This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Baseball is back in Korea! What was supposed to be a three-week Olympic break wound up lasting nearly a full month, as a COVID-19 outbreak (something the KBO had managed to avoid for all of last season) caused play to be shut down prematurely. Suspensions were handed out around the league for health protocol violations related to that outbreak, with the most notable blow being dealt to the Dinos. The defending champions, who merely sit tied for the fifth and final playoff spot as is, will be without four key lineup pieces, as Hui Dong Kwon, Myung Ki Lee, Min Woo Park and Sok Min Park have all been banned for the rest of the season. They won't be the only team scrambling once play resumes Tuesday, as the Heroes, who sit tied with them for fifth, will be without a pair of rotation members in Woo Jin An and Hyun Hee Han for several weeks after being hit with suspensions for protocol violations of their own.
We seem to have a shot at a rain-free slate as the league returns to action, though there's at least some risk in Daegu, where the Bears will be taking on the Lions. The slate could be a rather low-scoring one, as the extended break has given teams the chance to line up their best starters to begin the second half.
Pitchers
He may be pitching in the league's most hitter-friendly park and in the lone game that seems to be at any risk of a rainout, but Mike Montgomery ($7,400) could be the best bargain on the slate. Signed by the Lions to replace the injured Ben Lively (shoulder), Montgomery only had time to make one start in early July before play shut down. He was only built up to throw three innings and walked a discouraging four batters, but he didn't allow a single hit and struck out six. It's impossible to draw meaningful conclusions from that one brief outing, but the general rule that players with MLB experience should be considered top-tier talents in the KBO certainly applies here, making his price tag a confusingly low one. The southpaw's 3.84 ERA in his 541.0 career innings at the highest level stands as one of the best resumes in the entire league, so he could really help the Lions down the stretch.
If you're looking for someone with a more proven KBO track record, Drew Rucinski ($8,700) looks like your best bet. He's been very consistent ever since heading to Korea in 2019, producing an identical 3.05 ERA in his first two seasons in the league and a very similar 3.17 ERA through his first 16 outings this year. While he's remained stable in that area, his underlying numbers have changed in a way that makes him a more exciting fantasy option, as his strikeout rate has jumped from 16.3 percent to 20.2 percent to 22.1 percent over those three years. He should be lined up for a big performance against the righty-heavy Giants lineup Tuesday.
Among the most expensive options, Wilmer Font ($9,200) looks like the best play. He's averaged more fantasy points than any other pitcher on the slate and could be in for another big day against the eighth-ranked Twins lineup at pitcher-friendly Jamsil Baseball Stadium. The righty has emerged as one of the top strikeout threats in Korea, with his 28.6 percent strikeout rate ranking second among qualified starters. That's not all he's done, however, as you have to drop all the way down to Young Pyo Ko, who sits 18th on the strikeout-rate leaderboard, to find someone with a lower walk rate than his 7.0 percent mark. That combination suggests his 3.48 ERA could get even better down the stretch.
Top Targets
Dan Straily has struggled to a 4.27 ERA and 1.39 WHIP this season after impressing with a 2.50 ERA and 1.02 WHIP last year, meaning the Dinos' best bats should very much be on the table against him. The team may be without several key contributors for the rest of the year due to COVID-19 protocol violations, but Sung Bum Na ($5,500) is still with the team and won't need much help to post big numbers. His .850 OPS through his first 63 games counted as a disappointment next to the .989 OPS he managed last season, but he was just starting to get properly hot over his last 11 games, homering four times while slashing .340/.380/.638.
Jung Hoo Lee ($5,700) hit a single homer at the Olympics, just two fewer than he's managed in 79 KBO games this season, but he justifies his top-tier price tag even with that lack of pop. There are few better contact hitters in the league, as his 6.2 percent strikeout rate ranks second among qualified hitters. That's a particularly impressive mark for a 22-year-old, as everyone else in the top 10 in that category is at least 30 years old. Unsurprisingly given that amount of contact, his .345 batting average is good for third in the league. His .503 slugging percentage is higher than you'd expected given his lack of homers, as he leads the league with 30 doubles. Only one hitter has gotten within 12 doubles of that mark. He'll get the platoon advantage Tuesday against Wiz righty Je Seong Bae, whose 3.74 ERA comes with a 1.42 WHIP.
Bargain Bats
Sticking with the Heroes, Yong Kyu Lee ($3,100) should be a key player for the team heading down the stretch. The veteran outfielder has made 25 starts as the leadoff man this season but should be the primary option there the rest of the way after Geon Chang Seo was traded to the Twins over the break. He should benefit from occupying that role in a much stronger offense than the one he led for the Eagles prior to this season. His .286 batting average is an exact match for his mark from last year, but he's already scored 47 times in 75 games after scoring just 60 runs in 120 games in 2020.
Drew Rucinski may have been mentioned above as one of the best pitching options on the slate, but anyone who doesn't include him should strongly consider Ah Seop Son ($3,300). Son remains one of the most underpriced hitters available and is worth a look against nearly every pitcher. He hit .352 last season, finishing second in the race for the batting title, but his price tag is held down by some poor early performances this season. Through 41 games, he was hitting just .257, but he's been as good as ever over his last 32 contests, hitting .398/.471/.504. He's homered just once all year, but he has as good a chance as anybody at a multi-hit game on any given day, even against a strong pitcher like Rucinski.
Stacks to Consider
Lions vs. Young Ha Lee: Ja Wook Koo ($5,400), Hae Min Park ($4,800), Jae Il Oh ($4,300)
While most teams have lined up their aces to start the first game of the second half, the Bears have elected to turn to a pitcher with an 9.82 ERA and a 2.18 WHIP. Perhaps the show of confidence will kickstart Lee's season, though he's shown nothing to get excited about thus far. His struggles as a starter trace back to the start of last year, when he posted a 5.52 ERA in 19 starts. He fared much better in 23 relief appearances, cruising to a 1.04 ERA, but he's been worse than ever thus far this year. Nothing in his underlying numbers suggests he's deserved much better results, as he's struck out just 8.7 percent of opposing batters this season while walking 13.4 percent.
The only thing stopping the Lions from posting a big number may be the rain, but if the game does indeed go forward, expect strong performances up and down the lineup. I've listed a trio of lefties here, skipping Jose Pirela ($6,000) for budget purposes, but he's certainly worth a look for those who have space. Koo has run hot and cold this season, but his overall .280/.343/.470 line is quite solid. He's one of just two players with double-digit homers (11) and steals (16). Park was one of the top hitters on a disappointing South Korean squad which finished fourth out of six teams at the Olympics, finishing second in the team with 11 hits in 25 at-bats while also walking seven times. Oh was on that same team and didn't fare nearly as well, going just 4-for-19, but he's looked good in KBO action, hitting .276 with 12 homers in 59 games.
Landers vs. Casey Kelly: Shin Soo Choo ($5,900), Joo Hwan Choi ($4,400), Yoo Seom Han ($3,600)
There isn't another pitcher on the slate who looks remotely as exploitable as Lee, but Kelly is surprisingly one of the weakest of the remaining options. He was quite good in his first two seasons in Korea, cruising to a 2.93 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, but while his 3.56 ERA this season is far from terrible, the rest of his statline looks unconvincing. His WHIP has backed up to 1.33, in part due to a walk rate that's jumped from 5.7 percent last season to 8.5 percent this year. His strikeout rate has taken a similar step back, falling from 19.0 percent last year to 15.8 percent this season. That's still good enough to get the job done at times, but it's hardly the sort of performance that should scare you away from using any hitters against him.
The Landers have plenty of big bats, which they'll have to rely on down the stretch if they want to remain in the playoff mix despite a beat-up pitching staff. We'll go with a trio of lefties here to maximize the platoon advantage against Kelly. Choo leads the way, joining the aforementioned Ja Wook Koo as the only other player to reach double digits in homers (13) and steals (15). The latter is a particularly impressive number considering he's 39 years old. Choi remains a strong hitter in his first season in Incheon after spending his first 13 seasons as a Bear. He cooled off late in the first half following an excellent start, but his .254/.347/.439 line still makes him one of the better options at second base. Han remains one of the best cheap power threats available. He cleared the fence 15 times in 62 games last year and has 13 homers in 73 games this season, including eight in his last 26 games.
