Buy or Sell: Buying-Low on Carlos Santana Could be a Smooth Move

Like the stock market, fantasy baseball is about buying low and selling high. There's value to be had by those that stay a step or two in front of the next trend. Here are three players who you should buy low on, and three players who you should sell high on:

Buy

1B Carlos Santana, Indians

Santana has been perhaps the unluckiest hitter in all of baseball this season. His BABIP is just .213, which is below his career mark of .268 and well below the league average of .300.

What is strange is that Santana's hard-hit percentage is 3.5 points better than his career high, his strikeout rate is 5.2 percent lower, yet has held up his walk rate.

Santana is hitting five percent fewer line drives than his career average, but nearly 10 percent more fly balls. This tends to even out a bit more over the course of a 162-game season, but it explains why his batting average is low. With the weather heating up, more of these fly balls will start leaving the yard.

OF Andrew McCutchen, Pirates

Were almost into June now, and McCutchen is still hitting just .258 with nine home runs, 22 RBIs and a lone stolen base. The longtime-Pirate has always been a slow starter, and his best month statistically happens to be June. McCutchen has hit .323/.398/.533 in the month of June, compared to a career slash line of .296/.386/.495.

McCutchen's slow start may also be due to a new spot in the lineup. He has hit predominately in the two-hole this season after hitting third for most of his career. Expect the five-time All-Star to hit his stride in no time. He is already showing signs of bursting out, hitting .316/.366/.474 in his last nine games.

Sell

SP Johnny Cueto, Giants

Cueto is coming off consecutive complete games. He has lowered his ERA to 2.38, his WHIP to 0.99 and his record is 7-1. It may be tough to do, but now is the perfect time to sell-high on Johnny Beisbol.

Cueto has always been a first-half pitcher throughout his career. He has a career first half ERA of 2.95, compared to a second-half ERA of 3.73. His ERA balloons to 4.14 in the last month of the season, which can really cost your team in fantasy playoffs. His value will never be higher than it is now and he could net a huge return.

OF Nomar Mazara, Rangers

Mazara has been sensational during his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old is hitting .325 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in just 171 plate appearances. This would be enough to garner plenty of interest in trade talks, with the selling point being that the young outfielder is only getting better.

However, Mazara has a BABIP 50 points above the league average, and his 27.3 line-drive rate is virtually unsustainable. For a player with eight long balls, Mazara doesn't hit many fly balls, which has led to an inflated HR/FB percentage of 22.2 (league average is 9.5 percent). His 27.3 hard-hit percentage isn't very impressive at all.

There's no doubt that Mazara has all the makings to be a star in this league for years to come, but expect him to fade down the stretch considering virtually all of the numbers are against him. Rookies like Mazara tend to be figured out by veteran pitchers as the season wears on.