DFS Alerts
Hideki Matsuyama set to make his 2019 PGA season debut
Looking to rebound from a less than desirable 2018 campaign, Hideki Matsuyama will start his 2019 season at The CJ Cup this week. Ranked outside the top 20 in the world for the first time since the 2013 season Matsuyama has struggled to play the type of golf that would make him an elite player on tour. Plagued by some early season injuries, Matsuaya failed to post anything better than a tie for fourth last year. Matsuyama was scheduled to play in last week’s CIMB classic but pulled out due to an unspecified injury. Early week ownership levels for Matsuyama have him as one of the more popular plays on the week, making this a strong case for a potential fade spot in terms of ownership vs expected performance. The news of missing last week’s event might not impact his ownership numbers greatly, but outside of a decent finish to the 2018 season, Matsuyama has not played the type of golf worthy of either his high price tag or potential high ownership numbers. If for some reason his ownership numbers were to drop you could make a case for playing Matsuyama, but with better options around him in terms of both price and performance, this week looks like a decent spot to pivot off a popular player with too many question marks.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership
DraftKings projections are live and Jamie Lovemark ranks as a top play
These first few limited event tournaments are big for everyone on Tour. Play well to start the year and you can really get a jump start on making a deep run at the FedEx Cup race. Jamie Lovemark heads into this week trying to find a game that left him for the better part of last season. Priced down to recent poor play, Lovemark’s talent, and ball striking ability have near the top in our DraftKings rankings in $/Pt/k for this week’s CJ Cup. Looking to build on his solid 5th place finish from last year’s event, Lovemark at a discount stands out as a player worth taking a chance on in GPP’s. Regarded in many circles as one of the better players yet to win on The PGA Tour, Lovemark has only posted one top 10 since February of last season. Like many other players in this field, Lovemark knows what a good week at The CJ Cup can do for a season and should be motivated to play well this week.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool Still Too Cheap
Hop on board before the train gets too full or the ticket price becomes too expensive. Sungjae Im can PLAY, and all he did in his first career PGA Tour start was come in a tie for 4th place with a chance to win heading into the final round. No big deal. He should feel 100% comfortable at Nine Bridges given the fact that he grew up here and lists this as his home course. If that’s not enough ammunition to play him at a mid-range price on DK/FDRAFT and a dirt cheap price on FanDuel, there’s nothing else I can say. This is an elite-level golfer at a reasonable salary, and the arrow is pointing straight up.
A Class Golfer in This Field
When he’s healthy and competing, Oosthuizen is a world class golfer who is capable of winning any event. I am of the belief that he’s not going to pull one of his random withdrawal stunts in an overseas event where there is no cut, though we can never be certain of this. What we can be certain of is that his ownership is always lower than it should be because of that risk, and he is coming off four sub-70 rounds and a top five finish last week. His statistics never pop as much as with some other golfers, but much of that is attributable to the fact that we often see Oosthuizen only tee it up in the more difficult field events. He’s a class golfer in this field. Fire him up again with confidence here in Korea, especially in GPP formats. The price tag remains very reasonable.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
Should the wind kick up here like it did a year ago, you can upgrade the Australian contingent of golfers a little more. Aussies all tend to play better in blustery conditions, and it’s certainly no coincidence that Leishman and Smith finished 2nd and 3rd in the inaugural edition. Smith ranked 33rd on the PGA Tour in par five scoring and 38th in scrambling a year ago, and he is one of the most under-rated golfers out there right now. He quietly posted four straight sub-70 rounds on the way to a top 25 finish last week, and there’s a ton of potential at what could be reasonable ownership this week.
Still the Top Play
Like last week, Thomas simply grades out well ahead of the pack in this field. After scuffling a bit at the start in Kuala Lumpur, he roared on Sunday on his way to a tie for fifth place, and he is also the defending champion of this event in Korea. There’s a great combination of floor and ceiling with Thomas, and I think there’s enough value with which to comfortably fit Thomas into DFS lineups. He has finished inside the top 15 in six of his last seven worldwide starts, he is plenty long off the tee and ranked third in par five scoring a year ago, and he’s also a solid scrambler. Throw in his comfort level playing in this part of the country, and there’s little reason to pay top dollar for any other golfer in this field. It’s closer than last week, but I still can’t put anyone else into my lineups at the top end.
Twenty minutes to roster lock and no major news to report
With twenty minutes until primetime golf, there is no major news to report. Rain is in the forecast this week so, there is a better than average chance that golfers could have lift clean and play in place. If this happens we can expect to see pretty low scores throughout the week. Golf ownership numbers will be up and running within five minutes of roster lock. Make sure to check out Results DB to see how your percentages stack up vs the field.
As reported by: Results DB Weather update for The CIMB Classic
Kevin Roth’s weather forecast for The CIMB Classic is up in the main forum and it looks to be a wet week of golf. While it’s hard to really gain an edge in stacking tee times in this limited field event it’s worth noting that weather could still have a big impact on the tournament. With a chance of rain every day there is a strong chance that this event once again uses lift clean and place through the greens for most of the event. If this happens we will see the best players in the world with ideal lies which should equate to plenty of scoring opportunities. If the course get’s wet there could be an edge to golfers who carry it a long way off the tee. Again there is no real edge to be had in stacking tee time waves this week, but with the chance of potential rain, you could use golfers who stand to benefit from a wet golf course in case of a tie-break.
As reported by: Kevin Roth Weather Report Louis Oosthuizen set to make his season debut
Louis Oosthuizen will head into his first career CIMB Classic this week but by no means a stranger to this course. Like many other successful international players, Oosthuizen started his career out by competing on The European Tour. One of Oosthuizen’s 13 worldwide victories came at TPC Kuala Lumpur during the 2012 Maybank Open. Oosthuizen narrowly missed out on defending his title the following year as he finished second to Lee Westwood. Over his last 8 rounds at TPC Kuala Lumpur, Oosthuizen is 28 under par and heads into this week as a player worthy of a roster spot in your DFS builds. Currently projected at sub 7% ownership Oosthuizen makes for an interesting piece in a balanced lineup build. While most will gravitate towards a stars and scrubs roster build, the addition of Oosthuizen and other similarly priced golfers is a great way to gain leverage for the week.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Thomas Pieters looks to rebound from a poor season
At this point in the 2016 season, Thomas Pieters was perhaps one of the more exciting young players on The European Tour. Fresh off playing well in the Ryder Cup, Pieters quickly became the darling of the DFS community. As a fearless golfer that can hit it as far as anyone in the game, Pieters is the type of player that can absolutely crush DraftKings scoring. Unfortunately for Pieters things did not quite go his way over the last two seasons. While there were signs of his potential, Pieters played poorly this last season failing to make his second Ryder Cup team last month. Playing in his second CIMB Classic, and with hopes of rebounding from a poor stretch of golf, Pieters is a value play worth paying attention to this week. The talent is still there for Pieters, and at $7,500 he makes for a great option in GPP’s for The CIMB Classic.
As reported by: PGA GPP Breakdown Pat Perez looks to add his name to the list of back to back champions
Coming off his second consecutive season with a win Pat Perez will enter this week looking to become the third person in a row to successfully defend The CIMB Classic. Currently ranked inside the top 60 in the world Perez has made the most of his second chance to play golf at a high level. Prior to the start of the 2017 season, Perez had battled injuries that left him wondering if he would ever have the chance to compete on tour again. Known for his ability to ride a hot streak, Perez posted 27 birdies in route to a convincing win at last year’s CIMB Classic. WIth not much buzz around Perez prior to the start of the event, there is a great opportunity to buy low on a golfer who could very well play his way into contention again. For those that like the baby swag narrative, Perez welcomed his daughter into the world in September and will make his second start as a new dad.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Anirban Lahiri gaining steam as a value play
The dynamics of a limited field/ no cut event often leads to risky roster construction builds than in a normal week. The desire to fit in at least one top named golfer into a build magnifies the need to find value. With poor current form, a player like Anirban Lahiri could get overlooked on a normal week. Luckily for us, this is not a normal week, and Lahiri is starting to make sense as a value play despite his poor current form. This international player has a wonderful track record in Asia and more specifically at this course. With multiple top 20 or better finishes in various tournaments at this venue, Lahiri is starting to gain steam as a great value option for the week. Up almost 6% in ownership projections over the last 24 hours Lahiri could end up being one of the chunkiest value plays on the week. Looking for his third straight top 10 at this event, Lahiri is in need of a good week and certainly appears capable of playing the golf needed to snap out of his funk.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Chesson Hadley looks to bounce back from a missed cut
At this point last season Chesson Hadley was perhaps the hottest golfer on tour. Three straight top four or better finishes allowed Hadley the luxury of playing the 2018 season stress-free in terms of keeping his card. Fast forward a year and Hadley needs a good week in order to fend off a poor start at last week’s Safeway Open. While his missed cut is a bit disconcerting, Hadley finished only one shot out of playing the weekend at The Safeway Open. A deeper dive into Hadley’s second round revels that he had plenty of opportunities to play well inside the cut line on Friday. Over his final nine holes, Hadley hit every green but one and missed multiple close-range birdie putts. Priced down due to poor recent play Hadley has the talent and long-term form worthy of a roster spot for the week. At $6,800 on DraftKings, Hadley stands out as the number one player in terms of Pt/$/K on our model for the week.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool Kiradech Aphibarnrat ranks as a top value play on DraftKings this week
The addition of the CIMB Classic to the PGA Tour season allows international golfers a chance to compete with the best players in the world. Already a proven international player Kiradech Aphibarnrat heads into this week as one of the few players with a win at this venue. As the winner of the 2013 Malaysian Open, Aphibarnrat knows what it takes to play well at TPC Kuala Lumpur. In addition to his win on this course, Aphibarnrat also has a T3 at his only appearance in The CIMB Classic. At 2.2 % less of a discount from Fanduel to DraftKings pricing, Aphibarnrat stands out as one of the strongest site-specific values on the week. The combination of price and talent makes Aphibarnrat a clear-cut option as the number golfer in our value tier rankings on DraftKings for the week.
As reported by: DraftKings PGA Value Rankings No Course History? No Problem
Let me get this out of the way, Kokrak has never played this event. While that’s certainly a concern, we’ve seen first timers play well here in the past. His statistics don’t necessarily jump off the page at us, but he’s good off the tee, he’s good on approaches, and he makes a lot of birdies. He’s one of those golfers that could end up finishing 40th this week, but end up with the 20th most fantasy points. With no cut, it makes sense to load up on birdie makers, especially in the cheaper price range. Kokrak was in great form at the end of last season, posting top 25s in some very difficult fields — PGA Championship, Dell Championship, and BMW Championship.
