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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 Wednesday, July 15, 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
NOTE: For those who are used to playing MLB DFS on DraftKings, the typical MLB cash game strategy of loading up on two high-powered arms for safety tends to be less successful since the quality of pitching in the KBO is inferior to the MLB. There are rarely two pitchers on a KBO slate who we feel extremely confident in for fantasy purposes and even where there is, like tonight, the value tends to be in saving money for hitters.
On DraftKings, we've found that taking the lowest-salaried SP2 from the options you're legitimately considering will often cost you around 6-8 total points in your lineup but saves you almost $2,000 that you can spend up on bats who will more than make up that difference.
Raul Alcantara (DOO)
$9.5K DraftKings, $20 FanDuel
The Dominican native is my favorite pitcher on the slate given his recent performance and a tasty matchup against SK in Jamsil, which is the best pitcher's park in the league. Alcantara comes into this game absolutely on fire with a 1.91 ERA over his last six starts, while striking out 38 and walking only three in those 42.1 innings. The strong recent run of strikeouts is great news against an SK team that is third in the KBO in strikeouts and should give Alcantara a solid fantasy floor. Additionally, the Wyverns hit only .239 against right-handed pitchers, and this game will be played in the only KBO park that really suppresses offensive power, not that SK has much to begin with. With Doosan coming in as a heavy favorite, it also makes it likely that Alcantara will get a win bonus. All of which adds up to make him my clear favorite option on the slate tonight. On FanDuel, he is simply a no brainer at his price.
Erik Jokisch (KIW)
$10.0K DraftKings, $28 FanDuel
Jokisch is likely the second-best pitcher in the KBO, coming into this game with a 1.41 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, which has led to 11 quality starts in his 12 outings. That consistency has been on display lately as he's allowed only six earned runs combined in his past six starts; although, the quality of competition in those outings wasn't that high. Still, on most slates, Jokisch would be the clear number one option, in particular since he sports a 1.10 ERA at home. However, tonight he has a few things working against him. For one, he's not a major strikeout pitcher - with 54 in 76.1 innings, which will limit his fantasy upside. He has also allowed only 58 hits, which is more indicative of his skill in limiting quality contact, but that's with a .250 BABIP, so there is some likely regression coming to him. Perhaps that will come against an NC team that has been atop the KBO standings all year long. It's highly unlikely Jokisch gets lit up given his overall talent level, but I don't think he has the upside of Alcantara given the matchup.
Drew Gagnon (KIA)
$8.5K DraftKings, $25 FanDuel
Gagnon has been solid in his first KBO season, coming into this game with a 3.94 ERA and 1.30 WHIP to go along with 61 strikeouts in 61.1 innings, which is the best K-rate of any pitcher on the slate tonight. While his form hasn't been great of late, Gagnon has been a better pitcher on the road since Kia's stadium leans slightly in the direction of being a hitter's park. He has struggled in his two previous match-ups with Samsung, allowing four earned runs in 5.1 on June 19th and three earned runs in 5.1 in his first start of the season. However, Gagnon also holds right-handed batters to a .187 average, and Samsung's lineup is heavily skewed towards right-handers. Despite his mediocre past performances against the Lions, no pitcher on the slate matches Gagnon's strikeout upside, and the Lions are not an offense that typically puts up massive run totals due to their limited team power, so there is a path towards a strong fantasy outing at a cheaper price than the top options on the slate.
Min-Soo Kim (KTW)
$5.5K DraftKings, $24 FanDuel
Welcome to price meeting opportunity. While Kim's stats on the season are not appealing (5.73 ERA and 1.83 WHIP), he's allowed only seven combined earned runs over his last four starts (a 2.83 ERA) and that has come against LG, Kiwoom, NC, and SK, so not exactly the easiest schedule. He has given up a ridiculous 57 hits in 37.2 innings this season, but he gets to face a Hanwha team that is last in the league in batting average against right-handed pitching and is even worse on the road. Since our strategy on DraftKings is to save money on SP2 in order to pay up for bats, Kim is the ideal low-salary candidate. He has a relatively safe floor and, with a likely win bonus, could provide solid value as the lowest-priced pitcher on the entire slate. Rostering him and Alcantara instead of him and Jokisch saves you closer to $5K that you can spend on hitters with more slate-breaking upside.
Other Options
- Tyler Wilson (LG) - 7.0K DraftKings, $25 FanDuel - Wilson has been fairly average on the season with a 4.48 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. He also only has marginal strikeout upside (45 in 64.1 IP) and faces the team that strikes out the least in the KBO. However, Wilson also limits right-handed hitters to a .225 batting average, and the Giants are stacked with right-handed bats and have struggled against pitchers who have success against righties. The lack of strikeout upside caps Wilson's ceiling, but he is one of the safer arms on the slate given the match-up and would be an ideal SP2 if you were paying up on DraftKings, which I am not planning to do.
- Jung-Hyun Baek (SAM) - 6.7K DraftKings, $26 FanDuel - Kia has been shut out on the road in three of their last six games, which makes any starting pitcher going up against them worth considering. Baek also has decent strikeout upside with 38 strikeouts in 48 innings and was solid the last time he faced Kia, going seven innings and allowing one run while striking out five. Part of that has to do with Kia hitting only .246 as a team off of left-handed pitching and also being the worst road offense in the league. Both of those factors make Baek an intriguing GPP SP2 option on DraftKings, but he also had two rough starts in his last two performances, so he's certainly not without considerable risk.
KBO Top Hitter Stacks
NOTE: It's important to remember, as mentioned above, that KBO DFS has played out differently than MLB DFS. It impacts the hitters by limiting the depth of the stacks we recommend. Since many KBO lineups are not as deep as MLB lineups, you can get away with playing three-man stacks in almost all builds. Obviously, going up to four-men stacks in GPP is fine, but going above that is not really recommended in KBO. This means that a 3/3/2 stack becomes playable in GPP (especially if you stack a game) and 3/2/2/1 is completely feasible in a cash game lineup and allows you to get strong individual batters without having to worry about loading up on his teammates.
KT Wiz
Stop me if you've read me write this before, but the Wiz are facing a left-handed pitcher, so they need to be in consideration for your main stack of the night. As a team, they average over 8 runs per game against left-handers with a .321 average (best in the KBO), along with 20 HR and 81 RBI. What's more, they also lead the league in runs scored and batting average at home, so this game plays doubly into their favor. Bum-soo Kim has been fine on the season and has been effective in his four starts since transitioning from the bullpen, allowing 9 ER on 19 hits across 22.1 innings while striking out 19 and walking 11. The strikeout numbers are solid, and the Wiz do love to strikeout, but the high walk totals - 27 in 41 innings on the season - are a problem against a team that hits left-handers so well. More opportunities and more runners on base are likely to lead to big innings. Kim has also allowed six home runs in his 41 innings, including two in his last start against Lotte, which could bite him against a powerful KT lineup.
Main Targets:
- Mel Rojas Jr.- OF (6.4K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Not only is Rojas one of the top-five fantasy hitters in the KBO, but he crushes left-handed pitching to the tune of .452, 8 HR, 18 RBI, and 20 R. He's the highest-priced bat on the slate, but he's also averaged 12.3 points per game on DraftKings and has 13 hits across an eight-game hitting streak. If I'm paying up tonight, it's for him.
- Jeong-Dae Bae- OF (3.5K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - DraftKings pricing doesn't like Bae, I guess, and I don't understand it. The guy is hitting .335 on the season with 6 HR, 29 RBI, and 9.1 points per game on DraftKings while crushing lefties with a .420 average. He is not a power threat and doesn't hit high enough in the lineup for consistent runs, but he almost always returns value for this price.
- Kyung Soo Park- 2B (3.5K DraftKings, $8 FanDuel) - 2B is often the trickiest position on DraftKings, so Park solves that problem tonight. He's hitting .301 with 8 HR and 36 RBI on the year and hits .342 off of left-handed pitching with 3 HR and 11 RBI. For his price, he's a great option at the keystone.
- Jae Gyun Hwang - 3B (6.0K DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) - Hwang is a high-priced option for only having 5 HR on the season and 9.1 points per game on DraftKings. Still, he hits .354 against lefties, bats second for the Wiz, and plays a position with few reliable fantasy options, so it keeps him in play tonight even though his salary is too high for me.
- Baek-ho Kang - 1B/OF (5.9K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - Kang is one of the best hitters on the Wiz, so I have to list him, but he's a left-handed hitter who hasn't been great against lefties. Despite hitting .323 with 12 HR and 36 RBI on the season, Kang hits .261 with only 3 HR off of lefties. That's not brutal, but not the production you're looking for at that salary.
- Sung Woo Jang - C (3.6K DraftKings, $8 FanDuel) - If you're paying down at catcher tonight, Jang is perhaps the best option since he just homered last night and hits .303 off of left-handed pitching. All you really need is for him to pick up two hits and he's made a profit on his price.
LG Twins
LG has been struggling a bit of late, but I love their matchup in a hitter-friendly environment against Adrian Sampson and his 5.44 ERA and 1.65 WHIP. The Twins also seem to like that match-up as they touched up Sampson for 10 hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings on June 14th. Part of that is because the right-hander gives up a .333 average to left-handed hitters and the Twins best hitters bat from the left side of the plate. As a result, I'm targeting a few left-handed bats from the Twins in most of my lineups.
Main Targets:
- Roberto Ramos - 1B (4.9K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Ramos is the Twins' most powerful hitter and has feasted off of righties, hitting .317 with 12 of his 16 home runs. His 24 RBIagainst right-handed pitching is second on the team and 21 R are third, so his string of success and matchup make him great value at his weirdly depressed price
- Hyun-Soo Kim - OF (4.6K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Ramos is second in RBI against right-handed pitchers because Kim is first. The veteran leads the Twins' regulars with a .325 average versus righties to pair with 7 HR, 30 RBI, and 26 R. At his price, he's a near-lock for me on this slate.
- Chun-Woong Lee - OF (2.9K DraftKings, $8 FanDuel) - Lee is a low-priced option that provides great value for tomorrow. He has seven hits in his last three games but also hits .281 with 20 runs scored against right-handers. Coming in below 3K on DraftKings, that is solid, consistent production.
- Ji-hwan Oh - SS (3.5K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Even though Oh is a left-handed hitter, he has only been average against righties with a .270 average to go along with 1 HR, 18 RBI, and 24 R. He does have 10 SB on the year, which gives him an added path to fantasy relevance and makes him an intriguing option at a position that lacks many options on DraftKings.
Small Stacks
As I mentioned above, small stacks in KBO DFS are more about picking and choosing your bats to fill out your lineup. You don't need to worry so much about having three or so from a particular team. However, two small stacks really stand out to me on this slate: Kiwoom and Doosan.
Kiwoom is facing an enigmatic left-hander in Sung-Young Chang, who had a 3.94 ERA last year and is a young prospect with a high draft pedigree. However, he's also allowed seven home runs in 29.2 innings this year. Kiwoom is a much better offense on the road - both in terms of average and power - and is 7th in the KBO in average against left-handers, so I don't love them as a full-stack, but the NC bullpen is not great which should make a few Heroes hitters viable.
On the other hand, Doosan is a hard team to stack at home since Jamsil suppresses power considerably. They are also facing an enigmatic pitcher in their own right in Ricardo Pinto. The MLB veteran has a 4.14 ERA and also only given up two home runs on the year but has shown considerably control issues and has a 7.40 ERA on the road so far this year, which makes some of their left-handed bats that much more enticing.
- Jung-Ho Lee (KIW) - OF (5.0K DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) - Lee has been Kiwoom's best and most fantasy-relevant hitter. He's hitting .357 on the year with 10 HR, 45 RBI, and averaging 10.3 points per game on DraftKings. Against left-handed pitching, he's hitting .327 with 11 RBI but no home runs. Even without the power, if the Heroes get to Chang, Lee figures to be at the center of it.
- Ha Seong Kim (KIW) - SS (4.6K DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) - It's hard to ignore a player who's hit four HRs in the last three games, especially when he faces a pitcher with major issues giving up the long ball. Kim leads the Heroes with 14 HRs on the season and SS usually gets very sketchy on DraftKings if you try and punt the position, so paying up for Kim may be the way to go tonight if you have the money; although I'd still prefer Rojas if you had to choose one to spend up on.
- Don-Won Park (KIW) - C (5.4K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Park has started to find his groove again of late and is one of the premier options at the position, hitting .286 with 10 HR and 35 RBI on the season. His average against left-handed pitching on the season has been an atrocious .219, but he leads the Heroes with 5 HRs against lefties, so he can make himself fantasy relevant with one swing.
- Keon-Chang Seo (KIW) - 1B/2B (4.6K DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) - Seo has become one of the better DraftKings options at 2B with 9.4 points per game. On the season, he's batting .307 with 5 HRs and 26 RBI. However, he could earn some points tonight due to his 14 steals and .327 average against left-handed pitching.
- Jose Fernandez (Doo) - 1B/2B (6.2 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - You're paying up for Fernandez, which is often tough to do at home since it limits his power output. However, hitting second in the order gives him tremendous potential for points from runs as well as his .391 home batting average, which could put him at the center of a few rallies.
- Kyoung Min Hur (Doo)- 3B (4.6K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Hur has become one of the top-15 hitters in the KBO in terms of fantasy value and the price is starting to match that. However, he's on a nine-game hitting streak and hits .367 at home, so he could match value at a shallow position on DraftKings.
- Joo-Hwan Choi (Doo) - 1B/2B (4.0K DraftKings, $13 FanDuel) - Rostering Choi is about salary relief and value at a poor Draftkings position. He's on an impressive 14-game hitting streak and hits .356 at home with 2 HR and 12 RBI, which makes him worth rostering as your 2B on DraftKings at his price to save money to pay up elsewhere.
- Se-Hyuk Park (Doo) - C (4.0K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Park is a strong option if you don't want to spend too much money at catcher. He's on an 11-game hitting streak and hits from the left side, which will give him an advantage against Pinto. He also hits .455 at home with 2 HR, so he's been one of the Bears' best hitters at Jamsil.
Good luck with your DFS contests everyone. Be sure to stop back every day for more KBO DFS analysis here at RotoBaller!
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