Dream11 Fantasy KBO: Tigers at Lions

Kia Tigers (32-26) at Samsung Lions (31-30)

Thursday, July 16th, 5:30 AM EDT

Projected Starters

LHP Hyun Jong Yang (5-5, 5.65 ERA) vs LHP Yoon Dong Heo (2-1, 4.15 ERA)

Game Preview

The Tigers and the Lions are two of the teams looking to establish themselves in the playoff pitcture, although the Tigers are in a better position than their rivals – while the Tigers are comfortably six games over the .500 threshold, the Lions are just 31-30 and have dealt with inconsistencies all year long. For what is worth, Kia have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, while the Lions are 4-6 in that same stretch. The pitching matchup will boast two lefties going head to head in this one, as Hyun Jong Yang will take the ball for the Tigers and Yoon Dong Heo will do the same thing for the Lions. Yang has not been pitching very well and has allowed 14 earned runs in 15.2 innings across his last three starts, good for an 8.29 ERA. Heo, on the other hand, has made just six starts this season and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any outing, although he lasted just one inning the last time out (July 10 against the KT Wiz). It will be interesting to see which one of these two lefties comes out on top, but Yang gets the nod due to his experience and the fact the Tigers have a scarier offense than the Lions.

Injuries

Tigers

Ki Young Im - 10-Day IL - Shoulder

7/14 11:26 PM IST - Im was placed on the injured list Tuesday with mild inflammation in his right shoulder, according to chosun.com. Im's injury does not sound serious, but with him not scheduled to start for at least a few more days, the Tigers decided to free up his roster spot. Im could still take the ball next time his spot in the rotation comes up, but it seems likely he will be skipped until the next time through.

Young Seok Jang - Out - Not Injury Related

6/8 10:29 PM IST - Jang was removed from KIA's first-team roster Monday, Ik-rae Choi of The Dong-A Ilbo reports. Jang was called up last week after spending several weeks with KIA's second team, but he is headed back down after going 1-for-11 (.091) last week. Recently-acquired Ji Hyuk Ryu is expected to take over as KIA's starting third baseman.

Sun Bin Kim - 10-Day IL - Thigh

7/6 11:14 AM IST - Kim is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks after he was diagnosed Monday with a left thigh strain and bruised right ankle, Su-jin Park of Star News reports. Kim was removed from Sunday's loss to the Dinos after he was injured while running the bases. His absence until at least late July is a tough break for the Tigers, as the second baseman was leading the KBO with a .378 batting average. Kim had previously missed time in June with a left quadriceps injury, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Tigers view the three-week timeline as a more realistic date for his return now that he's dealing with two more lower-body issues.

Joo Chan Kim - 10-Day IL - Undisclosed

6/22 11:52 PM IST - Kim was removed from the Tigers' roster on Monday, Soo Jin Park of Star News reports. It's not clear if Kim was placed on the injured list or sent to the Futures League, as he went 6-for-18 (.333) after making his season debut June 7 but received just five at-bats over the last five games. One way or another, though, the 39-year-old will not be active heading into the latest week of KBO action.

Kyung Chan Moon - 10-Day IL - Elbow

7/7 3:02 PM IST - Moon was placed on the injured list with elbow pain Tuesday, according to chosun.com. Kia manager Matt Williams clarified it as a minor injury and that he moved the 27-year-old to the IL to give him more rest. The right-hander has recently struggled, allowing nine earned runs over his last two innings. Sang Hyun Jeon will take over as closer until Moon fully heals.

Ji Hyuk Ryu - Out - Hamstring

7/6 4:44 PM IST - Ryu (hamstring) will be re-evaluated in 2-to-3 weeks to determine a clearer timetable for his return, Su Jin Park of Star News reports. Kia will have the 26-year-old rehab and start physical training after an MRI revealed positive progress involving his injury. The team will likely look at the end of July or beginning of August for a potential return date. Ryu was traded to the Tigers from Doosan in June, playing just five games before getting injured.

Lions

Hyun Joon Im - Out - Not Injury Related

6/29 10:56 PM IST - Im was removed from the Lions' first-team roster Monday, according to the team's official Twitter account. Im was not scored upon in his first 15 appearances out of Samsung's bullpen, but he was tagged for three earned runs over his last five outings, so the team decided to give him a break. He will be eligible to rejoin Samsung's top team during the second week of July.

Heon Gon Kim - Out - Not Injury Related

7/3 2:41 PM IST - Kim was removed from the first-team roster Friday, according to the Lions' official Twitter page. Samsung will demote the 31-year-old for the second time this season, the first instance occurring June 5. Kim continued to struggle upon his return to the Lions, producing just a .630 OPS through 11 games. Samsung promoted Jun Seok Song to the first team ahead of Friday's game against LG.

Ben Lively - Out - Side

7/15 11:32 PM IST - Lively (side) is expected to start Saturday against the Giants, according to OSEN. Lively has missed nearly two months after being injured in his last start May 22, but he made a rehab start earlier this week and has been deemed ready to rejoin Samsung's rotation. He threw just a couple innings in his rehab outing, so don't expect him to go too deep into Saturday's contest.

Tae In Won - Out - Not Injury Related

7/9 2:20 PM IST - Won was removed from the Lions' roster Thursday, according to Sung Yoon Park of SPOTV. Won has gone 5-2 with a 3.12 ERA over 12 outings this season, but he is well on his way to surpassing the 112 innings he threw in his 2019 rookie campaign, so he will get some extra rest before he makes his next start.

Tigers' Expected Lineup

SP - Hyun Jong Yang

1. Chang Jin Lee
2. Preston Tucker
3. Hyung Woo Choi
4. Ji Wan Na
5. Min Sang Yoo
6. Joo Hwan Na
7. Chan Ho Park
8. Seung Taek Han
9. Jeong Yong Choi

Lions' Expected Lineup

SP - Yoon Dong Heo

1. Sang Su Kim
2. Ja Wook Koo
3. Tyler Saladino
4. Young Jin Choi
5. Won Seok Lee
6. Hae Min Park
7. Hak Ju Lee
8. Min Ho Kang
9. Sung Gyu Lee

Top Picks

Ji Wan Na, Tigers: Na might be hitless in his last two games, but he hit .326 with a .993 OPS, three home runs and 15 RBI between July 1 and July 13. He should be a strong addition to most lineups and one worthy of a captaincy role despite his cost.

Preston Tucker, Tigers: Tucker went through a slump during June, but he has bounced back in July and is hitting a solid .275 with a .569 slugging percentage, four home runs and 11 RBI in 51 at-bats this month. He has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games.

Won Seok Lee, Lions: Tyler Saladino would be a great choice on most days, but he hasn't been playing at his best since returning from the injury list. Won Seok Lee, then, emerges as a reliable name in the Lions lineup. He has hit .294 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 34 July at-bats, while hitting safely in five of his last seven contests.

Hyung Woo Choi, Tigers: Choi has registered five hits in nine at-bats during his last two games and enters this matchup hitting .340 with two homers and eight RBI in July. As if that wasn't enough, he can get extra at-bats since he is hitting at the top of the Tigers lineup.

Captaincy Options

1. Ji Wan Na
2. Preston Tucker
3. Won Seok Lee

Dream11 Team

P – Hyun Jong Yang
C – Seung Taek Han
IF – Joo Hwan Na
IF – Jae Hyun Kim
IF – Ji Chan Kim
IF – Won Seok Lee
OF – Ji Wan Na (C)
OF – Preston Tucker (VC)
OF – Hyung Woo Choi