Welcome to another weekly edition of our KBO DFS value plays! As DFS players and bettors are looking for any way to get in on some action while we wait for more professional sports to return stateside, the Korean Baseball Organization has been the hero we all needed, providing an entertaining version of America’s favorite past time.
Putting together lineups for the KBO is no different than putting together your standard MLB DFS lineup aside from the fact that you may not know who any of these players are. Numbers don’t lie though and you can still analyze these players the same as you would for typical MLB DFS.
The main tournament for Friday is an $11 entry with $25k going to first place. These games lock at 4:30 am EST, so you have all day Thursday to tinker with lineups. Due to this odd start time for us in the States, however, it’s important to make sure you double-check your rosters either late Thursday night or super early Friday morning before they lock, just in case a player selected isn’t in the starting lineup. To build your roster select 2 P’s, 3 OF’s, and one of each of the following positions: C, 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B while staying under the $50,000 salary cap.
There are also some solid resources out there to help you build these lineups. The best I have found so far that I have really enjoyed is the free KBO lineup building model over at Occupy Fantasy. These guys have done a solid job of giving you a thorough, yet, user-friendly model that incorporates some key statistics you would want to know for setting your lineups at both DK and FD, including things like park factors and team totals from betting lines which are two of my favorite things to look at for this process. KBO DFS (@DfsKbo) has also been a sharp follow on Twitter and MyKBO Stats is a must for deep diving. Rotowire has also been a top player in KBO DFS coverage and even recently created a KBO-specific Twitter handle that is a key follow.
Let’s get started with some picks for the full slate to kick off our Friday!
Set Daily KBO Lineups at DraftKings for Your Chance to Win $25,000! 
Pitchers
Hyun-jong Yang (KIA) at SK: $9,000
We have seen on most slates that it is hard to get super creative with pitchers given there are only five games per day. While Hyun-jong Yang is the most expensive pitcher for today, there is actually some value to it. First, the Kia Tigers are riding a three-game winning streak into a matchup against the last place SK Wyverns who have only managed two wins so far this season. Second, Yang’s price point of $9k is actually the cheapest he has been so far in his three starts this season and down from the $10k he started with in his first start. Despite the price drop, we have actually seen his fantasy performances rise in each showing this week as well going from -2.9 points in his opener to 22.7 points in his last start. He has allowed three HRs over his last two starts, but his 1.22 K/IP is the best of any pitcher on this slate as well. There’s plenty of room to find value elsewhere in your lineup, making Yang chalk worth eating in this one.
Casey Kelly (LGT) vs. KTW: $7,800
I’m really torn between Casey Kelly and Jake Brigham for my second starting pitcher on this slate, but since we’re looking for value, we will go with the cheaper option in Kelly. He got knocked around a bit by the first-place NC Dinos in his opener to the tune of six runs in just two innings but bounced back nicely in his second start striking out five over six scoreless innings and earning 24.5 fantasy points against a pretty decent Kiwoom Heroes team. He gets another home game Friday against a KT Wiz team that is under .500 on the season and is just 1-4 on the road this season.
Catcher
Jin-sung Kang (NCD) vs HAN: $2,900
You’re basically looking for ways to fade Eu-ji Yang, the most expensive but steadiest catcher in the KBO on a daily basis. To do this, you really don’t have to look outside the NC Dinos by taking Jin-sung Kang at a thrifty $2,200 discount. Kang is listed as a catcher on DK but has been primarily been playing first base as of late and has been rather hot at the plate to boot. He leads all catcher-eligible players with 9.5 PPG and is coming off an outing where he went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs on Thursday, good for 12 FPTS. He has hit a ceiling of 22 points in a game this season. His .462 BA is also second-best in the KBO amongst hitters with at least 30 PA.
First Base
Roberto Ramos (LGT) vs. KTW: $3,300
Ramos presents a solid value at first base for Friday as his 12.1 PPG ranks second-best amongst 1B eligible players though his salary ranks him all the way down at 18th! A former All-Star of the Pacific Coast League, he’s had three HRs in his last five games with the LG Twins and reached 25 FPTS just earlier this week against the Samsung Lions. He’ll be facing the KT Wiz in this matchup and pitcher Min Kim who has allowed 10 earned runs in just two games so far this season. Ramos’ .329 ISO also ranks best amongst 1B eligible players per Occupy Fantasy.
The LG Twins fall to the Samsung Lions 3-1 and are now 8-5 on the season.
Even worse, Hyun-soo Kim goes 0-for-4 and fails to reach base for the first time this season.
But the loss didn’t stop Roberto Ramos from taking the #KBO HR lead with this blast. pic.twitter.com/Kn3vHn9KVc
— Locked On Orioles (and LG Twins) (@LockedOnOrioles) May 20, 2020
Second Base
Min-woo Park (NCD) vs. HAN: $4,200
The first-place NC Dinos are worth having a few shares of pretty much every day and Min-woo Park is another value play worth grabbing. His 10.9 PPG ranks third-most amongst 2B eligible players on DK and is just one point behind the most expensive daily play, Jose Fernandez. Park has reached double-digit fantasy points in five of his last seven games but has stayed right around this average price of $4,200. He has hit 18 points or more on five occasions this season.
Third Base
Dae-in Hwang (KIA) at SK: $3,900
I’ll attack the matchup against the weak SK Wyverns once more here by taking KIA Tigers third baseman, Dae-in Hwang. He has only appeared in four games so far this season but has put up at least nine points in three of them and cleared double-digits in two of his last three. He has just one poor performance from Wednesday where he gave us a donut, but that likely won’t be the case here. SK, aside from being the worst team in the league also offers one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the KBO.
Shortstop
Woo-jun Sim (KTW) at LG: $2,700
Woo-jun Sim has been the best SS in fantasy in the KBO averaging 9.9 PPG, but you wouldn’t know it with his salary ranking him 15th. He is literally half the price of Dixon Machado and has given you almost a full point per game more this season. He’s had multiple hits and double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games, and even that one game he didn’t hit double digits he still had nine points. I took LG Twins pitcher Casey Kelly here as well, but it is entirely possible both can have solid outings without eating into each other’s fantasy production.
Outfield
Ja-wook Koo (SAM) vs. DOO: $4,500
There’s some decent value in the $4k range right now and Koo is eligible as both an outfielder and at first base on DK. He’s had at least 20 fantasy points in two of his last three games and reached double digits in four of his last six. He’s carrying a solid .355 BA on the season with a 1.025 OPS. Koo also gets the benefit of playing at home where the Lions own one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the league.
Jung-hoo Lee (KIW) at LOT: $4,200
Of the players inside the top five for most PPG this season, Lee is the only one whose salary is more than $1k cheaper than the most expensive option, Preston Tucker ($6,200). Lee offers just 2.1 PPG less than Tucker on the season and has been especially hot as of late. He’s had double-digit fantasy points in each of his last four games and crossed the 20-point mark twice in that span with a ceiling of 26 FPTS. He’ll also be taking on a Lotte Giants team that has dropped four straight.
Chun-woong Lee (LGT) vs. KTW: $3,400
Diving down to the $3k range you really get into boom/bust territory. This is one reason I have gone with Ah-seop Son a lot recently because he at least provides something of a floor. But if you want ceiling today, Chun-woong Lee could be your guy. He’s given you a complete bagel in two of his last four games, but he has shown an ability to take advantage of plus matchups this season overall with 25 points against both the Samsung Lions and SK Wyverns this season. He’ll get that plus matchup here against the KT Wiz and pitcher Min Kim who has allowed 10 earned runs in just two games so far this season. He’s the make or break type of guy you have to take a risk on in big tournaments like this.
Set Daily KBO Lineups at DraftKings for Your Chance to Win $25,000!
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John Ferguson is a featured writer and editor at FantasyPros. For more from John, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyFerguson.
