2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: C

Fantasy baseball owners are used to not having many quality catchers to choose from in drafts, but 2010 was the year the game changed. Last season delivered the debuts of Buster Posey and Carlos Santana, two highly-regarded prospects that spent little time cashing in on their potential.

Posey got out to a blazing-hot start and ended the year with a .305 average and 18 HRs in just over 400 at-bats. Santana only managed 150 at-bats due to injury but hit .260 with six HRs and three SBs. He did have an average in the .290s before a post-All Star slump, and his season ended abruptly before it course corrected.

Both catchers are under-25 and sure to be top-five selections at the catcher position. Throw in a great rebound season from Geovany Soto in 2010 as well as Matt Wieters' near-certain breakout, and the catcher position is looking much deeper than it has in quite a while.

1. Joe Mauer, MIN
2. Buster Posey, SF
3. Victor Martinez, DET
4. Brian McCann, ATL
5. Carlos Santana, CLE
6. Geovany Soto, CHC
7. Mike Napoli, TEX
8. Matt Wieters, BAL
9. Miguel Montero, ARI
10. Kurt Suzuki, OAK
11. Jorge Posada, NYY
12. Chris Iannetta, COL
13. J.P. Arencibia, TOR
14. John Buck, FLA
15. Carlos Ruiz, PHI
16. Yadier Molina, STL
17. Russell Martin, NYY
18. Miguel Olivo, SEA
19. A.J. Pierzynski, CWS
20. John Jaso, TB
21. Nick Hundley, SD
22. Ramon Hernandez, CIN
23. Alex Avila, DET
24. Ryan Doumit, PIT
25. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, BOS

• Joe Mauer is almost assuredly going to be the top catcher off the board in most leagues, but some of his luster has worn off after his gargantuan power year in 2009 regressed, leaving him with just nine dingers, the same amount he had in 2008. In fact, if 2008 and 2010 are lined up next to each other, Mauer is about as stable as they come. Don't go expecting another 20-plus homers and you'll know exactly what you'll get from Mauer.

• Meanwhile, Victor Martinez has back-to-back seasons with 20 HRs and a .300 average, but unfortunately, he won't be playing half his games in Fenway Park this season. His splits in Comerica Park arent great -- .225/.321/.349 with just four HRs in 169 career at-bats. However, Martinez will get the at-bats of a designated hitter while filling your catcher slot. If he can stay healthy, he should be a lock for 20-plus HRs and a solid average.

• Like Martinez, Mike Napoli will get plenty of DH at-bats while still qualifying at catcher. After two consecutive seasons hitting in the .270s, Napoli's average fell back to poor levels in 2010, but he did have his third-straight 20-HR season. Runs like that are hard to find at catcher. He's been pretty great in Arlington over his career, hitting .292 with six HRs in just 89 at-bats. I'm counting on a .250 average and 25 HRs from the guy, making him a solid value after the top options come off the board.

• Digging deeper into the position, Jorge Posada is going to be picked late in fantasy drafts, but he's another guy that's due to benefit from significant at-bats in the DH slot. He kept a lot of his power in 2010, but the average dipped down to .248, partly due to a slump at the very end of the season that saw him get just one hit in his last 24 at-bats. If playing DH can get him close to 500 at-bats, we should get very similar numbers to those projected for Napoli. He's my top late-round target at the position.

• Keep an eye on J.P. Arencibia. He exploded in his Major League debut, going 4-for-5 with two HRs, three runs and three RBIs. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there, as he went one for his next 30 to finish with a .143/.189/.343 line. Don't undersell the guy -- he hit .301 with 32 HRs in 412 at-bats in Triple-A last season. That fantastic minor-league season makes him a solid gamble as a late-round fantasy starter.