Public service announcement: this slate begins at 4:00am EST, not the 5:30am to which we all are growing accustomed. Tomorrow’s slate begins at a publicly playable 12:55am, so keep an eye out after you win UFC money with our industry leading MMA DFS tools. Those of you who have spent the last 3 days becoming expert KBO DFS players should be ready to take advantage of some hopefully soft money coming into both days GPP fields.
P.S.A. 2: we have 4 out of 5 games with threatening rain conditions. It will be worth your while to check the weather prior to lock in the morning.
Last night’s action yielded an even more fun slate than the day before, with another 61 runs scored across the 5 games, and a few more HR flying over the fence. There were a ton of fireworks from players we called out in yesterday’s column, so hopefully this is helping position you for the big tournament takedowns.
Those of you who stayed up to watch the game on ESPN2 probably caught a little bit of Drew Gagnon’s struggles. As a pitcher who relies largely on a changeup, getting used to the slicker KBO ball in his first start might have had some impact on Gagnon’s ability to command his off-speed arsenal, as he gave up a several and struggled through 5 1/3 innings. We also learned that the KBO doesn’t mess around when it comes to umpire quality, sending down an entire umpiring crew after just 3 games, following player complaints about a number of calls in the SK-Hanwha series.
Check out the rest of our KBO content, Awesemo’s projections, rankings, and ownership will be FREE for a few more hours, and Josh Engleman is breaking down your pitching options for the day.
As usual, I’m going to look game by game, calling out a hitter or two from each team, and giving some top stacking options as we go. Pricing and popularity will be considered, more so as trends begin to emerge over the coming weeks. The numbers included with Suggested Stack are the projected lineup positions I would target for stacking that team, but do not restrict yourself exclusively to those spots. For example, if it says Wyverns 3-6 it means 3,4,5,6 in the projected lineup. If it says 1-2-3-5 it means those guys. If it means a two-man it will say so. I’m also going to start trying to include positions more, hopefully it helps speed up the process of finding guys as you build lineups.
With lock still hours away (at 4am, remember), official lineups have not been released, so be sure to double-check status before you plug players into your lineup.
Hanwha Eagles @ Kiwoom Heroes – 9.5 run total (4.29/5.42) – Suggested Stack: back to Heroes 1-4
Hanwha dropped the series opener last night, after coming back to tie it late. A relatively low-scoring 8-run affair, the Eagles got all their production on a 7th inning 3-run homer from Sun-jin Oh, who is not someone you should expect to repeat that feat too many times the rest of the way. With the 2nd lowest implied run total on the slate, the Eagles are currently ranking out as Awesemo’s 3rd lowest stack on both sites, where they’re drawing ownership around even with their top stack %. 20-year-old 3rd year infielder Eun-Won Jung ($14/$4.5k) should be productive toward the top of the Hanwha lineup, if you feel inclined to look to the Eagles tonight. The kid blends some line drive power with patience at the dish to limit his strikeouts and put the ball in play, where his speed can keep him moving around the bases.
Kiwoom got things going for 5 runs last night, but it wasn’t quite enough for DFS owners with other teams putting up double-digit performances. Still, there’s a lot to like in the Heroes lineup. One of the highest implied run totals again tonight should suggest that Kiwoom is in a place to perform for us against a 19-year-old 2nd year starter. Kiwoom ranks 3rd in the stacking tool for both sites but are providing much stronger value on FanDuel. Ha-seong Kim ($14/$4.9k), a young infielder/DH for the Heroes, has hit right around 20 home runs each of the last 5 years, while limiting his strikeout rate to the mid-teens, and getting on base around 37% of the time. Hitting toward the top of the order, Kim is a key member of any Kiwoom stack.
Kia Tigers @ Samsung Lions – 9.5 run total (4.74/4.96) – Suggested Stack: Tigers 2-5
In a matchup that must have appealed to the Carol Baskins of the world, the Kia Tigers helped the Samsung Lions get their season going, in a battle of big cats. Coming into tonight, the Tigers are slight underdogs in what Vegas expects to be a close game. Taking on Tae-in Won, a young starter who already appeared for 1 inning out of the bullpen for Samsung this season, the Tigers might have an opportunity to get into the Lions bullpen early. Kia ranks out in the middle of the top stacks probability and offers an appealing ownership number several points lower than their likelihood of success. Chan-ho Park ($10/$4.2k) could provide a lower owned cost-effective option for your Kia stack, and Ji-Wan Na ($7/$3.3k) is an underpriced option further down the lineup on both sites.
Samsung finally got their season underway last night, after dropping the first 3 games to NC. Putting up several single-run innings and getting a lot done with opportunistic hitting, the Lions didn’t inspire a ton of confidence even in victory. Former MLB player Tyler Saladino managed to pay off investors with his first KBO home run in his second at bat, after flying out trying to launch a hanger to the Moon his first time at the plate. Samsung looks to be drawing a bit too much ownership tonight, given their low ranking in the stacks tool. Ja-Wook Koo ($12/$5k) appears to be trending toward very high ownership on FanDuel and might be someone to avoid getting over-exposed to, despite a strong projection. Won-seok Lee ($10/$3.7k) could provide a lower-owned option for your 2-man Samsung stacks.
KT Wiz @ Doosan Bears – 9.5 run total (4.21/5.51) – Suggested Stack:  Bears 2-5
The Wiz put up a big number last night against Doosan’s talented veteran starter, scoring 12 runs despite getting just a lone HR, a 2-run shot from Mel Rojas Jr. The Wiz kept runners circling the bases all night long, with a gargantuan 22 hits on the night. Outfielder Baek-ho Kang ($13/$5.7k) is simply too cheap on FanDuel for his power production and upside, but not projected for unplayable levels of ownership, making him a player to load up on if you’re playing KT stacks tonight.
Doosan disappointed last night, only managing 3 runs and just not getting anything going at the dish. Taking on an overmatched 20-year-old second year starter might be just the thing the Bears need to ignite their offense here. Jose Fernandez ($17/$5.6k) price has spiked on both sites, making it slightly more challenging to include him, but there should be enough value in hitters like Kun-Woo Park ($14/$4.7k) that you can get to a good Doosan construction without Fernandez, or squeeze him in with some value plays.
SK Wyverns @ Lotte Giants – 10 run total (5.43/4.78) – Suggested Stack: Wyverns 2-3-4-6
SK and Lotte had a heck of a battle last night, with the Giants seizing the 9-8 victory in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Wyverns were cruising through the first half of the game, getting several solid contributions from hitters atop their lineup. Dong-min Han ($11/$3.8K) is once again too cheap, and is not getting the attention his bat deserves, based on our projected ownership. Pairing him in two-mans again or running a full Wyverns stack are both strong options tonight, with SK holding the 2nd highest implied total on the evening. Eui-Yoon Jeong ($11/$2.5k) is another Wyvern I’ll be looking to include in stacks tonight. SK ranks out as Awesemo’s top stack on DraftKings, but fall to 3rd on FanDuel, with playable ownership on both sites.
The Giants went on a late rampage, scoring 8 runs after the 6th inning, and pounding 4 homers on the night. Lotte has now scored 7, 9, 7, and 9 runs in their 4 games, and some of their key hitters should be gaining popularity among casuals. With that in mind, it might be a great time to get away from the Giants here. Awesemo currently has them ranked dead last in the stacks tool for both sites, and they’re taking on a pitcher who, while unspectacular in most areas, limits home runs. If you’re inclined to play some Lotte tonight, speedy infielder Chi-Hong An ($8/$2.7k) is an inexpensive option who should be involved again if Lotte goes off.
LG Twins @ NC Dinos – 9.5 run total – (4.63/5.07) – Suggested Stack: Twins 3-6
Like a fictional lawyer trying to hide on the toilet from a rampaging T-Rex, the Twins were devoured by the Dinos last night. Despite coming in as the favorite, LG was unable to get too much going early, and NC just jumped all over them in the middle of the game. The power was out entirely for LG, with no one hitting a home run, but they look somewhat interesting tonight. Taking on an inexperienced lefty, the Twins should have plenty of opportunity to put up some offense, and rank around the middle of the stacking tool. What makes them interesting is that LG stacks are projected for less than half the ownership as their probability of being the top stack. This is the type of option we want to look for in the stacking tool, high or mid ranked teams whose expectation outweighs their popularity. Outfielder Eun-Sung Chae ($11/$3.1k) is projected for more popularity than some of his teammates but makes for a dynamite cornerstone piece for your LG stacks tonight. Getting to him with the other veteran hitters that typically surround him in the heart of the LG lineup should be the approach.
Is there any stopping the NC Dinos? On pace for all the wins and home runs, the stars in the middle of the Dinos order came through for owners again last night. A massive 13 runs on 13 hits propelled NC owners to the top of a lot of GPPs again, despite what did not appear to be a great spot on paper. The Dinos were able to chase LG starter Tyler Wilson after just 4 1/3 innings, with 7 of NC’s runs going on the starter’s ledger to open 2020. The Dinos climb back into the middle of the stack rankings today, but their key hitters are proving to be popular plays on a daily basis. Eui-ji Yang and Sung-bum Na are both going to be very popular plays tonight as 2-mans, one-offs, and parts of NC stacks. Using the 1 and 2 hitters above these sluggers as their own 2-man might be a more unique approach to grabbing a little NC tonight. If that’s the way you’re going, you’re looking for Min-woo Park ($13/$4.4k) again, and probably Myung-gi Lee ($8/$3.9k).
Favorite Stack: Doosan
HR Call: Baek-ho Kang (KT)
