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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 on RotoBaller.
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 19, 2020. You can check our daily KBO Betting Picks as well, which Steve usually posts around 8 PM.
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KBO DFS Pitchers
Chang-Mo Koo (NC)
$9.4K DraftKings, $26 FanDuel
Koo is going to be chalk tonight, but that shouldn't make you shy away from using him. He's the best pitcher in the league going up against the worst offense in the league. It doesn't get any simpler than that. If we want to dig into the stats, Koo has a minuscule 0.75 ERA and 0.69 WHIP across seven quality starts. He's given up only 22 hits in 48 innings while striking out 52 and walking 11. He's yet to score less than 22.7 points on DraftKings and averages 29.2 points per start.
Meanwhile, Hanwha has the worst batting average in the league at .235; although, they do hit .288 versus LHP, including .324 in the month of June, and are the team that Koo was only able to put up 22.7 points against. Still, as a team, Hanwha only has seven HRs in the entire month of June, so they are highly unlikely to do damage against Koo with one swing. They may string together a few hits, but they also strikeout the second-most in the league, so Koo is likely to get enough Ks to stop rallies and rack up fantasy points. I'm not at all sure how he isn't the top priced pitcher on the slate.
Drew Gagnon (KIA)
$7.8K DraftKings, $26 FanDuel
One person who's certainly not mad about yesterday's rainout is Drew Gagnon. Instead of facing the first-place NC Dinos, he gets to face a mediocre Samsung team. Gagnon has hit a little bit of a rough patch of late, allowing nine ER over his last 17 innings; however, he struck out 14 and walked 4 in those 17 innings, which means that he's still providing fantasy value.
Additionally, I think the numbers are a bit misleading. In his last start against SK, where he gave up three ER in 6.2 IP, Gagnon only struggled in one inning against the heart of the SK order. In the 4th, he allowed four hits and three ERs. That means in the other 5.2 innings, he allowed zero runs on only one hit, while striking out four.
In his start against Doosan on June 6th, he had allowed only one earned run across six innings before running into trouble in the 7th inning, which started with an error. Similarly, his bad start against Hanwha was because he allowed four runs and five straight batters to reach base in the 1st before settling down and allowing only two hits the rest of the way. His struggles have really been about one bad inning, not sustained success by the opponents.
It's possible that this could happen against Samsung, but they are hitting .256 as a team in June and only .235 on the road. They've also struck out 103 times in the month while only walking 40 times. It's possible that Samsung has a productive inning tomorrow, but Gagnon averages 19 DraftKings points a game and has scored above 30 twice, so I like his upside in this start.
Je-seong Bae (KTW)
$6.6K DraftKings, $27 FanDuel
The 23-year-old Bae has seemingly found another level this year, coming into this game with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Two of this last three starts, against Kiwoom and Samsung, have been problematic, but the one start sandwiched in between was a dominant effort against Lotte, where he threw eight shutout innings, allowing only three hits. However, even in that start, he struck out four and walked three. In fact, with the exception of a masterful performance in May against NC, Baw has shown limited strikeout upside with only 27 strikeouts across 44 innings this season.
Even though Bae handled Lotte earlier this month, the Giants have seen an upswing in offensive performance, hitting .261 over the course of the month with 94 strikeouts, which is fourth-best in the league. They have only seven HRs in the month, so they're not likely to have big innings against Bae, but they also don't strikeout, which will limit Bae's overall upside. As a result, I think Bae is a solid cash game option, but he lacks the upside for GPP.
Seung-Won Moon (SK)
$8.2K DraftKings, $26 FanDuel
This might seem to be an odd choice because KIW is second in the league in HRs and the SK is the second to last team in the standings; however, I think there is more than meets the eye in this matchup. For one, Moon has been on a strong run over his last three starts, allowing four earned runs over 19.1 IP while striking out 25 and walking four. That's not against cupcake opponents too as he went six innings against NC, giving up only one earned run on three hits while striking out eight and walking two.
It's those strikeouts that also give him strong fantasy value, with 41 total strikeouts to only eight walks in 40 innings. He'll now be facing a Kiwoom team that leads the league in strikeouts. What's more, Kiwoom is hitting only .236 at home in the month of June with 50 strikeouts.
They are still an offense that's liable to knock balls out of the yard, but Moon has given up only four HRs in his 40 innings this year, so he's not particularly prone to the long-ball. Given that Moon is not likely to get points for a win and the Kiwoom offense has some power-potential, I'm more inclined to use Moon in a GPP, but I think his strikeout upside can help win a slate.
Other Options
- Woo-chan Cha (LG) - 8.3K DraftKings, $27 FanDuel - Cha is pitching in a pitcher's park and comes into this game on a little bit of a roll with three quality starts. However, he's been inconsistent, has allowed six HRs already this season, and Doosan hits .296 as a team against lefties. I'm not sure I can pay his price tonight with the other options available.
KBO Top Hitter Stacks
NC Dinos
Listen, I know the Dinos are cold, but if you're not going to play them at home versus Hanwha then what are we even doing? Eagles pitcher Bum-Soo Kim hasn't thrown over 3.1 innings all season and comes in with a 1.71 WHIP. If he isn't able to pitch deep into this game, he'll turn the ball over to a Hanwha bullpen that has the second-worst ERA in the league. The Eagles as a staff allow the most HRs in the league, and the Dinos have hit the most HRs in the league. All of it adds up to an explosion for the Dinos offense this series.
Main Targets:
- Sung-Bum Na - OF (6.0K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Na hasn't had a multi-hit game since June 9th and has only hit one HR since June 5th. However, he is still the best hitter in the Dinos lineup and one of the best hitters in the league. He's hitting .305 in June with four HRs and 15 RBI. I'm slightly concerned about his 25 strikeouts this month, but he remains a top fantasy option.
- Eui Ji Yang - C (6.1K DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) - Yang has gone a little cold in June, hitting just .250 with three HRs. His presence in the middle of the Dinos lineup means he still has 13 RBI on the month and 30 on the season to go along with his .934 OPS; however, his price makes him hard to fit into a lot of lineups.
- Jin-Sung Kang - 1B/OF (4.5K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Kang is currently the league-leader with a .439 average to go along with 8 HRs, 32 RBIs, and a 1.276 OPS. He's also hitting .400 in June with 3 HRs, 7 2Bs, 13 RBI. He's one of my favorite plays on the slate.
- Myung-gi Lee - OF (3.2K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Let me introduce you to the Dinos' top hitter this month. In June, Lee is hitting a staggering .522 with 13 runs scored and only two strikeouts. He's not going to hit HRs or really mainly doubles even, but he's liable to get on base and score often if things get out of hand.
Secondary Targets:
- Aaron Altherr - OF (5.2K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - Altherr has come on strong in June, hitting .327 with four HRs and 18 RBIs. He has been hitting lefties way better and has a .241 average with three HRs against righties, so he's not my favorite option tonight, but he has nine HRs and a .953 OPS on the season, so he could put up some big numbers.
- Hee-Dong Kwon - OF (2.6K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Kwon has cemented himself as an everyday player in the Dinos lineup, but his pricing hasn't changed. He's hitting .324 with two HRs in June but hits low in the order, so he only has five RBI and eight runs in the month. Still, if you need salary relief and want exposure to the Dinos' lineup, he's not a bad option.
- Min-Woo Park - 2B (5.1K DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) - I'm only listing Park here because he hits leadoff for the Dinos and could score a few runs if they break this game open. He's hitting only .278 in June with three RBI and eight runs scored, but he does also have three SBs, which could give you some added value.
Kia Tigers
David Buchanan has had a solid start to the season for Samsung and comes into this game with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. It's certainly not an easy match-up for the Tigers; however, Buchanan has allowed six HRs so far this season and Kia is hitting .319 at home during the month of June.
If you dig deeper, you'll also see that Buchana allows a .260 average against left-handers and a .200 average against right-handers, and all six of his home runs have been against LHH. All of this leads me to believe that Kia is in play as a stack, and I'll be looking particularly hard at their lefties.
Main Targets:
- Preston Tucker - OF (5.8K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Tucker leads the Tigers with 10 HRs and is a left-handed hitter, so if there is anybody that can do damage against Buchanan, it's likely him. He's hitting .366 versus RHP this year and .365 with 4 HRs and 12 RBI during the month of June, plus a .400 average over the last week. Ride the hot bat.
- Hyung-woo Choi - 1B/OF (5.2K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Choi has been the hottest hitter in the Kia lineup of late. The three-hole hitter is batting .395 with two HRs and 11 RBI in the month of June and .417 over the last week. He's second on the team with six HRs on the season, so he could be a solid bet to get to Buchanan tomorrow.
- Min-Sang Yoo - 1B (3.5K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Yoo is not a power option, so his fantasy potential is a little limited. However, he is a left-handed hitter in the middle of the Tiger's order and he's hit .324 with 2 HRs and 10 RBI in June. I think there are better 1B options, but he's not a bad pick for differentiation.
- Ji-Wan Na - OF (3.8K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Another left-handed hitter, Na is tied for second on the Tigers with 6 HRs. He's only hitting .271 in June, but he has a seven-game hitting streak, so he's been seeing the ball well of late, hitting .313 over the last week.
Secondary Targets:
- Ho-ryeong Kim - OF (3.8K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Kim started the season in June after a back injury and has hit .313 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, and a .994 OPS during the month. he hits near the top of the Tigers' lineup and leads the team with 14 runs in June, which gives him added fantasy value.
- Seon Woo Oh - 2B/3B (2.8K DraftKings, $5 FanDuel) - Oh was called up to the Tigers on June 10th and has hit .375 with 2 HRs, 5 RBI, and a 1.125 OPS. He's also a left-handed hitter at two positions that are not easy to find players in DraftKings. If he plays, he could be a great salary-saving option
KT Wiz
The Wiz draw arguably the worst starting pitcher on the slate in Se-Woong Park. The right-hander has a 5.91 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP, while also giving up six HRs in only 35 innings. He has struck out 31 batters, so he has some upside there, but the Wiz are third in the league in HRs and hit .312 while playing at home. They have only 16 of their 42 HRs at home, but I still think they could put up a few crooked numbers tonight.
Main Targets:
- Mel Rojas Jr. - OF (5.5K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - Rojas' price continues to stay relatively reasonable despite his success this season. His 12 HR and 1.110 OPS are impressive, and he's been equally as consistent in June, hitting .328 with 6 HR, 17 RBI, and 11 R. He's hard to fade if you stack the Wiz.
- Baek Ho Kang - 1B/OF (5.9K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - Kang has fully adjusted back after his time on the DL. In June, the left-hander is hitting .382 with 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, and 2 SB for good measure. He's one of the best bets to do damage in the Wiz lineup.
- Min-Hyeok Kim - 2B/OF (4.1K DraftKings, $8 FanDuel) - Kim has been the Wiz' hottest hitter in June, hitting .400 with 12 R, a HR, and 3 RBI. He's not going to put up massive power numbers, so his upside is limited, but he's clearly seeing the ball well now and has 3 SB this month for some added value.
Secondary Targets:
- Jeong-Dae Bae - OF (2.9K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Bae's lack of power numbers keep his price low, but he hits second for the Wiz and is batting .322 with 8 R and 2 SB this month. Not bad at that price.
- Han Joon Yoo- OF (3.6K DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) - Yoo came back from injury at the start of the month and was off to a rough start, but he has hits in eight of his last nine games and is hitting .324 with 3 HR and 8 RBI in the month of June. He's not a bad pivot if you want to get some KT batters in with a small stack.
Small Stacks
LG Twins
LG is playing at home in a park that suppresses power to such a level that it's hard to count on their lineup to put up massive numbers. However, they do hit .293 as a team against RHP and will face Young-ha Lee, who has a 5.22 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. He has only given up one HR, so another reason to not bank on a HR; however, if you roster some middle-of-the-order bats, you could get a couple of hits and RBIs and some double-digit scores.
- Roberto Ramos - LG 1B (5.0K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Ramos came back from injury on Thursday night, so he figures to be in the lineup tomorrow. He's hitting .370 with 10 HR and 22 RBI with right-handed pitching this year and .353 overall in the month of June. His ownership could be suppressed because of the park, which makes him an intriguing GPP option.
- Hyun-soo Kim - LG OF (5.2K DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) - Not to be outdone, Kim is hitting .394 with 4 HR and 18 RBI versus right-handed pitching this year and .371 with 2 HRs and 14 RBI overall at home on the season. The power may not be there, but the average and RBIs certainly will.
Kiwoom Heroes
I mentioned above that Kiwoom doesn't hit particularly well at home, strikes out a lot, and Moon doesn't give up a lot of home runs. However, Moon is a better pitcher at home than on the road, so it might not be a bad idea to roster Kiwoom power hitters as one-offs and hope for that one big swing.
- Dong-Won Park - C KIW (3.3K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Park has become almost as reliable as Yang behind the dish, which is why his price continues to rise. On the year, he's hitting .372 with 5 HRs and 18 RBI at home, but he did leave Tuesday's game with a knee injury after hitting a HR, so keep an eye on his status.
- Jung-ho Lee - OF KIW (5.3K DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) - Lee is one of the few Heroes hitters who seems to avoid the home slumps. He's hitting .435 at home in June and .408 at home during the season with 3 of his 6 HRs. You'll have to pay up a bit to roster him, but he could pay off.
- Ha Seong Kim- SS KIW (6.0K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Kim is another expensive option, but he's hitting .333 at home in June with a HR, 4 RBI and 4 R. He has 7 HRs on the season, so he has the potential to come through with a big hit.
Good luck in your DFS contests everyone. Be sure to stop back every day for some more KBO DFS analysis here at RotoBaller!
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