This article is part of our Dream11 Fantasy KBO series.
SK Wyverns (8-16) at NC Dinos (18-6)
Wednesday, June 3, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Lee Geon-wook (1-0, 1.04 ERA) vs LHP Choi Sung-young (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wyverns finished tied for the league's best record last season but opened the 2020 campaign in terrible fashion, going 3-16 through their first 19 games. Something appears to have clicked recently, however, as they've now won five straight after defeating the Dinos 8-2 in the series opener Tuesday. The Dinos finished a modest fifth last season but started this year on an absolute tear, winning 17 of their first 20 games. They've hit a rut over their last four games, however, winning just one. Whether or not those recent runs of form will continue in this one remains to be seen. The visiting Wyverns will send righty Lee Geon-wook to the mound. He's looked quite good in his three appearances this season, allowing one run in 8.2 innings, but he's also a 25-year-old with just six career KBO appearances under his belt. The Dinos will turn to 23-year-old lefty Choi Sung-young for his first start of the season. His 3.94 ERA last season looks fine on the surface, but his 1.55 WHIP and 13.3 percent walk rate were both poor.
Injuries
Chae Tae-in, Wyverns - 10-Day IL - Ribs
May 12 - Chae will be out six weeks with a right intercostal injury, KBO analyst Jin-Hyeok Jang reports. Chae has not played frequently for SK this season, but the
SK Wyverns (8-16) at NC Dinos (18-6)
Wednesday, June 3, 5:30 AM EDT
Projected Starters
RHP Lee Geon-wook (1-0, 1.04 ERA) vs LHP Choi Sung-young (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
Game Preview
The Wyverns finished tied for the league's best record last season but opened the 2020 campaign in terrible fashion, going 3-16 through their first 19 games. Something appears to have clicked recently, however, as they've now won five straight after defeating the Dinos 8-2 in the series opener Tuesday. The Dinos finished a modest fifth last season but started this year on an absolute tear, winning 17 of their first 20 games. They've hit a rut over their last four games, however, winning just one. Whether or not those recent runs of form will continue in this one remains to be seen. The visiting Wyverns will send righty Lee Geon-wook to the mound. He's looked quite good in his three appearances this season, allowing one run in 8.2 innings, but he's also a 25-year-old with just six career KBO appearances under his belt. The Dinos will turn to 23-year-old lefty Choi Sung-young for his first start of the season. His 3.94 ERA last season looks fine on the surface, but his 1.55 WHIP and 13.3 percent walk rate were both poor.
Injuries
Chae Tae-in, Wyverns - 10-Day IL - Ribs
May 12 - Chae will be out six weeks with a right intercostal injury, KBO analyst Jin-Hyeok Jang reports. Chae has not played frequently for SK this season, but the club will be a bit thin at first base until he recovers from his injury. They should be just fine in his absence, though, as fellow first baseman Jamie Romak has started every game at the position to date.
Han Dong-min, Wyverns - 10-Day IL - Lower Leg
May 29 - Han's shin injury is not as serious as originally thought, so he will return sooner than the original 6-to-8 week timetable, Jae-geun Jeong of Sportschosun.com reports. He was first diagnosed with a microfracture in his right shin bone, but the Wyverns are now saying that Han is out indefinitely with a bruise.
Kim Chang-pyung, Wyverns - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
May 26 - Kim will miss at least a few days with the left shoulder injury he suffered Sunday, according to OSEN. The Wyverns placed Kim on the injured list because KBO rules allow them to bring him back as soon as he is healthy, but he may not be out long, as the team will reevaluate his progress in 3-to-4 days.
KO Jong Wook-ko, Wyverns - Out - Ankle
May 23 - Ko's recovery from his ankle injury will take longer than expected, and he is now expected to be sidelined until sometime in June, Tae Woo Kim of SPOTV News reports. Ko's original recovery timetable gave him a chance to get back on the field before May came to a close, but he will need a bit more time to get back to 100 percent.
Lee Jae-won, Wyverns - 10-Day IL - Thumb
May 7- Lee exited Thursday's 8-4 loss to Hanwha with a fractured right thumb, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. SK Wyverns has yet to announce a timeline for Lee's return. Lee was hitless in his first two at-bats before he sustained the injury when he was hit by a pitch in his third plate appearance of the day. SK Wyverns will presumably send Lee in for more tests to determine whether surgery is necessary, but even if he avoids a procedure, he appears likely to miss time on account of the injury. Lee's expected absence further thins a weak KBO catcher pool in which the 32-year-old stood out as one of the top fantasy options coming off a 12-homer, 75-RBI 2019 season. Lee Hyun-seok replaced Lee Jae-won in Thursday's game and would presumably be in store for regular work behind the dish while the latter is sidelined.
NC Dinos -
Kim Joon-wan, Dinos - 10-Day IL - Side
June 1 - Kim felt soreness in his right side last week, according to OSEN, and was placed on the injured list. It's not clear how long Kim will be sidelined, but the Dinos' reserve outfielder has not played since May 28 and will apparently miss more time. Kim Sung-wook was added to the roster in Kim Joon-wan's place.
Mo Chang-min, Dinos - 10-Day IL - Shoulder
June 2 - Mo (shoulder) played in a Futures League game Tuesday, according to chosun.com. Mo has missed more time than expected because of his injury, but his absence is on the verge of ending. It remains to be seen exactly when Mo will be activated, but when he is, the Dinos will have to figure out how to get both him and the red-hot Kang Jin-sung into the lineup.
Park Suk-min, Dinos - Day-To-Day - Thumb
June 2 - Park was withheld from the Dinos lineup for Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Wyverns due to a swollen left thumb, Inha Kwon of The Chosun Ilbo reports. He came off the bench as a pinch hitter in the bottom the ninth and supplied an RBI single. Park was on the bench for the third game in a row on account of the injury, but his ability to take an at-bat late in the contest suggests the Dinos don't view the injury as a major concern. Assuming Park's thumb is feeling good heading into Wednesday's game, he could supplant Kim Tae-jin as the Dinos' third baseman.
Wyverns Expected Lineup
P Lee Geon-wook
1. Kim Kang-min
2. Jeong Eui-yoon
3. Choi Jeong
4. Jamie Romak
5. Nam Tae-hyuk
6. Choi Joon-woo
7. Lee Hong-gu
8. Jung Hyun
9. Noh Soo-kwang
Dinos Expected Lineup
P Choi Sung-young
1. Park Min-woo
2. Lee Myung-gi
3. Na Sung-bum
4. Yang Eui-ji
5. Park Suk-min
6. Kang Jin-sung
7. No Jin-hyuk
9. Kwon Hee-dong
Top Picks
Choi Sung-young, Dinos: Neither pitcher has much of a track record, and both come in very cheap at just seven credits. The Wyverns' recent run of good form and the Dinos' recent run of poor form makes a Wyverns-based lineup justifiable, but we'll give more weight to the season-long numbers here, and the Dinos certainly dominate those, ranking second in scoring compared to eighth for the Wyverns.
Na Sung-bum, Dinos: Na will nearly always be worthy of captain consideration for any Dinos-based lineup, especially with a right-hander pitching for the opposition. The slugger has rebounded from the serious knee injury which kept him sidelined for most of last season and is hitting .309 with seven homers.
Kang Jin-sung, Dinos: Kang's very cheap seven-credit price reflects his lack of a reputation prior to this season, as he came into the year with just 214 largely ineffective plate appearances under his belt. He's been absolutely on fire this season, however, earning an everyday role thanks to his incredible .450 batting average and five homers.
Choi Jeong, Wyverns: Choi is the top Wyvern to target if you choose to build a lineup centered around the visitors in this one. The arc of his season matches his team's, as he was hitting an awful .125 with a .494 OPS through the first three weeks of the season but has rebounded to hit .429 with a 1.387 OPS over his last seven games.
Captaincy Options
1. Na Sung-bum
2. Kang Jin-sung
3. Choi Jeong
Dream11 Team
P Choi Sung-young
C Yang Eui-ji
IF Jamie Romak
IF Choi Jeong
IF Park Min-woo
OF Na Sung-bum (C)
OF Lee Myung-gi
OF Kim Kang-min
OF Kang Jin-sung (VC)
