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With the MLB regular season still a week away, we don’t have to wait 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. Saturday’s five-game KBO main slate locks at 5:00 am ET. Let’s break down some targets and values.
Set your lineups here: KBO $20K Relay Throw [$5K to 1st] (Korean Baseball)
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PITCHER
Stud
Chang Mo Koo, NCD vs. KTW, $10,400 - This is one of those slates that we have a no-brainer stud pitcher. Koo is 8-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 82 strikeouts for the Dinos — he’s averaging 27.4 DKFP and almost never gives us a dud. Yes, Koo did have just 3.6 DKFP on the road against KTW but also had 39 DKFP in this matchup the last time the Dinos were at home. Fading Koo would be a risk in tournaments and makes zero sense in cash.
Value
Shi Hwan Jang, HAN at LG, $7,600 - There’s not much for value on this slate at pitcher, and honestly not much that stands out after Koo. But the Twins have fallen apart a bit as the season’s progressed and Jang has hit a stride in recent starts — scoring 20-plus DKFP in three of his past four starts. He’s also been about 3 DKFP per game better on the road this season.
CATCHER
Stud
NONE - At this point, I’ll just keep emphasizing that catcher is an awful spot to pay up on KBO slates. The top plays obviously have more upside but are priced the same as some 1B/OF options that provide much more consistency and upside. Pay down at catcher no matter what.
Value
Min Sik Kim, KIA vs. DOO, $2,700 - Kim’s only been up for four games now this season but has scored at least 5.0 DKFP in three of them and showed 23-DKFP upside in his debut. We know Doosan can tend to get into high-scoring games on the road, so I’ll explore some cheap upside here. At $2,700, it can’t hurt.
FIRST BASE
Stud
Ja Wook Koo, SAM vs. LOT, $4,400 - There isn’t quite as much upside as we’re used to at first base on this slate, so I’ll try and save a little bit of salary for the OF. Koo’s been consistent for the Lions, averaging over 10 DKFP for the season, but the opposite-hand matchup to start the game against the Giants gives him some upside.
Value
Joo Hwan Choi, DOO at KIA, $4,000 - Choi’s salary continues to climb but value at first base is limited. The Bears have a terrific offense on the road and he averages 9.7 DKFP in those situations. Choi is 1B/2B eligible, so he gives you some flexibility in a Doosan stack.
SECOND BASE
Stud
Sang Su Kim, SAM vs. LOT, $4,500 - Kim’s had a solid season, averaging 8.2 DKFP, but has been hot over his past nine contests, averaging 11 DKFP. He has a good matchup at home against the Giants and might be an off-the-radar play at 2B, despite some limited options as the top targets.
Value
Hoon Jung, LOT at SAM, $3,500 - Joon’s been a great value all season but his price just doesn’t go up. It’s actually come down a little bit recently, despite scoring at least 16 DKFP in three straight. Jung is averaging 11.2 DKFP over his past nine contests and is one of the rare plays on the Giants that’s been better on the road this season at 11 DKFP per game.
THIRD BASE
Stud
Jeong Choi, SK vs. KIW, $5,300 - Choi is the lone bright spot in the Wyverns’ offense and has been hot lately, putting up 12.8 DKFP over his past nine. Choi’s scored at least 14 DKFP in each of his past four slates heading into Saturday, homering in two of them for 25 and 23 DKFP, respectively.
Value
Dong Hee Han, LOT at SAM, $2,700 - I wrote about Han last week, bursting onto the scene to become a very strong value. While he did let us down on last Saturday’s slate, he’s still been a high upside play over the last week and his salary has barely shifted. Han is averaging 14.9 DKFP in his past seven games, which is upside you just can’t find for this cheap. Han is 2B/3B eligible.
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Ha Seong Kim, KIW at SK, $61,00 - Kim is super expensive and while his game log is a bit sporadic recently, he’s generally a consistent play. He’s absolutely slaughtered SK this season, averaging 18 DKFP against them. Ultimately, he may be too expensive to roster but if you have the room this is who you want to roster.
Value
Ji Hwan Oh, LG vs. HAN, $3,500 - Oh’s not the most consistent play but has high upside, as evidenced by the two-homer, 30-DKFP game he had to begin the series against Hanwha. Oh’s now averaging 17.6 DKFP against the Eagles this season. He has another opposite-hand matchup to begin Saturday’s game and Hanwha has just an awful pitching staff that Oh’s taken advantage of all season.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Preston Tucker, KIA vs. DOO, $5,800 - Aaron Altherr ($6,000) and Mel Rojas Jr. ($6,200) should remain popular plays and are worth rostering, although Rojas does have to face Koo. But I think going a little contrarian with Tucker could make sense given the matchup. Doosan gets into shootouts on the road and Tucker’s numbers play right into that — he’s averaging 14.7 DKFP in his past 10 games and 13.4 DKFP against the Bears this season.
Value
Hyung Jong Lee, LG vs. HAN, $3,500 - Lee’s only been called up for six games this season but has been on fire out of the gates. He’s averaging 11.2 DKFP and scored 20-plus DKFP in each of his past two games, including a homer in the series opener against the Eagles. This feels like an easy value to continue riding until he’s appropriately priced.
Set your lineups here: KBO $20K Relay Throw [$5K 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 jedlow) 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.