This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Sunday's five-game slate sees some successful ex-MLBers in Dan Straily and Aaron Brooks on the hill, along with some local arms that have provided mixed results thus far. There are still plenty of appealing one-off bats to consider, but scoring expectations are a bit tempered with three of the five games on the ledger having single-digit projected run totals.
As customary, I'll highlight two solid 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 one stack that I trust the most to potentially string some above-average offensive numbers together and pay off for you in tournaments.
Pitchers
Dan Straily ($10,200) had a rough outing his last time out, as he allowed six earned runs on 10 hits and a walk over four innings to the powerful Bears offense. However, Straily has been highly effective overall this season and still boasts a 2.43 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .219 BAA across 19 starts. He's also compiled 121 strikeouts over 118.2 innings, and he's mastered the Lions this season to the tune of a 2.29 ERA, .214 BAA and 1.07 WHIP across the 19.2 innings covering his three prior starts against them. Samsung also comes in averaging a modest 4.9 runs per game and have slugged just 80 home runs across 89 games.
Chan Gyu Lim ($8,200) draws an appealing matchup against the lowly Hanwha offense, which comes in averaging the
Sunday's five-game slate sees some successful ex-MLBers in Dan Straily and Aaron Brooks on the hill, along with some local arms that have provided mixed results thus far. There are still plenty of appealing one-off bats to consider, but scoring expectations are a bit tempered with three of the five games on the ledger having single-digit projected run totals.
As customary, I'll highlight two solid 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 one stack that I trust the most to potentially string some above-average offensive numbers together and pay off for you in tournaments.
Pitchers
Dan Straily ($10,200) had a rough outing his last time out, as he allowed six earned runs on 10 hits and a walk over four innings to the powerful Bears offense. However, Straily has been highly effective overall this season and still boasts a 2.43 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .219 BAA across 19 starts. He's also compiled 121 strikeouts over 118.2 innings, and he's mastered the Lions this season to the tune of a 2.29 ERA, .214 BAA and 1.07 WHIP across the 19.2 innings covering his three prior starts against them. Samsung also comes in averaging a modest 4.9 runs per game and have slugged just 80 home runs across 89 games.
Chan Gyu Lim ($8,200) draws an appealing matchup against the lowly Hanwha offense, which comes in averaging the fewest runs (3.5), hits (7.7) and home runs (0.5) per game, along with the lowest team batting average (.233) by far. Lim has also been masterful at home and against the Eagles – he owns a 3-1 mark, .221 BAA and an average of 16.9 DK points per his seven home starts, and he sports a 2-0 record, 0.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and .163 BAA over two prior outings, leading to an average of 25.3 DK points. Like Straily, Lim struggled in his last start, but he still boasts a 6-2 record, 3.29 ERA, .215 BAA and just three home runs allowed in the 54.2 innings covering his last 10 trips to the mound.
ALSO CONSIDER: Aaron Brooks ($9,900)
Top Targets
Mel Rojas ($6,500) is now slashing an eye-popping .410/.472/.808 and averaging 12.8 DK points per his 41 home games, and he's battered Dinos pitching for a .400 average (18-for-45) with three home runs and 10 RBI across 12 games this season. Rojas arrives in the midst of a rare slump, however, as he's hit just .136 (6-for-44) over his last 10 contests. Therefore, he may actually be rostered a bit lower than usual, which would make him all the more appealing for tournaments in particular in a matchup versus NC starter Sung Young Choi, who's allowed a 5.07 ERA and yielded nine homers over his last 10 starts.
Hyun Soo Kim ($5,400) is in the midst of one of his best stretches of hitting in a highly successful season, as he comes into Sunday's game with a .389/.488/.611 line across his last 10 games. That's simply a microcosm of his stellar campaign, one that sees him carry a .350/.407/.582 slash with 18 homers and 75 RBI over 89 contests. Kim has also excellent in his 11 encounters against the Eagles squad he'll face Sunday, as he's hit .444 (20-for-45) over 11 games against them.
Dixon Machado ($4,300) makes for quite the potential bargain Sunday, as his .306 average and .363 on-base percentage are particularly impressive figures. The first-year MLB import has belted 22 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 46 RBI, and he's contributed 10 stolen bases for good measure. He's hitting .324 over his last 10 games as well, and he's been at his best on the road, where he owns a .310/.385/.430 slash over 44 away contests.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jose Fernandez ($6,200); Jung Hoo Lee ($5,600); Baek Ho Kang ($5,500); Preston Tucker ($5,300); Roberto Ramos ($5,100)
Bargain Bats
Dong Min Han ($3,800) carries a tantalizing price for a player with his power upside, as he's belted 13 homers and added five doubles over 48 games. He also has drastic home/road splits that tilt heavily toward the former, as he owns a .337/.444/.687 line with nine of those homers over 25 home contests. He slugged 41 round trippers just two seasons ago, and Bears pitcher Won Joon Choi, despite his impressive 7-0 record, has surrendered nine home runs over just 64.2 innings.
Ji Wan Na ($3,500) offers you an excellent combination of upside and flexibility in the rest of your lineup, as he's comes in with a .286/.378/.448 slash line that includes 23 XBH (11 doubles, 12 home runs) and 62 RBI across 83 games. He's hitting an outstanding .379 with runners in scoring position as well, and he's offered a glimpse of his upside by scoring between 16 and 26 DK points in three of his last 10 games alone.
ALSO CONSIDER: Soo Bin Jung ($3,200)
Stack to Consider
Bears vs. Jong Hoon Park: Jose Fernandez ($6,200); Jae Il Oh ($4,200); Jae Hwan Kim ($5,300); Joo Hwan Choi ($4,100)
Wyverns starter Park has demonstrated significant control issues, as he's handed out 43 walks over 91.2 innings while also plunking 10 batters. He's done a reasonably good job keeping the ball in the park (seven HRs allowed), but his 4.81 ERA is his highest since 2016. Meanwhile, the Bears have averaged a robust 5.8 runs per game and own a KBO-high .297 team average.
Fernandez makes for an excellent way to start your stack, as the slugger has a .356/.417/.530 line with 21 doubles, 14 home runs and 70 RBI across 89 games. Moreover, Fernandez has been lethal on the road, where he boasts a .394 average, 1.031 OPS, 10 homers and 44 RBI over 44 contests.
Oh is averaging 8.8 DK points per game, strong numbers for his bargain salary. The veteran has a .341/.399/.522 line and has hit an outstanding .405 with runners in scoring position. He also boasts some good power, as he's belted 20 doubles and 10 homers.
Kim is another prominent slugger that can pay off his salary with one swing of the bat. The outfielder has 30 XBH (13 doubles, 17 home runs) and 71 RBI across 85 games, with the latter number a byproduct of a .305 batting average with runners in scoring position. Kim's .393/.453/.648 line across 35 away contests is yet another point in his favor.
Finally, Choi is hitting .296 and owns a .361 OBP, numbers partly comprised of 31 XBH (19 doubles, two triples, 10 homers) and 53 RBI over 87 games. Choi owns a .333 batting average with runners in scoring position as well and a .304/.383/.487 line with 30 RBI over 42 road games.
