DFS Alerts
Tony Finau ranks as a top mid tier play
Tony Finau finally gets to reap the benefits of making it to the Tour Championship. Prior to last season, Finau was not exempt into some of the bigger events on the PGA Tour. His lone win ( 2016 Puerto Rico Open) came at one of the few events that do not guarantee exemptions into the higher status PGA Tour tournaments. With a successful run in the 2017 PGA Tour season, Finau is primed to really make an even bigger impact on the PGA Tour. Finau finished last season with 15 top 20 finishes in terms of DraftKings scoring. Known for his prodigious length off the tee, Finau is able to make a ton of birdies and is always capable of paying off his salary in light of a top 10 finish. After starting off the 2018 PGA Tour season as one of the higher priced players on DraftKings ( $11,500 & $10,200) Finau’s price of $7,700 stands out as a perhaps the greatest value of the week. This 44th ranked player is clearly too talented to pass up at this price, and should be consider a must play in all formats this week.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Value Rankings
Searching for site specific value
With three major sites now offering DFS golf gamers now have access to getting exposure to players at the best price possible. One useful thing to do each week is to visit the PGA Salary Chart to try and spot any site-specific price discrepancies for the week. One such player who stands out to me as a great value on a site like FanDuel for the week is Matthew Fitzpatrick. This 35th ranked player in the world comes in a great value on FanDuel in comparisons to other sites. When comparing the cost equivalent of salary to the overall cap we get a clear picture of the best place to roster Fitzpatrick this week. The greatest value for Fitzpatrick is on FanDuel where he is11.6 percent of the salary cap, on DraftKings he is 18.6 percent of the cap, and on FantasyDraft he is 16.2 percent of the cap. Regarded as one of the better up and coming players on the European Tour, Fitzpatrick is a great play on all three sites, but if you want to get the cheapest possible exposure to him this week, then FanDuel is clearly the best option. The Salary tool is a great place to look at each week if you are shopping for value across the industry. Another great way to use this tool is to compare salary discrepancies to projected ownership. For example, if you see that due his low price Fitzpatrick garnishes a much higher ownership at FanDuel than the other two sites then you have a great spot to play him as a GPP pivot on the sites with lower ownership. Fitzpatrick’s only two trips to Sheshan International Golf Club have yielded a two top 20 or better finishes.
As reported by: RotoGrinders PGA Salary Chart Player on a hot streak could go under owned
If I told you there was a golfer with the following finishes ( 6th,12th,16th,1st,5th) in his last five tournaments, and a current projected ownership of less than 8% would you lock him in your roster? My guess would be yes, now if I told you that golfer was Pat Perez would that change your answer. The 41-year-old Perez came into the start of this wraparound season as a man on a mission. Currently ranked 18th in the world, Perez has one victory already this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. Roster construction will lead many away from Perez this week, but the combination of his awesome current form and projected low ownership makes this a great spot for roster differentiation in tournaments. Player biases have such a strong effect on public opinion, and Perez is in a great spot to outperform his public perception yet once again.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Adam Scott looks to bounce back from a poor performance
The 2018 PGA Tour season did not start as planned for Adam Scott. Plagued by his normal Achilles heel, Scott struggled to find form with his putter. Like many of you I grimaced watching Scott three put from five feet during the first two rounds of last week’s event. After opening rounds of 75 and 72, Scott managed to play pretty solid golf on the weekend. Eight of his thirteen birdies on the week came during weekend play, and Scott is hopeful to carry over that momentum into the HSBC Championship. In five previous tries at Sheshan International Golf Club, Scott has three top 15 or better finishes. With somewhat of a poor performance at high ownership in last week’s CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, Scott is in an excellent position to bounce back at potentially lower than expected ownership. This 25th ranked golfer in the world is a steal at $7,900 and should be considered a great play in any format this week.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Past Champion provides a source of value
This week’s HSBC Champions tournament features 32 of the top 50 in the official world golf rankings. In order to fit in the big named players into rosters this week, we will need to rely on picking a few solid value plays. Sitting atop DraftKings RotoGrinders Player projection tool for this week’s event is 2010 HSBC Champion, Francesco Molinari. Like many other foreign golfers not named Rory or Sergio, this 20th ranked golfer in the world tends to go a bit unnoticed in a typical PGA Tour event. This week is not your typical event, and I fully expect Molinari to gain steam as popular play in both cash and tournaments. In addition to his one win at Sheshan International Golf Club, Molinari has three top 25 finishes. Strokes gained tee to green should be a key stat to look at this week, and while Molinari lacks the length normally associated with dominating this statistical category, he more than makes up with accuracy. Ranked 5th in last year’s strokes gained tee to green, Molinari relies on his ability to hit accurate golf shots both off the tee and then again with his irons. Molinari used this skill set very well on a similar layout at this year’s PGA Championship. Leading into the year’s last major, Quail Hollow seemed to give a slight advantage to long hitters of the golf ball, and just like this week, I look for Molinari to buck the trend and play well again at a course that should favor length off the tee.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Xander Schauffele continues to gain steam
At this time last year, Xander Schauffele was a complete unknown to the world of golf. With two wins in his first season on the PGA tour, Schauffele is quickly becoming a darling of the PGA community. Currently ranked 29th in the world, Schauffele’s third-place finish at last week’s CIMB classic served a reminder that his talent should not go overlooked. For the second week in a row, Schauffele will have a price $3000 over his average 2017 salary. Only once last season did we see Schauffele garnish an ownership level above 20%, and his great performance at last week’s CIMB classic ( 11% ownership) will only add to his demand for this week. Popularity is on the rise for this up and coming star, and his ability to make a ton of birdies should once again see Schauffele near the top of the leaderboard. While fading a popular play is always an option, the current form of Schauffele combined with guaranteed four rounds makes this a great spot to try and differentiate your rosters with lower owned players.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Paul Casey once again a top cash play
Paul Casey showed a ton of heart in last week’s CIMB Classic. After an opening round of 77, it would have been very easy for Casey to just pack it in for the week and collect his guaranteed money. With 23 birdies over his last 54 holes, Casey played his way into a season-opening top 10 finish. Still, in search for his first win since the 2009 PGA Tour season, Casey offers the combination of consistency and upside needed when making cash game lineups. Comming off a season in which he posted at top 25 or better in 70% of tournaments he entered Casey figures to be a great fit for this week’s venue. Great in both par 4 and par 5 scoring Casey has the type of game that should translate well on a course that should favor accurate ball striking. Casey is so close to getting this second win monkey off his back and I look for the momentum built over the last three rounds at The CIMB Classic to propel him into a position to compete for a win come Sunday at The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges.
As reported by: PGA Cash Game Breakdown Marc Leishman offers upside at low ownership
Currently ranked in the 16th position in the world golf rankings, Leishman enters this week on the heels of his best PGA Tour season to date. Two wins and 16 top 25 or better finishes propelled this Australian golfer to a sixth-place finish in the 2017 FedEx Cup standings. Midweek ownership projections have Leishman trending at very low ownership level for The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges. Poor play at this year’s Presidents Cup could have many in the DFS community off Leishman, thus making this a great spot to get a very talented golfer at relatively low ownership. It’s very important to remember that the performances in an event like the Presidents Cup are not a direct reflection of current form. Prior to the Presidents Cup Leishman had posted a top 15 or better in 8 of his last 13 events of the 2017 PGA Tour season. Always known for his ability to make a ton of birdies, Leishman has the type of game that can pay off his salary in light of a top 10 finish. With many other players in this same price range trending towards higher ownership, Leishman makes for a great top end pivot play this week.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Lucas Glover ranks as a top value play on FanDuel
Lucas Glover is a player that has experienced both the extreme highs and lows of professional golf. This former U.S. Open Champion had to regain his PGA Tour card via the 2015 Web.com finals. Solid play since that time has this PGA Tour veteran looking to make a return to the winner’s circle. Winless since the 2011 season, Glover appears to have his game back in shape and comes into this week as one of the higher points per dollar plays via the FanDuel RotoGrinders player projection tool. This 85thth ranked player in the world has posted FanDuel scoring efforts of 90 points or better in two of his last three events. Glover’s more than reasonable price tag makes him a great play in all formats on FanDuel for this week’s event.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Kyle Stanley ranks as a top value play among experts
The 2017 PGA Tour season saw a very talented Kyle Stanley win his second career victory. Stanley burst onto the scene with a win at the 2012 Waste Management open. After his victory, Stanley struggled to find his form. Multiple seasons of missed cuts and inconsistent play left this one-time PGA Tour winner fighting to keep his status on tour. Determined to never have to go down that path again, Stanley is in a prime spot to get a leg up on his fellow PGA Tour members. Known for his ability to hit quality shots, Stanley has the game needed to play well at Nine Bridges. At last week’s CIMB Classic Stanley managed to score 79.5 DraftKings points while hitting a very impressive 83% of greens in regulation. I look for Stanley to hole a few more putts this weekend and potentially crush value at his salary.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Value Rankings Grayson Murray is a great target for no cut events
No cut events are great in a sense that they provide players to overcome a bad first round. Murray started off his 2018 season in a less than desirable fashion. His opening round of 82 left many who backed him shaking our heads. Over the next three rounds, Murray was able to turn the tide and his 82.5 DraftKings points put him in the top 35% of last week’s field. The ability to get hot and make a ton of bridies always stands out on sites like DraftKings and Murray should be able to do the same this week. At 7.4 percent ownership last week, he outperformed popular plays such as Na and Reavie, and our early week ownership projections show that Murray will once again come in at very low ownership. Due to the format of this, no cut event plays like Murray stand out if you are trying to differentiate your lineups.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Projections are live for The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges
The PGA Tour will debut both a new course and tournament name this week. The CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges is the first PGA Tour event in South Korea. For the second straight week, the tournament will feature a limited field of 78 players with no cut. As of now, the tee time lock for the first round is set to start at 5:00 A.M. on Wednesday morning. Much like last week, there is still some mystery to the actual start time of the first round. Even if the start time for round one gets delayed to Wednesday night, there is still less time of preparation than in a normal week of DFS PGA golf. The DraftKings RotoGrinders Player projection tool is a great place to start your research. With many big names in this week’s field, it will be hard to find mispriced value, but Adam Scott appears to be one such player that can be had for a discount. This former number one ranked player in the world is making his 2018 PGA Tour debut and he is looking to rebound from a winless 2017 campaign. Known as one of the better ball strikers on tour, Scott should be a great fit for a course that looks to favor shots gained approach. The combination of his talent and price should make Scott a plug in play in almost any format for the PGA’s inaugural event in Korea.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Don't forget to set your lineups for the early start time for The CIMB Classic
First-round tee times for this week’s event start in just a little over an hour ( 8:00 P.M. Est). Two time Champion Justin Thomas will start his quest for the very rare three-peat at 8:40 P.M. Please make sure to have your lineups set and ready to go for primetime golf.
As reported by: PGA Tour Thomas Pieters possibly flying under the radar
At the age of 25, Thomas Pieters has yet to make a big impact on the game of golf. Like many other foreign, players this 33rd ranked player in the world divides his time in between the European and PGA Tour’s. In 12 PGA tour starts last season Pieters made seven cuts and posted 5 top 25 or better finishes. Known for his prolific distance, Pieters has the ability to make birdies in bunches. Many in the DFS community jumped on the Pieters bandwagon after his top-five finish at last year’s Masters, but inconsistent recent form has since decreased the interest in this very talented young player. Late week ownership projections show Pieters to be a somewhat low owned option for this week’s tournament. All things considered, Pieters has the talent and game to compete with the best players in the world. The blend of his talent and price is just too great to ignore, and the ability to get Pieters at low ownership makes this an excellent spot for a leverage play in large field GPP’s.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projected Ownership Luke List ranks as a top value play on FanDuel
Luke List started off his 2018 PGA Tour campaign with a solid 37th finish at last week’s Safeway Open. List is hopeful to follow up on his most successful season to date and will need to rely on the same type of play he used to get the 2017 season started. List started off last season by posting 5 top 25 finishes out of his first six events and then struggled to play well towards the middle of the season, but he was able to salvage his season by make three consecutive cuts during the FedEx Cup race and finished the year with 9 top 25 or better finishes. This 148th ranked player in the world rates out as one of the top plays in terms of PT/$K in the FanDuel RotoGrinders Player projection tool for the CIMB Classic.The ability to play in an early no cut event helps to get an early start on the season, and at $5,300 it’s very easy to make a case for List in any format this week. A top 25 or better finish would more than pay off his salary for the week, and the guaranteed four rounds of golf helps to mitigate the risk normally associated with taking List in a normal PGA Tour event.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections