This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
The KBO rolls on Friday with a slate that features a better collection of arms than usual. Dan Straily, Aaron Brooks, Drew Rucinski and William Cuevas are four of the best in the league, which makes things interesting at pitcher and in finding bats that can avoid these matchups for the most part. I'm interested in three of those aforementioned names in particular, along with one lower-cost alternative, as I'll detail below.
Despite the strong collection of hurlers, we still have two games with double-digit projected run totals. Those contests guide today's stack recommendations, and as usual, I'll also highlight some one-off hitters that could prove profitable for cash games and/or tournaments.
Pitchers
Drew Rucinski ($9,400) does draw one of his toughest matchups of the season against the Bears, which check in right behind the right-hander's Dinos in runs per game (5.99) and lead the KBO in hits per game (10.6). However, Rucinski's $900 price drop from his last start helps account for the matchup, and it's also worth noting he's been excellent in two prior meetings against Doosan with a 1.39 ERA, .152 BAA, 0.77 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB across 13 innings, good for an average of 20.3 DK points. Rucinski has a sparkling 10-1 record overall and should have plenty of run support, and he'll come into Friday's matchup with four tallies of 21 DK points or greater in his last six starts. The fact he may also be less rostered than usual due to other
The KBO rolls on Friday with a slate that features a better collection of arms than usual. Dan Straily, Aaron Brooks, Drew Rucinski and William Cuevas are four of the best in the league, which makes things interesting at pitcher and in finding bats that can avoid these matchups for the most part. I'm interested in three of those aforementioned names in particular, along with one lower-cost alternative, as I'll detail below.
Despite the strong collection of hurlers, we still have two games with double-digit projected run totals. Those contests guide today's stack recommendations, and as usual, I'll also highlight some one-off hitters that could prove profitable for cash games and/or tournaments.
Pitchers
Drew Rucinski ($9,400) does draw one of his toughest matchups of the season against the Bears, which check in right behind the right-hander's Dinos in runs per game (5.99) and lead the KBO in hits per game (10.6). However, Rucinski's $900 price drop from his last start helps account for the matchup, and it's also worth noting he's been excellent in two prior meetings against Doosan with a 1.39 ERA, .152 BAA, 0.77 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB across 13 innings, good for an average of 20.3 DK points. Rucinski has a sparkling 10-1 record overall and should have plenty of run support, and he'll come into Friday's matchup with four tallies of 21 DK points or greater in his last six starts. The fact he may also be less rostered than usual due to other quality arms on the slate and the matchup serve to enhance his appeal.
William Cuevas ($8,100) makes for a nice consolation prize if you're unable to afford some of the other more expensive options. The right-hander checks into Friday with three straight quality starts, including one against the KBO-leading Dinos his last time out. Cuevas has scored between 22.1 and 29.4 DK points in each of those outings, excellent returns on his current salary. Friday, he gets a crack at a Wyverns squad that is scoring the second-fewest runs per game (4.1), producing the second-fewest hits per game (8.3) and posting the second-lowest team batting average (.246). Cuevas has also been at his best at home, where he's averaging 19.6 DK points and averaging just under a strikeout per inning across seven starts (4-1 record).
ALSO CONSIDER: Aaron Brooks ($9,100); Casey Kelly ($7,400)
Top Targets
Mel Rojas Jr. ($6,700) essentially owns permanent residence as either a Top Target or "Also Consider" for this section, and rightfully so. The slugger checks in with a blistering .387/.444/.741 line that includes 49 extra-base hits (25 doubles, 24 home runs) and 64 RBI, leading to an average of 12.3 DK points per contest. Rojas has been keeping a very similar clip the last 10 games in particular, when he's averaged 12.2 DK points on the strength of a .417/.500/.833 slash with nine XBH (six doubles, three homers) and nine RBI. Rojas has also been outstanding at home all season, posting a .429 average with 12 homers and 34 RBI over 36 games. The matchup against SK starter Seung Won Moon could be advantageous as well, as the veteran right-hander has posted a 4.33 ERA and allowed five home runs over eight road starts.
Sung Bum Na ($5,700) has been on fire in his home park, where he owns a .378/.444/.719 slash that's partly comprised of 25 extra-base hits (14 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs) and 32 RBI over 33 games. Strikeouts are admittedly a prominent part of the package with Na, but he draws a favorable matchup in that regard versus Bears starter Won Joon Choi, a right-hander who is not an elite swing-and-miss pitcher and who's allowed just over a home run per nine innings thus far this season. Choi has also been hit very hard by the Dinos this season, giving up seven earned runs on 11 hits (including three homers) over 3.2 innings in four appearances.
Jeong Dae Bae ($4,200) could turn out to be one of the top fantasy-point-per-dollar values on the slate, as he arrives at Friday's matchup with a .330/.394/.513 slash that includes 29 extra-base hits (18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs) and 34 RBI. He's also a stolen-base threat that has swiped 13 bags on the campaign and is averaging 11.1 DK points on the strength of a .366/.412/.627 line in 36 home games. Finally, consider Bae checks in swinging one of the hottest bats in the KBO at the moment – he's hit safely in eight straight contests, scoring double-digit DK points in four of the last five along the way.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jose Fernandez ($6,000); Aaron Altherr ($5,900); Ha Seong Kim ($5,800); Preston Tucker ($5,500); Hyun Soo Kim ($5,100); Jung Hoo Lee ($5,000); Roberto Ramos ($4,900)
Bargain Bats
Dae Ho Lee ($4,000) is another underpriced player who's capable of outpacing his current salary. The veteran slugger has laced 25 extra-base hits (14 doubles, 11 homers) and compiled 50 RBI over 67 games while also proving to once again be an excellent contact (31 strikeouts across 287 plate appearances) and clutch (.338 average with runners in scoring position) hitter. Lee also boasts a .349/.437/.528 home slash (30 games) and could pay off his modest salary despite the tough matchup on paper versus Kia's Aaron Brooks.
Jae Il Oh ($3,700) is a tournament consideration despite his matchup against the previously recommended Drew Rucinski. Oh has had success against the Dinos this season with a .370 average and a pair of homers across eight games, and he carries an outstanding .419/.483/.714 slash in 27 road games, a sample during which he's also belted six of his seven homers on the season. Oh's bat has also been hot of late, as he's hit .342 with seven RBI over his last 10.
ALSO CONSIDER: Addison Russell ($2,800)
Stacks to Consider
Heroes vs. Ben Lively: Keon Chang Seo ($4,700); Ha Seong Kim ($5,800); Jung Hoo Lee ($5,000); Dong Won Park ($5,200)
ALSO CONSIDER: Addison Russell ($2,800)
Lively has been solid in his last two starts, but he's allowed a .268 opponent batting average, 4.77 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over four home appearances (three starts). The right-hander has surrendered a pair of homers over 11.1 innings in that sample. Moreover, the Heroes check in with a robust projected total of 5.5 runs.
Seo is averaging 8.8 DK points overall and has slugged four of his five homers on the season on the road, where he owns a .292/.399/.438 slash across 36 games. Seo brings some nice supplementary stolen-base upside as well (16 swipes), while his blazing speed has also helped lead to an impressive five triples alongside 11 doubles and five homers, over 70 games.
Kim checks in with a .315/.398/.587 slash with 11 homers and 30 RBI across 36 road games, leading to an average of 11.7 DK points in that sample. The slugger comes into Friday's contest on a hot streak as well, as he owns a .350/.409/.525 slash in his last 10 games.
Lee has regularly outpaced his salaries this season, considering he averages 10.3 DK points and is boasting a .333/.394/.546 line in 36 away contests. Lee has been excellent against Lions pitching specifically, striking out just three times over nine games and hitting .313 (10-for-32) with two doubles, a triple, a homer, six RBI, three walks and five runs.
Park has provided strong offensive production out of the catcher spot all season, as he enters with a .285 average and .885 OPS across 62 games. Park has 27 XBH (15 doubles, 12 homers) and 44 RBI, and his .299 average across 31 road contests checks in 29 points higher than his home figure.
Twins vs. Shi Hwan Jang: Ji Hwan Oh ($4,900); Hyun Soo Kim ($5,100); Min Sung Kim ($3,500); Roberto Ramos ($4,900)
The Twins come in with a co-slate-high projection of 5.5 runs, while Jang checks into this game with a 2-6 record, 5.02 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 1.1 HR/9 and .281 BAA in 13 starts. Jang does bring considerable strikeout potential, but his control issues and problems with the long ball contribute to LG's enhanced offensive expectations.
Oh starts off the stack with an outstanding .405/.422/.762 line and 14 RBI across the last 10 games. Oh has also obliterated Eagles pitching this season, furnishing a .432/.462/.919 slash with eight extra-base hits (two doubles, two triples, four homers) and 12 RBI over nine games.
Hyun Soo Kim continues to enjoy a highly successful season, as he's now posting a .345/.397/.575 line with 37 XBH and 61 RBI in 71 games. He's struck out a minuscule 26 times over 317 plate appearances as well, giving him excellent reliability. Kim is another Twins hitter who's enjoyed great success versus Hanwha, hitting .459 (17-for-37) with four doubles, two homers and 10 RBI in nine games.
Min Sung Kim makes for a nice value inclusion in the Twins onslaught, as he's posted a .308 average and .380 OBP over 40 games. Kim brings only modest pop (nine doubles, three homers) but he also sports a .323 average in 19 home games and a .385 figure in four games against the Eagles.
Finally, Ramos comes at a reasonable price for a player of his upside. The slugger has homered in back-to-back games, leading to 19 and 26 DK points, respectively. Ramos has actually been a more prolific hitter on the road, but he's still a high-upside play for tournaments and has already belted a pair of round trippers versus Hanwha in six games.
ALSO CONSIDER: Lions vs. Hyun Hee Han
