This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
Doosan Bears (14-9) at KT Wiz (10-13)
Tuesday, June 2, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Yu Hui-kwan (2-1, 3.27 ERA) vs RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (2-0, 1.69 ERA)
Game Preview
This matchup pits a Bears side which has reached five straight Korean Series against a Wiz squad which has yet to reach the postseason in its five-year history. Just looking at the two teams' records would suggest that they're both in line to continue their respective paths this year, though the underlying numbers tell a different story. The Wiz have actually outscored their opponents by nine runs this season, while the Bears have been outscored by that same nine-run margin. Just as the Bears as a whole have outperformed their underlying numbers, the same can be said for their starter in this one, veteran lefty Yu Hui-kwan. His 3.27 ERA is quite good, but it's come with a 1.73 WHIP, and he's walked as many batters as he's struck out (10). Wiz starter Odrisamer Despaigne, on the other hand, is having an excellent campaign regardless of what numbers you look at. His 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 28:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio are all quite strong.
Injuries
Kang Baek-ho, Wiz - 10-Day IL - Wrist
May 22 - Kang will be out three weeks with a left wrist injury, Daniel Kim of DKTV reports. Before landing on the injured list, the 20-year-old slugger put up a tremendous .333/.406/.737 stat line while leading the team in home runs (five) and runs batted
Doosan Bears (14-9) at KT Wiz (10-13)
Tuesday, June 2, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
LHP Yu Hui-kwan (2-1, 3.27 ERA) vs RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (2-0, 1.69 ERA)
Game Preview
This matchup pits a Bears side which has reached five straight Korean Series against a Wiz squad which has yet to reach the postseason in its five-year history. Just looking at the two teams' records would suggest that they're both in line to continue their respective paths this year, though the underlying numbers tell a different story. The Wiz have actually outscored their opponents by nine runs this season, while the Bears have been outscored by that same nine-run margin. Just as the Bears as a whole have outperformed their underlying numbers, the same can be said for their starter in this one, veteran lefty Yu Hui-kwan. His 3.27 ERA is quite good, but it's come with a 1.73 WHIP, and he's walked as many batters as he's struck out (10). Wiz starter Odrisamer Despaigne, on the other hand, is having an excellent campaign regardless of what numbers you look at. His 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 28:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio are all quite strong.
Injuries
Kang Baek-ho, Wiz - 10-Day IL - Wrist
May 22 - Kang will be out three weeks with a left wrist injury, Daniel Kim of DKTV reports. Before landing on the injured list, the 20-year-old slugger put up a tremendous .333/.406/.737 stat line while leading the team in home runs (five) and runs batted in (14). Kang has started every game this season as well, so his absence will leave a notable hole in KT's lineup. Park Seung-wook will get the first crack at filling the void, but several other players could get a shot as well.
Yoo Han-joon Yoo, Wiz - 10-Day IL - Thigh
May 17 - Yoo (thigh) is expected to be sidelined for six weeks with a torn adductor, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports. The veteran outfielder suffered the injury during Saturday's contest and is now looking at an extended absence. Yoo was off to a strong start this season with a .300/.349/.475 slash line and two home runs through 10 games.
Bears Expected Lineup
P Yu Hui-kwan
1. Jung Soo-bin
3. Oh Jae-il
4. Kim Jae-hwan
5. Choi Joo-hwan
6. Kim Jae-ho
7. Park Se-hyuk
8. Hur Kyoung-min
9. Park Kun-woo
Wiz Expected Lineup
1. Sim Woo-jun
2. Bae Jeong-dae
3. Jo Yong-ho
4. Mel Rojas
5. Hwang Jae-gyun
6. Park Kyung-soo
7.Jang Sung-woo
8. Moon Sang-cheol
9. Oh Tae-gon
Top Picks
Odrisamer Despaigne, Wiz: Just looking at the two starting pitchers' ERAs and price tags, saving three credits and selecting Yu Hui-kwan may seem like a good idea. All of Yu's underlying numbers point to regression coming soon, however, while all of Despaigne's back up his excellent performance thus far.
Mel Rojas, Wiz: The Wiz's lineup isn't the same in the absence of Kang Baek-ho (wrist), but Rojas is more than capable of being a team's best hitter. He's hitting an excellent .409 with six homers through 23 games.
Bae Jeong-dae, Wiz: Bae is the best value play in the contest, as he costs just 8.5 credits despite occupying the second spot in the Wiz's order. The 24-year-old accomplished very little prior to this season but has been on a tear this year, hitting .373 with 12 extra-base hits in 23 games.
Oh Jae-il, Bears: Selecting Despaigne means you'll want to avoid sinking large portions of your budget into the expensive Bears hitters who will be opposing him. At 13 credits, Oh comes in considerably cheaper than Jose Fernandez (16.5 credits) and Kim Jae-hwan (15 credits), but he's been very effective, hitting .344 with three home runs in 17 games.
Captaincy Options
2. Mel Rojas
Dream11 Team
P Odrisamer Despaigne (C)
C Park Se-hyuk
IF Sim Woo-jun
IF Oh Jae-il
IF Moon Sang-cheol
IF Hur Kyoung-min
IF Kim Jae-ho
OF Mel Rojas (VC)
OF Bae Jeong-dae
