This article is part of our DraftKings KBO series.
Tuesday's KBO slate was one of the more high-scoring ones in recent memory, with six teams reaching double figures. Strong stacks weren't hard to find with so many runs crossing the plate, though if you stacked the Eagles against the usually excellent Casey Kelly you likely wound up quite happy, as they led the way with 15 runs as their top three hitters (Eun Won Jung, Jae Hoon Choi and Ju Suk Ha) combined for eight hits. The Landers and Heroes combined for 24 runs, with Will Craig homering twice as the Heroes fell 14-10, while Dong Yub Kim went 4-for-5 with a homer in the Lions' 11-9 win over the Giants. Elsewhere, Won Joon Choi tossed the only quality start of the day, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings of work to help the Bears defeat the Dinos, 12-2.
Wednesday's slate doesn't look nearly as high-scoring, with a fairly strong group of pitchers set to take the mound. The action again kicks off earlier than usual, with all five games beginning at 1:00 a.m. ET.
Pitchers
The slate features four expensive pitchers who are a clear tier above the rest of the available arms. Ryan Carpenter ($8,600) is the cheapest of those yet has scored the second-most fantasy points per game, so he's the one to earn top billing here. The lefty has been quite streaky this season. His 1.37 ERA over his first seven starts was followed by a 6.15 ERA over his next eight. He then recorded a remarkable 0.30 ERA over his next five outings before allowing 12 earned runs over his first two starts of September. He bounced back with a gem against the Heroes his last time out, however, striking out nine while allowing just a single earned run on four hits in six innings of work, so I'm willing to bet we'll see the good version of Carpenter here against a Twins team that ranks eighth in scoring.
Eric Jokisch ($9,500) is the most expensive option on the slate and is coming off a poor outing, but one bad start isn't nearly enough to make him an unappealing option here. He may have allowed eight runs (just four of which were earned) on seven hits while striking out just two batters in five frames against the lowly Eagles his last time out, but that doesn't appear to be part of a larger downward trend for the lefty. In his previous six starts since the Olympic break, he recorded a stellar 2.25 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. I'm willing to overlook one bad start and pay up for a pitcher whose 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP since the start of last season lead all pitchers who have thrown at least 200 innings over that stretch, even against a decent Landers lineup that ranks fifth in runs per game.
If you're looking to pair one of the day's high-priced arms with a budget starter, consider Myung Gi Song ($6,400). He's cheap for a reason, as neither his 5.67 ERA nor his 1.60 WHIP is anything close to good, but there are reasons to like him nonetheless. His 19.3 percent strikeout rate and 9.5 percent walk rate would ordinarily come with a far better ERA, and he actually posted a 3.70 ERA himself last season despite strikeout and walk rates which were both slightly worse. The 21-year-old stumbled to a 7.34 ERA and 1.86 WHIP across his final three starts of the first half and his first three outings after the break, but he rebounded with his best start of the season his last time out against the Twins, striking out seven over six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and two walks. He has a tough assignment against the second-ranked Bears lineup here, but he'll at least get to face them at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, the most pitcher-friendly park in the league.
Top Targets
The top two Wiz hitters, Baek Ho Kang and Jae Gyun Hwang, have suddenly gone cold, but Jared Hoying ($4,400) has emerged to pick up the slack. Over his last five games, he's gone 10-for-20 at the plate with a pair of homers and seven RBI. He had a very poor August after joining the Wiz over the Olympic break, hitting just .188/.287/.304 in 18 games that month, and it hardly would have been a surprise had he continued to struggle given that he was cut by the Eagles last season after posting a .576 OPS in 34 games. He's picked things up at the plate in September, though, with his recent run giving him a .290/.370/.629 line over 17 games since the start of the month. He should stay hot Wednesday, as he'll get the platoon advantage against Tigers righty Gi Yeong Im and his 5.02 ERA.
Jae Il Oh ($4,800) earns another mention here, as few hitters are more locked in at the plate right now than he is. He's riding a streak of four straight multi-hit games, going 8-for-14 with five walks, three homers, six RBI and eight runs scored over that stretch. Those four games alone have seen his OPS jump by over 50 points, an impressive feat at this stage in the season. Missed time early in the year means he's only played 93 games, but he's now tied for 10th with 20 homers despite the fact that every player ahead of him on the leaderboard has appeared in at least 10 more contests than he has. There's little reason to believe his hot streak will end Wednesday, as he'll get the platoon advantage against Giants righty Seung Heon Lee, whose 5.28 ERA comes with an even worse 2.10 WHIP and 15:25 K:BB.
Bargain Bats
Sticking with the Lions, who easily could have been one of today's top stack recommendations given their matchup against Lee, Dong Yub Kim ($2,400) is quickly becoming one of the most interesting cheap options out there. He finished last season with a strong .312/.359/.508 slash line, but he only recently returned from a well-deserved demotion after he hit just .190/.254/.260 through his first 40 games. He's only been back for six games, but he has a hit in all six, posting a 1.400 OPS while homering twice and driving in seven runs. He moved up to fifth in the order Tuesday and has no reason to drop after grabbing four hits and a homer.
Hernan Perez ($3,900) has been very streaky throughout his first 31 games in Korea. After grabbing just a single hit in his first three games, he proceeded to post a .972 OPS over his next 15. That was followed by a five-game stretch in which he again recorded just a single hit, but he's suddenly caught fire again. He's riding an eight-game hitting streak, slashing .394/.421/.485 over that stretch. Overall, his .771 OPS is merely good, making his mid-tier price tag seem justified, but the expectations for players with MLB experience should remain high unless they really struggle for an extended period, and Perez certainly hasn't done that. He should extend his hitting streak Wednesday against Twins righty Jae June Bae, who owns a 6.35 ERA and 1.94 WHIP through 17 innings.
Stacks to Consider
Heroes vs. Yeong U Jo: Hye Seong Kim ($5,500), Jung Hoo Lee ($5,300), Yong Kyu Lee ($3,700)
The Landers have had 16 different pitchers start a game for them this season as they attempt to fight through an injury crisis and remain in the playoff mix. There's little reason to believe Jo is the answer to their problems. The Landers already turned his way once already back in June, giving him three turns in the rotation, and things didn't go at all well. He allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on 15 hits in 12 innings of work. He owns a 7.07 ERA in 42 innings on the season, most of which have come in relief, a performance which is very much in line with his career 6.78 mark. Most of the Heroes' top bats look like strong choices Wednesday, but we'll go here with a trio of lefties who hit in the first three spots in the order in Tuesday's series opener.
Giants vs. Jae Hee Lee: Jun Woo Jeon ($4,100) Chi Hong An ($4,100), Ah Seop Son ($3,900)
Lee could have a bright future ahead of him, as the Lions liked him enough to select him third overall in the most recent draft. He's done little to suggest that he's already ready for a starting role, however. He's only made two starts, but neither was particularly good, as he lasted a combined 7.2 innings while giving up six runs on 11 hits and four walks, striking out six. His numbers at the Futures League level don't paint the picture of a player ready to make the jump, either, as he owns a 5.45 ERA in 33 innings. Picking out which of the Giants' largely interchangeable bats to select is rarely easy, but I've gone here with a trio who have all looked good at the plate recently and who hit second through fourth in the team's last two games.
