DFS KBO: Saturday Cheat Sheet

We have no shortage of former major-league pitchers taking the hill in Saturday's five-game slate, as the quartet of Dan Straily, Drew Rucinski, David Buchanan and William Cuevas are all in action. While all four have had solid seasons, there's one particular vulnerability in one of them I'll highlight further, and there are also several other exploitable hurlers that are part of the ledger. However, there are notably only two games with double-digit projected run totals and neither is higher than 10.5 runs, so the oddsmakers may have more tempered expectations.

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

Dan Straily ($10,700) is the most expensive pitching option on the slate, but given his body of work and opponent, he's worth the investment. The veteran right-hander is averaging a slate-high 21.1 DK points per start and bounced back nicely his last time out from one of his rare hiccups, holding the Lions to two hits over six scoreless innings. Straily has done an outstanding job keeping the ball in the park during his first KBO season – he's yielded only six home runs over 124.2 innings – and he's surrendered just one of those round trippers in his home park. Additionally, he comes in with an excellent track record against the opposing Eagles, having held the KBO's weakest offense (3.6 runs per game) to a 1.59 ERA over two prior starts during which he's averaged 19 DK points.

David Buchanan ($7,900) checks in at a very reasonable price for a pitcher with 11 wins, a 2.02 ERA and average of 18.2 DK points across eight road starts. The right-hander has a solid 3.75 ERA overall for the season and already has a pair of victories against the opposing Heroes. Buchanan checks in with three straight quality starts as well, and he arrives at Friday's start having surrendered just three home runs over his last eight trips to the mound, a span of 50.2 innings.

ALSO CONSIDER: Drew Rucinski ($9,500); Chan Gyu Lim ($8,500)

Top Targets

Mel Rojas ($6,300) is one of those hitters you usually won't regret paying up for, as he's essentially tormented nearly every pitcher he's faced this season. That's evidenced in his .348/.402/.690 line that now features 61 XBH, including 32 homers. Rojas has actually been going through a rare slump of late, hitting just .186 over his last 10 games. Combined with his exorbitant salary, that could render him a bit less popular than usual Saturday, making him an excellent play for tournaments. The matchup is certainly there for a potential resurgence, as Rojas owns a .385/.415/.538 line in 10 games against Kia pitching this season, and Tigers starter Ki Hoon Kim checks in with a 5.68 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and .315 BAA across his first 19 innings this season.

Preston Tucker ($5,200) paid off nicely as a mid-salary recommendation Friday, and I'm going right back to the well with him Saturday on the other side of the Wiz-Tigers matchup. Tucker racked up 18 DK points on the strength of a three-run home run in Friday's contest, pushing his season average to 10.1 DK points per game. The double-digit tally was Tucker's fourth in the last seven games, and he'll check into Saturday's contest having hit safely in nine of the last 10 contests overall. Then, consider Tucker has hit .417 (15-for-36) with four homers and nine RBI against Wiz pitching over 10 games this season, and KT starter William Cuevas allowed a .308/.438/.667 line and .461 wOBA to the 48 left-handed hitters he faced during his MLB stints with the Red Sox and Tigers from 2016-18.  

Kyoung Min Hur ($4,200) delivered yet again on a minuscule salary Friday, posting 23 DK points on the strength of his fifth homer of the season. The veteran now boasts a career-best .352/.403/.457 line that includes 16 XBH and a mind-boggling .460 average with runners in scoring position. As if the combination of those numbers and his salary isn't enough, consider Hur has been at his best on the road with a .361 average over 31 games, and he's generated a .314 average (11-for-35) over nine games against the Twins this season.

ALSO CONSIDER: Sung Bum Na ($6,000); Jose Fernandez ($5,900); Hyun Soo Kim ($5,500); Eui Ji Yang ($5,500); Baek Ho Kang ($4,900)

Bargain Bats

Jin Sung Kang ($3,700) came up empty Friday, but he still carries a .346 average over his last 10 games and a .341/.373/.550 line for the season that includes 18 doubles, 12 home runs and 54 RBI. He has tallies of 21 and 13 DK points in two of his last four games alone as well, providing a glimpse at the considerable upside he brings at his salary. Kang also carries an eye-popping 1.038 OPS and has hit nine of his 12 homers on the season across 40 home games, enhancing his case against Wyverns starter Jong Hoon Park, who brings a 5.13 ERA into Saturday's start.

Hae Min Park ($2,500) sports a salary worthy of a double take, as the Lions' veteran outfielder owns a .312/.351/.444 line that includes 22 XBH (12 doubles, three triples seven home runs) and 33 RBI over 317 plate appearances. Park also boasts a .306 average with runners in scoring position and even has 15 steals. Moreover, he's hit Heroes pitching well, posting a .349 average and .378 on-base percentage against Kiwoom over 12 previous games. Factoring in he's also hitting .351 across his last 10 games, Park could be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the night in matchup against vulnerable Hereos starter Hyun Hee Han (5.91 ERA, .287 BAA over 18 starts).

ALSO CONSIDER: Hee Dong Kwon ($2,800)

Stacks to Consider

Giants vs. Ee Whan Kim: Ah Seop Son ($4,000); Jun Woo Jeon ($4,000); Dae Ho Lee ($3,600); Dixon Machado ($4,500)

ALSO CONSIDER: Dong Hee Han ($3,800)

The Giants check in with a solid .275 team batting average, and even though they've only hit a modest 73 homers over 89 games, they are still averaging just over five runs per contest and face a pitcher in Kim that's given up a 5.86 ERA and 1.81 WHIP across 27.2 innings this season. Additionally, putting the proposed stack together is extremely affordable, giving you plenty of flexibility for your remaining spots.

Son makes for a great way to kick things off, as he brings a .346/.422/.478 line that includes a whopping .360 average with runners in scoring position and 32 XBH. The veteran is also hitting an impressive .387 over his last 10 contests and has pummeled Eagles pitchers for a .395 average and eight RBI over nine games this season.

Jeon has 38 XBH, including 16 homers and 58 RBI on the season, along with a .325 average over his last 10 contests and a .310 mark (including three homers) versus Eagles pitching this season across nine games. With a combined 55 homers over the two seasons prior to 2020, Jeon has plenty of power upside with which to pay off his very modest salary.

Lee is even more of a bargain, and he comes in with a .294/.364/.466 slash line that he's partly constructed with 19 doubles and 13 home runs. His .314 average with runners in scoring position has led to an impressive 66 RBI over 89 games, and he carries .312 and .300 averages at home and against Hanwha, respectively.

Finally, Machado continues to roll on in his first KBO season, as he now boasts a .306/.370/.457 line with 31 XBH, 48 RBI and 10 steals following another successful night Friday. Machado racked up 16 DK points versus Kiwoom, his fourth double-digit DK-point tally in the last nine games. The ex-Detroit Tigers infielder also owns a .333 mark over nine games against the  Eagles in the 2020 campaign.

Dinos vs. Jong Hoon Park: Sung Bum Na ($6,000); Eui Ji Yang ($5,500); Jin Sung Kang ($3,700); Suk Min Park ($4,200)

ALSO CONSIDER: Aaron Altherr ($5,800)

Park checks into this daunting matchup with a 5.13 ERA and 1.43 WHIP,  while the Dinos continue to be one of the most powerful offenses in the KBO with a league-high 6.2 runs per contest and a KBO-best 122 homers.

Na is now averaging 11.7 DK points per game after homering for the fourth straight game in Friday's loss. Na now has nine double-digit fantasy-point tallies in the last 10 games, a torrid stretch that's generated a .442/.467/.977 line with seven homers and 19 RBI. Na also owns a spectacular 1.187 OPS in 45 home games, a sample during which he's belted 16 of his 27 homers on the season.  

Yang continues to be one of the most explosive offensive options in the league at catcher, as he brings a .306/.390/.540 line into Saturday's game. Those numbers are partly comprised of 32 XBH and 66 RBI over 78 games, along with a spectacular .410 average with runners in scoring position. To add to his already strong appeal, Yang is also averaging a robust 10.8 DK points across his 38 home games.

Kang's appealing combination of price and upside were already discussed earlier in the Bargain Bats section, and Park once again rounds out our stack with a very cost-effective salary. The veteran has a .287/.425/.448 slash line that includes a .333 average with runners in scoring position, and his stellar OBP is the byproduct of a very discerning eye at the plate that has manifested itself in the form of just 39 strikeouts, along with 48 walks, in 291 plate appearances. Park has had his share of success against the Wyverns as well, as evidenced by a .318 average over eight games.

ALSO CONSIDER: Tigers vs. Ki Hoon Kim