0	13	C
LA Dodgers		4x4		5x5		RAR		Adj. RAR
Age: 27	B:R    T:R	-6		-6		-9.6		-9

Despite no overt skill change Ross dropped from one of the more useful part-time catchers in the game to one of the worst players to own in fantasy baseball. An absolutely awful average sabotaged his power numbers. At the least the Dodgers still believe in his skills, and with Ross entering his third big league season, he should rebound even if forced into full-time duty. Especially in sim leagues and anywhere you can benefit from his likely strong OPS, Ross looks like a potentially excellent bargain in the low single digits.

'04 Catcher Week concludes tomorrow, featuring Minor League Free Agent and AAA/AA Catchers in the National League.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Some of the worst NL catchers this year rank as the strongest bets for 2005 among players discussed above. Jason Phillips, Chad Moeller, and Dave Ross each own respectable skill sets, making them more likely to reemerge as a viable fantasy options than journeyman defensive specialists and youngsters set to spend most of next season in the minors. Of course, rostering anyone here is a risk, but looking for upside in Dollar Days' bids on Phillips or Ross is a much better idea than bidding into double-digits in the hope that the better 2004 options echo their unsupported performances.