This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
The KBO has five games on the docket overall Thursday, but DraftKings is only including three of them on its slate. That gives us a narrow player pool to work with, and the pitcher selection is especially sparse. It took some doing to identify two pitchers that I could be reasonably comfortable recommending, but the lack of quality options also means it wasn't overly challenging to find some solid bats, all at very reasonable salaries.
I also have one stack I particularly like for Thursday's slate, followed by a secondary recommendation that could also be worth considering.
Pitchers
Been Gwak ($8,900) is what will have to pass as a top-end pitching option on Thursday's limited ledger. The right-hander has an unsightly 4-7 record on the campaign, but his 4.13 ERA speaks to the fact he's been the victim of poor run support at times as well. Gwak does have an impressive 3.28 ERA and .197 BAA over his last 10 starts, averaging 14.1 DK points per outing in that span. He's also had plenty of success against the Landers squad he'll face Thursday, posting a 1-0 record, 2.46 ERA and .232 BAA across three starts on his way to an average of 18.2 DK points.
Min Ho Lee ($6,600) makes for an intriguing value option against a light-hitting Eagles squad he's already stymied on multiple occasions this season. Lee is averaging a whopping 29.3 DK points across 25.1 innings over four starts versus Hanwha this season, posting a 4-0 mark, 0.36 ERA and .079 BAA. The right-hander has had a couple of rough turns lately, but he's also flashed his significant upside with three tallies of more than 20 DK points, including two over 30, in his last eight trips to the mound.
Top Targets/Bargain Bats
Jun Woo Jeon ($4,700) checks into Thursday putting the finishing touches on a masterful season at the plate that sees him boasting a .348 average, .872 OPS, 50 XBH and 91 RBI across 141 games. The veteran is hitting a blistering .420 with runners in scoring position as well, and he's been red hot over the last 10 games with a .417 average and .947 OPS. To top it off, he's also been elite both at home and against Kia pitching, posting .372 and .446 averages in those respective splits, with Jeon also averaging 12.4 DK points against the Tigers in 15 games.
Sun Bin Kim ($4,500) is also enjoying a successful season at the plate, as evidenced by a .307 average, .776 OPS and .320 average with runners in scoring position. The 31-year-old also is hitting .324 over his last 10 contests and has an excellent matchup against Lotte starter Enderson Franco, who has a 5.28 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 1.2 HR/9 on the campaign. Franco has also had plenty of trouble against Tigers bats, allowing a 6.75 ERA in four outings.
Eun Seong Chae ($4,300) has a solid .277 average and .814 OPS on the season, and he's hit .318 and averaged 10 DK points per contest in 12 games against the Eagles this season. Chae has three double-digit DK-point tallies in the last eight games as well, and Hanwha starter Ryan Carpenter has had trouble both at home and against LG. Carpenter has allowed a 4.90 ERA across 79 innings at home and a 10.93 ERA, .321 BAA and 2.00 WHIP in three starts versus the Twins.
Kun Woo Park ($4,000) carries a very appealing salary for a player with a .327 average, .839 OPS, 38 XBH, 60 RBI and 12 stolen bases across 123 games. Park is also hitting .327 with runners in scoring position and has an excellent .312 average in 61 road contests. Meanwhile, Landers starter Sam Gaviglio has pitched to a 6.01 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and .284 BAA across 14 starts, and a 6.23 ERA at home specifically, where he's also given up five of his six homers on the season.
Stacks to Consider
Twins vs. Ryan Carpenter: Chang Ki Hong ($4,600); Hyun Soo Kim ($4,400); Eun Seong Chae ($4,300); Kang Nam Yoo ($4,100)
Carpenter's struggles against the Twins were already documented earlier in Chae's entry earlier, and it's also worth noting LG has been a very effective road offense with 4.9 runs per game, 9.0 hits per contest and a .262 team batting average.
Hong is enjoying an outstanding season that includes a .327 average, .865 OPS and average of 8.9 DK points across 141 games. Hong also has a .336 average with runners in scoring position, and he's supplemented his production nicely with 23 stolen bases. Finally, consider he's averaged a robust 10.7 DK points against Hanwha pitching in 15 games.
Kim is averaging a solid 7.9 DK points on the season on the strength of a .284/.375/.435 slash line, 40 XBH and 94 RBI in 137 games. The veteran outfielder has also been very successful both on the road and against Eagles pitching – Kim has a .341 average and is putting up 9.3 DK points per game in the former split, and he's generated respective .340 and 11.7 figures in those categories in the latter.
Chae's attributes were already covered in his entry, while Yoo makes for a likely low-rostered and cost-effective way to round out the stack. The veteran has displayed some decent pop with 27 extra-base hits, and he's also knocked in 60 runs overall. Yoo is also hitting .277 and has a .753 OPS on the road, and he's hit a solid .270 with a pair of homers in 12 games against Hanwha this season.
ALSO CONSIDER: Bears vs. Sam Gaviglio: Jose Fernandez ($4,500); Kun Woo Park ($4,000); Jae Hwan Kim ($4,200); Kyoung Min Heo ($3,500)
