This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
We have our usual five-game KBO slate on tap for Saturday, with the earlier weekend first-pitch time of 4:00am Eastern. There aren't any of what I would consider truly elite pitching options, but there's certainly some solid second-tier arms worthy of consideration. Additionally, there are some vulnerable pitchers with crooked numbers that we can look to rostering against in search of some explosive offense.
As customary, I'll highlight what I consider to be two of the safer 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 recommend two stacks that I trust the most to potentially string some above-average offensive numbers together and pay off for you in tournaments.
Pitchers
Min Woo Kim ($8,800) certainly has some risk attached, but it's that kind of day it is for pitching Saturday. Kim has shown tremendous upside at times this season by eclipsing 30 DK points twice and going over 20 on another three occasions. The veteran right-hander also has at least six strikeouts on four occasions and has won seven straight decisions overall. The opposing Tigers aren't too much of a threat on paper either, as they're averaging a league-low 3.9 runs and have the KBO's second-lowest team batting average (.243).
Young Pyo Ko ($8,200) has been at his best on the road, where he carries a 3.56 ERA, .224 BAA and 1.02 WHIP across eight starts, leading to an excellent 6-1 mark. He's also enjoyed success against the Twins squad he'll face again Saturday, pitching to a 2.29 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and .145 BAA over three starts while averaging 18.5 DK points per outing in the sample. LG is also averaging the third-fewest runs per game (4.6), has hit the fewest home runs (51) and sports the third-lowest team batting average (.254).
Top Targets
Baek Ho Kang ($5,900) is hitting "only" .294 over his last 10 games, but he's still racked up 11 RBI in that span. He's also been excellent on the road and against LG, hitting .387 and .375, respectively, in those splits while also posting four-digit OPS figures in each. He has four double-digit DK-point tallies in his last seven games alone, and Twins starter Ju Young Son checks into Saturday with a 5.29 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over his four appearances.
Eui Ji Yang ($5,500) continues to burnish his reputation as the top hitting catcher in all of the KBO, as he checks in with a .350/.446//646 slash line for the season. He's been at his most lethal at home, where he averages 10.9 DK points per contest on the strength of a .383 average and 1.168 OPS. Lotte pitchers have also felt his wrath in the form of Yang's .389 average and 1.147 OPS against them in 11 games, and Giants starter Se Woong Park has pitched to a 5.09 ERA and .278 BAA against the Dinos this season (17.2 innings)
Hoon Jung ($4,500) carries a very appealing salary for a player with a .317 average, .880 OPS, 31 XBH and 56 RBI for the season, and an even more impressive 1.063 OPS over the last 10 games on his way to a robust average of 9.6 DK points in that span. The veteran also has seven steals and a solid .284 average with runners in scoring position, and he should have a better-than-average chance of success against Dinos starter Jae Hak Lee, who has a 5.58 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in eight starts and has pitched to a 6.23 ERA and 1.96 WHIP in 8.2 innings against Lotte specifically.
Bargain Bats
Tae Yean Kim ($3,700) is one of the few truly reliable hitters on an often offensively-challenged Hanwha team. Kim's .407/.486/.525 slash line for the season is elite, even if it comes with the caveat of having been generated over just 72 plate appearances. The 24-year-old already has 12 RBI and four steals as well, and he's averaging 9.5 DK points over his last 10 games. Kia starter Gi Yeong Im doesn't present a prohibitive matchup by any means, either, having pitched to a 2-5 record, 4.93 ERA and .265 BAA while already allowing 11 homers in 96.2 innings.
Jae Won Lee ($3,100) is another player with numbers befitting a much higher salary, as he boasts a .322/.365/.492 slash line with six XBH and eight RBI in his first 63 plate appearances of the season. Lee also sports a .333 average and .868 OPS in 12 home games, and despite the tough matchup against Ko, his salary makes him well worth a roster spot, especially as a cost-savings tournament play.
Stacks to Consider
Wiz vs. Ju Young Son: Jae Gyun Hwang ($4,900); Baek Ho Kang ($5,900); Jung Dae Bae ($4,100); Han Joon Yoo ($2,500)
Landers vs. Won Tae Choi: Shin Soo Choo ($5,300); Jeong Choi ($5,200); Joo Hwan Choi ($4,100); Yoo Seom Han ($3,800)
