Alec Asher Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Alec Asher has allowed six runs in 18.2 innings with 14 strikeouts, two walks and three HRs in starts not against the Houston Astros, but has had just a 7.4 SwStr% in each of his last two starts. A tough start in Washington (122 wRC+ at home, 112 wRC+ vs RHP) becomes a bit more interesting with Werth, Murphy, Zimmerman and Rendon out of the lineup as Asher costs just $4.7K on DraftKings. Using the new PlateIQ tool, we can see that this particular Washington lineup has just a 19.6 K% vs RHP this year with a .297 wOBA and .177 ISO. This is opposed to a 19.2 K%, .345 wOBA and 198 ISO vs RHP as an entire team this year. The real gain here is in wOBA with the small sample sizes of Wilmer Difo (.229), Drew (.148) and Goodwin (.264) bringing the current lineup's total to below .300 against RHP. Asher doesn't have to do much for less than $5K, but now this matchup offers some low cost solutions to higher priced pitchers on either side with either Asher or someone like Adam Lind (107 wRC+, .215 ISO vs RHP since 2016) as well as Drew (116 wRC+, .250 ISO vs RHP since 2016).

In 50 major league innings, Alec Asher has just an 11.1 K%, while maintaining a league average hard hit rate (29.9%), but a 0.83 GB/FB in Philadelphia is a bit dangerous as he's allowed eight HRs, though none this year. LHBs have a .381 wOBA and .354 ISO. As such, Mets LHBs project well here on either site. Granderson, Bruce and Duda all have a wRC+ within two points of 120 vs RHP this season with an ISO above .200 and a wRC+ above 200 over the last week. Down in the lineup, Duda costs just $2.7K on FanDuel. Asdrubal Cabrera (118 wRC+, .213 ISO vs RHP this season) has cooled down a bit and costs $3.4K on FanDuel. RHBs have a .331 wOBA, but just a 23.5 Hard% against Asher. Cespedes and T.J. Rivera both have an ISO above .200 against RHP this season.

Alec Asher has pitched to contact in his limited work this year, holding identical k-rates of 9% versus LHB and RHB. With young pitchers, it is hard to predict when they will bring their best stuff and silence an offense completely, but stacking against any pitcher who is throwing to contact is rarely a bad strategy. Speaking of contact, the Marlins have four batters who have k-rates equal to or below 10% over the last week, including Martin Prado, Justin Bour, Derek Dietrich, and Marcell Ozuna. Look to Justin Bour in particular for power, considering he has an elite 0.254 ISO versus righties on the year.

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.

Alec Asher makes his first major league start after missing most of the season. He had just a 4.3 K-BB% in seven big league starts last year and a strikeout rate just above 17% in nine AA and AAA starts this season. Batters from either side pounded him for a wOBA above .400 in his short sting the majors. The three strong Washington bats against RHP this year - Harper (127 wRC+, .206 ISO), Murphy (162 wRC+, .261 ISO) and Turner (149 wRC+, .226 ISO) - project strongly, but cost a small fortune here. Anthony Rendon (113 wRC+, .188 ISO vs RHP this year) is a formidable and cheaper bat as well.