Yankees: 3 Fantasy Replacements for Gary Sanchez
By Bill Pivetz
The Yankees season isn’t getting off to the right start. They will be without star catcher Gary Sanchez for a while. Here are some replacements for you.
The New York Yankees 2017 season was bright. They had a lot of young stars looking to making an impact and some veterans to guide them along the way. Fantasy owners were excited about the new talent. However, one of those players will be out for at least two weeks with a right biceps strain. Jack Curry of YES was one of the first to tweet out the news that Gary Sanchez will miss some time.
As the No. 2 catcher taken in most leagues, fantasy owners are looking for a viable replacement to start the season. If you are in a one-catcher league, there should be plenty of options out there. In deeper leagues, the talent pool becomes a little more shallow. While you can’t project injuries, this is one of the reasons why I don’t draft a catcher early. You invest such an early pick for him to just go down with an injury for a bit.
If you are one of those owners that took a risk on Sanchez early, here are three widely available replacements to fill Sanchez’s slot.
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Francisco Cervelli – PIT – 11.7% owned in ESPN leagues
Cervelli is a bit older so consistent playing time may not be guaranteed. When he does play, he can still hit. He is hitting .250 with four runs, one home run and one RBI.
Cervelli already matched his 2016 home run total. He has hit sixth in all four of his starts, behind Gregory Polanco and David Freese.
Cervelli can get on base and score, surprisingly, from the bottom half of the batting order.
Jason Castro – MIN – 7.8% owned
Castro is benefitting from the early success of this Twins team. He has a .400 average with one home run, five runs and five RBI. The newest Minnesota player is quickly acclimating himself with his teammates.
Castro is also batting sixth in this lineup, behind Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano. The combination of contact and power ahead of him gives Castro opportunities to drive in runs.
James McCann – DET – 3.9% owned
The other McCann is the best overall catcher of the three so far. He has a .273 average with two home runs, two runs and three RBI. He is also showing great plate discipline. McCann has a .467 on-base percentage with four walks and a strikeout.
McCann is hitting seventh in the Detroit lineup, behind Justin Upton and a combination of Mikie Mahtook and Tyler Collins. He will not play on Sunday but will be back on Monday.
He isn’t much of a power hitter, career-high 12 home runs, but this could be his breakout season if he continues to make contact.
No one on this list can replace Sanchez’s power potential, but if you drafted properly, you have other hitters that can cover the difference.
Next: Top Waiver Wire Adds for Week 2
The Yankees will rely on Austin Romine behind to plate. I don’t think he will provide enough at the plate to be fantasy relevant. Keep Gary Sanchez on your DL and use one of these three catchers as a bandage until he’s healthy.