When you're truly dialed in as a fantasy GM you tend to see things coming before everyone else.
You drafted Raul Ibanez in the middle to late rounds and now you're looking to sell high. You jumped on Albert Pujols instead of Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez with your first round pick and you even took a late-round flier on Mark Reynolds. Things are looking good for your push forward to the championship.
To stay on course, you need to keep finding those hidden gems; those players who will out-produce the rest in the second half. You also need to stay ahead of injuries and slumps. But, and this is something that not every fantasy GM does, if you really want to show off your stuff (and this is an especially effective tactic in daily leagues) you should be looking at splits every single day to get the biggest bang for your buck with your lineup.
Here are some players with statistical splits to keep in mind when locking your lineup.
Lefty / Righty Splits
Nelson Cruz, Rangers - Cruz has been a stud all season long. His value was debated during the off-season and those of you who bought into what he did in 2008 are being rewarded. His 18 home runs and 10 stolen bases rank him as a top ten fantasy outfielder. His splits tell you that he's doing it all against right-handed pitchers. He's hit 15 of his 18 home runs from versus right-handers and his batting average is .293 instead of the .238 he hits against lefties. If you could find a nice outfielder with pop or great batting average against lefties, you could create a powerful fantasy platoon situation with Cruz. Luke Scott could be a good option. He hits .356 against left-handed pitchers and has seven of his 14 home runs against them too.
Lance Berkman, Astros - We're not seeing the same Lance Berkman in 2009 that we enjoyed for the past few seasons. His production levels are down across the board, but he's really struggling against left-handed pitchers, even though Berkman is a switch hitter. Only four of his 13 home runs have been against lefties and he's batting .219 against southpaws. While the Astros wouldn't consider benching Berkman, I can see where sitting him in favor of another first baseman when the Astros face lefties could be beneficial. While Casey Blake doesn't quite have the pop that Berkman does, he does hit lefties well. He's batting .386 with a 1.044 OPS versus left-handed pitchers thus far in 2009.
Derek Jeter, Yankees - Yes, Jeter will eventually be in the Hall of Fame. Yes, he'll be in every All-Star game until he retires. Where he shouldn't be is in your fantasy lineup against tough right-handed pitchers. Jeter is batting .264 against right-handed pitchers and .443 against lefties. Now, you can't sit Jeter every time he faces a right-handed hurler (he'd be sitting too much) but when he's matched up against the Haren's, Lincecum's and Beckett's of the baseball world, think about a day off for Jeter. Yunel Escobar does very well (.323 with six home runs) against right-handed pitching and could fill in nicely for Jeter.
One thing to remember with platooning players in fantasy baseball is this. Even though I've given you a suggestion for every guy so far, you don't necessarily need to platoon your player with a guy who utilizes the opposite split statistic. If you're subbing someone in for a weak platoon situation just make sure the guy you use hits well against whomever he's facing that night. It doesn't matter if Scott can hit lefties and Cruz can't. It only matters that Scott can hit the pitcher he's facing the night that Cruz faces a lefty.
Home / Away Splits
Tim Wakefield, Red Sox - Wakefield has a 9-3 record this season. But, his 4.39 ERA and high walk rate keep him off of many fantasy rosters (he's only owned in 49% of fantasy leagues). Let me tell you how you should be using Wakefield. When Wakefield pitches at home he's 6-0 with a 3.23 ERA. On the road he's 3-3 with a 5.44 ERA. Stream Wakefield in from your waiver wire every time he pitches at Fenway Park or if you have a deep bench pick him up and leave him on your bench when he's on the road. You'll greatly benefit from only using Wakefield when he pitches in Boston.
Paul Maholm, Pirates - Maholm is another pitcher who loves home cooking. He's only owned in 40% of fantasy leagues because of his 4.23 ERA and low win total (he only has four wins in 2009), but he definitely could be used on your fantasy roster when he pitches in Pittsburgh. At home, Maholm is 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA with a 2.63 strikeout to walk ratio (21:8). On the road Maholm is 2-2 with a 5.77 ERA and a 1.65 strikeout to walk ratio (33:20). By streaming in Maholm when he pitches at home you can really get some help to your ERA and WHIP. Just don't expect any help with wins.
Wandy Rodriguez, Astros - When Rodriguez pitches on the road he's not going to be too much help to your fantasy team. His record away from Houston is 2-4 with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. On Houston, however, Rodriguez pitches much better. He's 3-2 at home with a 2.15 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. That's a dramatic difference and proof that he should only be in your fantasy lineup when he's throwing in Houston.
