The one of the worst terms to hear in fantasy baseball is "platoon player" although "closer by committee" gives it a run for its money. Still, it's a reality in fantasy baseball and something that all managers will need to prepare for on draft day and throughout the entire season.
Platoons can be tricky, but there's actual value to be had when played correctly. RotoWire experts can give all the details about individual players and the best strategies to deploy them. But in general, here's what to know about drafting for platoons and what to look for when considering adding one to your team.
What Platoon Players Are and Why They Matter in Fantasy
MLB managers are always looking for an edge. Oftentimes, this comes by way of platooning at a certain position. What this means is different players will start against right- and left-handed pitching, respectively, based on their splits. While it's a headache in fantasy baseball, it's a smart move in the MLB and is more common than ever thanks to advanced analytics.
That means fantasy managers need to prepare for it. Beyond just being a headache, platoons can be advantageous to fantasy owners who use them correctly. They often come with cheaper fantasy baseball auction values because they won't be playing every day. Players who are only put into the lineup on days where they face a good matchup can become solid waiver wire pickups.
Identifying Hitters Who Benefit Most From Platoon Splits
It's simple for fantasy
The one of the worst terms to hear in fantasy baseball is "platoon player" although "closer by committee" gives it a run for its money. Still, it's a reality in fantasy baseball and something that all managers will need to prepare for on draft day and throughout the entire season.
Platoons can be tricky, but there's actual value to be had when played correctly. RotoWire experts can give all the details about individual players and the best strategies to deploy them. But in general, here's what to know about drafting for platoons and what to look for when considering adding one to your team.
What Platoon Players Are and Why They Matter in Fantasy
MLB managers are always looking for an edge. Oftentimes, this comes by way of platooning at a certain position. What this means is different players will start against right- and left-handed pitching, respectively, based on their splits. While it's a headache in fantasy baseball, it's a smart move in the MLB and is more common than ever thanks to advanced analytics.
That means fantasy managers need to prepare for it. Beyond just being a headache, platoons can be advantageous to fantasy owners who use them correctly. They often come with cheaper fantasy baseball auction values because they won't be playing every day. Players who are only put into the lineup on days where they face a good matchup can become solid waiver wire pickups.
Identifying Hitters Who Benefit Most From Platoon Splits
It's simple for fantasy baseball managers to identify strong platoon players by looking at MLB player stats and splits against right-handed and left-handed pitching. Strong-side platoons are generally those who hit well against right-handers (because so many starters are right-handed), but there's still value in cheap bats who dominate against lefties.
Giants shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald has a career OPS of .841 against lefties, but just a .689 OPS against righties. RotoWire is always updating the MLB depth charts, keep an on them so you're aware which players in platoons are worth checking out.
How to Use Platoon Players in Daily vs. Weekly Lineup Leagues
Platoon players are much more valuable from a fantasy baseball perspective in daily lineups than in weekly ones. Short-side platoons are only going to be used once or twice each week, so it's tough to have them in weekly lineups. RotoWire runs daily MLB projections to help fantasy baseball managers decide whether a platoon player should be added to the starting lineup. You'll want to pay attention to matchups to make that final call.
In daily lineups, you can mix and match your lineups depending on when those platoon players are in the lineup. Even in weekly leagues, strongside platoon players are good options. But again, if you like a fantasy baseball player, go after him. Baseball is a marathon and you'll still get value out of these types of players.
Roster Construction Strategies That Maximize Platoon Value
Generally, fantasy baseball managers don't want to have too many platoon players on their roster. The field is deep enough that you can roster enough players that are in the lineup each day without having to depend on a lot of platoons. Deeper leagues or NL/AL-only lineups may need to use platoon players more, but generally you'll want to avoid short-side platoons, unless they have a chance to beat out the other side of the platoon and earn the full-time job.
In spots where platoon players make sense, target those who are on the strong side (good against right-handed pitching) since you're still likely to get 130 starts + pinch-hitting opportunities out of them. In deeper leagues, short-side platoons can be an option, but make sure you can easily cut bait on them or get them out of lineups if they're not producing even when they're in the lineup.
Risks & Common Mistakes When Relying on Platoons
The obvious risk and limitation with platoon players is you won't be able to start them every day. Still, there's plenty of value here. Cubs first baseman Michael Busch saw just 87 at-bats against left-handed pitching, but he's still ranked 23rd in RotoWire's customized fantasy baseball rankings among first basemen this season with a projection of 20 home runs.
You don't need to discount platoon players as much as you need to plan for contingencies when they're not in the lineup. You just need to subscribe to RotoWire to be prepared.
RotoWire's helpful tools, including the fantasy baseball draft assistant and the fantasy baseball draft kit, have everything you need to make sure you're able to target the right platoon players and then find late fliers that can help make up for any lost at-bats over the course of the season.
