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With the MLB regular season still a few weeks away, we don’t have to wait any longer for some professional baseball and – most importantly – baseball DFS. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) is underway and DraftKings is welcoming the KBO into the fold with contests for big prizes. On Tuesday morning, the action gets underway at 5:30 a.m. ET.
What do we know about the league? Who should we be putting into lineups? Let’s figure out all this together, position-by-position.
Set your lineups here: KBO $80K Bat Flip [$20K to 1st] (Korean Baseball)
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What to know about the KBO
PITCHER
Stud
Ki Young Im, KIA vs. HAN, $7,800 – Im is about the only pitcher on this slate I feel super confident in. Not only does the RHP draw the best matchup on the board with the struggling Eagles as an opponent, Im has simply been one of the KBO’s best arms all season long. Im comes into Tuesday’s contest with the league’s fifth-lowest FIP (3.13) and it’s 12th-highest strikeout rate (22.2%). On top of that, Im’s surrendered just two earned runs or fewer in six of his past seven outings, so you can definitely feel safe with his elevated floor.
Value
Shi Hwan Jang, HAN at KIA, $7,100 – Here’s where things get a little tricky. Under normal circumstances, I’d probably suggest getting a heavy amount of exposure to Min Ho Lee ($7,200); however, as of writing this, it appears that the Twins’ matchup with the Wiz is more than likely going to be postponed due to rain. That doesn’t leave much value at the position. Still, at the very least, Jang provides some rare strikeout upside. The right-hander actually possesses the highest K/9 in the KBO among starters with 30-plus innings at 11.0, it’s just that that rate is attached to an ugly 2.07 WHIP. Yet, with few other viable options, Jang’s ceiling might be enough to overlook his many faults. Just be careful how many lineups you insert him into.
CATCHER
Stud
Dong Won Park, KIW vs. DOO, $5,200 – Park’s been in a bit of a slump lately, but Hui Kwan Yu ($7,200) seems like the exact type of pitcher to get the catcher out of his funk. The left-handed hurler is Korea’s most contact-oriented starter, with Yu’s 7.6% strikeout rate easily the lowest qualified mark in the league. His 1.71 WHIP is also the KBO’s second-highest figure. Combine all that with the fact that Park has four home runs in his 25 at-bats against LHPs in 2020 and you can see why this is a spot to attack.
Value
Min Ho Kang, SAM vs. SK, $3,800 – There’s no many places to save at catcher on this slate, but Kang at least provides a little upside. Sure, the 34-year-old might be only hitting .207 across his first 97 plate appearances of 2020, but his ISO is also .207. If Kang does actually manage to get a hit, it’s probably going to be a home run. I mean, he does have 258 of them for his career.
FIRST BASE
Stud
Jin Sung Kang, NCD vs. LOT, $4,900 – Understandably, Kang’s production has slowed in recent weeks, yet the infielder’s 178 wRC+ and .464 wOBA are still the second-best qualified mark in the entire KBO. Tuesday’s matchup should also help Kang rediscover his swing. The Giants will turn to Dae Woo Kim to make his first start of 2020, despite the fact that his 14 relief appearances haven’t even been all that successful. In fact, Kim’s K/BB ratio is just 1.10. Not great at all.
Value
Dae Ho Lee, LOT at NCD, $3,400 – I’m not looking to stack Lotte’s bats on Tuesday, but Lee stands out as a high-ceiling asset that has been outproducing his price tag for some time now. Really, it’s been happening since the calendar flipped over to June. After sporting just a .453 slugging percentage in May, Lee’s managed a .519 rate through 81 at-bats this month. It certainly helps that he’s hit six of his seven home runs within that span of time.
SECOND BASE
Stud
Dixon Machado, LOT at NCD, $4,200 – Machado is the other player on the Giants I would strongly consider owning on Tuesday. While the import’s 2020 campaign has been a rollercoaster ride, Machado is very clearly feeling himself at the plate in recent weeks. In fact, over his last 10 games, the middle infielder is slashing .459/.512/.541 across 37 at-bats. It’s not like Mike Wright ($9,500) is untouchable, either. The RHP actually owns a pretty underwhelming 4.85 FIP this season.
Value
Joo Hwan Choi, DOO at KIW, $3,100 – It finally happened, Choi’s salary is above $3K. However, considering the LHB’s power and contact skills, Choi’s still a relative bargain on this slate. Even the left-on-left matchup against Seung Ho Lee ($6,700) isn’t all that daunting. Lee’s struggled to a 4.89 ERA in 2020 and, for whatever reason, Choi’s mashed southpaw pitching all year long. To wit, the 32-year-old possesses a .650 slugging percentage within the split in 40 at-bats.
THIRD BASE
Stud
Jeong Choi, SK at SAM, $5,200 – You’ve got to like Choi’s chances to do some damage in this matchup on Tuesday. Not only does the powerful right-handed hitter draw a lefty in the form of Chae Hung Choi ($7,400), but said LHP has been struggling as of late. In fact, Choi’s conceded 12 earned runs and four long balls in his last 14.2 innings of work. With Jeong Choi slashing .286/.390/.962 across his past 10 games, I’m expecting some big things.
Value
Kyoung Min Hur, DOO at KIW, $2,900 – There’s so much to like about Hur right now. First and foremost, he’s been tearing the cover off the baseball since his return from the IL. In that brief stretch of time, the infielder has managed four multi-hit performances, including a two home run effort against the Wyverns on June 25. On top of that, he’s been primarily hitting leadoff for the Bears the past week, adding another dimension of viability to his profile.
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Hak Ju Lee, SAM vs. SK, $4,300 – Lee really appears to coming into his own in recent weeks, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the 29-year-old has over 800 Triple-A plate appearances to his name. Across his past 37 at-bats, Lee owns a .324 average and a .390 OBP, all while consistently taking his cuts from a high-leverage spot in the middle of the Lions’ order. This is definitely a fair price.
Value
Hye Sung Kim, KIW vs. DOO, $2,700 – With Ha Seong Kim (ankle) injured, Hye Sung Kim started at shortstop and hit second in the Heroes’ lineup on Sunday. I’d expect a similar role on Tuesday against Yu and the Bears. Kim’s low price and high-leverage placement in Kiwoom’s order is pretty much enough to make him viable, though it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s averaged 9.7 DKFP over his last seven games. You definitely want some exposure.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Sung Bum Na, NCD vs. LOT, $6,100 – Obviously this is a hefty salary to swallow, but Na’s been crushing the ball as of late. In fact, since the beginning of June, the outfielder is slugging an impressive .604 with 16 of Na’s 27 hits in the month having gone for extra bases. With the Giants basically deciding to go with a bullpen game on Tuesday, I’d anticipate Na and the Dinos putting up some runs.
Value
Kun Woo Park, DOO at KIW, $3,700 – It’s unclear why Park continues to be this cheap slate after slate. I mean, I’m just not sure what more the 29-year-old can do to show how valuable he actually is. Going back to the start of the month, Park is batting .444 (36-for-81) with 11 extra-base hits, 16 RBI and 22 runs scored. He’s been an absolute DFS monster and that should continue on Tuesday with a generous right-on-left matchup.
Set your lineups here: KBO $80K Bat Flip [$20K to 1st] (Korean Baseball)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.