Top KBO Pitching Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel

Hang in there, KBO fans… sleep is coming! Sunday is great for many reasons and now we can add the KBO schedule to that list. The final KBO DFS slate of the week is just under 12 hours from now with the first pitch being thrown at midnight CDT. But that’s not all, folks! Monday is typically an off-day for Korean baseball so you can dive in tonight knowing there will be an opportunity to recharge and catch on up some much-needed rest.

Sunday KBO Slate

Here are starters for tomorrow along with their team, DK/FD price, noteworthy stats and recommended DFS format:

Warwick Saupold

Team: Hanwha Eagles
Price: $9,100 | $20
Notes: Saupold was magnificent in his first 2020 start – He pitched a complete game shutout and gave up only 2 hits while striking out 2. Can we expect the same type of performance tomorrow? Last season he pitched deep into games, had a solid ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.27. The cause for concern here is his strikeout numbers (pitching to contact) and matchup (Kiwoom is a top offense). I won’t be chasing a repeat performance from him but won’t talk you out of rostering him – especially on FanDuel.
Format: GPP on DK and ALL on FD (cheapest pitcher).

Jake Brigham

Team: Kiwoom Heroes
Price: $8,500 | $23
Notes: Brigham was limited to 62 pitches in his first start but looked very solid with 2BB/2K/2H and 0 runs allowed. He’s projected to be a top arm in the KBO and finds himself pitching against one of the worst teams in the league. He looks to continue building on an excellent 2019 campaign and is one of the top pitchers on the slate.
Format: ALL

Yang Hyun-jong

Team: Kia Tigers
Price: $9,500 | $21
Notes: Yang struggled against Kiwoom in his opening start allowing 4 runs and 4 hits in only 3 innings of work. I sure hope that keeps his ownership lower because he was arguably the best pitcher in all of the KBO last season. A 2.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 7.9 K/9? Matching up against one of the leagues statistically underperforming offenses (Samsung)? Fresh after throwing under 75 pitches on opening day? Sign me up.
Format: ALL (way too cheap on FD)

Baek Jung-hyun

Team: Samsung Lions
Price: $6,500 | $23
Notes: Baek did go 6 innings in his first start but gave up 6 hits, 4 runs and 3 home runs. Mercy! The long ball has plagued him throughout his career and it does not appear that trend is going away any time soon. His price doesn’t save enough money or provide enough value to warrant taking him over several others.
Format: GPP/Fade. I would only consider him if you are building a bunch of lineups.

Tomorrow is the last day our KBO tools and resources can be accessed for free. Keep your momentum going by joining the DFS Army community today. We have daily cheat sheets, articles, projections, a DK lineup optimizer and the most valuable slack chat on this side of town. Use code CLINK for an extra 20% off!

Kim Min

Team: KT Wiz
Price: $6,800 | $22
Notes: There are a million and one reasons to not roster him. Last season he was 6-12 with an ERA of 5 and 1.59 WHIP. His walk% is above league average and strikeout% if below. If anything, he makes for a contrarian, super low ownership play. But did I mention he has to face the Doosan Bears who are a top offense? Mercy! No thank you.
Format: Fade

Lee Yong-chan

Team: Doosan Bears
Price: $8,700 | $25
Notes: Lee has been very solid and consistent for Doosan the last few seasons. He isn’t a pitcher that is going to blow people away with his stuff but has good control and knows how to get people out. The matchup He makes for a solid play if you aren’t hurting for $$ with the rest of your lineup but his price is up there.
Format: Cash

Casey Kelly

Team: LG Twins
Price: $8,000 | $21
Notes: Kelly is one of the more interesting plays on the slate. The KBO requires all players traveling from abroad to be quarantined for 14 days before they can rejoin the roster and Kelly just now coming off of his stint on the QL. He was one of the better pitchers in the league last season with an ERA of only 2.55 and 1.14 WHIP. He has great control but strikes out batters at a slightly below-average rate. All in all he is a solid pitcher with an unknown workload/innings limit. Add in the tougher matchup (NC Dinos) and a cautious approach would be best.
Format: GPP (I like him more on FD but viable on DK as well).

Kim Young-gyu

Team: NC Dinos
Price: $4,000 | $25
Notes: Kim is a second-year young pitcher who is coming off a sub-par debut season – 5.29 ERA/1.70 WHIP in just over 66 innings of work. He began last year as a starter, found himself in the bullpen in the middle of the season and then closed out the year as a starter. It’s worth noting that in his last appearance, Kim had 8 strikeouts in a complete game shutout. He has not proven to be a consistent contributor but makes for an intriguing tournament option at his price.
Format: GPP (especially on DK)

Kim Tae-hoon

Team: SK Wyverns
Price: $6,800 | $23
Notes: Kim Tae-hoon is another former reliever making his 2020 debut as a starter. He had started in 12 career games (out of 195) but spent all of last season in the bullpen. The talent is definitely there for him as shown by his top-tier strikeout percentage and low batting average against. The big question is whether or not he can carry some of those numbers over as a starter. His ceiling is as high as any pitcher on the slate but rostering him does come with some risk.
Format: GPP

Dan Straily

Team: Lotte Giants
Price: $6,700 | $22
Notes: Straily made his KBO debut earlier in the week and missed a quality start by 1/3 of an inning – 5.2 IP, 4K, and 2 runs. His last few seasons in America were extremely volatile so it will be interesting to see if he is able to settle in and find some consistency in the KBO. He does find himself in a tougher matchup than opening day and will probably carry some extra ownership because of name recognition. He’s okay for DFS purposes but there are several better options I would consider before rostering him.
Format: GPP

TL;DR Clink’s Ranks

Top KBO Pitching Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel – 5/10