Dream11 Fantasy KBO: Wiz at Eagles

KT Wiz (39-35-1) at Hanwha Eagles (20-56-1)

Monday, August 10th, 5:30 AM EDT

Projected Starters

RHP Hyeong Jun So (5-5, 5.29 ERA) vs RHP Warwick Saupold (5-9, 4.96 ERA)

Game Preview

The Wiz are undoubtedly the better team and, in fact, they could be considered as one of the top teams in the league at the moment with a 7-3 record over their last 10 contests, while featuring an MVP candidate in Mel Rojas anchoring their lineup. The same can't be said about the Eagles, however, as they're already looking towards the 2021 season since they sit in the last place with a 20-56-1 record. They sit 4.5 games behind the ninth-placed SK Wyverns, so they might end the year at the bottom of the standings even if they have some sort of comeback in the final weeks of the season. The pitching matchup for this contest has not been announced yet, although the probable starters are Hyeong Jun So for the Wiz and Warwick Saupold for the Eagles.

Injuries

Hanwha Eagles

Jin Ho Jung - Out - Knee

7/13 10:21 PM IST - Jung was removed from Hanwha's roster Monday due to a left knee injury, according to chosun.com. Jung was having a good month of July, going 10-for-25 (.400) over 10 games, but he will now miss some time as a result of his injury. It remains to be seen when he will be ready to rejoin the Eagles' roster.

Bum Soo Kim - Out - Hip

7/30 10:03 PM IST - Kim was removed from the Eagles' roster Thursday due to a hip injury, according to OSEN. It's not yet clear how long Kim will be sidelined, but he has a history of hip issues, so it's possible he could miss some time. Kim is scheduled to meet with a specialist Monday, and a timeline for his recovery should be determined after that.

Ee Whan Kim - Out - Not Injury Related

6/8 12:54 PM IST - Kim was removed from Hanwha's first-team entry Monday, Young Eun Bae of Daily Sports Backstroke reports. The 19-year-old Kim got off to a good start this season, but he did not make it out of the fourth inning in each of his last four outings, so he will pitch for Hanwha's second team for the time being.

Seong Yul Lee - Out - Not Injury Related

7/4 11:50 PM IST - Lee was removed from the Eagles roster Friday, according to koreadaily.com. Lee has not been able to get it going at the plate this season, so he will try to find his swing in the Futures League for the second time in the last few weeks.

Sang Won Park - Out - Not Injury Related

7/28 3:01 PM IST - Park was removed from the Hanwha first team Tuesday, Su Jin Park of Star News reports. The Eagles added Ho Sol Yoon to the bullpen before Tuesday's game against Samsung. Park has struggled for Hanwha in 2020, posting a 5.64 ERA over 30.1 innings through 32 games.

Kwang Min Song - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/8 10:48 PM IST - Song was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a shoulder injury, according to chosun.com. Song does not appear to be dealing with a serious injury, but he will need at least a few days to rest and recover, so Hanwha decided to place him on the injured list and free up a roster spot.

KT Wiz

Min Hyeok Kim - Out - Back

8/6 9:47 PM IST - Kim was placed on the injured list Thursday with back soreness, Ik Rae Choi of the Dong-A Ilbo reports. Kim's injury does not appear to be serious, but it will sideline him for at least the next several games.

Dae Eun Lee - Out - Side

7/3 1:30 AM IST - Lee (side) threw a 45-pitch simulated game Thursday, Taewoo Kim of SpoTVNews.co.kr reports. Lee experienced no side discomfort during the throwing session, so he's expected to join the Wiz's Futures League affiliate as soon as Sunday to begin a rehab assignment. The right-handed reliever has not pitched for the Wiz since May 19 due to the injury, so he may need an appearance or two in the Futures League before rejoining the big club. Once he's activated, Lee could be a candidate to close for the Wiz with Jae Yoon Kim (6.05 ERA, 1.71 WHIP in 19.1 innings) having struggled in that role so far this season.

Hanwha Eagles Expected Lineup

SP - Warwick Saupold

1. Yong Kyu Lee

2. Soo Kwang Noh

3. Brandon Barnes

4. Tae Kyun Kim

5. Jin Haeng Choi

6. Ju Seok Ha

7. Eun Won Jung

8. Jae Hoon Choi

9. Si Hwan Noh

KT Wiz Expected Lineup

SP - Hyeong Jun So

1. Yong Ho Jo

2. Jae Gyun Hwang

3. Mel Rojas

4. Baek Ho Kang

5. Han Joon Yoo

6. Jeong Dae Bae

7. Kyung Soo Park

8. Sung Woo Jang

9. Woo Jun Sim

Top Picks

Mel Rojas, Wiz: Rojas went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's win over the Eagles. Rojas continues to punish opposing pitchers and hit his 28th long ball of the season -- it was in the second inning and against starter Chad Bell. Rojas is an MVP candidate in 2020 and has been absolutely lethal in August, slashing .500/.588/.1.143 with two homers and five RBI in just 14 at-bats. He is the league leader in home runs by a wide margin.

Yong Ho Jo, Wiz: Jo is riding an eight-game hitting streak following a 2-for-5 performance Sunday, in which he scored two runs. The Wiz's leadoff hitter has slashed .400/.455/.433 during that eight-game hitting run, scoring five runs. He will create havoc as long as he can get on base at an effective clip.

Ju Seok Ha, Eagles: Ha is one of the best value plays in this slate. The Eagles do not have many quality offensive alternatives, but Ha has been a regular during most of the season while costing only 8.5 credits. He has hit safely in seven of Hanwha's last 10 games, posting a .317/.310/.415 slash line over that span.

Baek Ho Kang, Wiz: Kang has hit safely in six of the Wiz's last seven games, posting a .333 average in that span. He benefits from hitting fourth in the lineup, as he will constantly have RBI chances with both Yong Ho Jo and Mel Rojas sitting above him in the order.

Captaincy Options

1. Mel Rojas
2. Yong Ho Jo
3. Ju Seok Ha

Dream11 Team

P – Hyeong Jun So

C – Sung Woo Jang

IF – Jae Gyun Hwang

IF – Ju Seok Ha

IF – Tae Kyun Kim

OF – Mel Rojas (C)

OF – Dong Hoon Lee

OF – Yong Ho Jo (VC)

OF – Baek Ho Kang