This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
On paper, Friday's five-game slate shapes up as a banner day for offense, considering no game has a projected total lower than the 9.5 runs attached to the Eagles-Twins matchup, and all four of the other contests have double-digit run tallies. As those numbers imply, there are some highly suspect arms on the mound, underscored by the fact there are a trio of starters with ERAs north of 5.00. There are some strikingly significant projected mismatches as well, with the Twins (-275), Dinos (-230) and Heroes (-225) all heavy favorites.
As is customary, I'll highlight both pitchers and hitters across various price points to consider for both cash games and tournaments. Considering some of the arms taking the hill, I'm only confident enough in two pitchers to spotlight, but I do have three stacks worth considering in the latter portion of the article, with one that could make for a productive contrarian option in tournaments.
Pitchers
Chan Gyu Lim ($8,200 DraftKings, $25 FanDuel as "LG Starting P") sports a slightly elevated 4.47 and 1.34 WHIP, but he still stands out as an interesting pivot off the two most expensive arms on the slate in Aaron Brooks and Mike Wright. The pair of ex-MLBers are in very tough matchups, while Lim faces an Eagles team that comes in last in both team batting average (.242) and runs scored (220) in the KBO. Additionally, Lim already flummoxed Hanwha to the tune of one run allowed over six innings in his one
On paper, Friday's five-game slate shapes up as a banner day for offense, considering no game has a projected total lower than the 9.5 runs attached to the Eagles-Twins matchup, and all four of the other contests have double-digit run tallies. As those numbers imply, there are some highly suspect arms on the mound, underscored by the fact there are a trio of starters with ERAs north of 5.00. There are some strikingly significant projected mismatches as well, with the Twins (-275), Dinos (-230) and Heroes (-225) all heavy favorites.
As is customary, I'll highlight both pitchers and hitters across various price points to consider for both cash games and tournaments. Considering some of the arms taking the hill, I'm only confident enough in two pitchers to spotlight, but I do have three stacks worth considering in the latter portion of the article, with one that could make for a productive contrarian option in tournaments.
Pitchers
Chan Gyu Lim ($8,200 DraftKings, $25 FanDuel as "LG Starting P") sports a slightly elevated 4.47 and 1.34 WHIP, but he still stands out as an interesting pivot off the two most expensive arms on the slate in Aaron Brooks and Mike Wright. The pair of ex-MLBers are in very tough matchups, while Lim faces an Eagles team that comes in last in both team batting average (.242) and runs scored (220) in the KBO. Additionally, Lim already flummoxed Hanwha to the tune of one run allowed over six innings in his one previous encounter this season, an outing during which he also collected eight strikeouts. Moreover, consider that a big part of the reason for the unfavorable bump Lim's numbers have recently seen are his last two starts, which came against the top-ranked Dinos lineup and a solid Lions nine in the prior turn. Prior to those outings, Lim totaled 25.5 and 33.4 DK points against the Eagles and Wyverns, respectively -- demonstrating his ability to capitalize on favorable matchups -- and he also collected between 16.7 and 26.5 DK points in three other starts over his last 10.
Chae Heung Choi ($7,800 DraftKings, $26 FanDuel as "Samsung Starting P") comes at a very reasonable price, and he could be a bit on the lower-owned side after getting hammered for seven earned runs on nine hits over four innings by the Wiz in his most recent start. That poor outing aside, consider Choi came into the start with 11 combined scoreless innings in his prior two turns, and that he's compiled over 20 DK points in four of his last 10 starts, excellent upside for his current cost. Furthermore, it's important to note the majority of Choi's problems have come on the road this season, as he sports a sparkling 4-1 record and 1.97 ERA over six home starts. He also made quick work of the opposing Giants in his one prior outing against them this season, scattering three hits over seven scoreless innings May 26. Finally, the fact the Giants come in having scored the third-fewest runs (293) in the KBO helps further Choi's case.
Top Targets
Ha Seong Kim ($6,200 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) brings some nice power upside, as he's slugged 14 homers, including nine on the road. The veteran has also cut down his strikeout rate to 10.9 percent this season and has consistently battered Wyverns pitching. Kim owns a .450 average (9-for-20) against SK across six matchups this season, and although he hit only .250 over his last 10 games, he also belted four home runs during that span, offering a glimpse of what he can provide with one swing. The matchup versus opposing pitcher Joo Han Kim is the icing on the cake, as the right-hander checks in with a 6.53 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and .313 BAA over his seven appearances (four starts).
Eui Ji Yang ($5,600 DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) is now averaging 8.8 DK/9.6 FD points per game following his second straight two-hit effort Thursday, and he checks in with a sterling .305/.387/.555 line for the season that includes nine homers and 14 doubles. Yang has been at his best at home, where he owns a .320/.361/.667 slash with six round trippers and 27 RBI in 22 contests. The pitching matchup lends itself to Yang augmenting that success Friday, as opposing hurler Hyeong Jun So owns a 6.23 ERA and 1.54 WHIP this season and has been at his absolute worst on the road, where he's posted a 10.22 ERA, 2.03 WHIP and .386 BAA in three turns.
Ja Wook Koo ($4,500 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) sports salaries worthy of a double take, as they're far from what you'd expect for a player slashing an eye-popping .349/.395/.553 across 39 games. Those numbers are far from a fluke, as Koo had hit no less than .310 in any season before 2019, when he slumped to a still-respectable .267. Koo also brings plenty of power to the table and checks into Friday's contest swinging one of the hottest bats in the league, as he's produced a .439/.452/.585 slash over the last 10 contests, hitting safely in nine of them. Koo could also benefit from the matchup against Lotte starting pitcher Jun Won Seo, who's yielded a 1.5 HR/9 and posted an anemic 11.6 percent strikeout rate over 58.2 innings.
ALSO CONSIDER: Mel Rojas Jr. ($6,100 DraftKings, $18 FanDuel); Aaron Altherr ($6,000 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel); Baek Ho Kang ($5,300, $15 FanDuel); Kyoung Min Hur ($4,300 DraftKings, $10 FanDuel)
Bargain Bats
Hoon Jung ($3,600 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) shapes up as one of the better potential fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the slate, despite the fact he faces one of the earlier pitching recommendations in Chae Heung Choi. Jung has slashed .315/.390/.476 over 31 games this season, and he checks in with a trio of two-hit efforts in his last four games. Jung has also thrived on the road, where he owns a .328/.361/.522 slash with seven extra-base hits (four doubles, three home runs) and 11 RBI in 15 games.
Hae Min Park ($3,100 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) offers the upside of a much higher-priced player, as evidenced by his .298/.328/.449 slash that's complemented by 15 extra-base hits (eight doubles, two triples, five home runs) and 22 RBI. Park even offers a bit of speed on the bases in the form of seven stolen bases, and he's also gotten to Giants pitching this season for a .357 average (5-for-14) across three games. Park will benefit from the same favorable pitching matchup against Jun Won Seo as his teammate Koo, adding to his appeal as an extreme cost-saving option.
Stacks to Consider
Dinos vs. Hyeong Jun So: Myung Gi Lee ($3,300 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel); Hee Dong Kwon ($3,200 DraftKings, $10 FanDuel); Eui Ji Yang ($5,600 DraftKings, $12 FanDuel); Aaron Altherr ($6,000 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel)
ALSO CONSIDER: Min Woo Park ($5,200 DraftKings, $12 FanDuel)
The Dinos check in with the most potent offense in the league, fitting given their KBO-best 40-19 record. NC leads the league in total runs (384) and HR/G (1.45), and as mentioned earlier, draws an excellent matchup against Hyeong Jun So.
We start the stack with projected No. 2 hitter Lee, who checks in a great set of salaries for a hitter with a .298 average and .350 OBP over 57 games. While Lee won't bring you any appreciable power upside, he's a good contact hitter who will be in position to cross the plate on more than one occasion if he gets on, thanks to the formidable hitters behind him.
No. 3 hitter Kwon is one such bat, as he comes into Friday with a .301/.427/.519 slash that includes 16 extra-base hits (seven doubles, nine home runs) and 31 RBI. Kwon has also been at his best at home, where he owns a .329/.463/.645 across 26 games.
Cleanup hitter Yang's positive attributes were already discussed earlier in the article, and Altherr makes for an excellent way to round out your Dinos onslaught. The former Phillies prospect has found his stroke in KBO after an often-frustrating career stateside, as he's slashing .300/.366/.601 with 28 extra-base hits (eight doubles, four triples, 16 home runs) and 56 RBI. Altherr has thrown in 11 stolen bases for good measure, and he's hitting .309 in 29 home dates.
Heroes vs. Joo Han Kim: Keon Chang Seo (DraftKings $5,000, $12 FanDuel); Ha Seong Kim ($6,200 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel); Jung Hoo Lee ($5,000 DraftKings, $15 FanDuel); Byung Ho Park ($4,900 DraftKings, $13 FanDuel)
The Heroes aren't quite on the level of the Dinos in terms of their bats, but they're not far off. Kiwoom comes into Friday's action with the fourth-most runs (354) and a solid .273 team batting average, and they have a favorable matchup against Kim, whose vulnerabilities were detailed earlier in Ha Seong Kim's entry.
Seo makes for an effective way to get things started, as he comes in with a .303 average and .403 OBP, along with an impressive 18 extra-base hits (eight doubles, five triples, five home runs) and 26 RBI. Seo has also displayed a good eye at the plate with 36 walks, and he's been at his best across his 30 road games, where he's slashed .307/.412/.474 and hit four of his five homers on the campaign.
Kim's candidacy was already elaborated on in his entry, while Lee represents some excellent value at his salaries considering his .357/.415/.607 line that includes a whopping 37 XBH (23 doubles, four triples, 10 homers) and 45 RBI. Moreover, a chunk of his success has come at the expense of Wyverns pitching, against which he's hit .500 (12-for-24) in six contests this season.
Finally, Park's .230 average certainly has plenty of room for improvement, but his 16 homers, 11 of which have come on the road, still give him some nice upside at his reasonable salaries. The veteran is hitting a solid .284 on the road as well (compared to .168 at home), and he could certainly have a shot a few RBI opportunities based on the talented players hitting in front of him that were just discussed.
ALSO CONSIDER: Lions vs. Jun Won Seo: Sang Su Kim ($4,600 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel); Ja Wook Koo ($4,500 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel); Seong Gon Lee ($3,000 DraftKings, $5 FanDuel); Won Seok Lee ($3,800 DraftKings, $8 FanDuel)
