DFS KBO: Wednesday Cheat Sheet

The Lions continued their impressive run Tuesday, blowing out the Heroes by a score of 13-2 in a game in which each of their first seven hitters recorded at least two hits. That was enough to see them climb up to fourth in the standings, as the Twins fell to the Bears while the Tigers lost to the Wiz. Jose Fernandez went 4-for-4 with a homer for the Bears, While Je Seong Bae struck out nine Tigers in six innings to help the Wiz climb to just three games back of a playoff spot. Elsewhere, Chang Mo Koo won a pitcher's duel against Seung Won Moon as the Dinos beat the Wyverns 5-4, while the Eagles won a wild game against the Giants by a 7-6 score following Sun Jin Oh's two-run walkoff homer in the 12th inning. Wednesday's slate is quite deep in mid-tier pitching, which could lead to plenty of variety in daily-fantasy contests.

Pitchers

Dan Straily ($10,000 DraftKings, $29 FanDuel as "Lotte Starting P") is coming off two of his worst starts of the year, as he gave up four runs on eight hits June 26 against the Lions and was knocked out in the fifth inning against the Dinos on July 2 after giving up five runs (albeit just two earned). He couldn't have asked for a better assignment to help him get back on track, though, as he'll face the Eagles and their league-worst lineup. Straily's season-long numbers hold more significance than the small sample of his last two starts, and those are impeccable across the board, as he sits fifth among qualified starters in ERA (2.53), third in WHIP (1.06) and second in strikeout rate (26.2 percent). He's very much worth his high price tag even given his mediocre recent form.

The drop-off after Straily is fairly steep, but Odrisamer Despaigne ($8,100 DraftKings, $22 FanDuel as "KT Starting P") looks like a good value, especially on FanDuel, where he's surprisingly cheap. The Cuban righty has had an up-and-down year in his first season in Korea, opening the year with a 1.80 ERA and a 25:5 K:BB over his first four starts before struggling to a 7.41 ERA and a 21:13 K:BB over his next six. His performance last time out against the Heroes, in which he struck out seven and walked just two while allowing a single run in seven innings, suggests that he's turned the corner. He'll face an easier assignment in this game against a Tigers lineup which ranks seventh in runs per game.

Warwick Saupold ($8,300 DraftKings, $26 FanDuel as "Hanwha Starting P") squares off against Straily in what looks like a rather low-scoring matchup, with a pair of quality arms facing two of the three worst lineups in the league. Saupold doesn't have nearly Straily's strikeout upside, striking out just 14.1 percent of opposing batters this season, but he's generally been reliable at keeping runs off the board. His ERA jumped to an uninspiring 4.00 after he allowed six runs against the Tigers his last time out, but that followed a three-start run in which he'd allowed just four earned runs while striking out 17 and walking just one.

Top Targets

Mel Rojas Jr. ($6,300 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) has just three hits in his last four games, but he remains an excellent choice for whoever can find room for his lofty price tag. Over his last 23 games, he's hit .365/.430/.750 with 10 homers, 20 RBI and 23 runs scored. On the season as a whole, he's among the league leaders in nearly every relevant category, as he's leading in homers (19), tied for first in runs (48), tied for second in RBI (49) and sits second in average (.370). He'll face Tigers righty Min WOo Lee, who owns a mediocre 4.70 ERA on the season, pairing an average 8.6 walk rate with an unimpressive 15.9 percent strikeout rate.

Roberto Ramos ($5,100 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) appears to be waking up again following an extended slump. He was looking like an early MVP favorite before suffering ankle and back injuries in mid-June, causing him to miss five games. He didn't look right in his first 11 games back in the lineup, hitting .175/.292/.225. Over his last five contests, however, he's hitting .333 with a pair of homers. When he's at his best, he has as much upside as any hitter in the league, and that should be true even against Jong Gi Park on Wednesday, who owns a promising 3.79 ERA this year but who has only made four career KBO starts.

Bargain Bats

Keon Chang Seo ($4,700 DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) only qualifies for this category on FanDuel, but he's a steal on that site given how well he's playing lately. His .295/.401/.453 season slash line stands up quite well on its own, especially when his 12 steals (tied for the best mark in the league) are factored in. Over his last 10 games, however, he's hitting an excellent .368/.467/.605, walking seven times to go with just three strikeouts. The leadoff man will get the platoon advantage against Lions' righty Tae In Won, whose 2.97 ERA isn't backed up by his decidedly mediocre 14.0 percent strikeout rate.

Ji Hoon Choi ($2,800 DratKings, $5 FanDuel) remains a great way to fill an outfield spot for the cheapest possible price on FanDuel, and he's good value for the money on DraftKings as well. He's yet to homer, but his .313 batting average and role as a leadoff man are enough to clear the very low bar to make him a smart play at his price tag. He's been hitting the ball quite well in his last three games, grabbing a pair of hits in each. He'll get the platoon advantage Tuesday against Dinos righty Jae Hak Lee, who's struggled to a 5.72 ERA through 10 starts this season.

Stacks To Consider

Lions vs. Sung Hyun Moon: Ja Wook Koo ($4,500 DraftKings, $10 FanDuel), Sang Su Kim ($4,800 DraftKings, $8 FanDuel), Hak Ju Lee ($4,500 DraftKings, $7 FanDuel)

Moon owns a strong 2.16 ERA this season, but that's come in just 8.1 innings, all in relief. There's not much to say about a sample that small, though it's worth noting he's struck out just six batters while walking five. There's little reason to believe that Moon's ERA is anything close to an accurate reflection of his talent, as he's thrown just a single KBO inning over the previous four seasons. In 488.2 career KBO frames, the 28-year-old owns an unimpressive 5.03 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.

Even after their recent hot streak, the Lions' hitters remain remarkably cheap on FanDuel. Koo, who leads this stack, is no exception. He's been the team's top hitter in the absence of Tyler Saladino (back) and will have a legitimate claim to that title even once Saladino is healthy, as he now leads the team with a .934 OPS. The number three hitter will get the platoon advantage against Moon and could improve on his .326 batting average and six home runs given the relatively easy matchup.

Kim won't get the platoon advantage here, but the leadoff man is a strong play nonetheless. He's been on fire over his last five games, going 12-for-21 (.571) at the plate over that stretch. He's been a prototypical leadoff man all season long, failing to hit a single homer but getting on base at a .429 clip while stealing seven bases. He's seeing the ball better than ever this season in his 12th KBO campaign, as his 13.1 percent walk rate is nearly three ticks above his previous career-high.

Lee went hitless in his first two games back from a neck injury, but he looked healthy Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs. He's not an elite bat, but he's hitting .270/.346/.431 on the season as a whole, perfectly respectable numbers for a shortstop. He's been much better than that over his last 15 games, though, hitting .377/.441/.509. His value is somewhat dependent on his lineup position, but he's hit as high as third against righties and would be a strong play batting out of that spot with the platoon advantage against Moon.

Dinos vs. Geon Wook Lee: Sung Bum Na ($6,000 DraftKings, $18 FanDuel), Hee Dong Kwon ($3,200 DraftKings, $9 FanDuel), Aaron Altherr ($5,700 DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) 

Lee may own a 3.19 ERA this season, but there's little reason to believe he'll maintain that number going forward. The 25-year-old had thrown all of two KBO innings prior to this season, which doesn't speak well of his potential in a league in which the top starters often break in as early as their late teens. Even his numbers this year don't hold up under much scrutiny, as his ERA has been suppressed by a .265 BABIP and a 79.7 percent strand rate. He's struck out a roughly average 17.9 percent of opposing batters while walking a very high 14.1 percent. He shouldn't give the league-leading Dinos lineup much trouble here.

A righty on the mound for the Wyverns means we'll kick off this stack with the left-handed Na. He wasn't at his best for much of June, hitting a modest .238/.294/.444 over the final 15 games of the month. He kicked off July by hitting .409 with a pair of homers in his first five games, and while he went hitless Tuesday, there's reason to believe he's found his swing again. Even with that poor stretch included, Na has been one of the best hitters in the league over the course of the season, as he's tied for second in homers (15) and sits fourth in both runs (43) and RBI (47).

Kwon has been one of the surprises of the season. He was a roughly average hitter throughout his first six KBO campaigns, but he's broken out in his age-29 season, hitting .305/.414/.546 with nine homers and locking up the number two spot in the order, right in front of Na. He's been slightly worse lately, hitting just .205 over his last 13 games, but he's hit four homers and walked eight times over that stretch (compared to just six strikeouts), giving him a still-respectable .821 OPS.

The Dinos' deep lineup offers several options to complete this stack, but I'll use this space to highlight Altherr, who has moved back into a deserved role in the heart of the order (batting fourth or fifth in six straight games) after an extended run of excellent form. The outfielder struggled through his first 10 KBO games, due partially to a nagging hand injury, but he's since gone on to hit .331/.398/.675 with 13 homers and 47 RBI over his last 43 contests. He's been even better over his last 12 games, hitting a remarkable .395/.447/.837 with five homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored.