The Dodgers' Russell Martin not only hit for average and power, but added a valuable 21 steals last year.

Matt A. Brown/Icon SMI

There is little question that the weakest position overall is at catcher. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the Founding Fathers of this fine game made us fill up two catcher's spots, making our job doubly tough this year.

Last year, only two catchers had 20 or more home runs: Victor Martinez (25) and Jorge Posada (20). Only one catcher -- Martinez -- drove in more than 100 runs, and only one -- Russell Martin -- had double-digit stolen bases. It was a position filled with more misses than hits last year and this year will be much of the same. On the bright side, there are some young new stars to consider, such as Oakland's Kurt Suzuki, the Cubs' Geovany Soto and the Astros' J.R. Towles.

Here now are my top 20 catchers to get on draft day, along with their AL-only or NL-only rotisserie dollar values and their 2008 projections:

1. Victor Martinez, Cleveland, $22

Martinez is one of the game's premier catchers, but his first base eligibility gives him added value on draft day. He was a monster in the first half last season, hitting .324-16-68, but numerous injuries led to a decline in production after the break (.273-9-46). A good hitter both at home (.288-12-51) and on the road (.312-13-63), the switch-hitter batted .307-18-80 vs. right-handed pitchers and .289-7-34 vs. lefties. He's tough, has good power, has a good eye at the plate (.374 OBP) and he's still just 29.

Projection: He'll be one of the first two catchers drafted and likely will go in the top 25 overall. Look for Martinez to hit .307-24-105 for the Indians this season.

2. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers, $22

Martin went from being a talented catcher with a high ceiling to being an elite fantasy catcher in 2007. He brought power, speed, average and a .376 OBP to his fantasy owners' rosters. There was little he didn't do well. His 21 steals in 30 attempts were a huge boost to his fantasy value and helped separate Martin from the bulk of the other catchers. At age 25, his game is on the rise and he should be the first or second catcher taken on draft day.

Projection: He's a top 30 pick who will hit .289-22-92-17 in '08.

3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota, $18

Last season was a forgettable one for Mauer, who battled a number of ailments, including injuries to his knee, quad and hamstring. That cost him 53 games and led to a dramatic decline in his production. He hit .293 with a .382 OBP and struggled badly at home (.248-2-19 compared to .342-5-41 on the road). He also was accused of not being tough enough to play through those injuries, something he will have to deal with this year.

Projection: If he can stay healthy this year, he should be able to bounce back and hit .316-14-86-10 for the Twins in '08.

4. Brian McCann, Atlanta, $18

Bothered by a sore ankle for much of the season, McCann's fantasy production dipped a bit after his breakthrough '06 campaign. He still topped 90 RBIs for the second straight season, but his average (.270), home runs (18) and OBP (.320) all dropped off dramatically. He was a much better hitter at home (.294-6-36) than on the road (.250-12-56), and fantasy owners are still grabbing him in the top 75 of off-season drafts. Healthy again, look for McCann to return to his '06 production level, making him an elite fantasy catcher.

Projection: Just 24, he will hit .290-21-94-2 this year.

5. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees, $17

After delivering one of the best seasons of his career, Posada remained with the Yankees, signing a four-year, $52.4-million deal in November. He hit a career-high .338 last season (51 points above his previous high) and his .426 OBP tied his career best. He was strong against both left-handed pitchers (.324-6-28) and right-handed pitchers (.332-14-62), while also delivering both at home (.332-11-41) and on the road (.344-9-49). We wouldn't expect him to hit .338 again, so look for a decline in that category.

Projection: He remains a top-flight fantasy catcher on a good team who will hit .284-21-88-2 this season.  

6. Kenji Johjima, Seattle, $13

Johjima had a solid second season with Seattle, although he did suffer declines in production across the board as he played through a wrist injury. He hit .287 with a .322 OBP and hit better on the road (.302-6-25) than at home (.270-8-36). There is some talk that Johjima could move to 1B at some point and he may even play some there this year, but for now he's a top 10 fantasy catcher who can improve on last year's numbers.

Projection: He's durable and will hit .288-16-74-1 in 130+ games.

7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas, $12

The top catching prospect in the Braves' organization, he was the jewel of the Mark Teixeira trade for the Rangers last year. In 46 games with the Rangers, he hit .251-7-21 with a weak .290 OBP. He struggled to adapt to American League pitching, fanning 47 times in 167 at-bats with Texas and hitting a woeful .130-0-2 vs. left-handed pitchers with the Rangers (compared to .298-7-19 vs. righties). The Rangers have yet to decide if he'll open the season at first base or behind the plate, but all signs point to him being the team's starting catcher this season. He has shown power in the minors (.314-19-81 at Class A in 2005) and he was hitting .309-6-13 at Double-A at the time of his call-up.

Projection: He's a great upside pick who will hit .271-14-61 this season. 

8. Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit, $11

Although his offensive production now resides in the respectable level, the Tigers liked what they saw from Pudge enough to exercise their $13-million option on him for '08. That's despite an '07 season that saw his power, average and OBP (.294, just 9 walks) all suffer declines. He continues to be one of the best signal-callers behind the plate, but fantasy owners must realize that after 17 years of catching the wear and tear is taking a toll on him.

Projection: At 36 and in his 18th MLB season, Rodriguez is on the downside of his career, but he's still a top 10 catcher who will hit .275-11-61-3.    

9. Bengie Molina, San Francisco, $11

Molina made a quick adjustment to the National League in his first year with the Giants, driving in a career-high 81 runs and tying his career high with 19 home runs. His OBP (.298 with just 15 walks) left a lot to be desired, but he rarely strikes out (53 times) and is a worthy bat at a tough position. One concern, however, is that Molina is 33 and has been injury-prone in the past as his 134 games in '07 were a career high. Hitting at Pac Bell Park for half of his games will also wear on his home numbers.

Projection: He remains a solid option who will deliver a .277-17-74 season in '08.

10. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs, $10

With Jason Kendall now in Milwaukee, Soto enters spring training as the frontrunner for the starting job with the Cubs. He had a standout season at Triple-A last year, hitting .353-26-109 in 110 games. His strong eye at the plate was reflected in his .424 OBP and his production was strong after being called up by the Cubs late in the season. He hit .389 with three home runs in 18 games, showing strong work against both left-handed pitchers (.400-1-4) and righties (.345-2-4). A standout hitter both at Wrigley Field (.333-2-6) and on the road (.444-1-2), Soto should have a clear path to the starting job given how backup Henry Blanco is nothing more than a No. 2 catcher at this point in his career.

Projection: Soto is a nice upside pick who will hit .282-14-69-1 this year.

11. Ramon Hernandez, Baltimore, $10

Hernandez was another veteran catcher whose production declined significantly last season. His nine home runs were his fewest since '02 and his batting average (.258) and OBP (.333) dropped as he hit under .260 against both lefties (.250-4-21) and right-handed pitchers (.257-4-41). He was a respectable hitter at home (.278-4-29 compared to .241-5-33 on the road), but manager Dave Trembley criticized him for a poor work ethic and he was on the trade block at press time. Hernandez can still reach double-digit home runs, but don't expect a repeat of his '06 success.

Projection: He'll hit .269-13-69-1 this season.

12. Jason Varitek, Boston, $10

Varitek remains a steady veteran presence and popular team leader for the Red Sox, but he's no longer an upper-echelon fantasy option. He did improve his OBP to .367 last season as he walked 71 times, but his .255 average remained suspect. He was held under .260 both at home (.255-9-35) and on the road (.256-8-33). At age 35, Varitek is still a solid offensive catcher but his days of topping 20 home runs are in the past.

Projection: Consider him among the second-tier catchers and project a season of .258-16-65-1 in '08.

13. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox, $9

Pierzynski's production suffered a decline last season, but his steady influence behind the plate led the White Sox to reward him with a two-year extension worth $12.5 million in September. He hit just .263 with a weak .309 OBP as he hit under .260 against both lefties (.252-5-13) and rightys (.258-9-37), while struggling at home (.247-8-25 compared to .279-6-25 on the road). His declining power and weaker eye at the plate are red flags for '08, so bid accordingly. Projection: He's still solid but you should only project a season of .264-14-54-1 in 2008.          

14. Ronny Paulino, Pittsburgh, $9

Paulino improved his power production last season, but suffered a major drop-off in batting average (.263) and OBP (.314). His defensive work is suspect and he was downright awful against right-handed pitchers (.218-6-38 compared to .407-5-17 vs. lefties), but he will still start in Pittsburgh. To keep the job, he'll need to hit better (.260-7-23 at home; .265-4-32 on the road), but the improvement in home runs (from 6 to 11) was encouraging. He's just 26 and has been injury-free thus far with good upside.

Projection: Project .269-10-59-2 for Paulino in '08 and hope for more.  

15. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland, $9

Suzuki took over as the A's starting catcher after Jason Kendall was traded last season and showed some promise, hitting .249 with a .351 OBP and 39 RBIs in 68 games. He was a good hitter in the minors, batting .280-3-27 in 55 games at Triple-A last season and he showed good pop in '05 when he hit 12 home runs with 65 RBIs. The '04 second-round pick showed surprising power last year when he hit seven home runs in just 68 games. He was a better hitter against right-handed pitchers (.281-4-27) than lefties (.151-3-12) and his struggles against left-handed pitchers could curtail his playing time early in the season. Still, at the age of 24, Suzuki is a solid upside pick who should get most of the starts behind the plate.

Projection: For '08, look for him to finish at .265-11-61-2.

16. J.R. Towles, Houston, $9

Brad Ausmus will return to Houston but will likely move to a backup role in '08, opening the door for Towles to be the Astros' starting catcher. Towles had a strong '07 season in the minors, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .317 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs before being called up by the Astros in September. He flashed strong offensive skills in his brief stint with the big-league club, hitting .375-1-12 with a .432 OBP in 14 games. Towles sizzled on the road (.458-1-11 compared to .250-0-1 at home) as he had one game with seven RBIs.

Projection: Towles will start 4-5 games per week, so project 400-plus at-bats and a season of .281-8-52-3 during a strong rookie campaign.

17. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia, $8

Ruiz shared time with Rod Barajas last season and will enter spring training as the No. 1 catcher due in large part to the work he did defensively and handling the pitching staff. Offensively, he hit .259 and improved his OBP to .340 last season while being a much better hitter against right-handed pitchers (.282-5-42) than lefties (.189-1-12). A better hitter at home (.265-4-29) than on the road (.253-2-25), Ruiz brought a little speed to the position, stealing six bases in seven attempts. There's a reason why he didn't make the majors until the age of 27, so don't expect a big jump in production, but there is some talent here.

Projection: With Barajas now gone, Ruiz should produce a season of .268-9-57-4 in 2008.

18. Chris Snyder, Arizona, $7

Snyder enjoyed better health last season and gained most of the at-bats in a platoon with Miguel Montero. His 13 home runs were a plus and he finished with a .342 OBP while hitting very well against left-handed pitchers (.316-4-23 compared to .211-9-24 vs. righties). A much better hitter at home (.271-4-22) than on the road (.231-9-25), Snyder will again have a sizeable role in the platoon with Montero and will still get some at-bats against right-handed pitchers.

Projection: Still just 27, Snyder does have some upside and should be able to hit .268-14-52 this season if he can get 325-plus at-bats again. 

19. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh, $7

Once a highly regarded catching prospect in the Pirates' farm system, Doumit now looks like backup material at best. He battled wrist and ankle injuries last season, which limited him to 83 games, but did set career highs in average (.274), home runs (9) and runs (33). He finished with a .341 OBP and hit well against right-handed pitchers (.282-9-27 compared to .228-0-5 vs. lefties) as he displayed versatility, playing three positions. The Pirates played him 38 games in right field and he could see more time there as well. Projection: Plan accordingly and expect a season of .269-11-44-1. 

20. Michael Barrett, San Diego, $7

After some productive seasons with the Cubs, Barrett ran afoul of the team -- getting into a brawl with Carlos Zambrano -- and was dealt to San Diego, where he failed to distinguish himself offensively. In 44 games for the Padres, he hit just .226-0-12 with a .235 OBP. Despite that, he agreed to arbitration and will return to San Diego in a platoon with Josh Bard. To get more at-bats, he'll need to show more against left-handed pitchers (.222-3-6) and RHPs (.249-6-35). He comes with considerable risk, but has proven home run potential.

Projection: Tread carefully and hope he can reach .269-13-52-1.   

Greg Ambrosius is the director of the National Fantasy Baseball Championship -- the industry's only multi-city high-stakes fantasy baseball event. Send questions to Greg at greg.ambrosius@fwpubs.com.