Try the DFS Army VIP tools 7 days free with coupon code WIN at dfsarmy.com
Every week of the year the PGA Tour plays on a new course. There are some examples in other DFS Sports of environments impacting performance, such as Coors Field in Baseball; Golf, however, offers an entirely unique environment each and every week. This article will break down the week’s PGA course and attempt to find what skill sets are needed for success. This article will then combine the course breakdown with the DFS Army Domination Station and give a few players to target in both Cash Game and GPP formats. For more updates throughout the week follow me on twitter @_bschnarr
Last Weeks Picks
Henrik Stenson – GPP – (MC – 32 DK Points)
So Stenson in GPP’s did not end up working out too well. I was drawn to Stenson because I thought he would see the lowest ownership of anyone priced above $9000 and I thought he set up well for Erin Hills. The ownership angle turned out to be true as Stenson was owned right around 10% in major GPP’s. The problem, however, was that Stenson became part of the long list of good players who failed to make the cut. The only positive for Stenson is that he had the second most Draftkings points of anyone who missed the cut thanks to his eagle on a par four.
Matt Kuchar – All formats – (T16 – 71.5 DK Points)
I liked Kuchar due to recent form and his ability to avoid big numbers that is often needed in order to contend at the US Open. Given his price, I definitely wanted Kuchar in cash and still saw him as a viable GPP option for the week. Kuchar performed well on the weekend and although he was never in contention he finished tied for 16th.
Louis Oosthuzien – All formats – (T23 – 61.5 DK Points)
Louis was my favourite play of the week. He checked out well in our VIP Spreadsheet as well as our Domination Station line-up optimizer but just couldn’t put together four solid rounds. Still, given his $7400 Draftkings price Oosthuizen still exceeded expectations and gave you a reliable player to lock in your lineups.
Francesco Molinari – All formats – (MC – 23)
Molinari lined up great for the course but ultimately left his putter at home. Molinari definitely drove you crazy if you rostered him and paid attention to shot tracker as he hit 15 of 18 greens Friday but could not put the full game together. If it’s any consolation Molinari still got more fantasy points than Dustin Johnson so he had that going for him.
PGA Travelers Championship
Travelers Championship – Course Preview:
The tour heads from Wisconsin to Connecticut this week as TPC River Highlands plays host to a surprisingly good field. This event is usually played after the US Open and usually suffers with a weaker field as a result. Last year the event played after the British Open because of rescheduling with the Olympics but it is back in its usual position. Instead of a few top guys and lots of web.com scrubs no one knows we see eight of the world’s top thirty making an appearance including; Rory Mcilroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. Although all three have not had years we are used to seeing they will all have a chance to redeem their US Open performances at an entirely different course.
TPX River Highlands plays as one of the shortest courses on tour. The par 70, 6,841-yard course is not only short it is also easy (Although I still wouldn’t crack 100). This course routinely ranks in the top five for lowest scoring average on tour so get ready for lots of birdies and lots of low scores.
The course is a Pete Dye redesign but do not let that fool you on the type of player who can win here. Bubba Watson stands out as a two-time winner here and he certainly does not fit the Pete Dye mold.
The course only has two par fives and with the way the course sets up, I do not feel you need to place that much of an emphasis on them for the week. With an easier course, there is naturally more scoring and players will not have to rely on scoring on par fives to contend here as they will have chances throughout the round.
Although short and easy the course does feature plenty of fairway and greenside bunkers. I will be prioritizing greens in regulation and driving accuracy to avoid unnecessary trouble. I always prioritize scoring as it is important in both Draftkings and Fanduel formats but with lots of low scores this weekend it will be even more important to find the players who will earn more fantasy points than their competitors. Finally, with two extra par fours, I will be prioritizing par four scoring more than usual with an emphasis on par fours 400-450 yards as eight of the twelve fall into this category.
Finally, the greens here register at 10.5 on the stimpmeter, well that is fast for regular courses it is much slower than tour average. Finding players who perform well on slow greens is also something that I will be looking for.
Travelers Championship Picks!!!
Justin Thomas – GPP – DK: $10200 FD: $9800
There is a lot to like about Thomas this week. I think for GPP’s his price falls into a dead range, if you take one of Spieth, Mcilroy or Day it becomes tough to roster JT and I think that will lower his ownership a bit. JT ranks great in our VIP Spreadsheet and is second in the field on par fours 400-450 yards. JT also has the potential to put up huge fantasy points with his field best birdie or better percentage. If you prefer to look at course history and/or recent form JT checks out in both of those category’s as well. His last two events on tour have finished with top ten finishes and his three starts at the Travelers Championship have seen two made cuts and a T3 last season.
Bubba Watson – All formats – DK: $8400 FD: $8500
If you’re looking for a player with a great course history look no further than Bubba Watson. Although it may seem odd that Bubba does well on a Pete Dye course he has figured out something here. In his last eight appearances, he as never finished outside of the top 40 and has two wins and another two top fives in that stretch. Bubba is able to take advantage of the short par fours and mitigate the worst part of his game (around the green) on this track. I never thought I would be recommending Bubba for cash games but here we are.
Charley Hoffman – Cash – DK: $7300 FD: $8300
Although his price makes him much easier to Roster on DraftKings I think Hoffman is a cash game play in both formats. Hoffman has made six straight cuts here over the last eights seasons while also making six straight cuts on the tour. Our VIP PGA Spreadsheet has Hoffman performing well above those in his salary range in the key stats we have highlighted.
Byeong Hun-An – All formats – DK: $7100 FD: $7500
Another week, another underpriced Byeong Hun-An. Although I was off of him last week because of the course I see him as a good play this week. An, like Bubba and Charley, is weakest around the green but that shouldn’t be an issue here. With so many scoring holes I like An’s field adjusted approach stats which you can see in the VIP PGA Spreadsheet. An’s other downfall has been putting but with a lower stimpmeter a good putters advantage is mitigated somewhat.
Trey Mullinax – GPP punt – DK: $6500 FD: $5900
If you are looking for a cheap play to finish out some line-ups on Draftkings, Mullinax is your answer. He does not set up great for the course but he is coming in with great play and loads of confidence. With a top ten finish at the US Open Mullinax is playing the best golf we have seen of him on tour and for his price range, he sees the best field adjusted birdie or better percentage according to our VIP PGA Spreadsheet. He will most likely be the highest owned player under $6500 due to recent performance but this range usually does not see too many players being taken and with many great options around $7000 this week I think his ownership stays down.
Other DFS Army PGA Golf Tools and Articles
DFS Army VIP Members also have access to our PGA Cheatsheet!
DFS Army VIP Members also have access to our DFS Army Domination Station Lineup Optimizer!
DFS Army VIP Members also have access to our Euro Tour Cheatsheet!
Be sure to sign up to our DFS Army VIP Membership in order to utilize our custom Domination Station projections, PGA spreadsheets and access to chat with Taco, myself and many other proven winners. Use Coupon Code “20-OFF” to receive 20% all of this PGA content as well as content for MLB, NBA, NFL and every other DFS sport your heart desires.