Catchers to Stream for Week 17 (7/30-8/5)

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

For some background on this article, check out Week 2’s article.

Reviewing Last Week

I’m writing this Sunday morning, so the week is not yet complete, but let’s look at how I did with last week’s streamers.

Jorge Alfaro (Philadelphia Phillies) — 6/17, 1 HR, 5 R, 2 RBI

Alfaro posted a .353 batting average this past week while smacking a homer against Kenta Maeda on Wednesday. 7 of his 11 outs were strikeouts, which will continue to be a hindrance to his performance. However, with a strong average and counting stats, I’ve gotta call this a win.

Jonathan Lucroy (Oakland Athletics) — 5/15 1 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI

Lucroy started the week off on a great note, hitting a grand slam off of Cole Hamels on Monday. Again, a .333 average and solid counting stats are going to count for a win.

Tucker Barnhart (Cincinnati Reds) — 5/16, 2 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI

Barnhart hit, not one, but two dingers this week! You’ll take that from a catcher every time! Having only done this for a couple weeks, I gotta say, this clean sweep feels good.

Dave’s Streaming Record: 24-19

Austin’s Streaming Record: 4-2

Looking Forward

Before we get to this week’s streamers, a few notes:

• Remember when I said Gary Sanchez owners had stopped reading last week? Welcome back. Sanchez went right back to the disabled list after playing just three games with the Yankees. He reinjured his groin, and will likely be out until late August. In his stead, Austin Romine will handle the majority of games behind the dish.
• Evan Gattis will likely ride the bench when the Houston Astros take a trip to Chavez Ravine to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Astros will also be playing a three game series in Seattle, where Gattis will have the opportunity to DH, however, owners should expect half the usual at bats for Gattis in week 17.
• Francisco Cervelli was activated from the disabled list after dealing with some concussion symptoms. As we all know, concussions can be very tricky, so keep an eye on Cervelli and his performance going forward.

Without further ado, let’s check out this week’s streamers:

Caleb Joseph (Baltimore Orioles) — There aren’t any clear standout matchups this week for any team, however, the Orioles are set to take a trip to Yankee Stadium and Globe Life Park in Arlington, two of the better hitting environments in the American League. He’s been hot of late as well, batting .348 in the past week. He’s 2.9% owned in ESPN leagues, which means you are almost guaranteed to be able to grab him for the week to come.

Robinson Chirinos (Texas Rangers) — Chirinos is a hard nut to crack; he seems to be all or nothing in any given week. Last week he hit two home runs, and it is my hope that he’ll have similar production in the week to come. After a two game stint at Chase Field, the Rangers will come home to play the Orioles. A good hitting environment and bad pitchers is generally a combination for success. I’m banking on it here for Chirinos.

Jorge Alfaro (Philadelphia Phillies) — I mean, it worked last week, right? I picked up Alfaro as my Gary Sanchez replacement in the Prodigy League, and might just hang onto him for the week to come. The Phillies will play six games this week: two at Boston, and four at home against the Marlins. With the Marlins poor pitching staff, I think Alfaro has a decent chance at staying hot in Week 17.