PGA DFS Value Breakdown: Workday Charity Open (FREE)
Selecting the absolute best value out there is crucial to cruising to the top of the leaderboards. TJ “tjl5124” Laessig, a high stakes DFS grinder, will dive into the player pool, evaluating roster construction and picking out his favorite value options for the week’s tournament.
Workday Charity Open
Hey guys – new RG team member tjl5124 here. Going forward, I’ll be writing this article on a weekly basis, where I touch on my high level roster construction thoughts for the week, as well as a few value plays that I think are worth digging into.
No matter what sport you are playing, understanding roster construction is one of the most important skills in DFS. In PGA, the “optimal” roster construction can vary greatly from week to week, depending on the strength of the field and the course being played. It is important to understand that context and realize how to adjust to each individual tournament. The first three weeks after the restart, we saw loaded fields that were stacked with talent. The stacked fields led to a number of quality golfers priced in the $8k range on DraftKings, which in turn led to a more balanced roster construction being “optimal”. Last week, we saw a completely opposite situation, as we had a very weak field with only a few elite golfers in play. This led to a more stars and scrubs build, specifically builds that started at the very top with Bryson DeChambeau.
This week, the field meets us somewhere in the middle. It is not as star-studded as the first three weeks, but is much stronger than what we saw at the Rocket Mortgage. Looking at the salaries, my early hunch is that the optimal builds will include two higher priced $9k or $10k golfers, with a mix of value golfers to fill out the final four spots. The $8k range contains some popular names that have not been playing particularly well, so it will be interesting to see what kind of traction those guys get as the week progresses. For now, we will focus on the $7k range and below – let’s dive into some of my favorite plays.
Byeong-Hun An ($7900 DK / $9700 FD / $35 Yahoo)
I’m going to be completely honest, I have a Benny An problem. And I know I’m not the only DFS player that’s a member of this club. He is tremendous tee to green (12th in this field over the past 24 rounds) but as we all know by now, he simply cannot putt (2nd worst in the entire field). However, this week we are playing a course where bad putting is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the greens are difficult to hit. This will lead to fewer greens in regulation, fewer opportunities for birdies, and more scrambling for par – which is something An is very capable of, as he ranks 5th in this field in strokes gained around the green. Benny has struggled since the restart, but I’m willing to go back to the well one more time in the hopes that he can build off his 2nd place finish at this course two years ago. At the very least, we know Benny An will give us a quality shot tracker sweat as we agonize over five foot putts.
Harold Varner III ($7500 DK / $9300 FD / $29 Yahoo)
Surprise surprise, we have another ball striker that can’t putt. Over the past 24 rounds, HV3 is 9th in this field in ball striking and 122nd in putting – now that’s my kind of golfer! But in all seriousness, I played Varner in both my main lineups last week, and he is one of my favorite value plays again this week. In a week where bad putters are somewhat mitigated, I feel good about HV3 in all formats.
Mark Hubbard ($7400 DK / $8500 FD / $26 Yahoo)
Hubbard is off to a fantastic start these past few weeks, making all four cuts since the restart and finishing 43, 33, 37, and 12. My biggest hesitation would be the fact that he is gaining the majority of his strokes putting. While it is not the typical style golfer I tend to target, at the end of the day, if he can get the golf ball into the hole, I’ll be happy. Hubbard presents some value at his price tag on both DK and FD, and is also someone I will be looking at in Showdown contests over the course of the weekend, as he ranks 22nd in this field in DK scoring.
Rory Sabbatini ($7400 DK / $8900 FD / $32 Yahoo)
Sabbatini was absolutely horrific last week, there is no denying that. But golf is a hard sport, and sometimes that just happens. When it comes to the game of DFS, we need to have a short memory and can’t overreact too quickly to one poor performance. After all, the two tournaments prior to last week’s debacle, Sabbatini finished 14 and 21. This is a prime spot for a bounce back at a course where he has had some success in the past. I wouldn’t expect much ownership coming Sabbatini’s way and this could be a great leverage spot for those that are willing to overlook last week’s performance.
Cameron Tringale ($7300 DK / $8200 FD / $26 Yahoo)
Here is a play that is a little more off the board and I wouldn’t expect to be very popular. Long term, Tringale is a guy that loses strokes off the tee, but is pretty steady in all other aspects of his game. He doesn’t pop in any one particular category, but is solid across the board and has made 10 of his last 12 cuts. After a tough first start back at the Travelers, he gained 4.8 strokes tee to green at the Rocket Morgage last week on his way to a 30th place finish. I prefer Tringale on FanDuel, where he comes with a very affordable $8200 price tag.
Henrik Norlander ($6500 DK / $8000 FD / $20 Yahoo)
There’s not a ton to love under $7k, but I have to give you guys at least one. If we’re going this deep down the depth chart, we might as well go all the way down to Norlander at $6500 on DK. He certainly opens up some salary and gives you a lot of flexibility with your other five golfers. Since the restart, he has gained 4.5, 2.4, and 8.6 strokes tee to green, and the thorn in his side has been his putting. After missing the cut at the Charles Schwab, he finished 41st at the Travelers and 12th at the Rocket Mortgage. He is not the safest option, but no one down here is. The recent form looks good and he might be your best bet if you are looking to jam in some of the top end studs.
Image Credit: Imagn