This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's (sort of) baseball season! DFS has come early with the inclusion of the WBC tournament on DraftKings. As the field is international, there will be some players most fans have never heard of, and even some who don't have stats that can be researched. Still, we will do our best to bring you the best plays for each slate, including a few sleepers who have the potential to provide major points. I narrowed my focus to middle-of-the-order bats for the lesser-known players, as they likely will be the ones doing the most damage.
The first DraftKings contest includes Monday's late game between Israel and Chinese Taipei and Tuesday's two morning games, Korea at Netherlands and Cuba at Japan.
PITCHER
Ayumu Ishikawa, JPN vs. CUB ($4,100): Ishikawa started 23 games for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2016, posting a 2.16 ERA in 162.1 innings. He completed five games and gave up just 16 home runs over that span. While his strikeout rate (5.8 K/9) isn't much to look at, his strong strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.73) compares favorably with Kenta Maeda in his final season with the Hiroshima Carp before joining the Dodgers last year. There was a time when Cuba would have been a feared team in the tournament, but with a decent chunk of the talent pool heading state side, there isn't much left to strike fear in opposing pitchers.
Rick van den Hurk, NED vs. KOR ($5,300): Van den Hurk bounced between the minors and major leagues for years before catching on in Japan, where he has enjoyed considerably more success. The 31-year-old started 13 games for the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks in 2016, striking out 92 in 82 innings and issuing just 15 walks behind a 3.84 ERA. While he has given up a few more runs than some of the pitchers on this slate, his ability to strike batters out and avoid the free pass makes him someone who could potentially put up a lot of points.
CATCHER
Dashenko Ricardo, NED vs. KOR ($2,300): Ricardo played well in the Dutch league in 2016, hitting .404 with two home runs in 106 plate appearances. It must be noted that the teams in the Dutch league play just 42 games, but Ricardo has hit higher than .400 in each of the last two seasons. Korean starter Kyu-Min Woo did not perform well last season ( 4.91 ERA), giving Ricardo the opportunity for solid production at a severely reduced price.
Secondary option: Shawn Zarraga, NED vs. KOR ($3,200)
FIRST BASE
Ike Davis, ISR at TWN ($4,700): Davis didn't start the WBC opener against Korea because a left-handed pitcher was on the mound, but he notched a base hit and drew a walk off the bench. Chinese Taipei starter Chun-Lin Kuo got lit up for a 8.46 ERA in 12 games (three starts) with the Seibu Lions last season, walking four batters per nine innings. Davis hasn't proven to be the player many expected in his early days with the Mets, but he should be more than capable of handling a right-handed pitcher with a baseball card like Kuo's.
SECOND BASE
Tetsuto Yamada, JPN vs. CUB ($4,900): Yamada has tremendous power, slugging more than .600 in each of the last two seasons with the Yakult Swallows. Yamada has also shown a keen eye at the plate, drawing 97 walks in 590 plate appearances in 2016. Opposing starter Noelvis Entenza sported a decent ERA last season, but walked more batters (24) than he struck out (20) in 47 innings with Industriales de la Habana.
THIRD BASE
Xander Bogaerts, NED vs. KOR ($5,500): Around the world and home again. it's hard to pass on a talent like Bogaerts against those who have not played at the highest level. Bogaerts sported a .152 ISO last year with an eight percent walk rate. The Red Sox standout could be a heavily owned commodity in a slate that contains players the majority of the field has never heard of, but there is nothing wrong with paying up for a little security when we can.
SHORTSTOP
Didi Gregorius, NED vs. KOR ($4,600): It's easy to see why the Dutch team is considered one of the stronger entries in the tournament, as it boasts major-league talent that many other teams cannot match. Gregorius actually performed better against left-handers in 2016, but showed surprising power against his opposite hand, notching a .179 ISO in 436 plate appearances.
OUTFIELD
Zach Borenstein, ISR at TWN ($3,300): A former Anaheim Angels prospect, Borenstein has shown the ability to hit the ball a long way as a minor leaguer, smacking 28 home runs in High-A in 2013. The 26-year-old hasn't progressed as quickly as some might have hoped, but he was still notched a .168 ISO in the Diamondbacks organization in 2016.
Norichika Aoki, JPN vs. CUB ($4,700): Aoki is more of a hack-and-slash hitter these days but maintains a seven percent walk rate with an excellent 10 percent strikeout rate. If Aoki gets on base, he should reap the benefits of a strong middle of the order against a pitcher who has shown spotty command.
Seiya Suzuki, JPN vs. CUB ($4,300): It only makes sense to stack your roster with Japanese players, as they boast some of the most impressive power in the field. Suzuki blasted 29 homers and kept a .612 slugging percentage in 129 games with Hiroshima last season.
