DFS Alerts
Difficult course conditions await players ahead of the 2nd major of 2020
Phil Kenyon ( putting coach extraordinaire) posted a very interesting picture today on Instagram ( linked in the description). In the picture, you can see a chart of the first green at Winged Foot. While a ton will be made about the rough ( and rightly so), the greens at Winged Foot could end up being one of the hardest factors for the week. The chart shows the different areas of the first green in relation to slope. With the very fast speeds in play this week there are only a few decent places to put the pin on the first green. While timely putting is always a factor in major championships, avoiding putting yourself out of position on these greens could end up being a bigger factor. Great iron players ( those who control distance) can rely on smart strategy to avoid some of the headaches that take place when you get out of position. Smart patient golf is perhaps the biggest key to success on what could be one of the hardest courses in U.S. Open history.
As reported by: Phil Kenyon Instagram
Rory Sabbatini and Branden Grace have been added to the pricing pool
During a normal tour event, the addition of a late player to the field is usually not a player that we would have interest in adding to a roster build. This is not a normal week, and the alternate list for the second major of the year has some pretty good players that would love to gain entry into the event. Rory Sabatini and Branden Grace have both been added to the pricing pool and are ready to use in LineupHQ. Both players have some merit in terms of roster consideration for the week. Sabbatini is a steady ball striker that plays a style of golf that relies on an accurate iron game and timely putting. Although it’s been a few years, Grace has faced the pressure of a major championship and knows what it takes to win the U.S. Open. Neither player should carry much weight in terms of ownership, but both are solid options in terms of a GPP flyer.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool Other tagged players: Branden Grace 
My Pick to Win this Week
I originally had Tiger Woods and Tommy Fleetwood as conviction plays, but I didn’t hear enough from Tiger in his press conference and I don’t love that it’s going to be cold. He’s said it time and time again that it takes a lot longer for his back to get loose in cold weather. I still like Fleetwood for tournaments, but he’s gathering more and more ownership throughout the week. With such an importance on finishing position points, I decided to play Rahm and pair him with another value play. Rahm has played well on difficult courses since the restart (wins at Muirfield Village and Olympia Fields) and he’s one of the only bombers in the field that consistently hits fairways. If he hits his driver well, he will have a huge advantage over the rest of the field. He rates out well in my hole yardage breakdown and he appears poised to hoist his first major trophy. He also said that he was “hoping” for incredibly difficult conditions.
Cheap Price Play
If you’re looking to go punting, you can certainly do worse than Reavie. He ranks at or above field average in every key statistic I am looking at, and he also checks in with a very affordable price tag on every DFS site. Reavie started the fall swing with a solid 3rd place finish at the Safeway Open last week, He closed 66-66 on the weekend, and he ranked first among players who made the cut in strokes gained from tee to green. He ranked third in strokes gained on approach. Those are the types of trends that you like to see from your value plays. He makes total sense as a punt play to round out your final roster spot.
Under The Radar At The Top?
It feels like Justin Thomas often gets over-looked in national media circles. Sure, he’s good, but Dustin Johnson has been dominant of late. Rory McIlroy just had a baby girl. Jon Rahm makes waves with his personality. Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods. You get the picture. Thomas just does his business and gets the job done more often than not. He ranked inside the top eight on the PGA Tour for the 2019-2020 season in strokes gained on approach, bogey avoidance, and par four scoring from 450+ yards. His game is a fantastic fit for Winged Foot provided that he is able to find an above average amount of fairways. If he does that, he will be in contention come Sunday.
Time To Win A Major
It is Matsuyama’s time to win a major, and this could be the spot where he does it. He does have four career top fives at major championships, including a runner-up finish at the 2017 U.S. Open. His form has steadily improved over the last two months, and he has now finished inside the top 30 in six of his last seven events. That included a third place finish at the BMW Championship in the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Remember, that event was set up like a quasi-U.S. Open style event, as Matsuyama finished third with a score of just two under par for the week. We know the tee to green game will be there, as he is one of the best on Tour in that department; it will all come down to the flat stick. The DFS price tag isn’t outrageous, he grades out well statistically, and he has the talent to do exactly what Gary Woodland did a year ago.
Matt Kuchar stands out as a strong low ownership option for the week
Still ranked inside the top 30 in the world, Matt Kuchar comes into this week as a golfer with little to no interest in terms of ownership. The low price tag on Kuchar for the week directly reflects his unassuming play since the tour restart in June. Since the Colonial in June, Kuchar has played in 8 events making 6 cuts with 2 top 25 or better finishes. Not horrible golf, but also not the upside that most are used to getting out of Kuchar. Trending at a low ownership number for the week Kuchar has the proven talent in big events to merit a spot in your roster builds. Kuchar will plot it around this week and if a few putts drop he could make noise towards the weekend. With three top 25 or better finishes in the last 5 U.S. Open’s Kuchar has gained almost 28 strokes tee to green in his last 22 rounds at The U.S. Open. Arguably the most accomplished player in this field yet to win a major, Kuchar would like nothing more than to finally add an elusive major win to his resume.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership 
Brandt Snedeker looks to bounce back from a missed cut
A poor first round at last week’s Safeway Open really put Brandt Snedeker in a tough spot heading into Friday’s round. Snedeker fired a solid 32 on his front nine on Friday but faltered late to miss the cut. Over the last few weeks, I have seen bits and pieces of Snedeker working with Bradley Hughes on his game. Hughes is one of the hottest coaches on tour with a growing stable of players. Brendon Todd relied extensively on Hughes to rebuild his game over the past few years. Snedeker will head into this week’s U.S. Open with very little fanfare and could make for a good low owned GPP flyer for the week. Typically a steady type of player that relies on his putter, Snedeker fits the mold of what can be a good player on a hard U.S. Open course.
As reported by: Bradley Hughes Instagram 
The Irons are Back Baby!
It will be interesting to see if anyone talks up Fleetwood this week. He’s usually one of the most popular DFS targets in majors, but his recent form is nothing short of awful. The last two times we saw him on the PGA Tour, he lost 6.3 and 6.6 strokes on approach. It’s extremely hard to lose that many strokes to the field in one stat category, especially for a golfer that has long been known for his approach play. I do have good news for Tommy fans though, as he played in the Portugal Masters on the European Tour and led the field in strokes gained approach. Yes, it wasn’t the strongest field, but he just needed one good week with the irons to get that confidence back. We know he loves the U.S. Open and this is a rare opportunity to play him at low ownership.
Built for the Majors
We currently have Oosty projected at less than 10% ownership, but I expect that to go up as the week progresses. He tends to play his best golf in majors (he hasn’t missed a cut at the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, or the Masters since 2013) and for the first time in a very long time, he’s actually grading out as a solid option in my model. I usually have to ignore the numbers when I click his name, but that’s not the case this week. He’s gained strokes off the tee and on approach in each of his last four events, posting finishes of T6, T33, T13, and T25. While we obviously have a different course on our hands this week, he has five straight top 25 finishes at the U.S. Open. His game is rounding into form at the perfect time and I love the price point.
If a Top 25 Floor + Winning Equity Doesn't Sound Good, Feel Free to Fade X
It’s funny what DFS and betting does to our views of golfers. Half the community is in on Xander and half the community thinks he’s smoke and mirrors. It basically comes down to whether or not you’ve been playing him since the restart. I have been as bullish as anyone, so I obviously look at his statistics with the glass half-full perspective. Yes, he has lost strokes on approach in three of his last five events, but he has eight straight top 25 finishes on tour and he technically had the lowest 72-hole score at the Tour Championship. His off the tee, around the green, and putting have been immaculate over the last few months and if you zoom back and look at his approach numbers over the last two years, he’s actually 18th in this field in strokes gained on approach. He loves poa annua greens and he’s never finished outside of the top 10 at the U.S. Open.
Rory Sabbatini will take the place of Sam Horsfield in the U.S. Open field
Sam Horsfield will not play in this week’s U.S. Open as he has tested positive for COVID-19. Rory Sabbatini will take his spot in the field. Players added to the field after prices were released should get added to the pricing pool by Tuesday.
As reported by: Rob Bolton Twitter Other tagged players: Sam Horsfield 
Scottie Scheffler test positive for COVID-19, will miss the U.S. Open
News broke this evening that standout rookie Scottie Scheffler has tested positive for COVID-19. Scheffler will be replaced in the field by Branden Grace. Scheffler is reportedly asymptomatic and will remain quarantined at his home in Dallas, Texas.
As reported by: PGA TOUR Other tagged players: Branden Grace 
Ten Minutes to roster lock at The Safeway Open, no major news to report
With a little over ten minutes until the first PGA event of the 2021 season, there is no major news to report. ResultsDB will be up and running shortly after lock, please check back to see how your lineups stack up against the field. If you are playing showdown slates then you can gain a small edge by playing morning golfers this week. With POA greens there is always a strong chance that lower scores come from the morning waves when the putting surfaces are the smoothest. Good luck this week Grinders!!!
Maverick McNealy flying under the radar
Just a few years ago Maverick McNealy was in serious consideration for college golfer of the year. In terms of upside in comparison to consumer confidence this former All American standout has not really lived up to his potential in the world of professional golf. Hopefully, with this new season, McNealy will have a renewed interest in claiming his first PGA Tour win. McNealy switched coaches to Butch Harmon almost a year ago and could be a golfer that people have forgotten in terms of his talent. McNealy is a great ball striker who is not afraid to play the aggressive type of golf needed to win this week. Playing a ton of golf on the west coast during his college days, McNealy’s putting stats are also much better on POA greens. With a sub, 6% predicted ownership level. McNealy makes for a great pivot off other chalky golfers in his price range ( Cameron Tringale).
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership