We have gotten to the virtual halfway point in the season. When you get to these landmarks it is always a good time to look back and forward at the same time. So, we are ranking the position players according to total points. Total points is the preferred platform for daily fantasy players. DFS has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Since each platform has its own formula we are utilizing our own formula for the rankings here.

Total points has numerous advantages over the traditional five and six category leagues. The primary advantage is that it includes everything a hitter does so that it more accurately pinpoints a player’s value. It rewards them for everything they do well and penalizes them for negative events. Secondly, it keeps everything in proper perspective. Some people end up chasing steals for hitters or wins for pitchers, but total points keeps everything in their proper context. So, you are forced to pick more balanced players. (Statistics through June 25)

TB+Runs+RBI+SB+BB+HBP-SO-CS-GIDP= Total Points

Gary Sanchez– New York Yankees

Games: 59

Total Points= 182

PPG: 3.08

What a difference a year makes. Sanchez murdered a number of fantasy seasons a year ago, but he has returned with a vengeance. He is on pace to surpass career highs in home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage. The Yankees are on a record pace in dingers and appear to be the class of the American League again. This is particularly true after adding Edwin Encarnacion to an already loaded lineup.

Yasmani Grandal–Milwaukee Brewers

Games: 72

Total Points: 205

PPG: 2.85

You have to enjoy when gambles work out for everyone involved. The Brewers gambled on a one year contract for Grandal and he has been the most durable and productive catcher so far. Sanchez is better on a per game basis, but Grandal is better otherwise. He also wins because he gets to hit free agency off of a career season. Everyone wins.

Willson Contreras– Chicago Cubs

Games: 68

Total Points: 173

PPG: 2.54

Contreras made my list of players to cut loose. All he has done since then is rake. That figures, but these bets are based on the long haul and he probably is a guy that is going to decline from this point forward. Still, it is hard to imagine him as anything but a top five catcher when the dust settles. He entered the season as a solid top ten backup in fantasy circles, so we really aren’t that far off.

Omar Narvaez– Seattle Mariners

Games: 66

Total Points: 155

PPG: 2.35

Jerry Dipoto sometimes gets a bad rap. He makes a lot of deals and when you make a lot of deals there is bound to be a dud in there somewhere. Narvaez is one of his better deals. Narvaez might not be quite this good, but any time you can get a top ten to fifteen player at any position you do it. This is particularly true when the cost is only a relief pitcher. Yes, the Mariners suck, but they have some good young players and a he is one of them.

J.T. Realmuto– Philadelphia Phillies

Games: 74

Total Points: 153

PPG: 2.07

Sure, the top catcher on the board in the preseason is a bit of disappointment, but he is on pace to hit 20 home runs for the second season in a row and he is on pace for a career high in runs, walks, and is within striking distance of getting there in RBI. Plate discipline remains the chink in his armor and total points has a way of revealing chinks in the armor.

Wilson Ramos– New York Mets

Games: 70

Total Points: 151

PPG: 2.16

Ramos has been a steady performer for years. Unfortunately, he has only had 100 or more games caught in four seasons. He is on pace for over 130 games this season. Somehow I don’t see him getting there now that he is past 30. In his only season with 130 or more games he managed 22 home runs and 80 RBI. He could possibly get there again if he stays healthy.

Robinson Chirinos– Houston Astros

Games: 61

Total Points: 134

PPG: 2.20

A 35 year old catcher is on pace to catch more games than he has ever caught. Sure, nothing could possibly go wrong there. He is also on pace to set career highs in home runs, runs, RBI, walks, and doubles. He is a borderline all-star that went undrafted in most one catcher leagues. He might not be a good bet for here on out, but if you enjoyed him from day one you are very happy.

Josh Phegley– Oakland Athletics

Games: 65

Total Points:  133

PPG: 2.05

Sometimes teams like the Athletics and Rays deserve more credit than what they get. They let expensive players go and somehow replace them with guys that few have heard of. Phegley went undrafted in virtually every one catcher league, but here he is producing. He’s not an all-star, but he’s good enough. He’s already set career highs in every major category and we have half the season left.

Yadier Molina–St. Louis Cardinals

Games: 64

Total Points: 126

PPG: 1.97

Molina even missed some time with injury and he is still on pace to catcher 120 or more games for the 12th time in his career. We’ve talked about his Hall of Fame chances here before and at my other site http://halloffameindex.com. The key for him in addition to durability is his ability to keep it in play. That enables him to get some cheap RBI and makes him look more productive than he actually is.

James McCann– Chicago White Sox

Games: 54

Total Points: 122

PPG: 2.26

Coming into this season, McCann had 2.8 bWAR in a little more than four seasons of play. He’s gotten that far in just a half season this year. Teams like the White Sox have to have unexpected performances from guys like McCann in order to stay relevant. Now they have a difficult decision. Do they make him a part of their foundation or do they flip him at the deadline for prospects?

Jonathan Lucroy– Los Angeles Angels

Games: 65

Total Points: 106

PPG: 1.63

On the one hand, getting a top 12 catcher offensively is a good move for the Angels. On the other hand, he may be the worst defensive catcher in the business at this point. It’s difficult to explain how and why that happened. One minute he was one of the best and the next he wasn’t. It shows how much the Athletics pay attention and how much the Angels don’t.

Tony Wolters– Colorado Rockies

Games: 56

Total Points: 105

PPG: 1.88

Wolters was supposed to be a brilliant young catcher back in 2016. It often takes young catchers longer to develop than other position players. Kudos to the Rockies for exercising some patience. Most organizations would have jettisoned him at this point. He may not be brilliant, but he is a nice secondary catcher to have around if you have one of the guys above.