DraftKings Korean Baseball (KBO) DFS Value Plays: Saturday 6/6

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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. 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 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 both MyKBO Stats and KBO Fancy Stats are 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.

Saturday is a unique day for KBO DFS as you have two slates to choose from. There’s a three-game slate that features the later games and locks around 3:00 AM EST. The top tournament there is a $10 buy-in with a grand prize of just $1,500. The main slate, and the one we will be focusing on, locks early on Saturday at 12:00 AM EST (midnight). While we have seen the pot here dwindle over the span of the season, first place still nabs you $15k with a $15 buy-in. Due to these odd start times for us in the States, it’s important to make sure you double-check your rosters late Friday night before they lock, just in case a player selected isn’t in the starting lineup.

Let’s get to the picks for this slate!

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Pitcher

Chang-mo Koo (NCD) at HAN: $9,300
You have to lock Koo in as a starting pitcher today. You’re setting your money on fire if you don’t. Not only is he the best pitcher in the KBO, but he’s also facing the worst team in the KBO, the Hanwha Eagles who have dropped 12 straight. Koo has allowed just two runs all season over five starts and has scored no less than 27.6 fantasy points on DK. No brainer, lock him in, we’ll save money elsewhere and luckily he’s actually been more expensive in each of his last three starts than his price today.

Dan Straily (LOT) vs. KTW: $7,000
Since we’re paying top dollar for Koo as a starter today, it’s worth passing up on the other pitchers in the top half of the salary options today and grabbing former Oakland Athletics pitcher, Dan Straily. He’s the third-cheapest option on this slate and has one of the better matchups of the day against the KT Wiz. Straily had a decent outing against them in his season opener allowing just three hits and two earned runs but was unfortunately saddled with a no-decision and 13.2 fantasy points. He has the unfortunate luck of being on a Lotte Giants team that has scored the second-fewest runs in the KBO this season and has performed much better than his 1-2 record reads. He ranks top-10 this season in both WAR and FIP while his 9.99 K/9 is third-best in the league. KT is just 4-6 over their last 10 games and has been outscored by their opponents by 14 total runs during that span. They have also been the worst road team in the league with just three wins in 12 games as a visitor this season. With a little luck, Straily can pick up his second win of the season here and his floor should be that of a quality start at least even if he winds up walking away with no decision again.

Catcher

Kang-nam Yoo (LG) at KIW: $3,300
Might as well go boom or bust with your catcher here as you don’t get a lot of exciting players to choose from. A name that sticks out as a value today is LG Twins catcher, Kang-nam Yoo. He’s put some absolute monster games down for fantasy this season with 34 points as recently as Thursday. The problem with him is that he’s also scored exactly zero points in two of his last four games. The matchup is right today though for him to have another outburst as the Twins will be facing Heroes starter Seung-ho Lee who gave up three home runs and eight earned runs total in just 2.1 innings in his last outing. Lee comes into this matchup with a 7.83 ERA and Yoo could be in a good spot to capitalize along with the rest of the Twins.

First Base

Roberto Ramos (LG) at KIW: $4,200
Twins and Dinos are the teams to target today and for now, we will keep that trend rolling by selecting another Twin. We’re a day late the break Ramos as a value play as he tagged the Heroes for two home runs and three RBI on Friday on his way to a 30-point fantasy performance. Some may feel like chasing the points and some may fade given his big game already yesterday, but as we mentioned above, the matchup is great again for Ramos to have more success. He ranks top-three amongst hitters in WAR, wRC+, and OPS while his .385 ISO is best in the league. Getting him almost $2k below the salary of Jose Fernandez is a great value.

Second Base

Min-woo Park (NCD) at HAN: $4,700 or Keon-chang Seo (KIW) vs LG: $3,500
While Jose Fernandez is in a tier of his own when it comes to 2B-eligible options here, Min-woo Park helps round out a tier just below him alongside Heroes’ second baseman, Keon-chang Seo. While Seo is technically the better value when it comes to his price ($3,500), Park gives us more upside today given his prime matchup against the Eagles. Park has also given us more upside in general over the last week-plus as he has at least 19 points in three of his last five games while Seo only has one big game recently which coincidentally came against the same Eagles team Park is facing. If you can’t fit Park into your salary, Seo is a decent fallback option, but I would try and get Park in here at all costs. Seo is also eligible at 1B if you’re looking to cut costs.

Third Base

Tyler Saladino (SAM) at SK: $4,000
I tried to find a cheaper option I really liked at third base but there really isn’t much down the list that doesn’t come with some incredible volatility. Saladino was featured last weekend and served us well and given he is still priced pretty fairly, we will roll with him once more. He went on a four-game tear recently with three games of at least 19 fantasy points but cooled over his last two games. He still provides a very solid floor though and is always a threat to take one deep. The matchup against SK Wyverns pitcher Jong-hoon Park also isn’t that bad. Park has given up a home run in three of his last four games which includes his last outing against the league-worst Eagles. He also gave up three runs to them and only struck out three over six innings, so there is definitely a window of opportunity here for Saladino and the Lions.

Shortstop

Jin-hyuk No (NCD) at HAN: $3,300
Going to attack the matchup again here at a weaker position for hitters by taking Dinos 2B/SS, Jin-hyuk No. He had a huge performance on Wednesday against SK going 2-for-4 with a HR, a double, and two RBI. He scored two runs in the 13-2 drumming of the Eagles on Friday despite seeing just two at-bats as well. His 7.5 PPG ranks third-best at the position despite his salary ranking him 12th.

Outfielders

Sung-bum Na (NCD) at HAN: $5,400
Despite being in the $5k range, Dinos’ slugger Sung-bum Na remains priced right outside the top five options on this slate despite the incredible matchup against the Eagles. Na has been one of the standout talents on this league-best Dinos team this season and should be getting a call up to MLB thanks to the exposure he has gotten here. He blew up for 39 fantasy points against Hanwha on Friday hitting two home runs with four RBI, and a double for good measure. He ranks top five amongst hitters this season in WAR, wRC+, OPS, and ISO. He’s a fun player to watch rack up points in your lineup.

Jin-sung Kang (NCD) at HAN: $3,700
Another Dino worth starting in this prime matchup is Jin-sung Kang. His salary is much more friendly than that of his teammate, Na that we already mentioned, and with this matchup, it is well worth starting both. Kang got in on the action Friday going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. He doesn’t quite give the same monster upside that Na does, but the righty should perform above his price point here against lefty Chad Bell. He’s also a player worth considering at first base since he’s eligible there as well.

Jeong-dae Bae (KTW) at LOT: $2,500
The matchup isn’t great here but getting a hitter as good as Bae under $3k is a steal and helps you afford some of the more expensive Dinos players that you will absolutely want to target on this slate. Bae has been a hitting machine and has gotten on base in 14 of his last 15 games. His reliable floor is a welcome sight at this price and the potential upside he brings in the runs category should things go south for Lotte make him worth the gamble here. He will always be a great OF option at this price.

Set Daily KBO Lineups at DraftKings for Your Chance to Win!

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