Dream11 Fantasy KBO: Giants at Wyverns

Lotte Giants (36-35) at SK Wyverns (24-50-1)

Thursday, August 6th, 5:30 AM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Dan Straily (5-3, 1.95 ERA) vs RHP Joo Han Kim (0-5, 7.61 ERA)

Game Preview

The Giants and the Wyverns enter this game with different goals in their minds. Lotte are in seventh place with a 36-35 record, and they remain very much alive in the race for a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Wyverns are ninth with a 24-50-1 record and are clearly planning for the 2021 season and beyond – this simply hasn't been their year. The pitching matchup ahead of this game clearly favors the Giants, as Dan Straily has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the KBO during the current 2020 season and enters this game with a 1.95 ERA, one of the best in the league. Meanwhile, Joo Han Kim has struggled for the Wyverns this season and enters this matchup with an elevated 7.61 ERA. The fact that he has to deal with some quality hitters in the Wyverns lineup does not increase his chances for success, either.

Injuries

Lotte Giants

Dae Woo Kim - Out - Ankle

7/17 9:06 PM IST - Kim (ankle) was removed from the Giants' roster Friday, according to Soo Jin Park of Star News. Kim left his last outing with the ankle injury, and it turns out he will miss at least several more days.

Seung Heon Lee - 10-Day IL - Forehead

6/16 9:13 PM IST - Lee (forehead) was cleared to resume working out with the Giants on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reports. Lee has been on the shelf since May 17, when he was removed from his start against Hanwha after taking a line drive to the forehead. The right-hander was diagnosed with a microfracture in his forehead, but he was fortunate to avoid surgery and looks to have progressed well in his recovery over the past month. Lee expects to increase the intensity of his workouts over the next several days, but it's uncertain when or if he'll return to the Giants' active roster. The Giants no longer have an opening in the rotation for Lee with Adrian Sampson having since rejoined the team in May after completing his quarantine upon returning from North America.

Adrian Sampson - 10-Day IL - Thigh

8/3 10:08 PM IST - Sampson (thigh) threw three innings in a Futures League game Sunday, according to chosun.com. Sampson's injury has sidelined him since July 21, but he is on the verge of getting back on the mound for the Giants and could rejoin the rotation later this week.

Jun Won Seo - Out - Not Injury Related

8/5 9:16 PM IST - Seo was removed from the Giants' roster Wednesday, according to daum.net. Seo is coming off one of his best outings of the season, but the 19-year-old is on pace to easily surpass the 97 innings he threw in his 2019 rookie season, so the Giants decided it would be best to give him extra time before his next start.

SK Wyverns

Jae Hoon Ha - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

8/4 2:01 AM IST - Ha (undisclosed) made a one-inning appearance in an exhibition Friday, giving up three runs on three hits, Ik-rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo reports. Ha hasn't pitched for the Wyverns since June 21 due to an injury, but his ability to pitch in a competitive setting suggests he could soon return to the active roster. Before getting shut down, Ha had made 15 appearances out of the Wyverns bullpen, giving up 13 runs (11 earned) and going 4-for-10 in save opportunities.

Jin Gi Jeong - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

6/16 3:31 PM IST - Jeong is not in Tuesday's lineup versus KT, MyKBOStats.com reports. The 27-year-old will be left out as the Wyverns rotate their outfield once more. Jeong hit .156 through the first two weeks of June.

Eui Yoon Jeong - Out - Not Injury Related

7/11 10:57 PM IST - Jeong was removed from the Wyverns' roster Saturday, according to chosun.com. Jeong was one of SK's top hitters over the last few seasons, but he has had a down year and is just 5-for-31 (.161) over his last 13 games, so the club decided to send him down in an effort to get him back on track.

Ji Kwang Kang - Out - Shoulder

6/15 2:22 PM IST - Kang, who has alternated between position player and relief pitcher the last few seasons, will resume pitching in Futures League games Wednesday, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV reports. Kang converted from pitcher to hitter when he was drafted in 2009, per the Yonhap News Agency, but he never saw much action as a hitter and gave pitching another shot a couple years ago. The move appeared to be a good one, as he allowed just three earned runs in 16.1 innings (1.65 ERA) over his final 15 appearances last season. However, he was plagued by shoulder soreness that sidelined him after mid-June and entered this season as a hitter again. He is now feeling good enough to give pitching another shot, and if all goes well he could be a factor out of the Wyverns' bullpen at some point soon.

Chang Pyung Kim - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/8 10:43 PM IST - Kim (shoulder) is playing in Futures League games, according to Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV. Kim did not return in late June as expected, but considering he's at least seeing game action, it shouldn't be long until he is deemed ready to rejoin SK's top club.

Jong Wook Ko - Out - Not Injury Related

8/2 1:27 PM IST - Ko was demoted by the Wyverns on Sunday, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV reports. SK promoted Kyung Ho Kim before Sunday's canceled game against the Wiz. Ko struggled in July, hitting a paltry .129 with seven strikeouts over 31 at-bats.

Tyler White - Out - Not Injury Related

7/30 11:37 AM IST - White is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Friday, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports. The 29-year-old signed with the Wyverns in mid-July and has now arrived in Korea, though he still must complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine. The team provided him some training equipment, so he'll be able to work out and begin working his way toward game readiness. White split last season between the Astros and Dodgers with a .612 OPS, but in 2018 he had 12 homers and a .887 OPS in 66 major-league games. He's expected to be ready to make his debut for the Wyverns on Aug. 18.

SK Wyverns Expected Lineup

SP - Joo Han Kim

1. Ji Hoon Choi

2. Dong Min Han

3. Jeong Choi

4. Jamie Romak

5. Tae In Chae

6. Jun Hyeok Oh

7. Joon Woo Choi

8. Jae Won Lee

9. Sung Hyun Kim

Lotte Giants Expected Lineup

SP - Dan Straily

1. Hoon Jung

2. Ah Seop Son

3. Jun Woo Jeon

4. Dae Ho Lee

5. Dong Hee Han

6. Dixon Machado

7. Chi Hong An

8. Byung Hun Min

9. Joon Tae Kim

Top Picks

Dae Ho Lee, Giants: Lee enters this matchup on a three-game hitting streak, and he has reached base in nine of his last 10 games. He is hitting for .275 with one home run and eight RBI, as well as a .356 on-base percentage, during that span.

Ah Seop Son, Giants: Son has a .300 average and five RBI against the Wyverns this season, but he has been a consistent offensive threat all season long. The veteran outfielder didn't start Wednesday, but he still has four RBI and six runs scored through three starts for the Giants to begin August, all of them multi-hit performances.

Sung Hyun Kim, Wyverns: Kim might be hitting in the ninth spot of the order, but that hasn't stopped him from being a big threat on offense. Plus, he is a great pickup in terms of production / value ahead of this matchup, since most of the Wyverns top hitters such as Jamie Romak or Jeong Choi are quite expensive.

Dan Straily, Giants: Straily represents a strong alternative for captaincy despite being the pitcher, as he is having a stellar 2020 season as the ace of the Giants. He owns a 1.95 ERA and didn't allow runs in his previous meeting against the Wyverns this campaign.

Captaincy Options

1. Dae Ho Lee
2. Ah Seop Son
3. Sung Hyun Kim

Dream11 Team

P – Dan Straily

C – Hong Gu Lee

IF – Sung Hyun Kim

IF – Dae Ho Lee (C)

IF – Chi Hong An

IF – Jun Woo Jeon

OF – Ah Seop Son (VC)

OF – Hoon Jung

OF – Jun Hyeok Oh