I disagree....he hits for average, but nothing else. He really doesn't do the things that make a good fantasy pick.
Has anyone played a keeper league? My team last year has had me thinking who I would have kept if I were allowed only 3 players.
He averaged just .43 points per game less than Victor Martinez (the best catcher) last year and played in six more games. In our scoring system, Lo Duca has numbers right there with the best of them and plays every day. He is tremendously underrated here.
Do not compare Lo Duca to the last season's pickup of the year, who I might add was picked up by the Pimps full time last season and part time the season before.
Martinez: 2.97 ppg (141 games) -- 6th round, pick #2 Lo Duca: 2.54 ppg (147 games) -- 16th round, pick #9 It's pretty obvious which player represents better value.
I would say that his value in relation to where he was picked is better, but I think catchers as a whole are overvalued every year, which is why I never take one until the second half of the draft and don't hesitate to change early to mid season. I was just saying that Martinez is the guy that will dominate his position.
My biggest concern with the catcher position is getting one that doesn't miss too many games. That's why I like having Jason Kendall on my team, and tend to avoid players like Ivan Rodriguez who sit out more often.
Well, I guess RMJ and DH played me into this pick since Pimp & I are the only ones without a catcher...I wanted one of three catcher's...so I'll go with the only one still standing R. Hernandez
There's something to be said for having premium talent at a position as opposed to average talent. A guy like Victor Martinez (or my pick, Lopez) is pretty much guaranteed to produce fantasy #s, he'll almost definitely be a leader at the catcher position in terms of fantasy value. He'll give you production from a position where most get little to nothing. The chances of him outproducing his 2004 numbers at the age of 26 are pretty good, while Lo Duca at 32 is old for a catcher and is likely to gradually decline. Martinez is likely worth 100 points more than Lo Duca, over the course of this season. Is that worth a pick in the 6th round as opposed to the 16th? Arguably. Is Francisco Cordero (RP, 6th round) going to be worth more than 100 points more than Eddie Guardado (RP, 16th round). Maybe, maybe not. Guardado is coming off an injury-plagued season, while Cordero was a big surprise last year and is recovering from a shoulder injury.
