Jung-Ho Kang Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

It's surprising that a late-September game between the Pirates and Brewers has the highest total of the night, but that's what happens we get a matchup of Ryan Vogelsong and Chase Anderson at Miller Park. Anderson is a fly ball (40.9%), reverse splits pitcher with a 4.68 SIERA and a 36.8% hard hit rate allowed. Those figures breakdown to a 40.6% Hard% versus right-handed batters compared to 31.7% against left-handed batters. We want to target the power righties in the Pittsburgh lineup here. Andrew McCutchen (.179 ISO vs RHP) and Jung Ho Kang (139 wRC+, .376 wOBA, .274 ISO vs RHP) are strong plays in this one. Anderson has been pretty good against left-handed batters, so avoiding Gregory Polanco seems wise in this situation. A full stack generally isn’t the best way to attack a massive fly ball pitcher, anyhow, so stick with the right-handed hitters like Starling Marte (126 wRC+, .357 wOBA, .157 ISO vs RHP) and Sean Rodriguez (122 wRC+, .352 wOBA, .267 ISO vs RHP).

Matt Garza has followed up striking out 17 of 53 batters, by striking out just eight of his last 46, allowing a HR in each of his last four starts and getting blown up by the Reds, though only one of his five runs were earned. Pittsburgh is the hottest offense in the majors (141 wRC+, 2.7 K-BB%, 17.6 HR/FB last seven days). LHBs have thumped Garza since last season (.368 wOBA), while RHBs haven't done badly either (.329 wOBA) and both have a hard hit rate a bit above 33%. In a much more favorable park than their home, there is some great value atop the Pittsburgh lineup tonight. Josh Bell (145 wRC+, .173 ISO vs RHP) costs $3.2K or less on either site, while Adam Frazier (125 wRC+, .161 ISO vs RHP) costs just $2.2K on FanDuel. While other Pirate bats are more much more expensive, only Jung-Ho Kang has been significantly above average vs RHP this year (143 wRC+, .279 ISO).

Verlander is not the only pitcher throwing today who has been striking out batters at an impressive rate, while still struggling with the longball. Brandon Finnegan has a 28% k-rate over the last two weeks but has given up a generous 1.80 HR/9. It does not appear to be a fluke, since Finnegan has been letting hitters get the ball in the air, allowing a 54% flyball rate. Finnegan has surrendered more home runs to RHBs, allowing a HR/9 of 1.93 to righties on the year and will be pitching at Great American Ball Park. Great American Ball Park is an above average ballpark for RHB power according to the RotoGrinders Ballpark Factors tool, 1.11 for RHB home runs. Pittsburgh could have a giant night if Finnegan continues to allow fly balls at a high rate.

It seems easy to overlook the Pirates offense on any given night and tonight is no different. Alec Asher somehow went six scoreless innings in his first start, despite zero strikeouts.He had just an 11.6% strikeout rate in 29 innings last season and even has below average strikeouts in the minors. Combined with the ballpark and the Phillies bullpen, there is a lot to like here for the Pirates. Gregory Polanco (.216 ISO, 38% hard hits vs RHP) is the top overall play, Josh Bell (146 wRC+, .388 wOBA, .175 ISO vs RHP) and his elite on base skills make him a cash game play, and Andrew McCutchen (.160 ISO vs RHP) and Jung-Ho Kang (143 wRC+, .383 wOBA, .279 ISO vs RHP) are tournament options. Matt Joyce has a .256 ISO against right-handed pitching and remains an option with Starling Marte out of the lineup.

Jeremy Hellickson struck out just a single batter in his last start and has allowed 13 runs over his last 16 innings (three HRs), striking out 11 of 74 batters, walking six. He’s not the worst choice on the board for $7K against an offense with a 10.5 K-BB% vs RHP, but that offense gets a major park bump tonight and his risk/reward benefit appears to be diminishing the later we get into the season. LHBs have a .342 wOBA against him since last season, though his 24 HRs have been fairly evenly spit this year, which makes the scorching hot Jung-Ho Kang (138 wRC+, .219 ISO vs RHP career) an interesting option, even at a slightly higher price with a .341 wRC+ over the last week. Josh Bell (155 wRC+, .185 ISO vs RHP) and Adam Frazier (123 wRC+, .190 ISO vs RHP) are the exceptional value plays tonight though, for less than $3.5K on either site.

Tim Adleman has a 4.02 ERA that's still about a run below his estimators (two full runs below his FIP) due to a .252 BABIP and 87.8 LOB%. He is missing more bats that expected though (9.7 SwStr%), even if it’s not showing up in his strikeout rate (17.5%). He has allowed 10 HRs in eight starts (seven over his last three) with batters from either side hitting him about equally well. While he does get a significant park upgrade, especially against RH power, there are certainly some Pittsburgh bats to consider, especially for Fanduel players. Jung-Ho Kang (135 wRC+, .216 ISO vs RHP career) has a 362 wRC+ and 58.3 Hard% over the last week, while Andrew McCutchen (125 wRC+, .182 ISO vs RHP since 2015) has been swinging the bat better and costs less than $4K on either site. Josh Bell (154 wRC+, .196 ISO vs RHP) continues to be an affordable First Base pivot on either site out of the second slot.

Dan Straily walked seven, but allowed one run to the Cardinals in his last start. In the previous one, he was taken deep four times in a pitcher friendly park (LA AL), but still has a 3.83 ERA a run below his estimators due to a .237 BABIP and 79.5 LOB%. Leaning towards the Pittsburgh bats here against an over-priced pitcher, even on a short slate, Straily has no real platoon split via wOBA with batters from either side just a touch above .300, but RHBs (34.9 Hard%) have actually hit him much harder than LHBs (29 Hard%) since last year. Although Pittsburgh crushes RH power, the most interesting bat is the red hot Jung Ho Kang (135 wRC+, .215 ISO vs RHP career), who has a 468 wRC+ and 62.5 Hard% over the last week. Andrew McCutchen (125 wRC+, .183 ISO vs RHP since 2015) has been hitting the ball well (130 wRC+, 40 Hard% last seven days) and costs less than $4K on DraftKings. Lastly, Josh Bell (154 wRC+, .209 ISO vs RHP) has cooled down, but still has good numbers and costs right around $2.5K on either site out of the two slot.

Edwin Jackson has remarkably been able to produce decent results in two of his four starts thus far, but that success will be far from sustainable if his 5.52 SIERA, 12.7% strikeout rate, and 10.1% walk rate accurately depict the caliber of pitcher he has become. It's not a stretch to say that Jackson would not be a major league pitcher if San Diego had any other better options. He has a -2.6% K-BB% against left-handed batters with a 6.04 xFIP and hasn't been much better against right-handed batters with 5.12 xFIP, 43.3% fly ball rate, and 32.3% hard contact rate. Starling Marte (135 wRC+, .370 wOBA, .158 ISO vs RHP) and Gregory Polanco (135 wRC+, .369 wOBA, .225 ISO vs RHP) would be the Pirates hitters that are firmly in play in any format but a Pirates stack is certainly a viable option as well. Josh Harrison and Jung-Ho Kang (.211 ISO vs RHP) would be the best options to consider pairing up with Marte and Polanco as a part of a stack.

Tyerell Jenkins has failed to strike out more batters than he's walked in any of his four starts this season. Batters from both sides have a wOBA better than .370 against him, though only RHBs have hit him particularly hard (37.1%). That works out well for the Pirates with six of them in the lineup tonight (not counting the pitcher), though none of them have been hitting the ball particularly well. Only Starling Marte (140 wRC+, .162 ISO vs RHP this season) has a wRC+ above 27 among those with more than 10 PAs over the last week. He's sporting a 182 wRC+ and 46.2 Hard% over the last week as the top bat in this lineup if you can afford him ($5.3K on DK). Matt Joyce (168 wRC+, .297 ISO vs RHP this season) is just $2.4K on FanDuel. Adam Frazier (129 wRC+, .234 ISO vs RHP) has strong numbers in a small sample. He's the other LHB, but has been struggling. Jung-Ho Kang (128 wRC+, .194 ISO vs RHP career) is probably the best combination of price, power, and matchup here.