DFS Alerts
Tiger Woods is set to make his 2018 PGA debut
Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying the impact Tiger Woods has on the game of golf. This once dominant golfer returns this week to the perhaps the site of one of his greatest wins and from a DFS standpoint we can already see his impact in the size of tournaments. At the time of this post, DraftKings is the only site to have golf in the lobby, but we already see three contest with prize pools over 200k. The Drive To The Green Contest ($4 entry fee) features a $500k prize pool with $100k to first. Golf salaries should go live later today and then soon to follow a week’s worth of content. Make sure to reserve your seats, because there is a better than average chance that some of these contest fill early this week.
PGA rosters lock in 25 minutes, and no major news to report
Rosters lock at 10:30 est time today, so if you have any last minute roster edits please do so at this time. Injury recap: Both D.A. Points and Brandon Hagey are out this weeks, so please remove them from any roster builds. Jon Rahm is trending towards the highest owned player in this week’s field. With his ownership predicted to be almost double of any of the other golfers in the 10k and above price range, you find merit for a potential Rahm fade in the top tier. Past CareerBuilder Champion Patrick Reed has a very low ownership prediction this week and could make a great pivot off Rahm. As always good luck this week, and we will see you next week for the return of Tiger Woods.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Weather update for The CareerBuilder Challenge
RotoGrinders own Chief Meteorologist Kevin Roth has a weather report up for the CareerBuilder Challange in the main forum. While Roth predicts the wind could be in play this week, and especially late on Friday, it’s important to understand this is not your normal week on tour. Due to the Pro-Am format, golfers will tee of three different courses for the first three rounds, and with tee times all in the same 2-hour window all of the golfers should face similar conditions on the first three days. If you want to use weather to gain an edge this week, then picking players who perform better in the wind might give you a small edge. Again due to the tee time format this week there is no real considerable edge to be gained in a weather angle this week, but there is a chance that the golfers will face windy conditions at times this week.
As reported by: Kevin Roth Weather Report Dominic Bozzelli looked healthy in his return
Bozzelli started off his sophomore season on the PGA Tour with a very respectable T39 in last week’s Sony Open. Prior to last week, Bozzelli was last seen at the RBC Canadian Open at the end of July. He finished the year inside the top 115 in the FedEx Cup race in spite of not playing in either the Barracuda or the Wyndham Championship. If an injury was the issue, then last week served as a notice that Bozelli is healthy and ready to go. Not surprisingly Bozzelli is projected to have a low ownership this week but could make an easy roster sub if you had Hagy in your lineups and you need a quick last-minute switch. Bozzelli started his run of good play at last year’s CareerBuilder where he opened with a 64 and finished inside the top 5.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Brandon Hagy is no longer in The CareerBuilders Challenge
Brandon Hagy has withdrawn from this week’s event due to a wrist injury. He was replaced in the field by Rick Lamb. No immediate news was given to how much time Hagy would miss with the injury, but the fact that he withdrew on the night before the tournament could mean that he was close to playing. For the time being get Hagy out of your lineups.
As reported by: Rob Bolton Twitter Aaron Wise ranks as a top value play among experts
Pricing on DraftKings this week makes it very hard to find a ton to like in the sub $7k pricing tier. The desire to fit in a top priced stud into your lineup will force us to look closely at players in this range. At $6,800 on DraftKings, Aaron Wise provides upside for his price and is the overall number one pick in the third pricing tier range for this week’s consensus value rankings. This week is shaping up to be tough in terms of a clear-cut value play. In fact, 28 golfers have found their way into the third tier pricing range rankings this week, which tells me that for the most part, you could go a ton of different ways in terms of finding value. Wise is the only player to have a ranking by five of our six experts and is shaping up to be a strong number one option in this grouping. This former Oregon standout finished 18th in the final Web.com tour standings last season, and already has two top 25 finishes in six starts this season. Regarded by many as a very talented player, Wise has yet to really make his mark on the PGA Tour. The lack of obvious talent in the sub 7k price range will force us to take some calculated risks this week, and the upside that Wise brings to the table gives him a boost in this week’s field.
As reported by: DraftKings PGA Value Rankings Bill Haas is an overlooked horse for this course
Bill Haas does not have the best reputation in the DFS golf community. Arguably a better real-life golfer than a fantasy darling, Haas plays a consistent style of golf that often flies under the radar. In 25 starts last season, Haas had 12 top 25 or better finishes earning over 2.8 million dollars. Priced at $8,600 on DraftKings this week, Haas is trending towards a very low ownership number. While many in the community might feel like the $8,600 price tag is too high, I think the numbers point in the other direction. In addition to his two wins, Haas has five top ten’s and is 148 under par in his last 33 rounds at the CareerBuilder Challange. Even in his only missed cut at this event ( 2013), Haas played three solid rounds of golf shooting scores of 71,68,71 which only left him one shot out of playing on Sunday. Ownership aside, Haas makes a great play this week, and when you factor in that he could potentially go under-owned, then you get a chance to buy in on a player with excellent course history in a high leverage situation.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Chesson Hadley ranks as a top play on FanDuel
Chesson Hadley ranks as a top option in terms of PT/$K in the FanDuel RotoGrinders player projection tool for this week’s CareerBuilder Challange.Hadley regained full-time status for this season via an excellent year last season on the Web.com Tour. As a past winner of the PGA Tour Chesson Hadley has the game to win on tour, and his great start to the season serves as a clear reminder that he should be considered for your roster builds. Currently ranked 11th in the FedEx Cup standings, Hadley started off the fall season with 3 top 4 or better finishes in a row. One would have to think that Hadley is determined to make the most of his second chance at playing on the PGA Tour, so when people look and see that he has never made a cut at this event in three tries, it will be easy for most to simply cross Hadley off their list. While his lack of course history can be discouraging, we have seen players change over time, and a trip back down to the WEB.com Tour appears to have molded Hadley into a better player.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool David Lingmerth has upside at projected low ownership
Ownership and roster construction form a unique marriage each week. Sometimes the slate is defined by a value play that we can’t simply get away from, and then more times than not our rosters are molded by the must spend studs. This week is shaping up to have very little stand out value and possible only one clear-cut stud. Usually, when this happens we see ownership levels spread out in order to accommodate a balanced roster build. One player in the mid-price range has a very good course history and is currently trending towards a low ownership. In addition to his two runner-up finishes at the CareerBuilder Challange, David Lingmerth is 84 under par in five starts at this event, and he has never missed a cut. The 30-year-old Lingmerth is making his first start of this calendar year and could end up being a great pivot play if ownership levels of players around him grow by the end of the week. Currently ranked outside the top 125 in the world, Lingmerth could use a good week to improve his chances of playing in some bigger events later in the season. The combination of his good course history and a reasonable price makes Lingmerth a viable play in almost any format this week.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Understanding the format is a key to success this week
The CareerBuilder Challange is one of the most storied events on the PGA Tour. Once known as the Bob Hope Classic, this Pro-Am held the distinction of being the only five round event on the PGA Tour. Since 2012 this event plays to the normal four-round format of every other PGA Tour event, but unlike other events, The CareerBuilder Challange guarantees three rounds to every golfer in the field. This unique Pro-Am format features three different courses on Thursday through Saturday, and the final 70 and ties compete on Sunday at the TPC Stadium course. Patience and experience are always a plus this week as the addition of an amateur partner typically pushes the length of each round near 5 hours. New players could be at a disadvantage this week as they will need to learn three courses prior to Thursday’s first round. The guaranteed three rounds of play is an important factor to consider when building rosters this week. as an argument could be made for both balanced and stars and scrubs roster construction builds. Regardless of the roster construction format you choose, there has been one common trait that the winners have possed over the years of this event. Since 2012 the winner of this event has made an average of 22 birdies, so when in doubt target a player that excels in shooting low scores.
As reported by: PGA First Look DraftKings projections are live and Charles Howell ranks as a top play
Projections are live for the CareerBuilder Challange and Charles Howell ranks near the top in terms of Pt/$/K on DraftKings. Known for his propensity to play well on the west coast swing, Howell enters this week on the heels of a top 35 finish last week and he has a great history at this event. Howell is 10 for 12 in cuts made at the CareerBuilder with top ten finishes in his last two starts. As a high owned staple in cash games last week, some Howell owners could find fault with his top 35 finish at the Sony. Reasonably priced again this week, Howell should once again deserve serious consideration for a roster spot at this week’s CareerBuilder Challange. At $8,000 on DraftKings it’s hard to imagine many scenarios where Howell fails to pay off his salary this week.
Stewart Cink ranks as a top value play among experts
The 44-year-old Stewart Cink will tee it up in his 15th Sony Open this week. Cink had a very nice rebound season last year, as his dedication to the game paid off and he was able to finish inside the top 60 in the FedEx Cup race. In addition to making 20 out of 26 cuts last year, Cink played well enough at times to contend on the weekend. Even though he fell short of a win, a player of Cink’s caliber will typically use that as a positive building block moving forward. At $6,800 on DraftKings, Cink provides a great source of value and is the overall number one pick in the third pricing tier range for this week’s consensus value rankings. Cink has made his last five cuts at the Sony Open while finishing no worse than a T42. At $6,800 if Cink makes the cut and produces a top 50 or better finish he should more than pay off his value in almost any format.
As reported by: DraftKings PGA Value Rankings K.J. Choi switches club companies in the off season
Former Sony Open champion and PGA Tour veteran K.J. Choi has decided to make a club change during the offseason. Choi will make his debut as a member of Ping staff this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. This 8 time PGA tour winner struggled a bit last season but has experience and a good track record at this event. Choi has made 12 out of 16 cuts at The Sony Open and could provide a good source of low owned salary relief in GPP builds this week. With a game centered around accuracy, Choi should have plenty of opportunities to score this week and is in a prime spot to start of his 2018 season on a positive note.
As reported by: PGA TOUR Si Woo Kim's appeal as a tournament play
Si Woo Kim is a bit of an enigma in the DFS golf world. On one hand we have an extremely talented player who could potentially compete with some of the best players in world. And on the other hand we have a golfer who has a major propensity to withdraw from a tournament with injuries. Kim withdrew six times last season and is quickly gaining a reputation as a player you can’t trust. Kim is in the field this week and not surprisingly trending towards a low ownership number. Kim last played this event two years ago and his 4th place finish could point to signs that he likes the course. This 37th ranked player in the world finished 10th last week at Sentry Tournament of Champions and should continue to play well again this week. Kim’s bad reputation will often lead to low ownership levels, and this week is no exception. The talent and upside are there, and Kim is playing great golf prior to this week. Obviously this is not a cash play, but if you are playing multiple GPP lineups, then Kim is worth a serious look.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Jamie Lovemark provides high upside at low ownership
The Wednesday update for DraftKings ownership projections are live and Jamie Lovemark stands out as a potential great tournament play this week. Currently ranked inside the top 100 in the world, Lovemark is on the verge of taking his career to the next level. Regarded in many circles as a great talent, Lovemark has overcome injuries to post back to back seasons inside the top 70 in the final FedEx Cup standings. Lovemark has many of the skills needed to play well this week. With decent stats rankings in both strokes gained off the tee and strokes gained to the green, Lovemark could be a force if he gets a few more putts to drop this week. At $8,100 Lovemark is trending towards one of the lowest owned players in this week’s field, and make for a great pivot play in tournaments. Lovemark has back to back top ten finishes in his last two Sony Open apperances.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership