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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another KBO DFS column. If you haven't signed up for the RotoBaller Premium Slack chat, it's a great space to chat during the day about the lineups. You can also follow me and the other Rotoballer writers on Twitter. In particular, @efhatch1990dfs has his personal KBO DFS Cheat Sheets which you will now be able to find on RotoBaller.
New to KBO? Don't worry, we got you covered! DraftKings and FanDuel will use the same scoring system that they do for MLB, however, the roster builds are much different on FanDuel. You must roster two infielders, two outfielders, and two utility players along with a pitcher for a total of only seven players on FanDuel. DraftKings has kept its normal MLB structure with two starting pitchers and an entire eight-hitter lineup for a total of ten players.
Building lineups on each site is going to be a good bit different on most nights, but I've tried to give you enough options and thoughts behind each option so that you can make the best decision based on your build preference. Today, I'll be providing my KBO DFS lineup picks and analysis for this five-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel that locks at 5:30 AM on Friday, June 26, 2020. You can check our daily KBO Betting Picks as well, which Steve usually posts around 8 PM.
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KBO DFS Pitchers
Dan Straily (LOT)
$9.5K DraftKings, $24 FanDuel
After a slow transition to the KBO, Straily has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the league. He comes into this start with a 2.10 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while notching 62 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. He's only allowed four runs combined over his last five starts and has struck out an average of 7.4 batters per game over that span. What's more, Straily has allowed more than two runs only once in his nine KBO starts. That's a tremendous display of consistency.
He will now get a Samsung team that is hitting .263 in the month of June but only .242 on the road over that span, which is worst in the KBO. They also have 122 strikeouts this month, which is fourth-worst in the league and only three total strikeouts from being worst in the league. They don't hit for a tremendous amount of power as a team, and Straily has allowed only two home runs all season, so I don't expect the long ball to factor in tomorrow. Lastly, Straily allows only a .160 average to right-handed hitters, and the Lions' lineup is stacked with right-handed bats. Uh oh.
All of that makes me feel pretty safe about running Straily out on Friday.
Casey Kelly (LG)
$9K DraftKings, $25 FanDuel
This one is more about the matchup. Kelly himself has been relatively mediocre on the season despite showing flashes of the pitcher who finished with a 2.55 ERA and 1.14 WHIP last season. In his last start, against Doosan, Kelly allowed three earned runs over seven innings while striking out seven and walking one. It was a solid outing and one that gives me some confidence that he can handle a much worse SK offense, especially since he went seven innings the last time he faced them and allowed only one run on four hits.
As a team, SK is hitting .241 in June, which is second-worst in the league. They also have hit only 13 home runs during the month and have struck out 123 times, which is third-worst in the league and only two behind the aforementioned worst in the league. Kelly is not a high strikeout pitcher, but I don't see the Wyverns doing too much damage against him based on how poor their lineup has been performing, which makes Kelly a solid cash game option to me.
Warwick Saupold (HAN)
$8.5K DraftKings, $28 FanDuel
Saupold is in the opposite situation to Kelly. He's a high-risk option that I'd only really consider in GPP builds. The Aussie has been solid on the year (3.39 ERA and 1.37 WHIP) but has been especially strong of late, allowing only one earned run in 12.1 innings against Doosan and NC while pitching Hanwha to wins in both games. He also struck out 11 and walked nobody over that span. It's been his most impressive stretch of the season and could lead to fantasy goodness if he keeps it going.
Now, the risk is that KT is a good offense. They've hit 23 home runs in June, which is second in the league, and have dangerous hitters up and down their lineup. They have also struck out 125 times in June, which means they are that mystery team that ranks worst in the league. Also, if you're going by extremely recent results, they're hitting only .230 as a team over the last week.
It's certainly a risk, but Saupold is coming in hot and the Wiz are coming in (apart from 19 run outburst) on a bit of an offensive downswing. It could certainly blow up in your face, but if it works, you could have a leg up on other GPP builds.
Other Options
- Tae-In Won (SAM) - 7.7K DraftKings, $26 FanDuel - Lotte has the highest team batting average in the month of June, so I don't love targeting a pitcher against them, even though Won threw eight shutout innings against them in May. However, they don't hit a lot of home runs, and Won has been really solid this season, apart from allowing six runs to Kia at home (where they crush). This could be a low scoring affair, which would make Won a cash game play, but I'm avoiding in GPP because the Giants don't strikeout, which will limit his upside.
- Hyeung-jun So (KT) - 7.2K DraftKings, $24 FanDuel - This is the ultimate roll of the dice. So has a 6.02 ERA and 1.45 WHIP and has only pitched more than five innings twice on the season. However, he did throw seven shutout against Doosan, so we've seen him deliver before. This is more about the Eagles, who are hitting a league-worst .219 in June and an atrocious .189 at home during the month. They also only have six home runs as a team during the month, which means they're unlikely to put up any crooked numbers, making So an intriguing punt play on DraftKings.
KBO Top Hitter Stacks
Doosan Bears
I don't love stacking the Bears offense at home since they play in the best pitcher's park in the league; however, this should tell you all you need to know about the offensive slate on Friday. Hot offenses, like Kiwoom, are traveling home, where they hit worse, and face good pitching. Consistently top offenses, like NC, are in pitcher's parks against solid arms, and teams with power potential, like Kia or KT, are either on the road, where Kia isn't strong, or against hot pitchers, like Saupold.
As a result, I think Doosan is the safest stack on the slate, so I'd recommend making them the core of your build and then hoping your small stacks or one-offs create the differentiation you need to win contests. Not only is Doosan hitting .292 in June, which is third-best in the league, but Jae-hak Lee has been poor for NC this year and gives up a .313 batting average to left-handed hitters. The Bears start a lot of left-handed hitters, which is a sign of good things for them.
Main Targets:
- Jose Fernandez - 1B/2B (5.7K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Fernandez has cooled off a little of late, hitting only .270 in June with 3 HRs and 11 RBI. But he's second on the team with 17 runs, hits second in the order, and is a lefty bat with power, which means he's certainly in play against Lee.
- Jae Il Oh - 1B (3.9K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Oh is hitting .326 in June; although that comes with only 2 HRs and 8 RBI. Since HRs are unlikely in this park anyways, focus on the potential RBI production from a lefty bat in the heart of the order.
- Jae Hwan Kim - 1B/OF (5K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) Kim is hitting only .268 during the month of June, but he leads the team with 6 HR and 24 RBI over that span. The price is a little high for somebody who is power-dependent in a pitcher's park, but the RBI totals are enticing in a game where the Bears' bats should be alive.
- Kun Woo Park - OF (3.4K DraftKings, $13 FanDuel) - Park is a right-handed hitter, but the leadoff batter has been crushing the ball in June to the tune of .442 with 2 HR, 14 RBI, and 21 R. That makes him more than worthy of a spot in your lineup.
Secondary Targets:
- Soo-Bin Jung - OF (2.4K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Jung is a left-handed hitter who is hitting .306 in June with 11 RBIs, so he might be worth a chance in certain builds for salary relief.
- Joo-Hwan Choi - 1B/2B (2.6K DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) - Choi is a great salary relief option on DraftKings. The left-handed hitter is batting .321 in June with 3 HR with 18 RBI and 15 R. A productive bat at that salary is tough to pass on.
LG Twins
LG playing on the road is always something that makes us take note. They're also going up against a mediocre arm on a poor defensive team. However, the Twins are also super banged up, with half of the top six in their order likely out for this series, which makes me less excited to stack them. While you may not be able to run as big a stack out as we'd like, there are enough talented hitters still active for the Twins to make them a solid stack option for this slate.
- Roberto Ramos - LG 1B (5.6K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Ramos has been banged up during the month of June, but he's performed when he's been healthy and on the field. He's hitting .322 for the month with 3 HR and 12 RBI. On the road, in the heart of the lineup, he is a strong option at 1B on Friday.
- Kang-nam Yoo - LG C (4.4K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Yoo has been the team's best hitter in June, batting .379 with 2 HR, 19 RBI and 11 R. He makes for a great pivot from the top-priced catchers, and his presence in the middle of the Twins' order means he could put up strong numbers.
- Hyun-soo Kim - LG OF (5.4K DraftKings, $15 FanDuel) - Kim is another power option when the Twins go on the road. His 4 total home runs are a far cry from Ramos' 13, but he has 3 HR in the month of June while hitting .303 and knocking in 13 runs.
Secondary Targets:
- Ji-Wan Oh - SS (3.3K DraftKings, $9 FanDuel) - Shortstop is an incredibly thin option in KBO DFS, so Oh makes for a strong option. The left-hander is hitting .313 in June with 11 R. He's not going to hit for power, but a few hits and runs should give you profit on his salary.
Small Stacks
Kia Tigers
Kia is not a particularly strong team on the road; however, their situation is too good to avoid completely on Friday. They'll face a Kiwoom team that has a depleted bullpen after a doubleheader yesterday. They'll also face a starter in Young-gun Jo who has thrown more than four innings just once on the season. That's a recipe for success against a mediocre and tired bullpen, so I'll be looking for the Tigers' left-handed power bats to try and add some punch to my lineups.
- Preston Tucker - OF (5.8K DraftKings, $17 FanDuel) - Tucker leads the Tigers with 11 HRs and is a left-handed hitter, so if there is anybody that can do damage on the road, it's likely him. He's hitting .364 with 5 HR and 15 RBI in June and .297 with 2 HRs on the road during the month, so some production is still there.
- Hyung-woo Choi - 1B/OF (4.8K DraftKings, $11 FanDuel) - Choi has been the hottest hitter in the Kia lineup of late. The three-hole hitter is batting .385 with 3 HRs and 15 RBI in the month of June and .417 over the last week. He's second on the team with 7 HRs on the season, so he could be a solid bet to put one out tomorrow.
- Min-Sang Yoo - 1B (3.4K DraftKings, $7 FanDuel) - Yoo is not generally a power option, so his fantasy potential is a little limited. However, he is a left-handed hitter in the middle of the Tiger's order and he's hit .373 with 3 HRs and 15 RBI in June so perhaps the power is starting to emerge.
- Ho-ryeong Kim - OF (3.8K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Kim started the season in June after a back injury and has hit .328 with 3 HR, 8 RBI, and 20 R during the month. All of which gives him solid value for his salary.
Lotte Giants
I would be remiss if I didn't say a little bit about the Giants since they lead the KBO with a .303 team average during the month of June. They don't have an easy match-up against Won Tae-In, but he has given up 5 HRs on the season, which is the second-most of any pitcher on the slate. I wouldn't go heavy on Lotte hitters given the matchup, but there are some hot bats you can ride as one-offs.
- Ah-Seop Son - OF (3.8K DraftKings, $13 FanDuel) - The Giants lead-off hitter is batting .416 in the month of June with 10 2Bs, 15 RBI and 14 R. That's the team lead in average, runs and RBI. Not a bad hitter to have in your lineup.
- Dixon Machado - SS (4.6K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - The defensive whiz has finally adjusted to the KBO, hitting .365 in June with 11 RBI, 12 R, and 3 SB. He has 4 HR on the season but none this month, which means he'll need to score or steal a bag to really help you out.
- Jun-Woo Jeon - OF (4.4K DraftKings, $12 FanDuel) - The Giants three-hole hitter is second on the team with 4 HRs in the month of June and adds to that a .282 average, 11 RBI and 12 R. He's probably the best bet in the Giants order for a big day.
- Dae Ho Lee - 1B (3.8K DraftKings, $10 FanDuel) - Lee is the team HR leader on the season and in the month of June (with 6); however, he's only hitting .243 on the month, so he will need to knock one out to really impact your lineup. His 12 BB to 11 K over the month means that he could pick up a few points with his patience, but that's not why you're rostering him.
Good luck with your DFS contests everyone. Be sure to stop back every day for more KBO DFS analysis here at RotoBaller!
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