DFS KBO: Tuesday Cheat Sheet

Rain was again a major factor in Monday's KBO slate, which consisted entirely of games pushed back from Sunday due to a completely washed-out slate. Only two of the five rescheduled games actually took place. Shi Hwan Jang allowed just one run on two hits over six innings, defeating Seung Won Moon in a pitcher's duel as the Eagles defeated the Wyverns 4-2 in a battle of basement dwellers. In the day's other contest, the Tigers completed a sweep of the Heroes with an emphatic 13-3 victory, helped by Ki Young Im's eight-strikeout performance and strong showings up and down their lineup, with six hitters recording multi-hit games. Tuesday's slate should be a fairly low-scoring one, as the rainouts have allowed several teams to skip their back-end starters and go with aces instead. We're unfortunately not fully past the wet stuff, however, with rain still a factor in the southern part of the country. Both the Giants-Lions game in Daegu and the Twins-Giants contest in Busan appear threatened.

Pitchers

Dan Straily ($10,100 DraftKings, $23 FanDuel as "Lotte Starting P") got just his second win of the season and his first since May 10 his last time out, as he threw seven shutout innings against the Eagles. His stat line gives off some 2018 Jacob deGrom vibes, as he sits fourth among qualified starters in ERA (2.29), third in WHIP (1.03) and second in strikeout rate (26.3 percent) but has received minimal help from his teammates. There's no guarantee he'll get any more help Tuesday, but he's a very strong bet to hold up his end of the bargain against the struggling Twins. He should be very highly owned as a confusingly cheap option on FanDuel but is worth consideration as the most expensive choice on DraftKings as well.

Odrisamer Despaigne ($8,100 DraftKings, $26 FanDuel as "KT Starting P") looked like a strong choice Monday when he was scheduled to take on the Lions, but he's an even better option Tuesday against the anemic Eagles. He's endured a rocky first season in Korea, posting a 1.80 ERA over his first four starts before slumping to a 7.41 mark in his next six. He's returned to his early form over his last two outings, though, allowing just four runs in 13.2 innings while posting a 13:2 K:BB. There's seemingly very little reason to worry about him in this one.

I wasn't particularly interested in David Buchanan ($7,900 DraftKings, $25 FanDuel as "Samsung Starting P") the last two days, when he was scheduled to face Mel Rojas Jr. and friends in a loaded Wiz lineup. He's now set to face the Tigers, who have scored an impressive 40 runs over their last four games but who still sit seventh in scoring over the course of the year. As for Buchanan himself, his modest 16.2 percent strikeout rate doesn't back up his 3.82 ERA, a mark helped by his .274 BABIP, but he's coming off a pair of strong starts in which he allowed a total of two runs in 15 innings. He's liable to get blown up on occasion, as he's allowed eight or more runs twice this season, and that could certainly happen again if the Tigers remain hot. However, the most likely outcome is one that justifies his mid-tier price.

Top Targets

Is there ever a bad time to include Mel Rojas Jr. ($6,100 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel)? It's hard to imagine what that would look like, as the outfielder is hitting an incredible .383/.438/.728 this season with 21 homers, five more than anyone else in the league. He's shown no signs of slowing down, as he's homered in each of his last two games and recorded multi-hit games in his last four. He's nearly a 50-50 bet to homer these days, as he's done so eight times in his last 17 contests, hitting .386/.463/.786 over that stretch. He'll face Eagles righty Warwick Saupold on Tuesday, who owns an unimpressive 4.16 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP after allowing 10 runs on 19 hits while striking out just three batters across his last two starts, which came against a pair of bottom-half lineups in the Tigers and Giants.

The Bears will face Wyverns righty Geon Wook Lee on Tuesday, whose strong 2.95 ERA comes with a rather unimpressive combination of an 18.6 percent strikeout rate and a 13.0 percent walk rate. While there are other more obviously exploitable pitchers on the slate, the Bears' top lefties should certainly be in play despite Lee's promising ERA. Jose Fernandez ($6,400 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) remains the best of the bunch and is worth a look for anyone who can clear the space. He's most notable for his contact ability, as he sits second behind only the aforementioned Rojas with 89 hits while hitting .372, but his power has come alive lately as well. He's homered three times in his last five games, giving him 10 on the season, just five behind his total of 15 from his first KBO season last year.

Bargain Bats

Sang Su Kim ($4,600 DraftKings, $8 FanDuel) only qualifies for this category on FanDuel, though he's potentially worth a look on DraftKings as well due to his eligibility at second and third base. The Lions' leadoff man has hit a strong .330/.434/.412 on the season but has been particularly hot over his last 10 games, hitting .444/.565/.583 with 10 walks and just three strikeouts. He's yet to homer this year, but getting on base at such an excellent clip could give him multiple chances to score in this one against Min Woo Lee, who owns an unimpressive 4.92 on the season and a 6.92 mark over his last five outings.

The Heroes will get Opening Day starter Jake Brigham back Tuesday after he missed over seven weeks due to elbow issues. His presence is enough to keep me off the Dinos' best bats in this one, even if I don't expect him to pitch particularly deep, as he threw just three innings in a Future League rehab start. While I'll be avoiding the Dinos' most expensive hitters, Hee Dong Kwon ($2,800 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) remains too good of a bargain to rule out, especially as there's no guarantee Brigham is in peak form in his first start back from the injured list. Kwon is far too cheap for a player who's locked down the second spot in the league's best lineup, a role he deserves after breaking out to the tune of a .307/.423/.533 slash line.

Stacks to Consider

Heroes vs. Jae Hak Lee: Jung Hoo Lee ($4,600 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel), Keon Chang Seo ($4,400 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel), Byung Ho Park ($4,500 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel)

The Dinos' starting pitching depth remains one of the biggest question marks facing an otherwise dominant team, and number four starter Jae Hak Lee is part of the problem. The 29-year-old looked quite capable last season, posting a solid 3.75 ERA, but he's been far worse this year, posting a 5.59 mark. His 15.2 percent strikeout rate and 9.0 percent walk rate are both unimpressive, giving little reason to believe he's on the verge of turning things around. He's been trending in the wrong direction lately, struggling to a 6.00 ERA and a 15:11 K:BB in his last four starts.

A struggling righty on the mound means we'll want to include the Heroes' top lefties here. It's hard to have a true breakout campaign coming off a season in which you hit .336/.386/.456, but the 21-year-old Jung Hoo Lee is doing just that. He's added power to his excellent base as a contact hitter, slugging .607 and hitting nine homers, already three more than his previous career high. He hasn't sacrificed any contact to get there, either, as he's also hitting a career-best .357. The number three hitter should be at the heart of everything the Heroes do in this one.

Leadoff man Seo is the other lefty who regularly occupies a key lineup position for the Heroes. He has the prototypical skill set for the role, walking in 13.5 percent of his plate appearances en route to a .406 on-base percentage while stealing 14 bases, the highest total in the league. He's been on fire in his last 10 games, scoring 12 runs while hitting .405/.447/.619. He'll have a good chance to score a few more runs Tuesday should Jae Hak Lee's struggles continue.

We'll have to choose a righty to complete this stack, though the Heroes have a pair of strong ones to choose from. I've listed Park over Ha Seong Kim ($5,600 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) here, though both are fine options. Park has battled severe strikeout issues through the year, hurting his batting average, which comes in at just .237. He's been on fire in his last 10 games, though, hitting .353 with five homers, 14 RBI and just five strikeouts. The veteran slugger's strikeout problems are unlikely to return against Lee, making him an excellent upside play.

Wyverns vs. Young Ha Lee: Jeong Choi ($5,200 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel), Tae In Chae ($2,300 DraftKings, $5 FanDuel), Dong Min Han ($4,400 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel)

As with the Dinos, the second-place Bears have rotation depth issues of their own. Lee is a major part of that. He looked like a strong option for the defending champions coming into the year, as he recorded a 3.64 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP last season. A .272 BABIP was a big part of those solid numbers, however, as he's seen his ERA spike to 5.79 while his WHIP jumped to 1.85, thanks in part to a .357 BABIP. The BABIP is far from the only thing to blame for his poor numbers, though, as he's walking 10.9 percent of opposing batters while striking out just 13.7 percent. He's shown no signs of improving lately, either, struggling to a 7.76 ERA over his last five starts. Even the lowly Wyverns shouldn't have too much of a problem with him here.

Choi missed a pair of games last week due to pelvic soreness but returned Friday and looked no worse for wear, going 3-for-10 with four walks over his last three games. He started the season very poorly but has been on fire since late May, hitting .326/.453/.636 with more walks (25) than strikeouts (22) over his last 39 games. The veteran slugger has gone deep 11 times this season and 346 times over the course of his career, the third-highest total in KBO history. Even in pitcher-friendly Jamsil Baseball Stadium, he's a threat to go deep against a pitcher like Lee.

Chae has been one of the better budget options available lately, as he costs the absolute minimum on FanDuel and barely more than that on DraftKings. An intercostal injury has limited him to just 19 games this season, but he's been effective when available. The 37-year-old has been especially effective over his last 10 contests, hitting .448 with a pair of homers. He's by no means an elite bat at his age, but he's locked down the number five spot and will get the platoon advantage against Lee, making him the best option in his price range.

It may be a surprise not to see Jamie Romak as part of this list, but he's been in a bit of a slump, grabbing just four hits in his last seven games. A fractured shin has kept Han out of action since late May, but he was added to the Wyverns' roster Monday. He didn't start that game, so you'll want to make sure he's starting in this one before playing him, but he'll be a strong choice if he is indeed available. He hit .317 with six homers in just 17 games prior to getting injured this season. While he had a bit of a down year last year with the de-juiced ball, he hit .284 with 41 homers in 2018.