This article is part of our DFS NPB series.
It was a strong night for offense overall Saturday, although the highest-scoring game – a 10-8 win for the Swallows over the BayStars – was not on the DraftKings slate. However, the Yomiuri Giants, one of our recommended stacks, did deliver with seven runs, including a breakout performance from a player we'd identified as due for some success in Yoshihiro Maru. The Carp were another story, as they cobbled together just three runs in a good matchup against Hanshin. Instead, the Tigers surprisingly exploded for nine runs, handing the previously dominant Tsuyoshi Wada his first loss of the season with the help of three runs over the first two innings.
Sunday's slate is once again limited to four games, and the pitching selections look particularly lean. As such, I've limited my recommendations to two pitchers, but I have included the usual breakdown of five hitters, two of them priced under $6,000. Then, with multiple questionable arms taking the hill, I've honed in on two stacks (along with an alternate suggestion) that I believe could particularly exact some damage and lead to both cash-game and tournament success.
Pitchers
Yuki Nishi ($10,000) has managed to forge an excellent 1.39 ERA despite toeing the rubber for the 3-10 Tigers, and even considering the tough matchup on paper against the Carp, I like the idea of deploying him Sunday, particularly in GPPs. The veteran right-hander has often been a tough-luck pitcher, as he's topped out at 12 victories in a season during his long career despite posting an ERA under 4.00 – including under 3.00 on three occasions – in all but one of 12 campaigns. Nishi's first two outings of the season haven't exactly been plum matchups either, as he's impressively flummoxed the Giants and Swallows to the tune of just two earned runs and one home run allowed across 13 innings.
Angel Sanchez ($9,300) has the benefit of the powerful Giants offense to support him and a matchup versus the inconsistent Dragons offense. Meanwhile, the right-hander has handcuffed the Tigers and Swallows over his first two starts of the campaign, allowing just a single earned run across 11.2 innings on his way to an 0.77 ERA and average of 15.6 DK points. Sanchez's first and only big-league stint with the Pirates was quite forgettable (8.76 ERA across 12.1 innings), but he went 17-5 for the Wyverns in the KBO last season and seems to have carried over the momentum into NPB thus far.
Top Targets
Hideto Asamura ($8,200) comes into Sunday's contest boasting a .352/.435/.796 line across his first 14 games, and Marines pitching has been responsible for a significant chunk of those numbers. Asamura has already teed off for three of his six homers and a whopping .889 slugging percentage in five previous games and 21 plate appearances versus Chiba. The prodigious cleanup hitter draws an appealing matchup against Marines starter Manabu Mima as well, despite the veteran right-hander having gotten off to a relatively solid start in 2020. Mima has allowed double-digit home runs in four consecutive seasons, including a career-high 19 in 2019, while Asamura came into 2020 having generated the two best long-ball tallies of his career the last two years (32 homers in 2018, 33 in 2019).
Brandon Laird ($7,500) is worthy of consideration on the other side of the Marines-Golden Eagles tilt, with his No. 4 slot in the lineup and matchup versus opposing starter Ryota Ishibashi both boosting his prospects. Laird's ownership is likely to be relatively modest considering he comes into the contest mired in a 1-for-17 slump over his last five games, with his lone hit during that span a mere single. The 32-year-old isn't really a high-average, high-contact hitter – he's topped out at .263 over his prior five NPB seasons and has struck out over 120 times in each – but he's certainly a more potent and productive bat than he's shown lately. Laird has slugged over 30 homers in all but one of those NPB campaigns, and Ishibashi allowed 20 round trippers (1.4 HR/9) during his first full season as a starter last season. He's back at it again thus far this year as well, yielding a pair of dingers across his first eight innings on his way to a 10.13 ERA.
Yoshihiro Maru ($6,200) exploded out of some early-season doldrums Saturday with a two-homer effort against the Dragons as part of a three-hit night overall, a performance that yielded 41 DK points. Maru had been showing signs of a possible breakout prior to his spectacular effort, and now that he seems to have legitimately broken through, he could be in for a multi-game heater based on his prior body of work. The slugger has hit .291 or better in five of the last six seasons, so his current .231 mark still has plenty of room to ascend to the mean. Opposing starter Kodai Umetsu could help facilitate another strong outing as well, as the young right-hander has pitched to a 5.25 ERA and allowed 13 hits (including two homers) and five walks over his first 12 innings of 2020.
ALSO CONSIDER: Stefen Romero ($8,000)
Bargain Bats
Justin Bour ($5,600) appears to still be in the process of acclimating to NPB after six seasons stateside, but if and when he gets going, he certainly has the ability to produce some eye-popping numbers. There's arguably already some hints of a breakout, as Bour is coming off a 3-for-4 day Saturday and has hit safely in five of his last six games. Bour is ensconced in the No. 5 slot in the lineup, and opposing arm Atsushi Endoh, who operated as a reliever in his rookie 2019 campaign, has displayed a propensity for creating trouble for himself thus far in his short career with poor location (5.3 BB/9, three wild pitches over 42.2 innings last season).
Kensuke Kondoh ($4,800) is a prime example of a player that's falling short of his career averages in his early-season numbers. Owner of a career .303/.403/.414 slash over eight seasons coming into 2020, Kondoh has generated a pedestrian .239 average and .304 slugging percentage across his first 61 plate appearances. However, he does sport an impressive .410 OBP thanks in large part to 14 walks, and given that he's proven to be an excellent contact hitter over his career while also frequently serving as a doubles machine, the production is bound to come sooner rather than later. Kondoh's salary and typical No. 3 slotting in the lineup both make him an intriguing GPP play in particular, while the matchup versus Hawks starter Akira Niho is far from prohibitive. The right-hander has posted a 7.71 ERA over his first two starts of 2020, and he's proven to be a contact-heavy pitcher with a meager 69 strikeouts across 143.1 innings over nine-plus seasons.
Stacks To Consider
Giants vs. Kodai Umetsu: Hayato Sakamoto ($7,200); Yoshihiro Maru ($6,200); Kazuma Okamoto ($8,800)
No. 2 hitter Sakamoto was highlighted in yesterday's column as one falling considerably short of his upside early in the season, and the veteran responded with a second straight two-hit night and 25 DK points. Sakamoto arguably still has a ways to go to get on pace with his usual power numbers, so another long ball wouldn't surprise against the inexperienced Umetsu, who's already surrendered a pair of homers over his first two starts.
Maru's candidacy as a bat to target Sunday was highlighted earlier, and just as with Sakamoto, he's well-equipped to take advantage of any mistakes Umetsu may make over the middle of the plate.
Cleanup hitter Okamoto had a rare 0-for-4 effort Saturday, but he's still hitting .426 and boasts a 1.261 OPS. With only one extra-base hit over the last four games and power for much more prolific production, I like Okamoto's chances of getting some solid wood on some of Endoh's and Dragons relievers' offerings.
Golden Eagles vs. Manabu Mima: Jabari Blash ($6,400); Hideto Asamura ($8,200); Hiroaki Shimauchi ($6,300); Stefen Romero ($8,000)
Blash, who typically slots in third in the order, is still in the process of hitting his stride against NPB arms. However, he certainly displayed much more pop in his long minor-league career than he has thus far by lacing just three extra-base hits across 14 games. Mima's tendency to let the ball exit the park frequently could certainly play in Blash's favor Sunday.
Asamura was highlighted earlier in the article and could do significant damage out of the cleanup spot Sunday, especially considering how much trouble he's already given Chiba's starters and relievers this season.
No. 5 hitter Shimauchi is already slashing a strong .333/.373/.444, but he's launched just one home run after three straight seasons with double-digit round trippers. Shimauchi is a highly reliable contact hitter as well and can even contribute on the bases, already swiping five bags in as many attempts over his first 14 games.
Finally, Romero has the numbers befitting of a notably higher spot in the lineup, so it's a testament to the Golden Eagles' potent arsenal -- one that's produced an NPB-high .299 team average -- that he's down at No. 6. Romero proved to be a strong hitter during his time in the Seattle Mariners organization last decade, and his ability has been borne out in the majority of his NPB career as well. Romero slashed an excellent .305/.363/.539 over 81 games with the Buffaloes last season, and he's posted a blistering .383/.473/.809 over 13 games in 2020.
ALSO CONSIDER: Marines vs. Ryota Ishibashi
