This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Rain left us with just a single KBO game last night, wiping out the day's daily-fantasy slate. That lone game featured one of the best pitching performances of the year, as Ryan Carpenter struck out 12 Bears over seven scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and a walk as the Eagles earned a 3-1 victory. The weather appears to be far more cooperative for Sunday's slate, which kicks off slightly earlier at 4:00 a.m. ET. The majority of the teams that got rained out Saturday simply pushed their starters back by a day, so today's cheat sheet will contain large sections borrowed directly from yesterday's column.
Pitchers
Can I interest you in a mid-priced pitcher who's yet to give up an earned run since the Olympic break? Casey Kelly ($8,000) wasn't at his best in the first half, and while he ended it with a perfectly decent 3.56 ERA in 17 starts, it took some good luck to get there, as it came with a sub-par 15.8 percent strikeout rate. He ended the first half with a pair of starts in which he allowed four runs apiece, but he's yet to give up a run in 14 innings in the second half. He's been dominant, striking out 12 (good for a 25.5 percent strikeout rate) while walking none and allowing just six hits. Kelly has been among the league's best starters in previous years, so it's believable that he could continue to look like one going forward. He'll face a Dinos lineup that lost four everyday starters to suspensions over the break due to health protocol violations, so the unit is no longer nearly as tough a matchup as its first-place ranking in runs per game suggests.
While Kelly looks like the top value on Sunday's slate, I'd be perfectly happy paying up for Eric Jokisch ($9,300), who isn't overpriced even as the most expensive starter on the day. Jokisch hasn't had a scoreless start since mid-June, but he's on a run of three straight one-run outings. Those starts have brought his ERA and WHIP down to 2.45 and 1.13, respectively, not far from the 2.14 ERA and 1.06 WHIP he managed last season. He still doesn't offer a ton of strikeout upside, though his 19.3 percent strikeout rate is above league average, and he's proven for a few years now that he can get outs without elite strikeout numbers. He'll have an easy assignment Sunday against the ninth-ranked Tigers lineup.
Young Pyo Ko's ($8,400) last start of the first half and first start of the second were both below his usual standards, as he allowed a combined 10 runs in 9.1 innings while striking out four and walking five. It's possible his early-season magic has worn off, but a matchup against a righty-heavy Giants lineup that ranks sixth in scoring seems like the ideal time to bounce back. Prior to those two poor outings, he'd been excellent, cruising to a 3.38 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Even now after that brief slump, he owns an excellent combination of an average 18.3 percent strikeout rate and an elite 4.8 percent walk rate, numbers that look a lot like the 18.0 percent strikeout rate and 3.9 percent walk rate that led Jokisch to his league-leading ERA last season.
Top Targets
Hye Seong Kim ($5,200) may not be nearly as strong of a hitter as his similarly-named ex-teammate Ha Seong Kim, whose shortstop spot he inherited following the latter's move to MLB, but he doesn't have to be to be a very usable option at either middle-infield slot. He has very little power, homering just three times this season, but he makes good contact, hitting .295. That number is boosted by his excellent speed, which has helped him steal 29 bases, the second-highest total in the league. It's also (when combined with his position as the Heroes' regular leadoff or number two hitter) helped him score 61 runs, good for fifth. He should get the opportunity to add to that run total Sunday against the Tigers, as he'll get the platoon advantage against Gi Yeong Im, who allowed seven runs while recording just five outs in his most recent start.
Ja Wook Koo ($6,200) earns a spot here again, as he's one of the hottest hitters in the league right now. He's grabbed at least one hit in all nine games since the Olympic break, slashing .353/.452/.559 over that stretch. He's also swiped six bases, including five over his last five games. He's now stolen a career-high 22 bases, tying him for third in the league. Of the other 10 players with at least 10 steals, only one (Shin Soo Choo) can beat his 12 homers. Koo is especially dangerous when playing at home in the league's most hitter-friendly park, where he'll get the platoon advantage Saturday against Wilmer Font, who had an excellent first half but has allowed seven runs in nine innings since the break.
Bargain Bats
Sticking with the Lions, I'm a big fan of Won Seok Lee ($3,600) as an inexpensive option at third base whenever the team plays at home. The 34-year-old has modest power at best when the Lions play anywhere but Daegu, slugging just .354 this season on the road, but his .265/.377/.469 line at the league's most hitter-friendly park easily justifies his fairly low price tag. He has two multi-hit games in his last four, so if you're willing to fade the normally strong Font given the park and his recent performances, consider adding the veteran third baseman alongside the Lions' more expensive hitters like Koo.
It's rare that I don't recommend a stack against Bears righty Young Ha Lee, who owns an awful 8.10 ERA and 2.08 WHIP this season, but the Eagles don't have much in their lineup on a good day, and many of their best hitters have struggled recently. That leaves Tae Yean Kim ($2,200) as arguably the team's most interesting option. His track record is tiny, as he's come to the plate a total of just 82 times in his career, and he's only played in six games this season after missing much of the year while completing his period of mandatory military service. The Eagles clearly like him, though, as he's been locked into the third or fourth spot in recent games, and he's rewarded that faith in his tiny sample, going 9-for-21 with a pair of doubles. Even a poor lineup like the Eagles is likely to have a decent day against Lee, and Kim provides the most cost-effective way to get in on the action.
Stacks to Consider
Twins vs. Jae Hak Lee: Chang Ki Hong ($4,400), Hyun Soo Kim ($4,300), Justin Bour ($2,000)
Lee finally had a good start his last time out, holding the lowly Eagles to just one run on three hits and two walks over seven innings of work while striking out five batters. That one start is out of line with his performances over the last two seasons, though, so he remains an ideal stack target. He struggled to a 6.55 ERA in 19 starts last season and didn't open up this year any better. He allowed 17 runs with a 10:14 K:BB over his first three starts of the season, and while he only allowed one run over his next two outings, his 4:7 K:BB hardly suggests he suddenly started pitching well. Lee does have a respectable 4.49 career ERA and should be far from over the hill at age 30, but it's going to take more than one strong outing to make him look like an intimidating opponent.
Hong came to the plate a total of just 56 times prior to his age-26 season last year, but he broke out that season to hit .279/.409/.417. He's taken another leap forward this season and has been an excellent leadoff man, with his 17.3 percent walk rate helping him to a .340/.477/.442 slash line. Kim has taken a step back from the .927 OPS he posted last year, as would probably be expected in his age-33 season, but his .285/.381/.471 slash line is still good enough to justify his mid-tier price even when he doesn't get the platoon advantage against a pitcher like Lee. Bour has struggled significantly in his first nine games in Korea, hitting a miserable .091/.211/.182, but no sample that small is enough to significantly reduce the expectations for a player with as much MLB experience as he has. A hitter with 92 career homers and a 114 wRC+ at the highest level of the sport has no business being anywhere near this cheap.
Landers vs. Chae Heung Choi: Jeong Choi ($5,400), Jamie Romak ($4,900), Yoo Seom Han ($4,000)
Chae Heung Choi was quite good last season, cruising to a 3.58 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, numbers that look even better when considering he made over half his starts at the league's most hitter-friendly stadium, Daegu Samsung Lions Park. His follow-up act this season has been quite disappointing, however. He missed the start of the season with an abdominal injury, and he didn't look right upon his return, struggling to a 7.82 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over his first five outings. His 3.49 ERA over his next five starts looked much better, but that still came with an unconvincing 1.55 WHIP and just 14 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. He took a step back again in his first start of the second half, allowing five runs in 4.1 innings against the Wiz last Sunday while striking out just a single batter. There's certainly still potential for Choi to turn things around, but the lefty simply hasn't shown signs of doing so, which could lead to quite a few runs in Daegu here.
We'll begin here with a pair of righties who will get the platoon advantage against the struggling southpaw. 34-year-old third baseman Jeong Choi is one of the top KBO hitters of all time, ranking second on the all-time leaderboard with 390 homers. Despite his age, he's showing no signs of slowing down, as he's tied for first with 22 home runs and ranks third with a 1.022 OPS, the second-best mark of his career. Romak, who's slightly older at age 35, has been slowing down a bit, as his .789 OPS is easily the lowest mark of the Canadian's five-year KBO career, but he's still very usable in a matchup like this. He still has plenty to offer in the power department, homering 18 times, and his OPS could rise along with his .243 BABIP down the stretch. The rest of the Landers' top bats hit left-handed, but I'm still fine with using some of them given the park and opposing starter. Han is inexpensive for a player who's hitting .262/.363/.487 with 16 homers this season, and he's been quite hot recently, homering three times in his last four games.
