This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
We have a full five-game KBO slate Thursday that is devoid of the most elite pitching options, but that still gives us two solid arms to work with that won't break your bank. We also have a number of more questionable hurlers taking the hill, which naturally opens up some good possibilities in the hitter player pool.
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
Won Joon Choi ($8,900) just bounced back from a bit of a rough stretch by accumulating 20.1 DK points over six innings against a dangerous Dinos lineup. The veteran has also eclipsed 20 DK points on two other occasions over his last 10 starts and is averaging a solid 14.1 DK points over 10 road starts, a sample during which he's posted a 4-0 mark. Choi has also been highly effective this season against the Landers squad he'll face Thursday, pitching to an 0.82 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .227 BAA and average of 19.1 DK points across 11 innings over two starts.
Tae In Won ($8,700) is in the midst of an impressive season where he's forged an 11-5 record, 2.67 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He'll come into Thursday's turn having posted four quality starts in his last five trips to the mound and has a 5-2 record, 2.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 0.7 HR/9 in the 48.2 innings covering his last eight outings overall. Won is averaging 18.0 DK points per road start as well, and he gave up just two earned runs on six hits over six innings in his one previous encounter with the light-hitting Kia squad he'll face Thursday.
Top Targets
Baek Ho Kang ($6,100) is essentially a plug-and-play option on any given slate in which you're paying all the way up, as the slugging first baseman is having an elite season in every sense. Kang is averaging a whopping 10.3 DK points per game and carries a jaw-dropping .380/.478/.582 slash line for the season over 93 games. He's amassed 76 RBI over that span as well by hitting .369 with runners in scoring position, and he boasts a .351 average and .955 OPS over the 11 games he's played against the Heroes, whose Thursday starter, Chan Heon Jeong, has pitched to a .333 BAA and 5.63 ERA in two starts versus Kang's Wiz squad this season.
Jae Hwan Kim ($5,500) is enjoying an impressive all-around season that includes a .277/.387/.493 slash line, 28 XBH and 68 RBI. Kim is hitting .333 with runners in scoring position as well and has been a far better hitter on the road, where he sports a .312 average, 1.028 OPS and average of 10.8 DK points per contest. Kim hasn't hit well against Landers pitching this season, but he may have just the matchup to break out of his funk Thursday – SSG starter Sam Gaviglio has gotten lit up over his first five starts, pitching to an 8.87 ERA, .320 BAA and 1.71 WHIP across 23.1 innings and already giving up seven earned runs on two different occasions.
Hernan Perez ($4,100) makes for an intriguing cost-savings option in a matchup against a pitcher that's had a load of trouble versus the Eagles this season in Lotte right-hander Jun Won Seo (9.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, .391 BAA across six innings of relief against Hanwha). Perez has started to get the hang of KBO pitching the more he plays, as he now sports a solid .275/.321/.490 slash line in 13 games and has already laced seven of his 14 hits for extra bases. Perez also has four double-digit DK-point tallies in his last eight games alone, a reminder of the upside he offers at his very affordable salary.
Bargain Bats
Tae Yean Kim ($3,800) is another highly affordable Eagles option to consider Thursday against Seo, and he checks into the contest wielding a hot bat. Kim is averaging 11 DK points on the strength of a .343 average and .889 OPS over his last 10 games, and he's hit an impressive .360 and averaged 11.7 DK points over his seven road contests thus far. The young third baseman is also hitting a blistering .348 with runners in scoring position and brings some stolen-base upside, having swiped three bags in four attempts thus far.
Jae Won Lee ($3,100) is off to a productive start over his first 16 games, slashing .333/.379/.500 with five extra-base hits and six RBI. The 22-year-old gets a matchup against a vulnerable starter in the Dinos' Min Hyeok Shin, who's pitched to a 4.86 ERA, .285 BAA and 1.49 WHIP overall while surrendering an elevated 13 homers in 87 innings. Lee has also been stellar in 10 home games, contributing a .353 average and .905 OPS across 37 plate appearances during that sample.
Stacks to Consider
Bears vs. Sam Gaviglio: Jae Hwan Kim ($5,500); Kun Woo Park ($4,800); Jose Fernandez ($4,700); Suk Hwan Yang ($4,400)
Gaviglio's rough start to his KBO career was already detailed in Kim's entry, and the Bears also check in averaging a robust 9.3 hits and 5.2 runs per game while finding themselves in a three-way tie for the second-highest team batting average (.271).
Kim's attributes were already discussed in detail in his entry, while Park boasts an excellent .330/.404/.440 slash line and is averaging 8.3 DK points per contest. He's also accumulated an impressive 42 RBI despite having just three homers by hitting a spectacular .375 with runners in scoring position.
Fernandez is putting together another impressive season, as evidenced by his .314/.396/.452 slash line. The veteran slugger has also hit .310 against the Landers in eight games and is averaging 8.5 DK points per road tilt. Then, it's also worth noting Gaviglio yielded a .273 average, .344 wOBA and 1.5 HR/9 to left-handed hitters during his MLB career.
Finally Yang makes for a reasonably-priced way to close out the stack and brings very good power upside at his salary with 20 homers and an .846 OPS. He's pounded SSG for a .346 average and 1.216 OPS in eight games this season -- leading to an average of 11.8 DK points in that sample – and he's been at his best on the road with a .314/.366/.573 slash line, 13 homers and 39 RBI in 48 games.
Eagles vs. Jun Won Seo: Eun Won Jung ($4,900); Ju Suk Ha ($5,700); Tae Yean Kim ($3,800); Hernan Perez ($4,100)
Seo's struggles against the Eagles, which normally are not a team I'd consider stacking, were already detailed earlier, and the fact Hanwha isn't really on the radar of DFS players much makes them an intriguing tournament option in particular.
Jung is putting together a strong season that includes a .280 average, .800 OPS and 15 steals, as well as a .351 average with runners in scoring position. He's also battered Lotte pitching this season for a .407 average, 1.097 OPS and average of 11.7 DK points in nine games.
Ha is the one member of the stack you'll have to lay out some cash for, but he's been excellent both on the road and against Lotte pitching as well. He's posted a .319 average and .843 OPS in 46 away games, and he's burned Giants pitching for a .385/.429/.641 slash line and average of 13.4 DK points in nine contests while generating an outstanding 14 RBI in that stretch.
Finally, the cases for both Kim and Perez, two very appealing value options, were laid out earlier.
