Kelly Johnson Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Mat Latos will be making his first start as a member of the Nationals, after being released by the White Sox. The White Sox obviously cut him for a reason, with that reason being mostly derived from the fact that Latos simply isn’t very good anymore. He has a 12.7% strikeout rate this season to go along with a 5.46 SIERA. The Mets are playing some of their best baseball of the season right now as they attempt to lock down one of the available Wild Card spots in the National League. The return of Yoenis Cespedes (136 wRC+, .369 wOBA, .269 ISO vs RHP) has helped their offense in a big way, and the Mets may go over-looked tonight with a plethora of other teams in good spots. Curtis Granderson (.241 ISO vs RHP) and Kelly Johnson (121 wRC+, .348 wOBA, .203 ISO vs RHP) are the other two Mets bats to seriously consider as one offs in tournaments.

Jose Urena doesn’t really have terrible peripherals since returning to the majors with nearly league average strikeout (19.2%) and walk (8.2%) rates. He does have a 46.2 Hard% over those three starts though and as aching as the Mets may be now, they’re the hottest offense on the board (140 wRC+, 37.1 Hard%, 17.9 HR/FB last seven days). Two key cogs in that offense, Cespedes and Cabrera are out tonight. Likely because Terry Collins doesn't want to risk two guys on one leg each on field where it's been raining all day (Kevin's early weather report has it clearing out though - stay tuned). That still leaves a few formidable and affordable bats to attack Urena with. LHBs have a .366 wOBA against him in his career. Curtis Granderson (133 wRC+, .226 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is heating up again with two HRs off the bench two nights ago and a 167 wRC+ with a 72.7 Hard% over the last week. Michael Conforto (125 wRC+, .242 ISO career vs RHP) returns. He had a 221 wRC+ at AAA this season. Kelly Johnson (102 wRC+, .163 ISO vs RHP since 2015) bats third. He actually has a 133 wRC+ in 150 PAs since the trade and costs $3.1K or less.

Carlos Martinez has the ability to show occasional strikeout upside, but for the most part, he relies more on his elite 56.2% ground ball rate than on his league average 20.0% strikeout rate. His control has been inconsistent this season with an 8.6% walk rate that is too high when combined with the average strikeout stuff, and has led to a 4.13 SIERA. Martinez also only has a 16.5% strikeout rate to lefties, along with a 34.6% hard-hit rate, and given that the Mets are rolling out six left-handed batters tonight, there are better places to look for starting pitching. The Mets lefties are where we want to attack Martinez, with Jay Bruce (118 wRC+, .352 wOBA, .279 ISO vs RHP), Curtis Granderson (.219 ISO vs RHP), Jose Reyes (.155 ISO vs RHP), and Kelly Johnson (127 wRC+, .357 wOBA, .202 ISO vs RHP) being the preferred option.

Zack Godley hasn’t started a game in two weeks, but went six innings in that game and 5.1 in his most recent relief outings, so he should have enough in reserve to get through five or six innings today. Although his 18.0 K% sits a bit below average, he’s been missing quite a few bats (12.1% last 30 days) and a 53.3 GB% over the last month should help him keep the ball in the park. The Mets have scored a few runs in the first couple of games of this series, but are a below average, banged up offense with a 22 K% both on the road (89 wRC+) and vs RHP (91 wRC+). It’s not a bad matchup, even factoring in the hindering park effects. There might be some potential in this arm for $4.2K on DraftKings. This Mets lineup is somehow projected for five runs tonight and there are a couple of cheap bats that could return a decent value, particularly with Kelly Johnson (100 wRC+ vs RHP since 2015) batting second and Travis d'Arnaud (103 wRC vs RHP since 2015) each just above $3.5K on DK and below $3K on FD. Both have a wRC+ above 200 over the last week. T.J. Rivera is the other interesting play here. He had four hits last night and a 103 wRC+ in his first 23 major league PAs with a 140 wRC+ at AAA this season. He costs $3K or less on either site.

Matt Wisler has finally had his 38.2 Hard% catch up with as his ERA has flown over four over the last month to meet his estimators. While he's in a favorable park for a pitcher with with a 0.88 GB/FB, there really are no parks that can protect contact that hard to go with a below average 11.1 K-BB%. With Yoenis Cespedes out tonight, the Mets will use seven LHBs tonight. They have a .375 wOBA against Wisler in his career. All appear usable with perhaps the exception of De Aza (101 wRC+ vs RHP since 2015) on DraftKings for $3.6K, batting 8th. Granderson (142 wRC+, .231 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is the top bat for $4.3K on DraftKings and $3.5K on FanDuel. All other LH bats are $3.6K or less on either site. Asdrubal Cabrera and James Loney, batting 2nd and 3rd, both have a wRC+ above 175 over the last week, as the team's two hottest bats. Kelly Johnson (96 wRC+ vs RHP since 2015) costs the minimum on FanDuel.

This game offers low cost opportunity on both ends with Juan Nicasio having tonight's top matchup against the Braves (66 wRC+, 3.5 HR/FB, 4.3 Hard-Soft% vs RHP). Nicasio greatly struggles against LHBs (.410 wOBA since 2015) though and the Braves load the lineup with a couple of adequate ones tonight at low cost. In fact, all six LHBs in the lineup have at least a 102 wRC+ vs RHP since last year. A.J. Pierzynski (109 wRC+ vs RHP since 2015) is an excellent low cost catcher option in the cleanup spot tonight when the position is very weak overall. He has a 45.5 Hard% over the last week. Kelly Johnson (102 wRC+, .161 ISO vs RHP) is more of an average bat hitting 6th, but for below $3K. Freddy Freeman (145 wRC+, .227 ISO vs RHP) is more normally priced, but is the one bat that is definitely worth it and has four HRs vs Nicasio in just 17 PAs, while Markakis (117 wRC+ vs RHP) and Inciarte (116 wRC+ vs RHP) might provide some average cost value ahead of Freeman against a pitcher who struggles so greatly with LH bats. The Braves are still projected to score just 3.13 runs tonight though.

Edinson Volquez has been pretty bad after an interesting start, but that's been Edinson Volquez's career. Players usually want to pick their spots with him and at home in Kansas City against the worst offense in baseball is about as good as it gets. The Braves have a 66 wRC+ with a 3.9 HR/FB and 5.4 Hard% vs RHP and those numbers are even worse on the road. Since last season, Volquez has a 7.0 HR/FB and 5.3 Hard-Soft% at home and all of his bad starts this season have come on the road. Atlanta is running neck and neck with the Yankees for lowest projected run line (3.2) and NY is facing Chris Sale. Freddie Freeman (147 wRC+ vs RHP since 2015, 228 wRC+ last seven days) and Kelly Johnson (103 wRC+ vs RHP, 178 wRC+ over the last week) for under $3K are the only real considerations in a lineup with Tyler Flowers batting cleanup against a RHP.

Vincent Velasquez has struck out just 19 batters over four starts since striking out 25 in his first two, but has been generating a lot of weak contact in the air (seven IFFBs out of 37 fly balls), which makes him, and just about everybody, a strong fit against a Braves offense with no power (4.7 HR/FB at home, 4.1 HR/FB vs RHP) and a 67 wRC+ vs RHP. The price tag might be a bit high on DraftKings ($10.9K) for a pitcher who's performance has been lacking in recent starts, but nearly everyone has major flaws tonight and he may be the top pivot off Kershaw on FanDuel ($9.1K). If not in on him, the Braves bats are so cheap that you nearly have to look at Kelly Johnson (102 wRC+ vs RHP since last year, 201 wRC+ last seven days) in the cleanup spot for less than $2.5K, while Freddie Freeman (148 wRC+, .234 ISO vs RHP since 2015)is a little more expensive, but has been on fire (263 wRC+, 40.0 Hard% last seven days). The Braves do have the 2nd lowest run projection tonight though (3.3), so you don't want to go too nuts.

The flow chart reads "Who's facing the Braves". That's the entire flowchart as it has become a near must to roster the arm opposing lowly Atlanta (60 wRC+, 4.1 HR/FB at home, 65 wRC+, 3.6 HR/FB vs RHP). Jerad Eickhoff has a league averagish 22.5 K%, 9.6 SwStr% with a bit too much hard contact (33.0 Hard%) this season, but he's faced some powerful offenses, including St Louis and the Mets (twice). He should have an easier time here and a great secondary choice behind onen of tonight's studs. His $6.9K price tag on FanDuel makes him a borderline steal, which allows you to load up on top offenses. The Braves bats aren't necessarily off limits if you're paying up for pitching and looking for salary relief. Freddie Freeman (144 wRC+, .228 ISO vs RHP since 2015) is more expensive, but has gotten his stroke back recently (196 wRC+ last seven days), while Kelly Johnson (99 wRC+ vs RHP since last season) has been an average hitter in the cleanup spot for under $3K (as is Pierzynski behind him). Eickhoff has allowed a .363 wOBA to LHBs in his career.