KBO DFS: Spotlight Hitters DraftKings, FanDuel

Well, the odds-makers were definitely right about last night’s KBO DFS slate having a lot of scoring potential. With a whopping 61 runs scored across our five games, including a ridiculous 25-run game between the Twins and Giants. Of course, it being baseball, not all the night’s runs came from where we thought, the Bears posted just four in their victory over the Wyverns, falling well short of the implied team total going in.

The slate featured nine home runs and saw some of the big popular bats from the Dinos and Giants put up large fantasy scores for KBO DFS players. Dinos star catcher Eui-ji Yang had a home run with three RBIs and two runs scored and did a lot of the team’s damage along with Myun-gi Lee, who apparently should have been hitting second after all. The Giants picked up home runs from Dong-hee Han and Jun-woo Jeon, with a big four RBI day wedged in between from Dae-ho Lee, making them a critical part of Giants stacks last night.

KBO DFS Picks: DraftKings + FanDuel Hitters

Totals remain high tonight, with two big 11 run games and four of the five carrying totals above 10. The matchups all turn over going into weekend play and we have some interesting matchups to choose from. The available pitching on the slate looks limited, so getting to the right bats will be critical and we might be able to spend up for them and get away with a lesser second starter on DraftKings. With big totals across the slate we should be able to find a few good angles toward the top of GPP standings here.

The bulk of this analysis comes directly from reviewing Awesemo’s KBO DFS projections and the top stacks tool. Check out the rest of our KBO content, Awesemo’s projections, rankings, and ownership on the site for all your KBO DFS needs.

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 KBO DFS 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.

With lock still hours away (5:30 A.M. EST), official lineups have not been released, so be sure to double-check status before you plug players into your lineup.

Hanwha Eagles @ LG Twins – 9.5 run total (3.68/6.08) – Suggested Stack(s): Twins 2-6

The Eagles had their wings clipped by William Cuevas last night in a five-hit 1-run seven strikeout performance that went precisely to plan. The Twins are getting back into form with a 10-run night, although it came in a game the team lost 15-10, so it was more beneficial to KBO DFS owners than it was the Twins position in the standings. This one has the slate’s lowest game total, but there’s plenty to like on the Twins side with an implied team total over six runs.

The Eagles bats flailed and failed to connect with much of anything that Cuevas threw their way last night, and tonight is probably going to be more of the same with Chan-gyu Lim going for the Twins. The Eagles rank last on both sites with around a 3% chance of being the best stack tonight. If those are your kind of odds the bats that you want in this lineup are all at the top. No one will be on this team, so feel free to mix and match whichever options fit well, I would be far more comfortable with small stacks from this lineup. Outfielder Jin-haeng Choi ($6/$3,200) isn’t great at getting on base, but he’s made solid contact through the year sitting at .267/.315/.523 with six home runs in his 93 plate appearances this season. In years that Choi has gotten a good allotment of opportunities he has produced with the long ball, including a 32-home run season in 2010 when he saw his career high 524 PAs. Putting Choi together with Tae-kyun Kim ($7/$3,500) and shortstop Ju-suk Ha ($8/$4,300) could be an interesting approach to this stack given their prices and the batting order, but first base is a valuable spot for KBO DFS points, I’m not sure you want to burn it on Kim on DraftKings. Instead you can look to Eun-won Jung ($9/$3,800) who costs slightly more but can slot in at either second or third.

The Twins put Eun-sung Chae back on the inured list but it didn’t slow them down for a moment last night, with seemingly every bat in the lineup producing and getting involved in the scoring. The Twins are carrying the third highest total on the slate, but the two other teams that are over 6-runs are both a full half-run higher. Given the combination of quality and value on both sites the third-ranked Twins look extremely popular tonight. The opposing pitcher is a diminutive five-foot nine-inch 174lbs 20-year-old righty who has made five appearances in the KBO over the last three seasons. In his one start this year he only lasted 81 pitches, giving up two runs and give hits to the Wyverns. The Twins are a significantly better lineup and this could get ugly for the young starter. Roberto Ramos ($15/$4,800) has dropped in price on both sites now but still looks fantastic in Awesemo’s projections and in my home run model. The only issue with him is the popularity, coming in around 35% on DraftKings and over 40% on FanDuel. If you can figure out a few ways to make your lineup unique in other ways it makes plenty of sense to eat some Ramos chalk when you’re building Twins stacks. Kang-nam Yoo’s ($10/$4,600) five percent ownership is out of whack on FanDuel, which could present a good opportunity for differentiation. That task is harder on DraftKings where positions matter. Hyung-jong Lee ($5/$3,500) is inexpensive and relatively unpopular for a guy hitting in the middle of a quality stack. Lee has been a key contributor in the Twins offense each of the last three seasons and hit 13 home runs each of the last two, posting a WRC+ 20% above league average in 2019. If KBO DFS owners are under-valuing him as projected this is another great bat to help differentiate Twins stacks.

KT Wiz @ NC Dinos – 11.0 run total (4.67/6.60) – Suggested Stack(s): Dinos 9-1-3-4-5

The Wiz played and won a quality game against the Eagles last night but weren’t overly in the mix for KBO DFS owners. They got good but not standout performances from most of the hitters we usually focus on in this lineup however, so there was limited quality in small stacks and one-offs. The Dinos were a critical piece of constructions last night in their 9-run performance, with quality scores up and down the lineup. They look like a strong play again tonight.

The Wiz bats are facing Mike Wright here and they don’t project particularly well with their limited implied team total. The team ranks in the bottom half of stacks tonight, but the difference between seventh and fourth on this slate is negligible, and there could be some advantage in the minimal Wiz ownership we’re projecting tonight. KBO DFS owners who don’t mind a bit of risk could do worse than rolling the dice on the quality bats in this lineup. Things always begin with Mel Rojas Jr. ($18/$6,100) for this team as he chases a KBO Triple Crown. Slugging outfielder Baek-ho Kang ($15/$5,300) pairs well with him and there are quality bats below those two in Jeong-dae Bae ($12/$2,900) or above them in Jae-gyun Hwang ($11/$5,400). Hwang has been a solid contributor for the Wiz this season with a .313/.362/.481 slash and six home runs. At under five percent ownership there’s appeal to adding him to your Wiz stacks. Everyone on this team is under 10% on both sites, so if you look this way feel free to mix and match the usually chalky bats.

The Dinos have the night’s second-highest implied team total and look like a solid play ranking second on both sites. They aren’t inappropriately popular, but people aren’t ignoring them either, so be sure to get creative in one or two spots as you put this one together. The Dinos star catcher Eui-ji Yang ($12/$5,600) has a terrific price on FanDuel for the production he provides, Aaron Altherr ($17/$6,000) has been productive regardless of his spot in the lineup, but the higher he climbs the more I like him. Three-hitter Hee-dong Kwon ($10/$3,200) can plug into the outfield in any Dinos stack given the spot in the batting order and he helps make things different at under five percent ownership. Suk-min Park ($10/$4,500) and Jin-sung Kang ($12/$4,200) are still projected to be strangely deployed in this batting order but I like getting them into Dinos stacks regardless of where they land. If Kang hits ninth he makes a fine wrap-around play with his ability to get on base or you can stretch to get to him with a low-owned bottom of the lineup stack if you don’t mind sacrificing a few plate appearances to get different about things.

Lotte Giants @ Samsung Lions – 10.5 run total (5.01/5.72) – Suggested Stack(s): Lions 2-6

The Giants put a hurting on Twins pitching last night in a gigantic 15-run performance that saw scoring up and down the lineup. The Lions were quieter but only by direct comparison, as they were one of the highest scoring teams on the night with an 8-run game of their own. The total tonight has both teams implied for more than five runs and suggests a competitive game.

The Giants come in looking to draw back to .500 for the season taking on Chae-heung Choi here. Choi has been a quality domestic starter in the KBO so far this season and the matchup has the Giants pushed down to the bottom half of the stack tool. There is an ownership opportunity on FanDuel that is like what we discussed for the Wiz, though things are tighter on DraftKings. Awesemo’s projections ae focused around the heart of the order here, Jun-woo Jeon ($13/$4,000) moved back to fifth in the batting order last night but always projects well and is a consistent home run threat here. Hoon Jung ($9/$3,600) has been very productive at the top of this lineup and isn’t too popular to include, his pricing helps get to bigger and better things in other spots as well. If the batting order falls the way we have it projected, the straight line from Ah-seop Son ($15/$4,100) through Chi-hong An ($10/$3,000) gives you a strong four-hitter core to build from. I wouldn’t get carried away, but I think there’s a touch of sneaky opportunity in the Giants bats if KBO DFS players are looking elsewhere.

The Lions sat slugger Tyler Saladino ($12/$4,900) last night, tanking my home run pick, but the slugger should be back in the lineup here and looks good in the home run model once again. Awesemo’s projections for the Lions are strong and they land in the top half of the stack tool. I might use them in limited small stacks though, they look a bit popular so it’s a play I want to use in the right spots but not necessarily focus on. Ja-wook Koo ($11/$4,500) and Won-seok Lee ($8/$3,800) would be the chalky way to approach this construction, they’re both good options but that trio will be the most popular Lions build. There is quality in Hae-min Park ($9/$3,100) later in the lineup. Park can get things done with both his bat and his legs and is a quality fantasy producer who is somewhat overlooked on both sites so far.

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Doosan Bears @ Kia Tigers – 10.5 run total (5.01/5.73) – Suggested Stack(s): Tigers 2-4

The Bears disappointed in a spot that looked great on paper last night. They’ll be punished with a tough matchup against Aaron Brooks and a total that falls to just a fingernail over 5-runs. The Tigers put up a 7-run night getting another home run from Preston Tucker, but dropping the game 8-7 to the Lions.

The Bears will try to get on top of import starter Aaron Brooks tonight. Brooks has been dealing over his 12 KBO starts, with a 3.00 FIP a 10^th ranked 21.9% strikeout rate and an excellent 4.1% walk rate. The Bears bats rank in the bottom half of the stack tool, but they are another team that is only a couple points from ranking fourth and absolutely no one will be on them by team ownership. It’s not a spot I want to push too hard, but there’s an argument for going this route. The Bears have a ton of talent in the top half of the lineup and if they connect, they could win you a GPP. The pricing and positioning gets tricky with them as usual however, and they’re not exactly likely to succeed. Buyer beware. Kun-woo Park ($13/$4,800) is a great start to this lineup on the field and in KBO DFS builds. Some combination of the sluggers behind him, including Jose Miguel Fernandez ($17/$5,700), Jae-il Oh ($14/$4,400), and Jae-hwan Kim ($17/$5,500) is the go-to for this stack, but it’s difficult to get to them all. Kyoung-min Hur ($10/$4,300) is a quality option to help make things work at third base. Catcher Se-hyuk Park ($7/$4,000) is an option on DraftKings if you want to get very different with that position.

The Tigers get the higher implied team total here in their matchup against veteran starter Hui-kwan Yu and they rank in the top half of stacks. They represent the team that the other mid-ranked stacks we’ve looked at together are chasing, with just a nine percent probability of being the best option. They are a team you want, but it’s not a night to get too fixated on their positioning rather than the actual numbers driving those rankings. With minimal ownership on both sites, Preston Tucker ($17/$5,900) is someone I want to build with rather than skip, regardless of his price. The import slugger has been raking so far in his second year in the KBO, now carrying a .314/.396/.603 slash and 16 home runs. Our pal Ji-wan Na ($10/$3,800) projects well but will be popular. I never want to leave him out of these stacks though, and the ownership on guys like Hyung-woo Choi ($14/$5,100) and Min-sang Yoo ($7/$3,100) should help offset anything his popularity does.

Kiwoom Heroes @ SK Wyverns – 10.5 run total (6.69/4.58) – Suggested Stack(s): Heroes 1-2-3-4-6

The Heroes managed just one lonely run against the Dinos last night, while the Wyverns scraped out two in their game, in two of the lowest-scoring performances of the night. The Heroes should bounce back in dramatic fashion here, with the night’s highest implied team total. The Wyverns, not so much.

The Heroes bats went cold for a night, and they lost starting catcher Dong-won Park to injury last night, but they’re still a terrific lineup from top to bottom. The only thing holding back my enthusiasm about playing these guys in overwhelming style is that everyone else seems to have the same idea. The Heroes rank first on both sites, but they are pushing 25% team ownership as well, making it a challenge to be unique about things. On FanDuel you can jump on the hot bat of now-starting catcher Ji-young Lee ($6/$2,700) at minimal public exposure, but he’ll be extremely popular where positions matter. Projected fifth hitter Jeong-hyeo Heo ($7/$2,300) looks like he can help differentiate things slightly on DraftKings, but the overall team popularity on that site is a major challenge. Even seventh hitter Hye-sung Kim ($9/$3,700) carries a huge ownership projection over 30% given his eligibility at both middle-infield positions on DraftKings. The limited appeal in Byung-woo Jeon ($6/$2,600) most nights might be overcome by the ability to get a bit different using him instead of Kim at the bottom of stacks.

The Wyverns have been pretty bad most of the season, but they did get Jamie Romak ($13/$4,700) back in the lineup despite his lingering elbow issue. Romak dropped to sixth in the batting order in an effort to kick-start his production. He represents the furthest point down this lineup that I want to go, if he’s hitting there again. Dong-min Han ($8/$4,400) is an inexpensive power option and works well with Jeong Choi ($14/$5,400), but this trio has too many gaps between them to play as a stack unless they come closer together in the actual batting order tonight. Maybe they’ll be a better lineup when former Dodger and Astro Tyler White arrives as their newest foreign signing. The move was finalized yesterday, and White will join the lineup after clearing quarantine in a few weeks, making the Wyverns the first team in the KBO this season to deploy two foreign bats and one foreign pitcher under the KBO’s three foreign player limit. That won’t help tonight though, the Wyverns might be my least favorite option on the board and they rank next-to-last on both sites in the stack tool. There are just better plays.