Daily Fantasy Golf Tips
It’s hard to believe that the four 2019 majors are already over for the PGA Tour, how time flies. This week is usually the Canadian Open but with that event moving up in the schedule, the new WGC-FedEx St.Jude Invitational takes its place. Most of the world’s best players are again playing this week – which is a real treat as tournaments and fields are usually weak right after major tournaments wrap up. This event is being played at TPC Southwind this year, its the first time a WGC will take place on this course but it is a regular annual stop on the PGA Tour.
The track is 7,237 yards in length, is a par 70, and the greens are constructed from bermudagrass. This elite tournament only has 63 players in it, and there is no cut to worry about come Friday evening – so your players will get to play all four rounds unless they withdraw early. Note that last week’s Open Championship winner, Shane Lowry, has withdrawn after drinking too many Guinness beers and scotch whiskey shots. The key stats to pay attention to this week are Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, Par 4s Gained, Opportunities Gained, and Strokes Gained: Putting.
Onto my picks for this week, you can digest my player selections below for the WGC-FedEx St.Jude Invitational – my top 10 threats to win and 5 value picks (in no particular order), and I include player salaries for both DraftKings and FanDuel as well.
10 Players Who Are Top Threats to Win This Week
Brooks Koepka (Salaries: DraftKings – $11,400, FanDuel – $11,900) – An unreal record at the majors this year with a win, two 2nds, and a 4th – wow! He’s perfect in five tournaments on this course and had a 2nd and 3rd. Many DFS users will be playing him hard this week and normally I think this would be a bad idea as it’s not a major which is where he shines, but it is still a big event with a top-tier field so play him with confidence.
Adam Scott (Salaries: DraftKings – $8,700, FanDuel – $10,300) – Was surprisingly one of the worst golfers last week at the Open, but I expect a big rebound – he had a 2nd and a 12th in the tourneys directly following a missed cut this season, so far. Before last week he had a 2nd, 7th, and 8th and is a threat to get back into that territory again this week. Had a 10th on this course in 2017, and also in 2007, so he’s a good course fit.
Dustin Johnson (Salaries: DraftKings – $11,400, FanDuel – $12,000) – Won on this course last year, and is 2nd all-time in earnings at TPC Southwind. Has been scuffling over the last couple of months but will surely turn things around soon, and this week’s track is a soft landing spot for him where he should do well.
Jon Rahm (Salaries: DraftKings – $10,400, FanDuel – $11,200) – Is on quite the run right now with an 11th last week at the Open, and went 1st, 2nd, 3rd in his previous three tournaments before that. Has no course experience to draw on here, but that doesn’t matter for a superstar like Rahm who can play with the best of them, anywhere in the world.
Justin Rose (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,500, FanDuel – $11,000) – Shot a tough 79 on Sunday otherwise he would have had a high finish at the Open, but still ended up 20th. Is also a rookie on this course, but his putting and ball striking should serve him well as he navigates the terrain.
Henrik Stenson (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,100, FanDuel – $10,600) – His top 9 streak ended at three last week at the Open, but he still had a 20th to tie Rose and others after a forgettable Sunday score of 76 in tough conditions. Was 26th on this course last year, and assuming his strong accuracy and green approaches hold up, he will do well again this week.
Justin Thomas (Salaries: DraftKings – $10,700, FanDuel – $11,100) – Had a tough few months, but JT appears to be rounding back into the form that once made him the top-ranked golfer in the world not too long ago. Was 11th last week at the Open, and had a 9th at the Scottish Open the week before in also a strong field. His tee to green game is very solid, and his first appearance on this course should prove successful.
Xander Schauffele (Salaries: DraftKings – $9,300, FanDuel – $10,800) – Is a specialist for winning at tournaments that feature small, elite fields – case in point, his two wins this season were at another WGC event – the HSBC Champions, and at the Sentry Tournament of Champions which was a very small field of recent tourney winners. His last WGC finish in February in Mexico was 14th, and his major finishes this year were 2nd, 3rd, 16th, and 41st last week at the Open. His game elevates at the biggest events, and this week should be no different.
Webb Simpson (Salaries: DraftKings – $8,200, FanDuel – $9,500) – Has been very consistent over his last seven events finishing 2nd to 30th – the 30th came last week at the Open. Simpson could scramble his way out of a tangled up web as he leads the PGA Tour in that stat (scrambling just to clarify) this season and should pull down another solid result this week.
5 Value Pick Players That Support the Contenders In Lineups
Jim Furyk (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,000, FanDuel – $8,000) – The 49-year-old legend keeps playing well with five straight cuts made, and before last week’s Open Championship event, his finishes ranged from 13th to 33rd. Last week saw him earn a 63rd, which is impressive for someone who’s almost half a century old and on a long, challenging track. His game should play well again this week.
Rafa Cabrera Bello (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,900, FanDuel – $8,600) – Before last week’s missed cut at the Open, he had a 3rd, 4th, and 9th that came at the Scottish Open by shooting two 66’s and two 67’s. Was 4th on this course just two years ago.
Billy Horschel (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,500, FanDuel – $9,000) – Billy-Ho surprisingly missed the cut last week at the Open, and has only missed two this season in 20 starts. Over the past four years on this course, he has a 4th, 8th, and a 51st, so his game undoubtedly fits this track well.
Brandt Snedeker (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,400, FanDuel – $8,700) – Co-owns the course record at TPC Southwind with a 62, and finished 6th on this course just last year. Before last week’s missed cut on the number at the Open, he had two top 5’s and two top 20’s in his previous six starts. Sneds should land lots of birdies this week.
Danny Willett (Salaries: DraftKings – $7,600, FanDuel – $8,800) – Heeee’s back! It was looking like Willett’s career was going to fade away, but he has really battled back with some strong finishes recently including a 6th last week at the Open, was 12th at the U.S. Open, and 8th at the Canadian Open. The 2016 Masters winner has gotten his game back on track, and another high finish this week is a very good possibility.
Construct some winning lineups this week, all the best with racking up the DFS points and padding your bankroll!
