DFS Alerts
Attacking mid priced value
The difference between a losing and winning week in DFS golf can often boil down to identifying the best value plays. The term value play is often associated with a cheap play, but it can also apply to a golfer who is underpriced compared to long-term expectations. Russell Knox stands out to as player underpriced in terms of both talent and course fit for this week. Accurate ball-striking should be a popular angle to attack ahead of The RSM Classic, and Knox has a game driven by hitting pinpoint shots. Well placed tee ball should allow for Knox to consistently attack pins which should lead to an increased number of birdie opportunities. For what Knox lacks in course history he more than makes up for in talent and current form. With four rounds in the 60’s last week, Knox looks ready to play the golf that saw him ascend to a top 20 world ranking in 2016. Knox is too cheap across the industry and he makes for a great play in all formats this week.
As reported by: PGA Value Breakdown
Webb Simpson chalk week
The RSM Classic has done a good job of getting a few big names to commit to this year’s tournament. This week’s field includes 17 of the top 100 in the world with 6 of those 17 currently ranked inside the top 50. The 42nd position in the world rankings belongs to Webb Simpson and he is trending as a strong play for The RSM Classic. At $9,800 Simpson gets a significant discount in comparison to other top names in this week’s field. Simpson has never missed a cut at The RSM and owns a scoring average of 67.5 at Seaside Course. It’s easy to look at Simpson’s game logs for this event and see why he makes sense as a strong cash play. Three top 15 or better finishes in this event feels like a great bargain for the price on Simpson. While the argument could be made for playing Simpson in all formats this week, I think there is merit to fading him in large field GPP’s. If you feel like there is a small chance the Simpson can post a score you must have to win a GPP on DraftKings then his predicted ownership screams for a great spot to fade. I like the chance of Simpson playing well this week, but his inability to win down the stretch makes this an intriguing spot for a fade in tournaments. The fact remains that Simpson remains almost a plug and play option in cash, but you could easily build a tournament team that has a ton of upside without him.
As reported by: PGA Cash Game Breakdown Top value play on DraftKings
Kevin Streelman is off to a great start this season. With 3 top 25 finishes in his first four events of the season, the 39-year-old Streelman has his game trending in the right direction ahead of this week’s RSM Classic. For the second straight week, Streelman ranks near the top of our RotoGrinders Projection tool in terms of Pt/$K. At $7,500 on DraftKings, Streelman makes sense in a wide variety of roster builds. Known for his ability to both keep the ball in play and to hit consistent golf shots, Streelman should make for a great course fit this week. Streelman is currently ranked inside the top in 4 of the 5 strokes gained metrics and his 34th overall ranking in total strokes gained is a great indicator of how solid his game is at the moment. Streelman should be in line for another good week, and he makes sense in all formats.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections A past champion looking to regain his form
Robert Streb burst onto the scene during the 2015 season with a win at this event. Streb ended up the season in the 18th position in the FedEx Cup race and amassed almost 4 million dollars in earnings. For much of the 2015 season, Streb never saw his FedEx Cup ranking fall outside of the top 20. Since the end of the 2015 season, the 30-year-old Streb has not cracked the top 60 in the FedEx Cup standings and has only posted 4 top tens finishes in his last 62 starts on tour. This week Streb returns to a spot of his greatest success on tour. Currently ranked 150th in the FedEx Cup race, Streb could use another good week at The RSM Classic to get his 2018 PGA Tour Season on the right track. Ownership projections on this past champion are trending at a very low number, and Streb has enough upside at this course to make for a great value play. If you want to pay up for some of the bigger names in this week’s field then adding Streb should open up some much-needed salary space. In addition to his win at the Seaside Course, Streb has two made cuts and has only failed to break par in two of his 12 rounds played.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Chesson Hadley is still to cheap on FanDuel
For the second week in a row, Chesson Hadley ranks as a top option in terms of PT/$K in the FanDuel RotoGrinders player projection tool. Hadley had his consecutive top 5 streak cut short last week as he was forced to W/D during the third round due to sickness. Having made the cut on the number Hadley was one under par during nine holes of round number 3, but did not have the strength and energy needed to finish. Citing the desire to be rested and ready for this week Hadley at $7,300 represents a great value on FanDuel. With a higher price on both DraftKings and FantasyDraft Hadley becomes more of a lower owned tournament pivot, but on FanDuel his price represents an option to play him in a wide variety of formats. The W/D from last week might keep some off him, but Hadley is playing some of the best golf of his career and should be considered a great value play on FanDuel for the week.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Middle tier priced value with upside
The wrap around season can often produce a first-time winner. Last week we saw the third first time winner of the season, and I would not be surprised if this week makes for the 4th of the year and the third in a row. Jamie Lovemark is slowly creeping up in the rankings of best player yet to win on The PGA Tour. In his last two seasons on tour ( 57 starts), Lovemark has amassed 18 top 25 finishes. With 9 top ten finishes, Lovemark is in the right direction of getting closer to the winner’s circle. Currently ranked 48th in the FedEx Cup standings, Lovemark already has one top 5 finish this season and heads into this event with very favorable course history. Lovemark is 24 under par in his eight rounds of golf played at The RSM Classic. After missing the cut at last week’s OHL classic, Lovemark’s back to back top ten’s in this week’s event could go a bit overlooked. While I don’t expect recency basis to sway a strong ownership percentage away from Lovemark, had he played well last week then you could definitely expect higher ownership for this event. The combination of talent and price makes Lovemark a great play in almost any format for this week. Lovemark is a player that should win sooner than later, and I definitely want to be late to the party.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Third time is the charm
The wrap around season gives players a chance to jump-start the year. Martin Piller is hoping that his third attempt at keeping his PGA Tour card will be his last. The Texas A&M graduate enters this season after yet again playing his way on to the PGA Tour via the Web.com Tour. No stranger to the spotlight Piller is the second most famous golfer in his family. His wife Gerina has been a staple on the LPGA tour for the last few years. For what Piller lacks in fame he more than makes up with in terms of heart and talent. Unlike his wife, Piller has professional wins under his belt. As a six-time winner on the Web.com Tour, Piller has the ability to close the deal when near the lead. The problem for Piller is that for the most part, he has not played well in his two previous stints on Tour. The one thing about Piller that most people don’t know is that he is a very resilient and determined player. In every step of his career, Piller has faced and overcome adversity to succeed. As a senior at A&M, Piller struggled to make the traveling squad, but that did not deter him from turning pro that fall. Piller worked hard on his game and parlayed a win at the Texas State Open into an eventual Web.com Tour card. His six different victories on the Web.com Tour have earned him another shot at making a permanent home on the PGA Tour, and as he prepares to make his third start at the RSM Classic Piller will look to play well enough to book a spot in this event next season. Currently ranked 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings weeks like this are huge for incoming players like Piller. In terms of DFS, this now 31-year-old veteran of multiple tours will remain a deep sleeper, but Piller will offer something that does have value moving forward. If you throw out his great start last week, Piller should go overlooked in comparison to other exciting new names on the tour, thus making him a great pivot play in the lower pricing tier on most sites.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Brandt Snedeker Returns for RSM Classic
A nagging rib injury kept Brandt Snedeker out of competitive golf for the last 20 weeks of the PGA Tour season. This 47th ranked player in the world has not played a round of golf since his closing 64 at The Travelers Championship in late June. Snedeker originally planned to take a few weeks off in order to prepare for the close of the season, but the severity of the injury forced him to rest longer than expected. Injury withstanding, Snedeker sill had a very respectable 2017 PGA Tour season. In 15 events, Snedeker posted 8 top 25 or better finishes with 4 of that 8 finishing inside the top 10. WIth the injury apparently behind him, Snedeker posted a video of him working on his game last week, and he appears to be ready to compete in this week’s RSM Classic. The fear of how Snedeker will respond after such a long layoff could potentially keep his ownership down. The lack of playing time due to injury is factored into his price this week, and Snedeker could make for a very interesting tournament play on DraftKings this week. I have a feeling the most will take the wait and see approach on Snedeker, thus creating an opportunity to take a risk on a talented player at a reasonable price.
As reported by: Brandt Snedeker Twitter Looking for past success to bust out of a slump
Golf is a funny game, one moment you have the game figured out and then the next day it can feel as though you have never played a day in your life. Even the best players in the world experience this kind of sudden change in the game. Two short years ago Russell Knox was on top of the world. With two PGA Tour wins in 2016, Knox appeared headed for bigger in better things. For Knox things went sour in a hurry, his third-place finish at last year’s OHL Classic was his best of the season. A normally consistent golfer, Knox missed 10 of 24 cuts in 2017. When he did make a cut Knox finished inside the top 25 half of the time. While some might consider making $1.6 million a great year, Knox was certainly looking for a continuation of his 2016 season. Priced up for his excellent course history, Knox is flying under the radar for this year’s OHL Classic. Knox had a chance to win this event in the last two seasons and could use another great performance this week to get his game back on track. Poor current form combined with an increased price have Knox trending as a low owned option for The OHL Classic. Sometimes all it takes is a swing thought or playing at a course that holds great memories to snap out of a slump, and for Knox this week represents a chance to do the later.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Paying up to differentiate your lineup
Luke List is once again trending as a popular play for The OHL Classic. A top 20 finish combined with a 34% ownership rate at last week’s Shriners Open has done little to decrease the popularity for List this week. While List makes sense in cash games his increased ownership level creates a great opportunity to explore leverage plays in the same price range for tournaments. Often a successful tournament week hinges on a roster build that can find a higher producing pivot play at lower ownership. This week I like the idea of paying up from List in order to roster Jason Kokrak. While the price is higher than most feel comfortable in paying for Kokrak, I love taking him at a course where he will use less than driver off the tee. Kokrak is a combined 32 under par in the last three years of this event, and he has yet to finish worse than a T17. At $8,400 most will look at Kokrak and decide to pay down and save money, thus creating an opportunity to pay up for arguably a better play this week. In situations like this, it’s very useful to try and predict what ownership would look like if we lowered a players salary. Kokrak at $7,900 certainly feels more appealing, and I am of the opinion that the inefficiency in DFS golf pricing should not affect how much we like a play in terms of five to eight hundred in salary. The process of thinking how pricing effects ownership is a great way to identify possible pivot plays. Even if you don’t end up finding a possible pivot play, the extra work put in thinking about the possibilities will help improve your overall roster construction process.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Finding value in a good course fit
A win at the 2016 Frys.com Open had Emiliano Grillo on the fast track to becoming one of the better young talents on the PGA Tour. In the time since that win, Grillo has struggled to compete at the level associated with the perception surrounded by winning. In the 52 events played since his win at Silverado, Grillo has only posted five top ten or better finishes. The reason for his poor play could be associated with many different things, but it’s not uncommon to see young players struggle with the success brought on by a PGA Tour win. Grillo is still a very talented young player and the negative stigma associated with his poor recent play creates a great spot to buy low on him this season. Grillo played well at last year’s OHL Classic and he is one of the top-rated players in our course analysis article for this year’s tournament. Always known as a good ball striker Grillo ranks high in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation metrics. A solid tee to green game should put him in a position to have a good week, and if he can start to hole a few more putts, Grillo should be in for an awesome week.
As reported by: Course Analysis Stewart Cink looks to continue his solid play
It’s been almost nine years since Stewart Cink shocked the world by winning The British Open Championship. Plagued by poor play Cink has not won a golf tournament since that historic battle with Tom Watson during the 2009 Open. At the age of 44, Cink enters his 22nd season on the PGA Tour with a bit of momentum on his side. Fueled by his wife Lisa’s successful battle with cancer, Cink’s 2017 season was his best in recent years. Currently ranked 134th in the world, Cink was able to post 10 top 25 or better finishes in route to a 53rd finish in last year’s FedEx Cup race. Priced at $7,700 Cink rates out as one of the best Pt/$K plays in our RotoGrinders Draftkings projection tool for The OHL Classic. Cink played his way into contention on multiple occasions last season but was unable to play well enough on Sunday to come away with a chance to win. Still driven by the desire to play and compete, Cink has cited his wife’s battle with cancer as a motivation to rededicate himself to playing great golf. Cink would love to have a chance to improve on his T15 at last year’s OHL Classic, and his price tag combined with his projection makes him a great play in all formats this week.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Ollie Schniederjans is no longer in the field
In somewhat of a surprising move, Ollie Schniederjans withdrew from The OHL Classic. Zac Blair will take his place in the field but is not available in the DFS pricing this week. Schniederhans had started off the year with three straight top 25 finishes. At this time there has been no associated injury news to connect with his withdrawal. Schniederhans is not the only player to withdraw from the field this week. You will notice a big red O ( DraftKings) besides the names of Webb Simpson, Billy Horschel, and Scott Piercy. Please make sure to remove any of these players from your rosters.
As reported by: Rob Bolton Twitter Other tagged players: Webb Simpson, Scott Piercy, Billy Horschel Rickie Fowler set to make his first start of the season
The last time Rickie Fowler played competitive golf he helped the U.S. team claim The Presidents Cup in a decisive victory over The International team. After deciding to skip the lucrative foreign events, this 10th ranked golfer in the world is set to play his first competitive rounds in almost a month. For Fowler, this will mark not only the first rounds of the season, but this will also be his first appearance at The OHL Classic. While Fowler is clearly one of the more talented players in this week’s field, there a few strong factors to consider if you like the idea of fading him in large field GPP’s. Talent does not come cheap, and the choice to roster Fowler on DK this week will cost you almost 20% of the salary cap, which would only leave you $7,640 a player to fill out your roster. A Fowler built roster will require at least one or two value plays to not only make the cut, but also play well on the weekend. Always a popular player, Fowler is trending as one of the highest owned players of the week, and from a game theory standpoint, there should be consideration of fading a popular play to gain an edge in GPP’s. Lastly, I think we need to consider the range of outcomes for Fowler this week and then compare that with what it will take to pay off his salary. In his last 113 starts on the PGA Tour Fowler has only three victories, and the major question to consider is will a win be needed to pay off his salary. While a top 5 or maybe even a top 10 finish would justify a roster spot for Fowler, I think when you combine his ownership with the potential roster build scenarios created by his price, this week makes an excellent spot for Fowler fade in GPP’s.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Chesson Hadley represents a big discount on FanDuel this week
Fresh off consecutive top 4 or better finishes in his last three PGA Tour starts Chesson Hadley ranks as top plays in terms of PT/$K in the FanDuel RotoGrinders Player projection tool for the OHL Classic. At $7,400 Hadley represents a great value on FanDuel. Hadley is still a great play on both DraftKings (19.8%) and FantasyDraft (16.8%), but his 12.3 percentage of cost vs the salary cap on FanDuel represents the best value if you are playing multiple sites. The 2018 season is all about second chances for Hadley. After playing his way off the tour, 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. On DraftKings and FantasyDraft Hadley’s price could lower his ownership, thus making him a great pivot play off other players in that range.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections