2015 Fantasy Baseball: Kelly Johnson, Mark Reynolds Have Deep League Value
Earlier this week, we discussed lesser-owned players with multi-position eligibility, but I went back and looked, and there really were so many other guys who deserved to be included on that list. I felt bad, so today I’m going to cover some more fantasy-worthy players who qualify at more than one position. Hopefully they’ll rescind their death threats now.
These players are under 10 percent owned in ESPN fantasy and can currently contribute in deep leagues. They are guys that you can plug in when your starters sit, which makes them very valuable to owners trying to rack up the counting stats.
(All stats and ownership percentages are through Tuesday’s games)
Kelly Johnson, 3B/1B/OF, Braves (10.0% owned)
After sitting out 24 games with an oblique injury, Johnson returned from the DL last Wednesday and has hit the ground running, slashing .368/.400/.421 in 20 plate appearances. To go along with that nice line, he’s also driven in three and scored twice.
The 33-year-old has bounced around more than a pinball in recent years, making stops in Toronto, Tampa Bay, New York (Yankees), Boston, Baltimore and now Atlanta — and that’s just since 2012. If you recall, Johnson began his career with the Braves and has now come full circle. He’s shown decent power in the past, hitting 115 HR from 2007-2013 — a 16-homer average — not bad for a guy who began his career playing predominantly at second base. He’s not a second baseman anymore, but that pop still plays, and he’s already knocked six balls out of the park in 2015.
The Braves’ utilityman has mostly played left field this season, but he carries 1B and 3B eligibility from 2014. His power and position flexibility gives him pretty good value in deeper leagues, and he’s shown he can produce when given at-bats. The Braves’ lineup is not a prodigious one, and manager Fredi Gonzalez will continue to bat Johnson near the middle of the order, which bodes well for his fantasy value.
Mark Reynolds, 1B/3B, Cardinals (4.0% owned)
Reynolds is the prototypical all-or-nothing player. The 6-foot-2 slugger finished fourth in homers (44) in 2009, and seventh (37) in 2011. If you exclude his rookie season, Reynolds has never had a year with less than 21 dingers. Of course, as the phrase goes, the “all” also comes with the “nothing”. Despite the big power numbers, Reynolds has led the league in strikeouts four times, including a Major League record 223 whiffs in ’09.
In points leagues, the Ks are problematic, but in the majority of formats, his ability to hit the long ball is where his value is derived. You can even stomach his terrible batting averages (.231 career) when he’s blasting 30+ big flies. Yes, the 31-year-old has become mostly a platoon player over the past few seasons, so he won’t be reaching the 30-homer plateau any time soon, but an injury to Matt Adams has opened up an everyday gig for the eight-year vet.
Many people wondered if the Cards would make a trade for a first baseman after Adams tore his quad and was ruled out for what could be the remainder of the season. But management was satisfied with Reynolds, and Mike Matheny has been starting him on a regular basis. Adams last played on May 26, and since then, Reynolds has hit .274 with two home runs and 10 RBI. Those aren’t earth-shattering numbers, but he’s been showing nice plate discipline during that span, posting an 8/16 BB/K ratio and a .357 on-base percentage.
Reynolds currently qualifies at 1B and 3B, and he’s also played six games in the outfield, so it’s possible he gains eligibility there by season’s end. If you’re rostering Reynolds, it’s for the power he can provide, and we’ve seen him go on massive tears before, so add him now before you miss out on a homer binge.
Other multi-positional players worth adding in deep leagues: Eddie Rosario, 2B/OF, Twins (4.0% owned); Brayan Pena, C/1B, Reds (4.2% owned); Eduardo Escobar, SS/3B/OF, Twins (3.2% owned); Ryan Goins, 2B/SS, Blue Jays (1.2% owned); Danny Valencia, 3B/1B/OF, Blue Jays (1.2% owned)