Looking for advantages at shortstop in daily fantasy baseball (DFS)

Each week during the next 2 months leading up to the start of the MLB season we will be doing our consensus rankings by position. Towards the end of the week, we will look for some players that may have extra value in daily fantasy baseball leagues over seasonal leagues. This week is shortstop.

One of the biggest differences between daily leagues and season long leagues is how to construct a roster. In a daily league, a player with non elite seasonal value can be a strong play for that particular day. Daily fantasy baseball heavily takes into account that day's individual matchup; a cheaper, non elite seasonal fantasy hitter with a strong platoon split facing a tomato can on the mound in a great hitting park can be as good or better than an expensive, elite seasonal hitter that day, especially if that elite seasonal hitter is facing high quality pitching in a lower run scoring environment.

Jhonny Peralta was generally a guy I liked targeting for shortstop when the Cardinals were facing a mediocre LHP. Peralta has hit LHP to a 121 wRC+ and .206 ISO the last 2 years. MLB average wRC+ for SS was about 85 in 2015, so Peralta's production from the position in that split generally far exceeded what most other shortstops had to offer. Peralta was often a middle to lower tiered priced shortstop, too, and his production against lefties allowed a fantasy owner to get some extra value from the position.

Marcus Semien does not have an eye popping overall slash line. It's above average for a shortstop, but still below league average for all hitters. The last two seasons he owns a 96 wRC+ with a .146 ISO. But against left handed pitching, Semien's production jumps to a 131 wRC+ with a .169 ISO, primarily aided by more singles from better batted ball trajectories. Semien's lineup slot varied last year, but he occasionally hit in the 2 hole and made for a good, efficient play in that lineup slot against select lefties.

Here are some other shortstops to look out for in these splits against select pitchers:

Carlos Correa vs LHP: (141 wRC+, .282 ISO vs LHP last year) [note: I know Correa seems like a "duh!" play, but his ridiculous .282 ISO was about 80 points higher vs lefties than righties]

Troy Tulowitzki vs LHP (192 wRC+, .298 ISO last 2 years, although it fell to a 142 wRC+, .190 ISO post hip surgery)

Eduardo Escobar vs LHP (129 wRC+, .203 ISO last 2 years)

Ian Desmond vs LHP (112 wRC+, .176 ISO last 2 years)

Wilmer Flores vs LHP (104 wRC+, .201 ISO last 2 years)

Brad Miller vs RHP (113 wRC+, .168 ISO last 2 years)

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