This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Tuesday's KBO slate was a wild one, as three of the five games ended in walkoffs, all by some rather big names. Mel Rojas Jr. hit his 23rd homer of the season as part of an eight-run seventh inning that gave the Wiz a one-run lead over the Twins and then sealed the deal with his 24th of the year in the bottom of the ninth to send the hosts home happy after the Twins had tied the score in the top of the inning. Elsewhere, Jamie Romak's two-run walkoff homer gave the Wyverns an 8-7 win over the Giants, while Jin Sung Kang's single in the bottom of the 10th sealed a 6-5 win for the Dinos against the visiting Lions. Strong pitching performances were available as well, though the predicted duel between Raul Alcantara and Eric Jokisch didn't quite come to fruition, with Jokisch starting the game well but then allowing six runs in the sixth inning, giving him his first truly poor start of the year. Alcantara continued his dominant streak, however, striking out eight and walking none over seven scoreless innings, while Drew Gagnon allowed a single hit in 6.2 scoreless frames to pick up the win against the Eagles and Tyler Wilson allowed just one run on three hits in six frames against the Wiz before the Twins' bullpen blew a big lead. Wednesday's slate is unlikely to feature three more walkoffs, especially as there's a chance it only features three games. The
Tuesday's KBO slate was a wild one, as three of the five games ended in walkoffs, all by some rather big names. Mel Rojas Jr. hit his 23rd homer of the season as part of an eight-run seventh inning that gave the Wiz a one-run lead over the Twins and then sealed the deal with his 24th of the year in the bottom of the ninth to send the hosts home happy after the Twins had tied the score in the top of the inning. Elsewhere, Jamie Romak's two-run walkoff homer gave the Wyverns an 8-7 win over the Giants, while Jin Sung Kang's single in the bottom of the 10th sealed a 6-5 win for the Dinos against the visiting Lions. Strong pitching performances were available as well, though the predicted duel between Raul Alcantara and Eric Jokisch didn't quite come to fruition, with Jokisch starting the game well but then allowing six runs in the sixth inning, giving him his first truly poor start of the year. Alcantara continued his dominant streak, however, striking out eight and walking none over seven scoreless innings, while Drew Gagnon allowed a single hit in 6.2 scoreless frames to pick up the win against the Eagles and Tyler Wilson allowed just one run on three hits in six frames against the Wiz before the Twins' bullpen blew a big lead. Wednesday's slate is unlikely to feature three more walkoffs, especially as there's a chance it only features three games. The three contests taking place in the greater Seoul area appear to be safe, but the Tigers-Eagles game in Daejeon and the Lions-Dinos matchup in Changwon appear to be threatened by rain as of writing.
Pitchers
You'll have to pay up for Drew Rucinski ($10,000 DraftKings, $30 FanDuel as "NC Starting P") on both sites, but it's difficult to make a case against doing so. His excellent 2.05 ERA and 1.08 WHIP may be slightly better than he deserves, as it's taken a .261 BABIP and an 86.5 percent strand rate to get him there, but he's still having quite the season even when taking those numbers into account. His 21.7 percent strikeout rate ranks ninth among qualified starters, and he's paired that number with a solid 7.1 percent walk rate. He's been almost unbeatable over his last four starts, allowing just two runs over 26 innings in a stretch which included three outings against top-five lineups. The sixth-ranked Lions unit shouldn't give him much trouble Wednesday.
William Cuevas ($9,000 DraftKings, $27 FanDuel as "KT Starting P") started the season poorly, struggling to a 6.28 ERA in his first five starts before landing on the injured list with a hip issue. He's been far better in five starts since returning to action, posting a 2.51 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, allowing two or fewer runs in four of those five outings. All four of those games came against bottom-four lineups, so the Twins' fifth-ranked unit could represent a tougher task, but even when considering both Cuevas' poor stretch along with his good one, his 18.8 percent strikeout rate and 6.3 percent walk rate both represent strong marks.
For a cheaper option, consider Geon Wook Lee ($6,300 DraftKings, $22 FanDuel). The 25-year-old entered the year having thrown just two KBO innings, but he's produced a strong 3.08 ERA in nine starts and a pair of relief appearances so far this year. It's hard to place too much faith in that number, as it's taken a .248 BABIP and a 77.8 percent strand rate to get him there. He walks far too many batters (11.4 percent), but he does at least have an above-average strikeout rate (18.3 percent), and his 9:1 K:BB over his last two outings is quite strong. He's not much more than an adequate mid-rotation option, but he isn't priced as if he's anything more than that, and he'll get a rather easy matchup against the eighth-ranked Giants offense, an assignment made even easier by the fact that the lineup leans heavily right-handed.
Top Targets
Jose Fernandez ($6,100 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) went hitless Tuesday with tough lefty Eric Jokisch on the mound, but he'd been on quite a roll over the last two weeks, hitting .413/.481/.696 with eight multi-hit games in 11 contests. He showed a surprising amount of power as well, homering four times over that stretch. His 12 homers on the season are already just three shy of his total of 15 last year, and he hasn't sacrificed any contact to get there, improving his batting average from an already elite .344 to .372. He'll get the platoon advantage Wednesday against Heroes righty Won Tae Choi, who was having a solid season before running into a wall in his last two starts, allowing 11 runs in eight innings while striking out three and walking six.
Sung Bum Na ($5,500 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) missed time last week with a hand injury, but he seems healthy now, going 5-for-15 with a 1.100 OPS in four games since returning to the lineup. Those numbers are in line from his first nine games of July prior to the injury, in which he hit .375 with a 1.050 OPS. The likely future major-leaguer has been one of the more dominant hitters in the league throughout the season, as he's tied for fifth in homers (16) while sitting fifth in runs (51) and tied for seventh in RBI (51). He'll get an easy enough matchup with the platoon advantage in his hitter-friendly home park against Lions righty Tae In Won, whose 3.12 ERA isn't backed up by his 14.1 percent strikeout rate.
Bargain Bats
Brandon Barnes ($2,200 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel) has widely disparate prices on the two sites, but he's listed here as he looks like a near auto-include on DraftKings until his price rises. The midseason acquisition can't count on much support from his teammates in the league-worst Eagles' lineup, but he's settled in quite well through his first three KBO games, going 4-for-11 with three doubles. He'll bat cleanup and get the platoon advantage against Tigers lefty Hyun Jong Yang, who was one of the best pitchers in the league last year but who owns an awul 6.31 ERA this season after giving up seven or more runs in three of his last five starts.
Ji Young Lee ($2,800 DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) didn't make it into the Heroes stack discussed below, but he's an interesting budget option, especially for those looking to go cheap at the catcher position on DraftKings. He's normally blocked by Dong Won Park, one of the top catchers in the league, but Park is currently out with an abdominal injury. The 34-year-old Lee has hit like a backup catcher for most of his career, but he's seeing the ball well this season, hitting .322/.379/.378 in 160 plate appearances. His presence in a strong Heroes lineup against a weak opposing starter (discussed below) makes him worth a look here.
Stacks To Consider
Heroes vs. Chi Guk Park: Jung Hoo Lee ($5,100 DraftKings, $16 FanDuel), Keon Chang Seo ($4,700 DraftKings, $13 FanDuel), Ha Seong Kim ($6,200 DraftKings, $17 FanDuel)
The Bears were already struggling greatly with their rotation depth, and that problem only got worse when Chris Flexen was ruled out for at least a month due to a broken foot last week. Park will get the chance to fill in for him in his first start since 2017. The 22-year-old's 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings of relief this season is quite good but isn't backed up by the rest of his stat line. It's taken a .267 BABIP to get him there, as he's struck out just 15.9 percent of opposing batters while walking 13.6 percent. Park threw 56 pitches in his most recent relief outing, so this should be closer to a true start than a bullpen game, but the fourth-ranked Heroes lineup should be able to do damage against both him and whichever long relievers the Bears bring in behind him.
Lee entered the season as an excellent contact hitter with minimal power, having never hit below .324 in his first three KBO seasons but never hitting more than six homers. He's having the breakout season every player dreams of in his age-21 campaign, however, as he's already hit 12 homers without sacrificing any contact, as he owns a career-best .356 batting average and an excellent 7.5 percent strikeout rate. As the number three hitter for a strong lineup who will get the platoon advantage against an unreliable righty, he should justify his high price here.
Leadoff man Seo will also get the platoon advantage here, making him the clear second choice. His three-hit day Tuesday represented his fifth multi-hit game in his last 11 contests, a stretch in which he's hitting .349. On the season as a whole, he's hitting .303/.401/.445 with far more walks (38) than strikeouts (28). He has quintessential leadoff speed, as his 16 steals are four more than anyone else in the league has managed and just one fewer than his total from last year.
Kim slots in right between Seo and Lee in the second spot in the order. He's quite expensive and won't get the platoon advantage, but he's talented enough to be worth consideration nonetheless. His .279/.388/.516 season slash line, which comes with 15 homers and 10 steals, would be a strong mark at any position, let alone shortstop. As with Lee and Seo, he's demonstrated an excellent eye, posting an excellent 14.7 percent walk rate to go with a 10.9 percent strikeout rate.
Wyverns vs. Won Sam Jang: Jeong Choi ($5,400 DraftKings, $14 FanDuel), Jamie Romak ($4,600 DraftKings, $12 FanDuel), Dong Min Han ($4,200 DraftKings, $8 FanDuel)
Jang has made just four starts this year and has struggled greatly, posting an 8.38 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. A 45.8 percent strand rate undoubtedly inflates his ERA somewhat, but it's not as though he's pitched remotely well. He's struck out just 7.8 percent of opposing batters while allowing 1.9 HR/9. None of this should be much of a surprise for the 37-year-old lefty. He had some strong seasons early in his career but is well past his peak, as he hasn't recorded an ERA below 5.50 since 2014. Even a lineup as weak as the Wyverns shouldn't have too much trouble against him in this one.
While a lack of depth has doomed the Wyverns' lineup to a ninth-place ranking in runs per game, they're led by a hitter in Choi who would have a strong case as the top hitter on several teams in the KBO. He had an awful first three weeks of the season, slumping to a .494 OPS, but he's hit an excellent .344/.462/.662 in his last 45 contests. He's battled multiple minor injuries in the month of July, missing three games, but that hasn't seemed to affect his performance when he's been in the lineup, as he's hitting .373 with five homers in 15 games this month.
Like Choi, Romak will get the platoon advantage against the left-handed Jang. Unlike Choi, he'd been slumping lately, hitting just .125 with a .519 OPS heading into Saturday's game against the Heroes. He seems to have figured things out, though, as he's gone 5-for-12 with a pair of homers in his last three games, including a walkoff blast Tuesday. On the season as a whole, the Canadian's .264/.380/.493 slash line is a bit below his lofty expectations, as his .873 OPS is his lowest mark among his four KBO seasons, but that's still enough to justify his price, which has fallen out of the top tier on both sites.
Han won't get the platoon advantage in this one, but Jang is weak enough that he's worth a look anyway, especially on FanDuel, where he's quite cheap. It took him a bit to get going following a lengthy absence due to a bruised shin, as he grabbed just two hits in his first seven games, but he seems healthy now after going 2-for-4 with a homer in Tuesday's win. He showed big power in his 17 games prior to his injury, hitting six homers and slugging .667. That kind of power shouldn't be a surprise to see from him going forward, as he hit a career-high 41 homers in 2018.
