This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Thursday's five-game slate features a pair of former MLB arms that are already in fine form this season working in some particularly advantageous matchups. Luckily, there's also some suspect pitchers in the pool as well that we can utilize to devise some of our hitter selections.
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
Walker Lockett ($9,200) has only a 9-8 record, but he's complemented it with a 2.61 ERA and average of 17.8 DK points. He's also been at his best on the road, where he's posted a 2.09 ERA and .241 BAA across 69 innings on his way to an average of 20.4 DK points per start. Lockett has been hit around a bit by LG in his two previous starts against the Twins this season, but the Tigers check in averaging just 4.3 runs and a KBO-low 7.66 hits per home contest while also posting a league-worst .242 team batting average in that split.
David Buchanan ($8,200) comes at a particularly appealing salary considering his track record and opponent Thursday. The right-hander has been an excellent performer at home this season with an 8-3 record, 2.38 ERA and average of 19.7 DK points per start, and he's thoroughly frustrated Eagles bats to the tune of a 3-0 record, 1.88 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, .170 BAA and average of 28.3 DK points per his four starts against Hanwha. The Eagles are also one of the weakest offensive squads in the league and put up just 4.3 runs and a KBO-low 7.8 hits per road game, as well as a league-worst .236 team batting average in the split.
ALSO CONSIDER: Je Seong Bae ($9,500)
Top Targets
Ja Wook Koo ($6,000) is enjoying an impressive season that includes a .301 average, .873 OPS and average of 10.2 DK points per game, along with an impressive 50 XBH and 75 RBI. The veteran has averaged an even more impressive 10.3 DK points per home game and has punished Eagles pitching this season for a .315 average, .909 OPS and average of 10.9 DK points per game across 14 contests. Hanwha starter Nick Kingham has been effective this season but more hittable on the road, where he's pitched to a 3.67 ERA and allowed seven homers. It's also worth noting Kingham struggled with left-handed hitters during his MLB career, surrendering a .319 average and .417 wOBA.
Jung Hoo Lee ($5,500) sports an excellent .367/.452/.517 slash line with 44 XBH and 63 RBI across 100 games, leading to an average of 9.6 DK points per contest. The 23-year-old also boasts an elite .353 average with runners in scoring position, and he checks into Thursday's game with a .417 average and .972 OPS over his last 10 games. Lee has also been at his best on the road with a .370 average and 1.016 OPS in 47 games, and Kia starter Joong Hyun Yoon has pitched to a 5.52 ERA and .296 BAA across 11 starts in his home stadium.
Kun Woo Park ($4,800) has pounded LG pitching this season for a .378 average, .982 OPS and 9.4 DK points per contest across 10 games, and he walks into Thursday's game with a .327 average, .837 OPS and .341 average with runners in scoring position. He also carries a .316 average over his last 10 games, and he'll be in a good matchup against Twins starter Woo Chan Lee, who's generated a 5.85 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and .277 BAA in 20 home innings this season.
Bargain Bats
Jin Hyuk No ($4,100) offers cost-effective exposure to the always potent Dinos lineup, and he brings a .320 average, .892 OPS and .355 average with runners in scoring position. The 32-year-old has been slumping of late, which should make him relatively low-rostered in tournaments. However, No has posted a .378 average, 1.051 OPS and average of 8.6 DK points per contest in 36 home games, while Landers starter Tae Yang Lee has a 5.32 ERA and 1.42 WHIP for the season and has given up 18 home runs in just 88 innings overall.
Joo Hwan Choi ($3,800) makes for a high-upside value bat on the other side of the Landers-Dinos matchup, as he owns a solid .273/.366/.461 slash line across 93 games, figures partly constituted by 28 XBH and 60 RBI. Choi also has a .302 average with runners in scoring position and boasts a .345 average in eight previous games against NC this season.
Stacks To Consider
Dinos vs. Tae Yang Lee: Sung Bum Na ($4,700); Eui Ji Yang ($5,200); Jin Hyuk No ($4,100); Aaron Altherr ($4,400)
Lee's weakness, particularly in keeping the ball in the park, were already discussed in No's entry, and that propensity for allowing the long ball makes him a particularly advantageous fit for a powerful Dinos lineup that can be stacked at fairly reasonable salaries compared to other points in the season.
Na makes for a great way to start things off, with the veteran posting a solid .288 average and .871 OPS this season across 116 games. Na also sports a .310 average and .944 OPS in 56 home games, and a .340 average and 10.8 DK points per contest across 12 games versus SSG pitching.
Yang is hitting just .258 in his last 10 games, but he's still averaging 9.5 DK points per game has a .355 average and 1.059 OPS in 54 home games. The veteran backstop has also put up 12.1 DK points per contest in 11 games against SSG this season.
No's attributes were already detailed in his entry, while Altherr could make for a very good fantasy-point-per-dollar play Thursday due to the convergence of his power and Lee's tendencies to allow the ball to leave the park. Altherr has cooled off after a hot start to the season but still boasts 40 XBH, including 24 homers on the season. He's also been prolific against Landers pitching, posting a .326 average, 1.132 OPS and five homers across 12 games on his way to an average of 13.2 DK points per contest in the sample.
Bears vs. Woo Chan Lee: Kyoung Min Heo ($4,000); Kun Woo Park ($4,800); Jae Hwan Kim ($5,900); Suk Hwan Yang ($4,500)
Lee's vulnerabilities in his home park this season were already detailed in Park's entry, and it's also worth noting the Bears are averaging a KBO-high 5.8 runs and 9.8 hits per road game while also carrying a league-best .278 average in that split.
Heo has seen a drop in his overall slash line from last season, but he still carries an impressive .290 average and .342 OBP, and he's also hit .297 with runners in scoring position. The 31-year-old is also hitting an outstanding .344 in his last 10 games, has a .318 average against LG in 11 games and has been a better road than home performer (.296 average, .753 OPS in 60 away contests).
Park's appeal was already detailed in his entry earlier, while Kim is the high-end bat of the group but worth the investment. The 33-year-old has 44 XBH, 90 RBI and a .356 average with runners in scoring position, and he owns a .915 OPS overall. He's also posted a .315 average, 1.014 OPS and average of 10.5 DK points per road game and is hitting .350 in his last 10 games.
Yang rounds out the stack and carries a great salary for a player who's produced 26 homers, 84 RBI and a .831 OPS. He's been a terror on the road with a .319/.371/.616 slash line and average of 10.2 DK points per contest across 60 games in that split, slugging 19 of his 26 round trippers on the season in the sample as well.
