DFS KBO: Saturday Cheat Sheet

Eric Jokisch and Drew Rucinski had expectedly strong outings Friday, though a blown save cost Rucinski his win and handed the Dinos a rare loss. With that loss and the Twins' 6-2 victory over the Tigers, who were helped on their way by Roberto Ramos' fourth homer in his last five games, the Twins now sit just two games out of first place. Elsewhere, the struggling Wyverns grabbed their second win in a row with an 8-6 victory over the Eagles, giving them their first winning streak of the year. They could finally be showing signs of starting to wake up alongside their star third baseman Jeong Choi, who's recovering from an awful start to the season and has reached base 11 times in his last four games. Saturday's slate will be a slightly unusual one, with the Twins and Tigers playing before the rest of the slate (at 1 a.m. ET). That game will be included as part of the main slate on FanDuel but will only be available as a single-game contest on DraftKings. The prices listed for Twins and Tigers here will be from that showdown contest, so they're scaled very differently than they would be for typical DraftKings contests.

Pitchers

While a blown save limited Drew Rucinski's value Friday despite a strong outing, the Dinos have another deservedly expensive pitcher throwing Saturday. Mike Wright ($8,900 DraftKings, $27 FanDuel as "NC Starting P") has been quite good through his first four KBO starts, recording a 2.86 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. His 10.9 percent walk rate is higher than you'd like, but that's come with a strong 21.7 percent strikeout rate. Hitter-friendly Daegu Samsung Lions Park is a minor worry, but that's largely canceled out by the fact that he gets to face the weak Lions lineup.

Won Tae Choi ($9,100 DraftKings, $25 FanDuel as "Kiwoom Starting P") is similarly expensive, but his price tag appears justified. The 23-year-old recorded ERAs of 3.95 and 3.38 in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and he appears to be well on his way to another strong season this year, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP through his first four starts. His 16.5 percent strikeout rate, which isn't far from his career 17.2 percent mark, caps his upside, but he'll face a Wiz lineup which hasn't looked the same in the absence of star slugger Baek Ho Kang (wrist).

For a cheaper option, consider Ricardo Pinto ($7,400 DraftKings, $22 FanDuel as "SK Starting P"). His inclusion here isn't in any way a defense of his track record through his first four KBO starts, as his 4.76 ERA would look a whole lot worse if his nine unearned runs were included, and his 11:11 K:BB isn't anywhere close to good. He still deserves some benefit of the doubt as a pitcher who has MLB experience, but he's most interesting here because he's facing the anemic Eagles lineup, which ranks last in the league with just 3.6 runs per game.

Top Targets

Eui Ji Yang's ($5,200 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) title as the top catcher in the KBO isn't in any doubt, as a recent hot streak has sent his OPS above 1.000 for the third straight season. Over his last seven games, he's hit .381 with a 1.337 OPS, three homers, seven runs and seven RBI. The Dinos' cleanup man will face Lions' righty David Buchanan, who's alternated between awful and excellent starts this season, giving up five, zero, 10 and zero runs in his four outings. There's no guarantee which Buchanan will show up in this one, but Daegu Samsung Lions Park, the most hitter-friendly park in the league, certainly helps tip the scales in Yang's favor.

Roberto Ramos ($12,600 in DraftKings' showdown contest, $17 FanDuel) is the hottest hitter in the league at the moment and looks like the early MVP favorite. His 1.286 OPS leads all qualified hitters, while his 10 homers are three more than the next-best mark. He's been great all year but has kicked things into another gear over his last five games, hitting four homers and driving in nine runs. His absence from the main slate on DraftKings (where he's been wildly underpriced) opens up other viable options at first base, but he's definitely a strong choice for the captain slot in showdown contests.

Bargain Bats

A few Giants could make for interesting plays against Bears' righty Young Ha Lee, who's struggled to a 5.75 ERA, a 1.97 WHIP and a 15:16 K:BB this season. The Giants' lineup is very right-handed, however, making lefty number two hitter Ah Seop Son ($3,700 DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) the best value. The veteran outfielder's eye is his best trait, as his 18 walks lead the league. He doesn't have a ton of power, but his .319/.456/.403 season slash line suggests he'll be on base early and often and should have plenty of chances to score should Lee's struggles continue.

Keon Chang Seo ($3,600 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) is an affordable way to grab a piece of the Heroes lineup, which sits a respectable fifth in scoring this season but which led the league in that category last year. They didn't quite qualify for a stack recommendation in this one, but Wiz righty William Cuevas isn't a particularly imposing arm. His 1.15 WHIP is solid, but he's allowed four or more runs in three of his four starts this season, giving him a 5.55 ERA. Seo will lead off and get the platoon advantage in this one, making him interesting enough even before considering his strong .321/.400/.488 season slash line or his four steals.

Stacks to Consider

Wyverns vs. Shi Hwan Jang: Jeong Choi ($4,600 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel), Soo Kwang Noh ($3,300 DraftKings, $6 FanDuel), Ji Hoon Choi ($2,900 DraftKings, $5 FanDuel)

It's been hard to justify stacking the Wyverns this season, as they rank ninth in scoring on the season, managing just 3.9 runs per game. They've shown signs of life over their last five contests, though, averaging 4.8 runs over that stretch. Jang gives them a great opportunity to keep that momentum going. His 7.20 ERA and 2.25 WHIP this season are both quite poor, and while he can certainly blame a .460 BABIP for some of his struggles, his 14.3 percent walk rate has also been a major factor. His recent track record doesn't offer much reason to believe he'll be dramatically turning things around any time soon, as he struggled to a 4.95 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP last season.

I'm fine with Jamie Romak ($5,800 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) at his cheap FanDuel price, but he's far too expensive on DraftKings given the league's depth at first base and outfield. There, I'd much prefer Jeong Choi to lead the stack, as he's eligible at shortstop and third base, two rather shallow positions. His .191/.353/.338 season slash line is undeniably quite poor, but he looks like he's starting to heat up, going 6-for-12 with a homer, two doubles and five walks over his last four games. The veteran posted an excellent .292/.405/.519 line with 29 homers last season, so he should be one of the better hitters in the league once his bat finally wakes up.

Unlike Choi, Noh will get the platoon advantage in this one. The leadoff man is one of the only Wyverns who's been hitting well this year, as his .372/.400/.535 slash line is quite strong across the board. He hasn't hit for much power in his career, but his on-base ability and lineup position should give him plenty of chances to score with a weak righty on the mound. He also offers a bit of speed, stealing 52 bases over the last two seasons, though he's swiped just a single bag this year.

Ji Hoon Choi is very cheap on both sites, coming in at the minimum price on FanDuel, which seems justified given that he's made just three starts in his KBO career. Those three starts have come in the Wyverns' last three games, however, and the 22-year-old has hit second in each of them. He's acquitted himself well, going 5-for-12 with a pair of extra-base hits. With the platoon advantage and a prime spot in the lineup against a shaky opposing starter, Choi looks like a great value even with next to no track record.

Bears vs Jun Won Seo: Jose Fernandez ($6,100 DraftKings, $18 FanDuel), Jae Hwan Kim ($5,600 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel), Joo Hwan Choi ($2,300 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel)

The 19-year-old Seo hasn't looked great through his first four starts this season, posting a 4.98 ERA while striking out just 10.6 percent of opposing batters. Combined with his struggles as a rookie, he now owns a 5.38 ERA, a 1.56 WHIP and a 13.0 percent strikeout rate in 118.2 career KBO innings. The third-ranked Bears lineup, which is loaded with lefties at the top of the order, should be able to tee off on the young righty in this one.

Fernandez is, as usual, the cornerstone to this stack. He's been on such a tear this season that his .286 batting average over his last four games qualifies as a cold streak. He's been absolutely dominant overall, hitting .465/.511/.698 while driving in 22 runs and scoring 20 times in 21 games. As the number two hitter with the platoon advantage against a shaky right-hander, his high price tag is absolutely worth paying in this contest.

Kim's similarly high price is slightly harder to justify, as his .289/.379/.513 season slash line can't compete with Fernandez's ridiculous marks, but it's not as if that line is anywhere close to poor. He's gone 0-for-6 over his last two games but should get the opportunity to turn things around against Seo. The cleanup hitter should have plenty of RBI chances in this one.

Choi gets the final spot in the stack for now, as he's been batting third while Jae Il Oh ($3,800 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) has been out with a side injury. Oh has been back on the active roster for the last two games but has been limited to pinch-hit duty; if he starts in this one, he'll be a great inclusion if you can find the budget space. If Oh's absence continues and keeps Choi in the third spot, however, you won't find many better values out there. The 32-year-old's season slash line is a lopsided but respectable .232/.293/.478, and he's hit four homers on the season, though he's mostly interesting for the fact that he gets to hit third in one of the league's best lineups against one of the day's weakest starting pitchers.