DFS KBO: Tuesday Cheat Sheet

The most significant news from Sunday's KBO action was almost certainly the two wins picked up by the Eagles, something they hadn't done even once since May 22. A walk-off win in the first game, which began Saturday but was suspended after three innings due to rain, meant that their losing streak ended at 18, merely tying the longest-ever mark in the KBO rather than setting a new low point. Two losses to such an anemic side certainly doesn't inspire much confidence in the defending champion Bears going forward, but they do remain in third place for now. The start of the seventh week of the season brings with it several compelling matchups, highlighted by a showdown between top-five sides in the Dinos and Tigers, as well as a battle between the resurgent Lions and the seemingly-vulnerable Bears. Tuesday's slate should be an interesting one, as it features plenty of trustworthy starting pitchers as well as a handful who look like prime stack targets.

Pitchers

Eric Jokisch ($9,700 DraftKings, $25 FanDuel as "Kiwoom Starting P") should be extremely highly-owned on FanDuel, where he's confusingly affordable. The lefty has allowed a total of just seven earned runs across his seven starts this season, posting a 1.49 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. While his ERA is unlikely to remain that low going forward, there's every reason to believe he's a legitimate top-tier KBO arm, as he cruised to a 3.13 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in his first season in the league last year. His strikeout and walk rates have each improved by roughly a percentage point this season and sit at 20.1 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively. He'll have a relatively easy assignment Tuesday against the eighth-ranked Giants lineup.

Drew Rucinski ($9,800 DraftKings, $27 FanDuel as "NC Starting P") is very expensive on both websites, but that seems to be an accurate reflection of his talent. His 22.8 percent strikeout rate is good for sixth among qualified starters, and he has paired that number with a 6.1 percent walk rate, a combination that's led to a 2.23 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Like Jokisch, he looks quite certain to remain one of the top starters in the league going forward, as his 3.05 ERA and 1.18 WHIP last season were both quality numbers. He'll face an unimposing Tigers lineup that ranks seventh in scoring this season.

Chan Heon Jung ($6,500 DraftKings, $28 FanDuel as "LG Starting P") is somewhat oddly the most expensive option on FanDuel, but he makes for a great cheap choice to pair with the aforementioned aces on DraftKings. His 27.2 percent strikeout rate through four starts is the third-highest mark among pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings, and he's paired that with a 6.5 percent walk rate, helping him on his way to a 3.52 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Jung doesn't have the most reliable track record, as this season marks the first since 2008 in which he's started even a single game. However, a matchup against the Eagles, who are still very much worth picking on even after winning a pair of games, makes him a great option here.

Top Targets

Mel Rojas ($5,200 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) is somehow $1,500 cheaper on DraftKings than he was at the same time last week despite the fact that he hit .375 with three homers and seven RBI over his last six games and homered eight times in his last 13 contests. The broader stretch alone would tie him for sixth in the league in that category, but when combined with his four bombs over his first 21 games, he now sits second in the league with 12, behind only Roberto Ramos. He could be in for another big day against Wyverns righty Ricardo Pinto, whose 1.65 WHIP and 13.3 percent strikeout rate don't support his solid 3.76 ERA. 

The Twins deserve stack consideration even in the absence of Roberto Ramos (ankle/back), as Eagles' righty Min Jae Jang's 7.59 ERA and 1.83 WHIP are the furthest thing from intimidating. If you include just one Twin, Hyun Soo Kim ($5,500 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel) is the guy to grab. The left-handed No. 2 hitter will get the platoon advantage while batting in a prime lineup position against a very unreliable righty. Kim, who played 191 games at the MLB level for the Orioles and Phillies back in 2016 and 2017, has hit an excellent .354/.404/.528 this season, walking as many times as he's struck out. While he's only homered three times, his 14 doubles tie him for second in the league, and he has reached the 20-homer mark four times in his career, so some of those doubles should start to clear the fence soon.

Bargain Bats

Hye Sung Kim ($2,600 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) didn't quite fit into the Heroes stack discussed below, primarily because he typically bats seventh, disconnected from the rest of the group. The 21-year-old could move up in the order soon if his recent performance is anything to go by, as he hit three homers and drove in 10 runs over his last four games. That's quite a power display from a player who had gone yard just six times in his first 304 career games, but it shouldn't be too surprising to see a player add a new skill at his age. He'll get the platoon advantage against Kyung Eun Noh, who owns a poor 5.45 ERA on the season.

Jung Hyun Baek's 7.20 ERA in 20 innings this season makes a Bears stack worth considering, but the fact  he's left-handed hurts a very lefty-heavy Bears lineup. Leadoff man Kun Woo Park ($3,600 DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) is typically the only righty who hits in the top half of the lineup for his side. The outfielder is a strong mid-priced option on both sites. He struggled significantly to start the season, hitting an awful .190/.286/.304 through his first 22 games, but he seemed to flip the switch on the last day of May. Over his last 13 games he went 25-for-52 (.481) at the plate, ane he hit his first two homers of the season over the weekend against the Eagles.

Stacks To Consider

Heroes vs. Kyung Eun Noh: Jung Hoo Lee ($5,300 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel), Keon Chang Seo ($3,900 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel), Ha Seong Kim ($6,100 DraftKings, $15 FanDuel)

The Heroes' offense now sits third in scoring, helped by their 18-run outburst against the Dinos on Saturday. They could be set for another crooked number against Noh, a 36-year-old who was out of the league entirely last season while pitching in Australia. He hasn't impressed upon his return, struggling to a 5.45 ERA while striking out just 14.0 percent of opposing batters through his first six starts. Those numbers would be far worse if not for a pair of starts against the lowly Eagles, who he's held to just two runs in 13 innings. In his other four trips to the mound, he owns an awful 8.10 ERA.

As he usually does against a righty, Lee leads this stack. The young outfielder missed one start last week after fouling a ball off his shin but returned the next day to launch his sixth homer of the season, a number which already ties his career high. The 21-year-old has managed to add power without sacrificing his excellent contact ability, as he's hitting a career-best .362 while striking out just 7.6 percent of the time. It's taken a .361 BABIP to get him to that mark, but that's actually the second-lowest mark of his four-year career, so there's little reason to anticipate a significant drop-off.

Seo remains quite affordable for being the leadoff man in one of the league's top offenses. The 30-year-old has a long track record as an above-average hitter, but his .876 OPS this season is his best since his .985 mark in his MVP campaign back in 2014. He's never hit more than seven homers in a season (though his four homers already this year should give him a good shot at reaching a new career high), but he does just about everything else at the plate. His .308 average this season marks the seventh straight year in which he's hit at least .298, and his knowledge of the zone is incredible, as he's walked 20 times to go with just 12 strikeouts. He's also a threat on the basepaths, where his eight steals lead the league.

With just two lefties who hit in the top half of the Heroes' order, there are plenty of ways to go to round out this stack. Kim is the most expensive option but also the best, especially on DraftKings, where he remains by far the best use of the shallow shortstop slot, provided you have the budget space to include him. The MLB hopeful got off to a slow start this season but quickly corrected it, hitting .333/.461/.613 with six homers over his last 25 games. He swapped lineup spots with Byung Ho Park in the middle of last week, moving from second to fourth, but that shouldn't affect his value much, as the added RBI opportunities will offset the potential decrease in runs.

Wyverns vs. Min Soo Kim: Jeong Choi ($4,700 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel), Jamie Romak ($5,100 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel), Ji Hoon Choi ($2,700 DraftKings, $5 FanDuel)

Poor performances up and down the staff have led to the Wiz allowing 6.3 runs per game this season, better than only the lowly Eagles. Kim has done more than his fair share in raising that number during his two starts and nine relief appearances, giving up 17 earned runs in 15.1 innings. That translates to a 9.98 ERA, a number that goes quite well with his 2.35 WHIP. As with nearly any number that bad in a sample size that small, there are reasons to expect some regression, as his .491 BABIP surely won't remain that high. The 27-year-old's career numbers don't paint a very optimistic picture of his talent level, though, as he's recorded a 5.85 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in 129.1 innings over parts of five seasons.

The first two hitters listed here won't get the platoon advantage, but Kim has been so poor this season that that shouldn't be much of a worry. Jeong Choi, who qualifies at the very shallow shortstop and third-base positions on DraftKings, is perhaps overpriced given his season-long numbers, but his price tag seems accurate when considering both his recent performance and his track record. The 33-year-old, who's one homer shy of tying for third on the KBO's all-time home-run leaderboard, produced an OPS above .900 for 10 straight seasons prior to this one. His awful start to the year saw him hit .125/.279/.214 through his first 17 games, but he's turned things around remarkably, hitting .377/.529/.660 over his last 17 contests.

Romak's season has played out rather similarly to Choi's, albeit on a lesser scale. Through his first 20 games, the veteran Canadian was hitting .260/.349/.397, acceptable enough numbers but nowhere near what the Wyverns wanted out of their lone foreign hitter, especially one who had slugged .508 or better in each of his first three seasons in the league. The power finally reappeared in late May, as he's now hit .267/.452/.600 over his last 15 games. He's still quite expensive on DraftKings and can get crowded out at both first base and outfield, but he's a steal at $11 on FanDuel.

Speaking of steals on FanDuel, can I interest you in a player who costs the minimum while hitting .344 and batting at or near the top of the order? All those things describe Ji Hoon Choi. He's presumably still this cheap because he's played only 19 games in his KBO career, but it's hard to argue with what the 22-year-old has done in those games. His .344/.385/.459 slash line likely overstates his talent, as it's taken a .404 BABIP to get him there, but he does seem to have the speed necessary to run an above-average BABIP, as he's stolen three bases. With the platoon advantage against a shaky starter Tuesday, he's a good bet to stay hot, and he requires very little investment to place that bet.