Here is a look at the top fifteen catchers in the National League. As any fantasy league veteran would tell you, it is never too early to start preparing for your draft. This report should give you a good feel for what to expect from the cast of characters manning the position around the Senior Circuit in 2007.

1. Brian McCann Atlanta Braves
McCann surprised many with his breakout season a year ago (.333-24-93-61-2 with .961 OPS in 130 games). The surprise was not with his power numbers, but rather with his stellar batting average as the 22-year-old had never batted higher than .290 in the minors (.275 in 305 career minor league games). He actually got better as the season went on despite battling an ankle injury that sidelined him for about three weeks in late May-early June (.343-6-29 with .911 OPS in 64 games prior to the All-Star Break and .324-18-64 with 1.002 OPS in 66 games after the break) and was arguably Atlanta’s most consistent performer in 2006 batting .300 or better in every month. The son of a college baseball coach, McCann is a student of the game who should continue to cement his status as one of the very best catchers in the land.

2. Paul Lo Duca New York Mets
Lo Duca had surgery on his left thumb last October to repair a torn ligament, but he is expected to be fully recovered by the time spring training gets underway. Though not one to post spectacular stats, aside from his career year of 2001, Lo Duca does offer consistent production from the catcher position. The soon to be 35-year-old should have solid fantasy value in 2007, but guys like Michael Barrett and Russell Martin will likely provide better value amongst NL catchers.

3. Bengie Molina San Francisco Giants
Molina, one of many veteran free agent winter acquisitions for the Giants, will get the vast majority of playing time behind the plate with Eliezer Alfonzo backing him up. Molina has averaged .284-15-63 over the past four seasons—all of which came in the American League. It will be interesting to see how the league change and move from hitter-friendly Toronto to pitcher-friendly Pac Bell Park impact his power output in 2007.