Fantasy catchers seem to be very inconsistent. It is a position that requires a lot of patience, plus strain on the legs. Sometimes the biggest name catchers aren't necessarily the best fantasy choice. This week was a great example. Many owners got sick of Russell Martin and parted with him, Paul Bako is a fantasy no-name, and Bengie Molina is slow as molasses. They all played better than Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, and Ivan Rodriguez this week. They deserve recognition for their fine play. Russell Martin in particular went above and beyond this week and earned top honors as catcher of the week.

Gold

1.) Russell Martin (C - Los Angeles Dodgers) - Martin has had a very productive week, especially after how poor the start of his season has been. Last year he was one of the best catchers in baseball, therefore this week really helps ease the rough start. He was particularly impressive on Friday night. He reached base six times in seven at bats and raised his batting average 40 points on the season. His numbers for the week are as follows: 11/22, 5 runs, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, and a .500 AVG. Those numbers are quite impressive and the batting averaged definitely helped fantasy owners, especially because it was from a position that doesn't always offer high batting average to teams. Martin has struggled early on, but it seems like he's finally beginning to play like the Russell Martin of old.

Silver

2.) Paul Bako (C - Cincinnati Reds) - Bako is off to one of his best starts. He doesn't ever seem like he'll have a big career, but he definitely had a pretty nice week. Just to put it into perspective of how bad his overall #'s have been, compared to how good his week was, is the homerun total. He hit 12% of his homeruns this week. Ok, so he only had 17 career homeruns and is a career backup, it is still nice to let this guy have his time in the fantasy spotlight. His numbers for the week are as follows: 7/16, 3 runs, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, and a .438 AVG. Those are nice numbers, especially from a guy who is hitting 60 points higher than his career high. Bako still isn't a worthy enough fantasy starter, but he's shown he has the ability to be a solid performer every now and then.

Bronze

3.) Bengie Molina (C - San Francisco Giants) - Watch out for Mashin' Molina! Bengie is leading all catchers in RBI this season. He is also hitting for power and contact, but has failed to steal a base so far. I know, I'm as shocked as anyone, but you can't win them all. Bengie is having a great season and is the new cleanup hitter for the Giants. He's on the Giants, therefore he's not going to put up monster numbers forever, but he's in the best possible situation he can be in, given his current situation. His stat line for the week are as follows: 9/20, 2 runs, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, and a .450 AVG. He's dealing with some leg soreness, but with those legs who could really blame him? Bengie is playing well and is rewarding owners who decided to not waste a high draft pick on a catcher.

Other Top Performances:

C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RP | SP