This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Saturday's KBO slate rewarded those who were up very late at night and able to adjust to a trio of late postponements, proving once and for all that the so-called "healthy lifestyle" is a myth. (Disclaimer: don't come to this column looking for health advice.) With rain sweeping South Korea, only the Eagles-Heroes game (which took place in a dome) and the Tigers-Lions game were able to go forward. Those cancellations make for an interesting Sunday slate, with teams' rotations being out of sync for the first time this year, giving us a mix of aces and fifth starters. Playing the matchups will be quite important in this one.
PITCHERS
Note: FanDuel is using Team Starting Pitchers rather than individual starting pitchers, presumably to guard against last-minute changes which could occur at hours of the night when most reasonable Americans won't be checking their fantasy lineups.
Expect people to be all over Warwick Saupold ($9,100 DraftKings, $20 FanDuel as "Hanwha Starting P") after his two-hit shutout on Opening Day against the Wyverns, especially on FanDuel, where he's rather mysteriously the cheapest pitcher on the slate. Saupold has an established track record in the KBO, posting a 3.51 ERA in 31 starts last season. If you're looking for a reason not to pick the obvious top choice (other than to stand out from the crowd in a big tournament), the Heroes offense, which ranks third in the league in runs per game, could provide one, as could the fact that Saupold's excellent debut came with just two strikeouts.
Hyun Jong Yang ($9,500 DraftKings, $21 FanDuel as "Kia Starting P") is another pitcher whose price is very inconsistent between the two platforms. The veteran lefty, who finished third in MVP voting last season on the back of an excellent 2.29 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, got knocked around by the Heroes on Opening Day, leaving after allowing four runs in three innings. Still, his long track record of success is far more significant than that one start, and he'll face a Lions lineup that had looked quite poor prior to its 14-run explosion Saturday.
Casey Kelly ($8,000 DraftKings, $21 FanDuel as "LG Starting P") is yet another top option who's surprisingly cheap on FanDuel, and his price isn't hard to stomach on DraftKings, either. The former major leaguer recorded a very strong 2.55 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in his first season in Korea. His preseason preparation was delayed due to the mandatory two-week quarantine for those returning from foreign countries, which adds a bit of risk. Teammate Tyler Wilson was in the same situation and was able to throw 96 pitches in his season debut, however, so Kelly might not be on a reduced pitch count.
Dan Straily ($6,700 DraftKings, $22 FanDuel as "Lotte Starting P") put his recent MLB struggles behind him in his KBO debut, holding the Wiz to just three hits and two runs in 5.2 innings on Opening Day. He's quite a cheap option on both sites, especially for an MLB import, and could be a good value against a Wyverns lineup that has scored the third-fewest runs per game this season.
TOP TARGETS
Baek Ho Kang ($5,500 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) is usually worth a look with a righty on the mound. The 20-year-old hit .336/.419/.495 last season, finishing fourth, second and eighth, respectively, in the three triple-slash categories. He'll face Dinos righty Yong Chan Lee, who produced a fine but far-from-unbeatable 4.07 ERA last season.
Fellow Wiz outfielder Mel Rojas ($5,200 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) has taken over the spot as the most expensive hitter on FanDuel after an excellent start to the season. He owns a career .313/.382/.566 slash line at the start of his fourth KBO campaign and has gone 9-for-16 with a homer and four doubles to start the year.
VALUE BATS
Chi Hong Ahn ($2,500 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) is very cheap for a player who's been batting fifth for the undefeated Giants. He hasn't done much yet this year, going 3-for-17 at the plate, but he hit .315 or better in each of the last three seasons. He'll get the platoon advantage against Wyverns lefty Tae Hoon Kim, who pitched entirely out of the bullpen last season.
Ahn's teammate Dixon Machado ($4,700 DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) only qualifies as a budget option on FanDuel, but he's certainly worth consideration there. The defense-first shortstop couldn't hit nearly well enough in 172 MLB games, struggling to a .227/.285/.295 slash line, but early returns have been quite positive in Korea. He's gone 6-for-15 in his first four games, with his two home runs already equaling his career MLB total. It's not ideal that he's been stuck batting seventh, but there's a chance he moves up based on his hot start.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Bears vs. Min Kim: Jose Fernandez ($5,200 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel), Jae Hwan Kim ($4,500 DraftKings, $13 FanDuel), Jae Il Oh ($3,800 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel)
Expect the Bears to feature frequently in this section whenever they face an unimposing right-hander, as this run of left-handed bats that occupies the second through fourth spots in the defending champions' lineup is one of the best in the league. Kim certainly fits the "unimposing" label. The 21-year-old has room to grow but hasn't shown much through his first two KBO campaigns. He struck out 13.5 percent of batters while walking 9.6 percent last season, leading to a 4.96 ERA.
Fernandez, last year's hit king, has been as advertised this season. He's grabbed at least one hit in all four games, going 9-for-16 overall. While he's a very talented hitter, he's quite expensive for a player with only modest power, so if you're struggling to fit this pricy stack into your budget, considering swapping him out for no. 5 hitter and fellow lefty bat Joo Hwan Choi ($2,000 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel).
Kim cleans up for the Bears and has done that job quite well through four games, driving in four runs. He had three straight seasons with at least 115 RBI from 2016 to 2018 during the league's offensive explosion and managed a still-strong 91 with the de-juiced ball last year.
Oh has gotten the job done out of the third spot in the Bears' lineup this season. He's yet to homer, but he's gone 6-for-16 with a pair of doubles. With four straight 20-homer seasons under his belt, expect him to open his account in that category soon.
Tigers vs. Jung Hyun Baek: Chan Ho Park ($4,200 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel), Sun Bin Kim ($3,400 DraftKings, $13 FanDuel), Yoon Ho Hwang ($3,100 DraftKings, $6 FanDuel)
This relatively cheap stack avoids the Tigers' expensive left-handed bats (Preston Tucker and Hyoung Woo Choi) against the southpaw Baek. Baek's 4.24 ERA last season wasn't significantly worse than the league-average mark of 4.17, but it came with a 4.91 FIP and a quite low 12.1 percent strikeout rate. The Tigers have a chance to put up some crooked numbers at hitter-friendly Daegu Samsung Lions Park.
Park, the Tigers' leadoff man, has gotten on base at a .381 clip this season, going 6-for-19 with a pair of walks. The 24-year-old hasn't accomplished much in his KBO career, but the fact that the Lions have installed him in such an important spot in the lineup suggests they have some faith in a breakout. He did steal a league-leading 39 bases last year, though he's yet to grab one this season.
Veteran second baseman Kim (who's eligible only at shortstop on DraftKings) has been batting second or third for the Tigers and is off to a hot start, going 6-for-15 with three doubles and six walks. The contact hitter has hit .290 or better for six straight seasons and hasn't hit below .281 since his debut back in 2008.
Hwang appears set for a role on the short side of a platoon this season. He's started against both lefties the Tigers have faced, batting second in his most recent start Friday. He's yet to fully establish himself at the KBO level but hit .301 in a small sample of 130 plate appearances last season. He's worth a dart throw mostly for his price and lineup position.
