This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Wednesday brings us another slate that could possibly be shortened by weather, as three games have least a 39% chance of rain as of this writing. Therefore, it will once again be particularly important to monitor the status of each contest as it gets close to lineup lock at 5:30am ET. Meteorological concerns aside, the ledger once again shapes up as very interesting from a pitching perspective, as it's loaded with former MLB arms.
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
Jake Brigham ($8,900) comes at an appreciably lower salary than the top pitching duo of David Buchanan and Ariel Miranda, and he's arguably in a better matchup than either pitcher. The right-hander is averaging a solid 16.9 DK points per start but has been on another level at home, where he's pitched to a 1.38 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .195 BAA and average of 22.8 DK points across five starts. Brigham also managed a quality start against the Landers in his one prior encounter with them on the road June 13 (17.9 DK points), and SSG, while wielding the league's most powerful lineup (104 HRs), has the fourth fewest hits per game (8.8) and fourth-lowest team batting average (.258).
Nick Kingham ($6,600) may only have a 4-4 mark and slightly elevated 4.03 ERA, but he boasts a solid 1.17 WHIP and has been a markedly better pitcher at home. The former Pirates prospect owns a .206 BAA, 2.89 ERA and average of 17.3 DK points in his five home starts, and he's eclipsed 20 DK points on five occasions overall this season. The opposing Tigers make for good targets as well, as Kia is averaging the fewest runs (3.87) and third-fewest hits (8.5) while also mustering the second-lowest team batting average (.250).
ALSO CONSIDER: David Buchanan ($10,100)
Top Targets
Jose Fernandez ($5,300) is available at a nice discount compared to several other preeminent bats, but he could certainly be in fine position to have one of his ceiling games Wednesday. The veteran slugger checks in with an impressive .303 average and .879 OPS over his last 10 games, and he faces a vulnerable pitcher in Dinos starter Myung Gi Song. The 20-year-old does have a 6-3 record, but it's accompanied by a 5.95 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 1.0 HR/9, and he's also given up a combined 10 earned runs over the nine innings covering his last two starts.
Hoon Jung ($5,100) has consistently terrorized opposing arms all season, as he owns a .335/.410/.491 slash line with 25 XBH and 48 RBI. Jung comes in swinging a hot bat as well, as evidenced by his .342 average and 8.2 DK points per contest over his last 10 games. Wednesday, Jung gets a chance to augment his average of 10.6 DK points per home contest in a matchup against the highly hittable Chan Kyu Im, who's pitched to a 7.64 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and massive 7.6 BB/9 across four starts, and who's produced just an 11.8 K/9.
Eun Seong Chae ($4,300) carries a very appealing salary for a player that owns a .316/.385/.533 slash line with 13 doubles, 12 home runs and 51 RBI, one that's helped lead to an average of 9.5 DK points. What's more, Chae is currently wielding a scalding hot bat, as he boasts a .400 average, 1.192 OPS and average of 12.5 DK points over his last 10 games. The outfielder also has thrived on the road, as evidenced by his .333 average and 11.5 DK points per contest across 27 away games. Giants starter Dan Straily could be a good target for him also, as the veteran right-hander has a 4.95 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across eight home starts and has pitched to a 6.12 ERA and 1.55 WHIP across his last six starts overall.
Bargain Bats
Si Hwan Roh ($4,000) is one of the few Eagles bats that has been pulling his weight this season, as he owns a .274 average .836 OPS, 13 home runs and 56 RBI across 72 games. That's helped lead to a solid average of 8.4 DK points per contest, and the third-year pro has been especially effective in clutch situations, as borne out by his .375 average with runners in scoring position. The matchup against Tigers starter Gi Yeong Im is a good one as well, as he sports a 4.62 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 13 starts this season.
Chi Hong An ($3,500) is another potentially rewarding fantasy-point-per-dollar value to consider Wednesday, as he checks in with an outstanding .325/.388/.468 slash line that is partly comprised of a well-rounded 13 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 46 RBI, 24 walks and 23 runs. An has been absolute terror with runners in scoring position as well, posting a jaw-dropping .441 average in that split. An has struggled against LG pitching this season, but he could hardly come into the contest any hotter, as he owns a .469 average over his last 10 games.
Stacks to Consider
Bears vs. Myung Gi Song: Kyoung Min Heo ($5,000); Jose Fernandez ($5,300); Kun Woo Park ($5,000); Suk Hwan Yang ($5,400)
Song's weaknesses were already discussed earlier in Fernandez's entry, and it's also worth noting the Bears are averaging the second-most hits per game (9.5) and have the third-highest team batting average (.275) in the KBO.
Heo is always in play, as he checks in with a .321 average and .803 OPS, along with a .478 average (11-for-23) over his last five games. The veteran is also an ultra-reliable contact hitter, as evidenced by his 6.4 percent strikeout rate.
Fernandez's attributes were already elaborated on in his entry, while Park boasts a .340/.407/.439 slash line, and a .385 average and tally of 9.1 DK points per contest in the last 10. He's also punished Dinos pitching this season, posting a .400 average over four games.
Finally, Yang rounds out the stack in potent fashion, as he's laced 30 (14 doubles, 16 home runs) of his 78 total hits for extra bases. He's racked up 11 RBI over his last 10 games as well and hit a solid .293 overall with runners in scoring position, as well as .292 in six games against NC pitching.
Giants vs. Chan Kyu Im: Dae Ho Lee ($4,200); Jun Woo Jeon ($4,500); Hoon Jung ($5,100); Chi Hong An ($3,500)
Im's weaknesses were discussed in Jung's entry, while the Giants, despite their ugly 32-42-1 record, have produced the third-most runs per game (5.4), the most hits per game (9.8) and the highest team batting average (.279) in the KBO.
Lee is averaging 8.3 DK points per contest on the strength of a .297/.356/.484 slash line that includes 10 homers and 42 RBI. The veteran's body of work at home includes a .315 average and .878 OPS, and he's averaging 8.4 DK points over his last 10 games thanks in large part to a trio of double-digit DK-point tallies in his last eight games.
Jeon has enjoyed an excellent season overall and has tormented the opposition at home in particular, where he's posted a .341 average, .908 OPS and average of 9.0 DK points per contest. The veteran has been excellent when afforded RBI opportunities as well, as he owns a .437 average with runners in scoring position over 74 games. Moreover, he could hardly come in any hotter, as he's hit .419 and averaged 11.7 DK points across his last 10 games.
Jung and An, who were both discussed in detail in their respective entries earlier, make for an excellent way to round out the stack at a combined salary of just $8,600.
