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With the MLB regular season less than a week 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 has welcomed 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 DraftKings lineups here: KBO $40K Relay Throw [$10K to 1st] (Korean Baseball)
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PITCHER
Stud
Eric Jokisch, KIW at DOO, $9,800 - Let me start this by saying you are more than correct for wanting to use Drew Gagnon ($8,900). Heck, I’ll be using the import RHP in a bunch of lineups, too. However, I did want to point out that this might be a nice opportunity to get Jokisch at an extremely low ownership by his standards. People are right to fear Doosan, who are currently averaging 6.3 runs per game in July; yet, it is worth noting how left-handed the team’s lineup can be. Jose Fernandez ($5,600), Jae Hwan Kim ($5,000), Jae Il Oh ($4,000) and Joo Hwan Choi ($3,600) are all LHBs and Jokisch has limited opposing lefties to a microscopic .453 OPS so far in 2020. It’s not a great matchup for the southpaw, but it’s not as bad as you might think, either.
Value
Bum Soo Kim, HAN vs. KIA, $5,700 - This is actually a pretty similar situation to Jokisch’s. Well, with a lot less built in floor. There’s no doubt that Kim is erratic. In fact, coming into Tuesday’s slate, the LHP owns both a 21.7% strikeout rate and a 14.0% walk rate. So, essentially, any time you put him into a lineup, you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen. Still, Kim’s exceeded 16.0 DKFP in three of his past four outings and he’s done a good job keeping left-handed opponents to a .663 OPS so far this season. KIA’s two most threatening hitters - Preston Tucker ($5,900) and Hyung Woo Choi ($5,200) - are both LHBs. At this price, if Kim can survive five innings, he’ll bring back value.
CATCHER
Stud
Eui Ji Yang, NCD vs. SAM, $5,700 - Yang hasn’t quite put together the same caliber of season he had in 2019, but he’s still a catcher with a .232 ISO and just a 9.8% strikeout rate in 205 plate appearances. That’s a combination of power and contact skills that simply doesn’t grow on trees at this position. Yang also gets to face the left-handed Jung Hyun Baek ($7,200) on Tuesday, a man who’s allowed the most opponent home runs per nine of any pitcher with 50-plus innings (1.68).
Value
Min Ho Kang, SAM at NCD, $3,900 - This is definitely a matchup where you can stack both sides. Plus, Kang has been absolutely tearing the cover off the baseball as of late. In fact, coming into this meeting with Sung Young Choi ($6,200), the veteran backstop is slashing .406/.424/.750 across his last 32 at-bats. With Choi having surrendered 1.82 home runs per nine in 2020, I’d wager the good times keep rolling for Kang.
FIRST BASE
Stud
Roberto Ramos, LG at KTW, $4,900 - Ramos is currently dealing with an injury to his right hip, so you’ll have to double-check that he’s in the Twins’ lineup on Tuesday; but if he’s active, he’s viable. The import has destroyed right-handed pitching so far in 2020, posting a massive .641 slugging percentage and hitting 14 home runs in his 156 at-bats within the split. Considering Je Seong Bae ($6,700) has also surrendered a .963 OPS to LHBs this season, it appears that Ramos is in a wonderful spot any way you look at it.
Value
Chang Min Mo, NCD vs. SAM, $3,400 - It hasn’t been easy for Mo to find plate appearances in a stacked Dinos lineup, but the 35-year-old did start at DH the last time NC faced a left-handed starter. It’s also not like Mo’s your average bench bat, either. Mo’s actually hit .304 with an .838 OPS dating all the way back to the start of 2016. If he gets a few cracks at Baek - who’s conceded an .854 OPS to the RHBs he’s faced in 2020 - I’d expect Mo to do some damage.
SECOND BASE
Stud
Sang Su Kim, SAM at NCD, $4,500 - Kim has been an absolute force at the plate so far in July, as he’s hit .421 with 14 runs scored across his first 57 at-bats of the month. Maybe more importantly, Kim’s also wreaked havoc on southpaw pitchers in 2020, with a .432 average and a .703 slugging percentage in 37 at-bats. With how much Choi has struggled this season to keep the ball in the park, I like Kim’s chances of thriving on this slate.
Value
Hoon Jung, LOT at SK, $3,800 - When in doubt, just roll with Jung. Ricardo Pinto ($7,300) is an extremely contact-oriented pitcher, who’s allowed opponents to rack up 34 hits in his last 25.2 innings of work. Seems like a nice spot for Jung to step into, especially considering he’s managed to put together four multi-hit performances in his past five games.
THIRD BASE
Stud
Suk Min Park, NCD vs. SAM, $4,400 - Park was in one heck of a slump all throughout June, but things seem to have turned around so far in July. The veteran infielder is batting .333 with six extra-base hits and 11 RBI in the month and Park should have an opportunity to add to those numbers against Baek on Tuesday. Also working in Park’s favor is the fact he crushed southpaw pitching in 2019, which still seems relevant in 2020.
Value
Won Seok Lee, SAM at NCD, $3,900 - Lee’s been mashing at the dish lately, posting a 1.088 OPS across his last 10 games. Honestly, he’s been hitting well since a slow start back in May and nowhere has that shown up more than in his splits against left-handed pitching. In 38 at-bats this season, Lee possesses a .737 slugging percentage versus southpaws like Choi. Now, he did sit out Sunday’s loss due to an illness, but I’d expect him to be back in the Lions’ lineup on Tuesday.
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Jeong Choi, SK vs. LOT, $5,300 - Similarly to the aforementioned Lee, Choi was horrendous out of the gate in this 2020 campaign, but his season’s certainly turned around since the start of May. In that span, Choi is hitting .328 with an impressive .641 slugging percentage across 131 at-bats. More recently, Choi’s mustered a 1.194 OPS over his last 10 games. The man is on a roll and I don’t think Adrian Sampson ($8,100) and his 6.50 ERA and going to be the thing that stops him.
Value
Ji Hwan Oh, LG at KTW, $3,900 - Oh has been scorching hot in recent contests for the Twins, slashing .316/.333/.658 in his past 38 at-bats. Oh has also moved back into the two-spot in LG’s lineup, something that should continue on Tuesday with the Twins having won their last three games. Combine all that with Bae’s inability to get out left-handed bats and Oh’s clearly in a prime spot on this slate.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Hyun Soo Kim, LG at KTW, $4,700 - Obviously, Aaron Altherr ($5,700) is also in a fantastic situation on Tuesday, but if you’re telling me I can have Kim for $1K cheaper, I have to take that bargain of a deal. Here’s a fun stat about the LHB’s production so far in July: Kim has hit more home runs this month (7) than times he’s struck out (6). That’s incredible stuff. He also has a massive .737 slugging percentage in his past 15 games. Facing off with Bae and an always inconsistent KT bullpen, Kim is the way to go.
Value
Dong Yeop Kim, SAM vs. NCD, $3,300 - Kim doesn’t always play, but the past two times he’s appeared in the Lions’ lineup, he’s been the DH and he’s batted third. I expect he’ll be in there for Samsung on Tuesday when the team is facing the left-handed Choi. I mean, I would make sure someone hitting .364 within the split with a .606 slugging percentage would draw a start in this matchup. I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: KBO $40K Relay Throw [$10K 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.