MLB DFS is right around the corner, but you don't have to wait until then to get your daily fantasy baseball fix! The KBO rolls on with daily contests on FanDuel.
First pitch on Wednesday is at 5:30 am ET, and official lineups typically come out an hour before game time at the earliest.
Scoring is identical to what we see in MLB DFS, but FanDuel is condensing the number of starting spots to seven. You start one pitcher as usual, and then only need to roster two infielders, two outfielders, and two utility players to fill out the rest. Your total team salary is also $100 instead of $35,000.
Some websites that can help you get started include MyKBO Stats, FanGraphs, and Baseball-Reference.
Below is an overview of tonight's starting pitchers sorted by FanDuel salary with their 2020 numbers. Opposing team stats are also from this season. Multi-year park factors from the Korean website, Statiz.
Note that on FanDuel these hurlers are listed by their team names (ex: "SK Starting P"), so those are also included.
| Pitcher | Salary | L/R | Opp. | FIP | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | Opp. R/G | Opp. K% | Park |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Rucinski (NC) | $30 | R | SAM | 3.77 | 2.05 | 1.08 | 21.7% | 7.1% | 5.32 | 17.8% | 1012 |
| William Cuevas (KT) | $27 | R | LG | 4.15 | 4.28 | 1.20 | 18.8% | 6.3% | 5.49 | 16.5% | 973 |
| Won-sam Jang (Lotte) | $27 | L | @SK | 6.47 | 8.38 | 1.71 | 7.8% | 5.6% | 3.92 | 19.2% | 1038 |
| Min-ho Lee (LG) | $26 | R | @KT | 4.00 | 1.80 | 1.18 | 17.0% | 11.1% | 5.78 | 19.3% | 973 |
| Hyun-jong Yang (Kia) | $24 | L | @HAN | 5.17 | 6.31 | 1.51 | 17.0% | 7.0% | 3.41 | 19.3% | 978 |
| Min-woo Kim (Hanwha) | $24 | R | KIA | 5.22 | 4.55 | 1.42 | 21.3% | 9.9% | 5.10 | 16.6% | 978 |
| Tae-in Won (Samsung) | $24 | R | @NC | 5.01 | 3.12 | 1.37 | 14.1% | 8.8% | 6.36 | 17.0% | 1012 |
| Won-tae Choi (Kiwoom) | $23 | R | @DOO | 5.00 | 4.72 | 1.32 | 15.3% | 5.9% | 6.17 | 14.2% | 959 |
| Geon-wook Lee (SK) | $22 | R | LOT | 4.38 | 3.08 | 1.21 | 18.3% | 11.4% | 4.98 | 15.8% | 1038 |
| Chi-guk Park (Doosan) | $21 | R | KIW | 4.29 | 2.76 | 1.43 | 15.9% | 13.6% | 5.54 | 18.6% | 959 |
Let's check out which pitchers and stacks stand out on tonight's slate
Pitchers
It's one of those rain slates, with the Tigers-Eagles and Lions-Dinos both looking risky. As always, keep an eye on MyKBO Stats for the latest weather until lock.
Drew Rucinski ($30; NC Starting P) is priced up, but he's got the best overall marks on the board and gets a decent matchup against a league-average Samsung Lions squad. Perhaps Rucinski's gotten a little lucky given the discrepancy between his ERA and FIP, but with top-10 marks in both strikeout rate and strikeout-minus-walk rate among qualified KBO starters, we're not exactly worried about his abilities.
After Rucinski, William Cuevas ($27; LG Twins Starting P) is a solid secondary option at a $3 discount. His 18.8% strikeout rate is the third-best on Wednesday's slate, and while the LG Twins aren't the best matchup for punchouts, Cuevas gets a pitcher-friendly ballpark. He's probably the safest bet if Rucinski's game is rained out.
Min-ho Lee ($26; LG Starting P) and Hyun-jong Yang ($24; Kia Starting P) aren't particularly easy to trust, but they have respectable strikeout rates and face two of the most punchout-happy teams in the league. Lee actually has the slate's best ERA, but a double-digit walk rate and dangerous opponent put him on shaky footing. Meanwhile, Yang has mostly been lit up this season but has occasionally popped up for strong outings and draws our favorite team to attack in the Hanwha Eagles. These two are boom-or-bust options in tournaments.
Stacks
Chi-guk Park is making his first start of the season and just the fourth of his four-year career. Although he's gotten good results, the 15.9% strikeout rate and 13.6% walk rate tell the real story. He actually pitched four innings in his last appearances, so he should be more than just a one or two inning opener, too. Byung-Ho Park ($12) is a fantastic value for the upside he brings off a .257 ISO.
The NC Dinos and Doosan Bears are both in strong spots against low-strikeout pitchers with high FIPs, so you know the drill if you can afford them. The Dinos get the edge for the better hitter's park, but remember that they're one of the teams that could get washed out tonight.
The best matchup of the night actually belongs to the SK Wyverns, who have had some big games lately despite being one of the league's weaker offenses. Won-sam Jang has been awful over four starts and really hasn't been any good in the KBO for years now. Jeong Choi ($14) and Jamie Romak ($12) each have 13 dingers and should be able to take advantage of the 37-year-old southpaw.