RADIO
Welcome RotoBallers to my inaugural KBO DFS column. Hopefully you like my writing style. If so, let me know. If not, then don’t! Just Kidding! Love it or hate it, I do want the feedback. And while this is my first Rotoballer article, this is not my first time at the proverbial rodeo. I've done KBO articles before and have been writing about fantasy sports since before many of you were born. But I've been doing this long enough to know you have probably heard enough about me. Let's talk about the Sunday AM KBO slate.
We are already a month into the KBO season. We are starting to get bigger sample sizes for both our pitchers and hitters and allow us to see who are more reliable arms and bats are on a nightly basis. It’s why Rotoballer has amped up its KBO DFS coverage.
New to KBO? DraftKings and FanDuel will use the same scoring system that they do for MLB, however, the roster builds are much different on FanDuel. You must roster two infielders, two outfielders, and two utility players along with a pitcher for a total of only seven players on FanDuel. DraftKings has kept its normal MLB structure with two starting pitchers and an entire eight-hitter lineup for a total of ten players. Building lineups on each site is going to be very different.
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Today, I'll be providing my KBO DFS lineup picks and analysis for this five-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel that locks at 1:00 AM on Sunday, June 7, 2020. Make sure you are also following me @MarkStrausberg on Twitter!
KBO DFS Pitchers
Last night's slate provided a number of pitching channels to explore. But tonight the pickings are slim. Odrisamer Despaigne (DK $8300, FD $28) sticks out as the best and obvious option. Unfortunately, he's not quite one of the dominant options we have had lately. He got rocked in his last start for example, giving up ten runs and only struck out two.
We can take comfort, however, that it was against the league offensive juggernaut that is the Doosan Bears. Furthermore, the previous start was the reverse against the Kia Tigers. In that game Despaigne struck out seven, walked three, and gave up just four hits in eight innings pitched. Despaigne has now faced almost every team in the league this year and is sitting on a respectable 2-1 record and 3.89 ERA. Tonight's matchup is against LOT, who he faced in first matchup of the season.
That game was one of Despaigne's stronger outings. He walked no one, giving up four hits and punched out eight batters through six innings. Lotte is hitting .249 as a team and has the second lowest HR total in the league. Despaigne has had some nice outings...
Today's #KBO K leader was Odrisamer Despaigne of the KT Wiz.
8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K.
Despaigne now has a 1.69 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP over 32 IP. Four of his five starts have been quality starts. pic.twitter.com/XbLO5FVoJK
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) May 27, 2020
...and is a good bet to bounce back tonight.
After Despaigne, things get very sketchy. Since DraftKings requires two pitchers, I'll be pairing David Buchanan with Despaigne. Buchanan (DK $7100, FD $26) is a riskier option that some of the more expensive options. Yet his price tag makes him a better buy. His floor is subterranean low. However, his a ceiling is penthouse high, making him a perfect GPP play. Be aware that he has been battling some stiffness lately and there are reasons his ERA is 4.50.
However, he has a prime match-up against the SK Wyverns, one of the worst teams and offenses in the league. His upside is the eight strikeout, three walks+hits seven inning victory he picked up back on May 13.
Other starters to consider are:
- Seung Won Moon - if you don't believe in the Lions’ resurgence
- Woo Chan Cha suffered his worst game earlier this year against today's opponent Kiwoom, but otherwise has pitched fairly well and does have a solid 26 strikeouts
KBO Top Hitter Stacks
NC Dinos
Any Dino stack should start with Sun Bum Na (DK $5700, $17) who is making a strong case to come stateside in 2021.
Sung Bum Na is going to be really good whenever he comes over to the U.S.
— TMay (@TMayDFS) June 5, 2020
Na has actually been hotter over the last two weeks than he was the first two weeks of the season. He hit another homer Friday night, bringing his total to ten dingers, just two behind Ramos and his league-leading dozen round-trippers. Na has been called the Korean Mike Trout and I would fade him at your own risk.
But Na has not been doing it alone. 3B Suk Min Park (DK $5000, $10), 2B Min Woo Park ($4800, $12), and 1B/OF Jin Sung Kang ($3900, $10) have been regular contributors to Dino stacks most of the season. The most intriguing option however might be former Phillies player Aaron Altherr (DK $4700 FD $11), who is still reasonably priced given how hot of a bat he has been swinging lately. Despite a slow start, he is up to seven HRs on the season and every night has the potential to be a “slate-breaker”.
KT Wiz
Remember when I said Despaigne has a prime matchup? Part of that is because "Odie" should get plenty of run support as well. His teammates will be facing Se Woong Park, the rightfully so cheapest option today. Se Woong Park is a converted reliever who has not seen much success as his starter. Well, unless that is you consider 17Ks, a 6.38 ERA and 1.75 WHIP as success.
Sarcasm aside, the Wiz make for a great pivot to the Dinos. Any Wiz stack should start with Mel Rojas Jr. (DK $6700, FD $16). He is quite the pricey option, but worth every penny as he is hitting .413 with 9 HRs and an OPS north of 1.200. With Rojas soaking up so much salary, we need to find some lower cost options. That starts with Yong Ho Jo (DK $3X00, FD $8), who has yet to go yard, but is hitting .400. Just slightly more expensive than Yong Ho Jo is SS Woo Jun Sim (DK FD $10). Sim didn't start yesterday, but should return to the starting lineup tonight. Sim is hitting respectable .292 but also swiped six bags already this year.
Finally, another hitter that should be on your radar is Sang Chul Moon (DK $2500, FD $5 (***FANDUEL BARGAIN ALERT!****). Moon has been playing first base with Baek Ho Kang out with a wrist injury, but fortunately qualifies at third base. Moon is hitting .333 with two dingers over his last eight games, bringing his average up to .324 on the year. Until Kang returns and Moon's salary begins to match his production, Moon makes for a strong but very sneaky play.
Other stacks to consider:
- The very affordable Samsung Lions
- If you don't buy what I'm selling on Buchanan, the SK Wyverns make for a great contrarian stack
Conclusion
- As always, confirm starting lineups
- Dinos dinger parade should contine
- If fading NC, you gotta go with the Wiz tonight
