DFS Alerts
Paul Casey continues as a top play among experts
For the second straight week, Paul Casey comes in as a top ranked player in The RotoGrinders Consensus Value Rankings. Currently ranked 12th in the FedEx Cup rankings and fresh off his fifth consecutive top 15 or better finish in a row, Casey comes into this week only a win shy of making the 2017 season a memorable one. With only one career PGA tour victory to his name Casey appears ready to return to the winner’s circle. At a $8,900 price tag on DraftKings, this 14th ranked player in the world easily fits into a wide variety of roster construction builds, and his solid recent play should make Casey a very popular player for this week’s Dell Technologies Championship.Casey will yet again be one of the more popular plays, but the combination of his skill set and current form justifies him a spot in all formats for the week.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Value Rankings
Patrick Cantlay continues to shine
Patrick Cantlay is projected to be one of the higher picks in terms of PT/$K in the DraftKings RotoGrinders Player projection tool for the Dell Technologies Championship. The emergence of Cantlay on the PGA tour is easily one of the best stories of the season. Plagued by injuries and personal tragedies, this former top ranked amateur is having the type of season that could win him comeback player of the year. In only 10 events this season Cantlay has 5 top 25 or better finishes. Twice this season Cantlay has played his way into contention late on Sunday, and a solid few weeks of play could land him a spot in the Tour Championship. It’s pretty amazing to think that after missing multiple seasons due to injury, that Cantlay could potentially play in the Tour Championship with only 12 starts this season. At $7,200 he could end up being one of the higher owned players in this week’s field, but the upside Cantlay provides at this price is simply too good to pass up. Cantlay makes a great play for any format for this week’s Dell Technologies Open.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Harold Varner looks to stay hot
Varner’s win at he 2016 Australian PGA Championship displayed the potential this young PGA Tour player. Unfortunately for Varner the 2017 season has been more about disappointment and failed expectations and less about competing in golf tournaments. One of the great things about The FedEx Cup Race is that it gives golfers a chance to salvage a year. By virtue of his T20 in last week’s Northern Trust Varner becomes only the fourth player in the history of the FedEx Cup Race to successfully play his way into the next event in consecutive weeks. A T10 at the Wyndham Championship secured not only Varner’s tour card for the 2018 season, but it also gave him a spot in last weeks Northern Trust. Currently ranked in the 91st position in the FedEx Cup standings Varner will need another great week of golf if he has any plans of playing at The BMW Championship. In his post game T.V. Interview last week Varner cited extra practice time and a rededication to the game as the driving force behind his late season surge. The combination of his price and his very solid current form makes Varner a very interesting GPP flyer for The Dell Technologies Championship.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Adam Scott is back a week early
The worlds 18th ranked player had originally planned to miss the regular season finale and the first two Playoffs events. Scott planned to use this time to spend with wife Marie in preparation for the birth of their second child. The second child came earlier than expected, and now that everyone is healthy and home, Scott will return a week early to compete in the FedEx Cup Race. Currently ranked in the 73rd position in the FedEx Cup standings, Scott could use a few good weeks in order to ensure a spot in the tour championship. Still looking for his first win of the season, Scott comes into this week with a very solid course history. In addition to winning the inaugural tournament at the TPC Of Boston Scott has 5 top ten finishes in eleven starts at this tournament. Scott has a very solid scoring average of 68.9 at the TPC Off Boston and only five of his forty-three rounds have been over par. With baby swag narrative in full effect this week, look for Scott to gain momentum as we get closer to Friday’s opening round. Scott’s very reasonable price this week will make him a popular play in large majority of roster builds.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Charl Schwartzel emerges a source of value
Part time foreign born tour players typically get over looked in terms of both ownership and price. That being said It’s very odd to see a top 25 ranked player in the world priced as low as Schwartzel. As a proven winner on many different continents and tours, Schwartzel has the game to compete and win on any given week. While concerns of an early season wrist injury linger, Schwartzel still has the capability to more than out perform his price. Currently ranked 52 in the FedEx Cup standings, this former Masters Champion still needs a few solid weeks in order to participate in the Tour Championship. The discount on Schwartzel makes him an excellent GPP flyer for the Northern Trust.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Francesco Molinari gaining steam as a top value play
There has been much discussion on what type of player best fits this new PGA Tour venue. At the center of the debate, is the age old battle of distance vs accuracy. While a case could easily be made for either side of the debate, there has been a strong surge in the DFS community to rely on players who excel at ball striking. One such player gaining steam from this movement is Francesco Molinari. This 14th ranked player in the world comes into this week as a great value. Fresh off his second place finish at The PGA Championship, Molinari has the skills needed to play a longer course despite his lack of length. The combination of his talent and low price makes Molinari an easy fit in the majority of roster builds. As of late Wednesday night, Molinari is near the top of the list in terms of players gaining popularity on the RotoGrinders Ownership page. Currently ranked in the 31st position in the FedEx Cup standings, Molinari is in a great spot to play in his first Tour Championship.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Projected Ownership Martin Flores looks to continue his hot play
Momentum is always a hard thing to quantify in golf. Golfers who are struggling will often look for anything to help them get on the right side of momentum, and players who are in the middle of a good run will try their hardest to keep on the right side of the current form. Martin Flores heads into the first week of the FedEx Cup as a player looking to stay on the right side of positive momentum. Currently ranked in the 118th position in the FedEx Cup standings, Flores comes into this week on the heels of making seven straight cuts and four consecutive top 20 or better finishes. With his tour card for next season secured, Flores is now free of the pressure associated with being on the bubble of the top 125. With ground to gain in order to move on to the next round, Flores looks to keep his streak of solid play alive. At $7,300 Flores offers a great value for the Northern Trust.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Paul Casey sits at the top spot in the Consensus Value Rankings
Considered to be on of the better ball strikers on tour, Casey has the game to compete with the best players in the world. The only thing separating Casey from other elite players is his lack of wins. This 17th ranked player in the world comes into this week having posted four top fifteen or better finishes in a row. Casey has only missed one cut this season, and he has placed out of the top 25 in only six of his 20 starts. The difference between being a good and great on the PGA tour is measured by wins, and Unfortunately for Casey, there has only been one win in his career. Eager to return to the winner’s circle Casey comes into this week a solid pay. At a $9,000 price tag on DraftKings, Casey easily fits into a wide variety of roster construction builds. The combination of consistency and upside has made Casey a very easy selection among the panel of RotoGrinders Experts for this week’s Northern Trust.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Value Rankings Charley Hoffman trending as a top value play
Hoffman is projected to be one of the higher picks in terms of PT/$K in the FanDuel RotoGrinders Player projection tool. Arguably one of the hottest players on tour, Hofman is a combined 56 under par and has four top ten or better finishes in his last seven tournaments. In three of his last top ten finishes, Hoffman played well enough to claim his first victory of the season. Known as a streaky player, Hoffman’s play this year has been anything but hot and cold. With 13 top 25 finishes this season, Hoffman has shown a consistency that he lacked earlier in his career. This four time PGA Tour winner played has made the cut in all four majors this year and currently ranked in the 11th position in the FedEx Cup standings. Hoffman is in a great spot to finish the season strong and he makes for a great play in all formats.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections Justin Rose looks to bounce back from a missed cut
As a part time player on the PGA Tour, Rose often gets overlooked in terms of being an elite player. In addition to nearly winning the year’s first Major, Rose has 5 other top 25 finishes this season on tour, and he currently sits in the 32nd position in the FedEx Cup race. Rose has put up pretty impressive numbers considering that he has only played in 14 events this year. A missed cut in the last major of the year is not the type of recent form that most are looking for when deciding on player selection. The combination of him being a part time player on tour and his lack of perceived recent form has the predicted ownership levels very low Rose this week. Rose has the upside to be a major difference maker this week, and he makes for a great option in large field GPP’s.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Projected Ownership Tony Finau trending as a value play for The Northern Trust
Tony Finau is in the middle of having yet another solid PGA Tour season. Currently ranked in the 28th position in the FedEx Cup standings, Finau has positioned himself to make a run at playing in his first Tour Championship. Finau is no stranger to the pressure of playing in the late stages of the season, in his first two years on tour Finau finished inside the top 50 in the final FedEx Cup standings. Finau has posted 10 top 25 or better finishes this season, and he has not missed a cut since The Players Championship in May. The combination of his consistency and upside makes Finau a great play in almost any format this week. When you factor in the extremely low price for Finau this week it’s very easy to see why the RotoGrinders DraftKings players projections have him ranked as one the top picks in terms of PT/$K for the Northern Trust.
As reported by: RotoGrinders Player Projections New course in play for The Northern Trust
For the second time this season the PGA Tour is going to a new course, The Glen Oaks Club in Long Island, New York will host the first leg of the FedEx Cup. The challenge this week will lie in trying to figure out what type of player best fits this course. Glen Oaks is a 7,350 par 70 golf course that has only two, par 5s, the 3rd at 625 yards and the 13th at 539 yards. Length could be an asset this week as the there are 5 par four holes that measure over 470 yards. Even though the course appears to favor the bomber, the long hot summer has dried out the course increasing the chances of making the venue more of a shot makers dream. With green side conditions very similar to the likes of an Augusta National, players will have very little rough to deal with when facing the task of getting up and down.The lack of course history will make it very hard to speculate on what specific player type best fits this course. Given the data we have on course length, par four scoring and strokes gained approach are two great spots to start off your research for the week.
As reported by: PGA First Look McIlroy set to defend the FedExCup Championship
The final field for the first FedEx event has been set, and Rory McIlroy looks to become the first player to ever successfully defend a FedEx Cup title. This former number one player in the world hinted after the PGA Championship, that he might take the rest of the year off. McIlroy has not been 100% healthy this year and he highly considered taking the rest of the season off to let his injuries heal. While the injuries have prevented him from playing his best golf, McIlroy eventually settled in on the fact that he is healthy enough to compete and therefore will start his title defense at this weeks Northen Trust. Currently ranked in the 44th position in the FedEx Cup standings, McIlroy will need to play well early and often if he has plans on making it to East Lake. A healthy McIlroy started last year’s FedEx Cup run in the 36th position, and he should be able to use that experience as motivation for the stretch run. If healthy, McIlroy makes for a very strong play moving forward. Tiger Woods is the only player to have 2 FedEx Cup titles to his name, and a strong performance at this week’s Northern Trust would go a long way in the quest to join Woods on that list.
As reported by: PGA Tour Kevin Roth's official weather report for The Wyndham Championshp
RotoGrinders own chief meteorologist Kevin Roth posted his weather report for the final regular season tour event in the main forum. Isolated thunderstorms and light winds highlight the weather activity for the week. For the second straight week, it looks like the weather will play a very small role in terms of gaining an edge in tee time stacking.
As reported by: Kevin Roth Smylie Kaufman is on the outside looking in
Smylie Kaufman is experiencing the dreaded sophomore slump. This Web.Com Tour graduate burst onto the scene by winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in the 2016 season. Prior to a fourth round of 81, Kaufman briefly flirted with a chance of winning The Masters. A rookie season of 18 made cuts, one win, and 10 top 25 or better finishes earned Kaufman a deep run into last year’s FedEx Cup race. This year has been a completely different story for Kaufman. With more cuts missed than he has made, Kaufman finds himself in the less than desirable spot of needing to play well in order to make it into the first FedEx Cup event. Currently ranked in the 131st spot for this year’s FedEx Cup race, Kaufman will need a great week if he hopes to keep his season alive. Kaufman is not letting his poor play creep into his personal life. Earlier this week Kaufman announced his engagement to long time girlfriend Francie Harris. Prior to his W/D at this year’s Barracuda Championship, Kaufman had posted two of his better finishes of the season. The task of handicapping how players will play in the situation of needing a good performance in order to save a season is never a very easy thing, but Kaufman offers enough upside to be considered a deep sleeper in this week’s Wyndham Challange. The narrative street of his engagement could add a much-needed spark to Kaufman’s season.
As reported by: Smylie Kaufman Instagram