DFS KBO: Friday Cheat Sheet

We have once again have heightened offensive expectations in Friday's five-game slate, as three of the contests have double-digit projected run totals. There are some solid won-loss records from starting pitchers on the ledger – top four choices Tyler Wilson, Hyun Jong Yang, Tae In Won and Hyeong Jun So have a combined 30-22 mark, for example – but some are accompanied by elevated ERAs. Therefore, it could be a night where there may not be many, if any, dominant pitching performances, and solid offensive production is relatively widespread.

As customary, I'll highlight what I consider to be two of the safer pitching options at different price points, followed by some one-off hitters across the salary scale that could also prove profitable for cash games and/or tournaments. I'll then break down the two stacks that I trust the most to potentially string some above-average offensive numbers together and pay off for you in tournaments.

Pitchers

Hyun Jong Yang ($9,500) saves you $400 off Wilson, who's the most expensive option on the slate and had prior trouble with the Wiz squad he faces Friday. Yang is one of the aforementioned pitchers whose ERA (5.21) stands in contrast to a solid 8-6 record, but he does have a few factors in his favor. To begin with, he's been a better road pitcher by far, as he carries a 5-3 mark, 4.62 ERA and average of 13.3 DK points across 11 road turns coming into Friday's start. Then, consider that although the opposing Wyverns have been a much hotter offense of late, Yang has mastered them to the tune of a 2.89 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, .154 BAA and 23:5 K:BB across 18.2 innings over three previous encounters with them this season. SK also comes in averaging just 4.4 runs and 8.5 hits per contest, while Yang has scored 19.6 to 27.9 DK points in his last three starts.

Min Woo Kim ($6,400) sports an opposite profile from many of his fellow Friday starters – he has an ugly won-loss record that's offset by an acceptable KBO ERA. The right-hander's 4.27 ERA and .233 BAA belie his 3-8 season mark, with a lot of his trouble coming from a combination of his occasional struggles keeping the ball in the park (1.1 HR/9) and the typically poor run support he receives from his offense. Therefore, while Kim carries some risk, he'll save you plenty Friday and also is facing a Lions team he's enjoyed success against already this season -- Kim posted 17 DK points on the strength of five-inning, three-hit, one-run effort against Samsung in one prior meeting this season. Additionally, he's been a markedly better home pitcher, as Kim owns a 2.63 ERA, .162 BAA and average of 18.7 DK points in seven home starts, a stretch during which he's also given up only three homers and recorded 42 strikeouts across 41 innings.

ALSO CONSIDER: Tae In Won ($9,300)

Top Targets

Jose Fernandez ($6,000) churned out yet another double-digit fantasy-point tally Thursday but remains at the same price, putting him in play yet again against Dinos right-handed starter Jin Ho Kim. Fernandez continues to swing one of the most lethal and hottest bats in the KBO, as he now carries an absurd .512 average (22-for-43) with 13 RBI over his last 10 games. Fernandez already owns a .375 average against NC pitching in 13 games as well, and following his tally of 13 DK points in Thursday's contest, he's now posted double-digit fantasy-point totals in six of his last 10 contests.

Preston Tucker ($5,200) gets a tantalizing matchup against a right-handed starter in Ricardo Pinto, who comes in having allowed a 6.17 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and .324 BAA for the season, including a 7.36 ERA and massive .436 BAA in two starts versus Kia. Tucker has been on fire at the plate over the last 10 games with a .359/.444/.590 slash line that's partly comprised of three home runs, numbers that have helped lead to four double-digit DK-point tallies during that span. The slugging outfielder is also hitting an impressive .333 with runners in scoring position this season, helping produce an impressive 69 RBI across 89 games.

Baek Ho Kang ($4,400) is another lefty slugger poised to profit from his matchup Friday, as he faces right-hander Tyler Wilson. Six of the nine home runs Wilson has allowed this season have come in the last 10 starts, while Kang checks in with a .310 average, three home runs and six RBI over his last 10 contests, leading to an average of 8.6 DK points per game during that stretch. Kang also boasts an impressive 34 extra-base hits (18 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs) and 51 RBI over 75 games, excellent upside for his current salary.

ALSO CONSIDER: Mel Rojas ($5,900); Sung Bum Na ($5,800); Hyun Soo Kim ($5,400); Ha Seong Kim ($5,400); Eui Ji Yang ($5,200)

Bargain Bats

Jamie Romak ($3,900) is a cost-savings consideration despite his matchup against a pitcher I recommended earlier (Yang), as he's been outpacing his current salary lately. The former MLB outfielder is hitting .400 (14-for-35) with three homers and 13 RBI over his last 10 games, producing five double-digit DK-point tallies (including a 43-point haul three games ago against the Giants) during that span and serving as a big part of the Wyverns' occasional breakout efforts lately. Romak's better-than-.300 averages against left-handed pitching in his two last minor-league campaigns stateside back in 2015 and 2017 are also worth noting, considering Yang is a southpaw.

Jin Sung Kang ($3,600) actually saw a $300 price drop overnight despite compiling 13 DK points Thursday, which pushed his home-park slash line to .374/.404/.656 across 39 contests. Kang boasts a similarly impressive .360/.560/.945 line with two home runs and 11 RBI across 12 prior games versus Bears pitching as well, boosting his already strong case at a surprisingly low salary.

ALSO CONSIDER: Jeong Dae Bae ($3,500)

Stacks to Consider

Tigers vs. Ricardo Pinto: Preston Tucker ($5,200); Hyung Woo Choi ($4,300); Ji Wan Na ($3,400); Min Sang Yoo ($2,500)

Pinto's considerable struggles this season were already detailed in Tucker's entry, while the Tigers come into Friday's game with a solid .271 team average and putting up 5.0 runs per contest.

Tucker's many positive attributes were already detailed earlier, while Choi makes for an excellent way to follow him up in your lineup. The 19-year veteran can still get it done at the plate, as he's slashing .329/.421/.500 with 20 doubles, one triple, 11 homers and 57 RBI across 375 plate appearances. He's also hitting an outstanding .351 with runners in scoring position, making him an excellent all-around play at his salary.

Na shapes up as even more of a bargain, as his bat still carries plenty of pop as well. The 13th-year pro owns a solid .289/.382/.443 line for the season that includes 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 64 RBI, the latter figure largely a byproduct of his stellar .378 average with runners in scoring position. Na also owns a .316 average with two homers and 12 RBI over 10 games against the Wyverns this season.

Finally, Yoo's price defies description, and he rounds out what is an extremely affordable stack that could pay major dividends. The six-year veteran is slashing .272/.376/.385 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 45 RBI, and he carries an even more impressive .361 average with runners in scoring position. Yoo has also been better on the road (.283 away average, compared to .261 at home), and needless to say, carries the smallest of risk due to his salary.

Dinos vs. Hui Kwan Yu: Sung Bum Na ($5,800); Eui Ji Yang ($5,200); Jin Sung Kang ($3,600); Suk Min Park ($4,200)

Yu has an acceptable 7-7 record, but his 4.95 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and .334 BAA all underscore how hittable he's often been. The southpaw has been at his worst on the road, where he carries a 5.64 ERA and .325 BAA over eight trips to the mound. Meanwhile, the Dinos continue to be one of the most powerful offenses in the KBO, as they're averaging a league-high 6.3 runs per contest and have hit a KBO-best 121 homers.

Na is now averaging 11.6 DK points per game after slugging his 26th homer Thursday, his fourth round-tripper over the last three contests. The slugger has scored between Thursday's 21 and 32 DK points in those games, and he's compiled double-digit fantasy points in eight of the last 10 overall. Additionally, Thursday's success pushed his home-park line to an excellent .380/.441/.734 line that's partly comprised of 18 doubles, one triple, 15 homers and 50 RBI over 44 games.

Yang had a big night in his own right Thursday, as he racked up 14 DK points on the strength of a 2-for-3 performance. It was the slugging backstop's sixth double-digit DK-point tally in the last eight contests, and it pushed his season average versus the Bears to an eye-popping .422 in 12 games.

Kang's appealing combination of price and upside were already discussed earlier in the Bargain Bats section, and Park rounds out our stack with a .289/.423/.452 line that includes 10 homers and 43 RBI over 80 games. The veteran has shown a good knack for clutch hitting via a .333 average with runners in scoring position, and he now sports a .328 average and 1.015 OPS in 42 home games, a sample that includes eight of his homers on the campaign.