RADIO
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another KBO DFS column. If you haven't signed up for the RotoBaller Premium Slack chat, it's a great space to chat during the day about the lineups. You can also follow me and the other Rotoballer writers on Twitter. In particular, @efhatch1990dfs has his personal KBO DFS Cheat Sheets which you will now be able to find here on RotoBaller with the ease of a click.
New to KBO? Don't worry, we got you covered! DraftKings and FanDuel will use the same scoring system that they do for MLB, however, the roster builds are much different on FanDuel. You must roster two infielders, two outfielders, and two utility players along with a pitcher for a total of only seven players on FanDuel. DraftKings has kept its normal MLB structure with two starting pitchers and an entire eight-hitter lineup for a total of ten players.
Building lineups on each site is going to be a good bit different on most nights, but I've tried to give you enough options and thoughts behind each option so that you can make the best decision based on your build preference. Today, I'll be providing my KBO DFS lineup picks and analysis for this five-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel that locks at 5:30 AM on Friday, June 12, 2020. You can check our daily KBO Betting Picks as well, which Steve usually posts around 8 PM.
Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!
KBO DFS Pitchers
Chang-Moo Koo (NC)
$9.6K DraftKings, $30 FanDuel
Koo doesn't have the easiest match-up on the slate, but the left-hander is going to be the top pitcher on whatever slate he appears on. The 23-year-old is on a roll to start the season, with six quality starts in six games, compiling a 0.66 ERA and 0.71 WHIP across 41 innings. In short, he's been absolutely dominant.
Kiwoom is a power and patience based offense, but they have some clear flaws. Their .269 team batting average is 6th in the league, and they have struck out a league-leading 242 times. However, they also lead the league with 141 walks and are fourth in the league with 34 home runs, two behind the second-best team. Basically, Kiwoom works the count and causes trouble by earning walks and hitting home runs. Koo had yet to allow a home run and has struck out 44 while walking only nine over his 41 innings. He doesn't make the mistakes that Kiwoom thrives off of, and could rack up a lot of strikeouts, so I'm more than happy to throw him into my lineups.
Kiwoom star Jung-Hoo Lee was taken out of Thursday's game after fouling a ball off his shin. If he's out, that makes Koo even more of a lock.
Drew Gagnon (KIA)
$7.4K DraftKings, $27 FanDuel
Gagnon took a few starts to find his footing in his first KBO season but seems to, apart from one bad start against LG, have found his groove. He has a 3.48 ERA and 1.07 WHIP on the season, striking out 40 and walking only seven in 33.2 innings. Additionally, Gagnon has only given up 29 hits and one home run in his six starts, so he's not making it easy on opponents to score.
That's gonna make it even easier for him to hold down a relatively anemic SK offense that has a .241 batting average and 233 strikeouts, which is second-most in the league. In fact, SK is hitting just .234 against right-handed pitching this year, so, even if Gagnon doesn't have his best stuff, it's hard to see him getting hit hard in this game. Between SK's propensity for striking out and Gagnon's recent form, I'm going to lean on the Gagnon in GPP as he has the price and upside to give me solid value.
Dan Straily (LOT)
$7.6K DraftKings, $26 FanDuel
People want to hate on Straily, but he keeps delivering. In seven starts for the Giants, he has a 2.23 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Across 40.1 innings, he's struck out 43 while walking 15 and allowing only 34 hits. After a rough start to his first KBO season, Straily has really found his groove, limiting KT, Doosan, and Samsung to one run on 15 hits over 18.1 IP, striking out 18 and walking five.
Straily now gets an LG team that is playing at home, in the most pitcher-friendly park in the KBO. The park has a clear impact on some of the Twins' best hitters. Roberto Ramos has only four of his league-leading 13 home runs at home, and Eun Son Chae is hitting only .258 with one HR at home. The offense is still solid, but it doesn't pose quite the danger at home that it does on the road, as evidenced by the fact that they just scored 10 combined runs over three games against a poor SK team.
However, one factor working against Straily is that he's allowed a .304 batting average to left-handers. Even though the large park may limit home runs, the left-handed bats in the LG lineup could create some rallies, which limits Straily's ultimate upside and makes him a little bit riskier. I would predict that he goes six or seven innings, allowing two or three runs and striking out seven or eight batters, which would give you solid cash game value.
Tyler Wilson (LG)
$8.4K DraftKings, $25 FanDuel
On the other side of the matchup, Tyler Wilson may be the better play. He started out the year rough but has posted a 2.88 ERA over his last five, striking out 25 and walking only four. This is more like the pitcher who pitched to a 2.92 ERA and 1.16 WHIP last year in the KBO. Lotte has been hot of late and doesn't strike out a lot, but they just beat up on a bad Hanwha team which makes their recent success a little bit suspect.
Lotte is also a right-hand heavy lineup, and Wilson has held right-handers to a .182 average. That number is likely to regress, but it's still pretty damn impressive. I think Wilson can keep the Giants offense at bay here, but his ultimate lack of strikeout upside makes me favor him more in cash builds that GPPs.
Other Options
- Jong-Hoon Park (SK) - 8K DraftKings, $29 FanDuel - Even though Kia put up eight runs last game, they've been a little stagnant of late and will be without Sun-Bin Kim. Park is a submariner who throws a mess of moving stuff. He's got a 3.44 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP and isn't a bad dart throw against a Kia offense that is averaging less than four runs a game on the road.
- Odrisamer Despaigne (KT) - 8.3K DraftKings, $24 FanDuel - This game has a chance of being rained out, so I wouldn't build too many lineups with Despaigne unless you know you'll be up to make the necessary changes. Despaigne has struggled a bit of late in starts against Doosan and Lotte, allowing 14 runs in 10 innings, but he pitched six innings of one run-ball against this Lions team last time out and Tyler Saladino left last game with a back injury, which would be a huge hit to Samsung. All things considered, Despaigne is a fine bet for cash games, if this game plays.
KBO Top Hitter Stacks
Doosan Bears
There are a couple of very simple facts here. The Doosan offense is light-years better on the road. Hanwha has lost 17 games in a row. That alone should make you want to target Bears hitters tonight. However, Hanwha starting pitcher Chad Bell has also been shaky thus far.
He missed the beginning of the year with elbow discomfort and is, perhaps, still not comfortable. He's given up 11 runs over 11 innings, while also walking nine and only striking out seven. The Hanwha bullpen has also been taxed of late, which means that once Doosan chases Bell from the game, things could only get better.
One thing to consider is that, in a small sample size, Bell has allowed only a .250 batting average against the left-handed hitters. Many of Doosan's best hitters are left-handed. It doesn't really scare me away from them, but I'll try to keep that in mind as I plan my stacks.
Main Targets:
- Jose Fernandez - 1B/2B (6.2K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Fernandez may hit left-handed, but he's also a little bit matchup proof. He currently is hitting .440 against left-handed pitching; although, he has 0 of his five HRs against them. You're playing Fernandez for the RBI in the heart of the order but maybe not the power tonight.
- Jae Il Oh - 1B (4K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Oh destroyed the Dinos, going 4-for-10 with two HRs and four runs in their three-game series. He's another left-handed hitter, but he's swinging a hot bat right now, so he could provide value even if the power doesn't follow. He's still a great price on DraftKings.
- Jae Hwan Kim - 1B/OF (5.8K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) Kim is showing some signs of life, having hit a home run in three of his last nine games. He also hits .308 against left-handed pitching and bats in the middle of the Bears lineup, which excites me, but his price is a bit off-putting given his overall .252 batting average and .811 OPS on the season.
- Kun Woo Park - OF (3.6K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Park generally hits lead-off when the Bears face a left-hander and has seen his fortunes turn with the calendar. In June, Park is hitting .379 and leads the team with 10 doubles. That could make him a strong table-setter in a strong showing.
Secondary Targets:
- Jae Ho Kim - SS (2.6K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Kim has been empty batting average so far this season, but that batting average is .352 and he usually hits sixth in the Bears' order. As one of the team's lone right-handed hitters, he might be a good salary relief option tonight.
- Soo-Bin Jung - OF (2.8K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Jung is a left-handed hitter, but he's currently hitting .313 and has a four-game hitting streak, so he might be worth a chance in certain builds)
- Joo-Hwan Choi - 1B/2B (2.5K DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) - Choi is here for salary relief. He went 5-13 in the Dinos series and tends to hit 5th in the Bears order, even when they face a lefty. He's a left-handed hitter, so it gives me a little pause against Bell, but I'm not opposed to it if you need to make the lineup work. He's far cheaper on DraftKings than FanDuel.
NC Dinos
Seung-Ho Lee is a left-handed pitcher with a 7.39 ERA and 1.69 WHIP coming in to face the best team in the league, which is loaded with right-handed power bats. Right-handers, in particular, have hit .348 against Seung-Ho, which makes him vulnerable to the heart of this Dinos order before you even consider that he's already given up five home runs this season.
To make matters worse, Seung-Ho doesn't strike batters out, with only 17 in his 28 innings. So, we have a pitcher who doesn't strike batters out, has some home run issues, and struggles against right-handed batters going on the road to take on the best team in the league? Don't be scared off by Kiwoom's 4th-best record; play the NC bats.
Main Targets:
- Sung-Bum Na - OF (6K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Even though he's left-handed, Na is hitting .381 with four HRs against left-handed pitching this year, so don't be scared away from him. He has hits in 9 of his last 10 games and comes in with a .326 average, 10 HRs, and a 1.044 OPS. He's in play every night.
- Eui Ji Yang - C (5.9K DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) - Yang is best fantasy catcher in the KBO and is potentially the Dino most capitalize on Seung-Ho's home run issue, with three home runs in his last six games. The clean-up hitter went 2-4 last night and has hits in 13 of his last 14 games.
- Jin-Sung Kang - 1B/OF (4.2K DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) - Kang is hitting a staggering .440 against left-handed pitching this year, so he's likely to be in all of my lineups tonight. He has hits in 7 of his last 8 games and has 8 HRs and a 1.318 OPS on the season. No idea why his price is still so low.
- Aaron Altherr - OF (4.8K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Altherr has been heating up of late and is hitting .417 against left-handed batters this season. His price is somehow going down on DraftKings, but his eight-game hitting streak has me thinking that he's going to be a solid play tonight.
Secondary Targets:
- Suk Min Park - 3B (4.9K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Park has hit only .250 in June and .277 on the season, but he's a right-handed batter who hits at the top of the Dinos order, so he might be in play tonight.
- Hee-Dong Kwon - OF (2.3K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Kwon hits in the bottom of the Dinos' order and has cooled a bit of late, but he's a right-handed hitter who is batting .338 with a .940 OPS on the season and is a great value if you need exposure to their lineup.
Small DFS Stacks
KT Wiz
The KT offense woke up last night, which could be a sign of things to come after getting their star Baek-Ho Kang back. They also get a good matchup against Samsung rookie Seung-Min Lee, who is left-handed. The Wiz crush left-handers, with a .310 team batting average against them. However, there are some weather concerns for this game, so I'm tempted to fade it unless things clear up or you know you'll be up for the lineup lock and able to make changes.
Main Targets:
- Mel Rojas Jr. - OF (6.5K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - Rojas is the most expensive player on the slate, but he seemed to snap out of a cold streak last night by going 4-5 with a HR, 2 R, and 3 RBI. He's hitting .391 with 10 HR and a 1.131 OPS on the season, so he's in play if you're going to be up to make sure this game plays. Just switch to Sun Bum Na if this game doesn't play.
- Baek Ho Kang - OF (6.2K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - Kang is a stud for the Wiz. he was slow in his first two games back from the DL but went 3-5 with a HR, RBI, and 3 R last night. It's possible that he's starting to wake up. You're just going to have to pay up to see
- Sun Woo Jang - C (3.8K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Jang hits left-handers to the tune of .333; although he has hit all of his home runs against righties. He's not a masher and hits near the bottom of the Wiz order, but he's cheap and could be good exposure to the lineup.
- Han Joon Yoo- OF (4.2K DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) - Yoo came back from injury at the start of the month and was off to a rough start, but he's on a four-game hitting streak where he's gone 7-for-14 with a HR and four RBI. He also seems to be entrenched as the clean-up hitter.
- Sang-Chul Moon - 3B (2.7K DraftKings, $5 FanDuel) - Moon was shifted into a platoon with the return on Kang. However, he seems likely to get starts against left-handers which puts him in play tomorrow - if you can stay up in time for lineup lock.
Intriguing One-Offs
- Ah Seop Son - Lotte OF (3.1K DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) - I don't think the Giants are in a great spot as a team given the match-up and ballpark, but their left-handed hitters could be in play. Son is 9-for-22 over his last five games and hits at the top of the lineup, so that makes him a solid option.
- Preston Tucker - Kia OF (5.8K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Tucker seems to only perform when people are done with Kia. However, he did go 3-5 with a HR and 2 RBI yesterday and will be facing a right-handed submariner as a left-handed hitter.
- Ji Hyuk Ryu - Kia 3B/SS (2K DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) - Ryu wasn't recently traded to Kia and made his first start last night, hitting clean-up and going 3-5 with a run scored. He's also a left-handed batter facing a righty submariner, and he's dirt cheap.
Good luck in your DFS contests everyone. Be sure to stop back every day for some more KBO DFS analysis here at RotoBaller!
More Fantasy Baseball Analysis
