Danny Jansen

Jansen entered last season with fewer than 100 MLB plate appearances to his name, but the sterling plate skills and improving pop he showed as a prospect made him an appealing fantasy target amid the barren catcher landscape. The juiced ball ultimately made many catchers more useful than expected, but Jansen wasn't one of them. In fact, he was actively harmful in fantasy. His .207 average placed him 29th among the 30 backstops with 300-plus plate appearances, and his 13 homers weren't special in the 2019 context. The disappointing numbers will drop Jansen's draft-day price, but he shouldn't be dismissed yet. His 81.3 percent contact rate and 42.4 hard-hit rate ranked highly among catchers and offer hope that he'll push his average to a more palatable level with some likely BABIP improvement. Additionally, a Jays lineup overflowing with young talent should lift Jansen's RBI and run ceilings compared to 2019.

A plus contributor at the desolate catcher position is a pipe dream for many. Jansen was a net positive during his time with Toronto in 2018, making him a popular late-round target this draft season. He smacked three homers, giving him 15 total across two levels, and posted a 115 wRC+, which if you lower the threshold to just 50 plate appearances, made Jansen a top-10 rate contributor at the position. Jansen also displayed quality plate skills with a manageable 17.9 K% and 9.5 BB%. The problem is that when he's everyone's favorite cheap catcher, eventually he will no longer be cheap. Drafters, especially those in two-catcher leagues, will continue to push him higher and higher as we get closer to Opening Day. It's possible Jansen will be worth it even after some helium, as he's firmly atop the depth chart with Russell Martin traded to Los Angeles. Just be sure to have some other names at the ready in case you get sniped.