DFS Alerts
Riding High
Finau is the only player to have top eight finishes in every FedEx Cup event this season. His run has been incredible this year. It’s amazing that he hasn’t picked up another win or two. He made the Ryder Cup, so he has to be flying high right now. He’s a Utah native, so I’m always cheering for him and he never seems to let us down from a DFS standpoint, so he’s an easy guy to root for. He is ranked in the top five in the standings, so if he wins this week, he’ll win the FedEx Cup. I always like targeting golfers in the top five because they control their own destiny and don’t have to worry about what everyone else is doing.
Perfect Time for the First Win of the Season
If you have read my article before, follow me on Twitter, or watch our weekly golf show, then you know I have an irrational love for Tiger Woods. He’s been close so many times this season. Wouldn’t it be fitting for him to pick up a win at the final event of the season? His driver has really improved over the last few events and he was actually ranked in the top five in total driving at the BMW Championship where he only finished three shots back. We know his irons will be locked in and he should feel right at home on these fast Bermuda greens. The nice part about starting lineups with Koepka is that you can afford another stud like Woods instead of dipping down to the next price range.
Big Week for Brooks
Koepka has a lot cultivating for him in what could be the biggest weak of his career (which is crazy given the fact that he’s won three majors already). If he wins, he would win the Tour Championship, he would win the FedEx Cup (which comes with a cool $10 million check), he would secure the Player of the Year, and he would become the number one ranked golfer in the world. How about that for a week? He’s one of the best off the tee, he’s good with his irons, he’s a great scrambler, and he is one of the best putters on Bermuda. And he’s not quite as expensive as the other golfers at the top.
Rory McIlroy looks to finish the season strong
PGA Tour superstar Rory McIlroy is one of the few golfers in this field who knows what it’s like to win the FedEx Cup. With a win this week and help from a few of his friends on tour, McIlroy could become only the second player to win multiple FedEx Cup titles. McIlroy has tried to go with what he calls a simpler approach to the game this year, and his results thus far have been solid but not spectacular. One area of concern for McIlroy this season has been a balky putter. In an effort to make this putting more natural McIlroy has been rumored to seek the knowledge of one the best putters in golf Brad Faxon. The two were spotted working together on the putting green at East Lake today. In his 5th place finish at The BMW Championship, McIlroy gained a total of 9.5 strokes for the week, with zero of those coming on the green. This is an important stretch of golf for many players in the field and if McIlroy can start to roll the rock he is a threat to win this week.
As reported by: Jonathan Wall Twitter
DraftKings projections are live and Marc Leishman ranks as a top play
Playing in his second consecutive Tour Championship, Marc Leishman enters this week as one of the more intriguing value plays on the slate. Priced only $300 more than the minimum golfer on DraftKings, Leishman has the talent and skill set worthy of a high rank in terms of Pt/$/K in our projection model. Following up a career season on The PGA Tour is often a hard thing to do, but Leishman was able to make it back to the Tour Championship despite a win this season. With wins at last year’s BMW Championship and The Arnold Palmer, Invitational Leishman proved that he has the game to compete with the best players in the world. Lots of players are priced down due to the strength of field this week, but Leishman is just too talented to ignore at this price. With a top ten or better finish at the Tour Championship Leishman would certainly crush value this week making him a player worth considering on any type of roster build for the last event of the season.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool Ten minutes to roster lock and no major news to report
Ten minutes until roster lock and as expected it’s quiet on the news front this morning. Hideki Matsuyama did not finish his last nine holes of yesterday’s Pro-Am due to heat exhaustion, but as of now, it looks like he will play. Good luck this week grinders, as always if any late news breaks we will provide the updates needed. 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.
Jason Day looks to bounce back from a bad week
Starting a playoff run with a missed cut in a small field event is never a good thing, but like Justin Rose the week before, Jason Day has a chance to be a rebound pick for this week’s BMW Championship. Prior to his missed cut Day had posted 5 consecutive top 20 or better finishes and is currently trending towards a sub 10% ownership number for the week. With so many great names in this small field, it’s really hard to find a super sneaky play with so much upside. Day hit the ball poorly last week, but a weekend off could just be what the doctor ordered. If you are looking for a chance to differentiate your lineups at the top, then Day has a great shot of giving you upside at a discount in both price and projected ownership.
As reported by: DraftKings Projected Ownership Hideki Matsuyama exits Pro-Am after just nine holes
Hideki Matsuyama only played nine holes of his Pro-Am today due to heat exhaustion. With temps reaching 100 it is important to not put too much stock in his absence, but his early exit is worth noting. Matsuyama enters this week hoping to build on three straight top 15 or better finishes. We will continue to monitor this situation up until roster lock tomorrow morning.
As reported by: Doug Ferguson Twitter Paul Casey still has plenty to play for this week
In what was probably not a big surprise, Paul Casey was named to the Ryder Cup team earlier today. Currently ranked inside the top 20 in both The Offical World Golf Rankings and The FedEx Cup, Casey still has a lot of incentive to finish his season strong. Despite posting his 13th top 25 or better finish of the season last week, we still get a depressed DraftKings price on Casey for The BMW Championship. Great ball strikers should have an advantage this week, and Casey is still very elite in this department. A few uncharacteristic big numbers have kept Casey from playing well over the last few weeks, and if he can keep the big numbers away this week then he should be a great option in all formats. When you weight in his long-term form and compare that with a depressed price it’s easy to see how Casey ranks as the number one overall play amongst our experts in the mid-tier pricing range for the week.
As reported by: DraftKings PGA Value Rankings Henrik Stenson named to the Ryder Cup Team
European Ryder Cup Captian Thomas Bjorn rounded out his team with a selection of crafty veterans. To the surprise of no one, Bjorn added Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, and Ian Poulter to his squad today. Stenson, Casey, and Poulter are still alive in the FedEx Cup race and all still have something to play for moving forward. The addition of Stenson to The Ryder Cup Team should relieve some worry about adding him to your roster in fear of injury. If he is healthy enough to play in the Ryder Cup then you have to figure Stenson is a full go this week. At $7,600 on DraftKings, Stenson stands out as a very strong value play in comparison to his talent. Poor recent results are due to a very balky putter, and on a course that demands accurate ball striking, Stenson should be in the mix this week. The only other time Stenson has been priced under $8k this year ( Masters) he finished inside the top 5 at 20% ownership. The combination of talent and a very low price makes Stenson a great salary relief option for almost any roster build for The BMW Championship.
As reported by: PGA Cash Game Breakdown Chesson Hadley in need of a good week
Prior to last week’s Dell Technologies Championship Chesson Hadley and Tony Finau were the only two golfers to reside inside of the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings for the entirety of the season. While Finau is comfortably inside the top 30, Hadley’s poor finish to the season has him currently ranked in the 36th position in the standings. Looking to finish the year strong, Hadley’s early season’s success combined with his rock bottom price has this former PGA Tour winner atop our DraftKings rankings in terms of Pt/$K. While it’s certainly easy to see that Hadley has not played the type of golf of late that he started the season with, there is still merit for taking a $6,300 player in a no-cut event. Assuming no injury or early withdrawal, Hadley would crush value if he were to somehow finish inside the top 25 for the week. Searching for his best finish since the first week of July, Hadley has plenty to play for if he hopes to make it to East Lake in a few weeks.
As reported by: Rotogrinders Projections Tool Rickie Fowler set to return after a layoff
Rickie Fowler returns to action this week after taking the last two events off to rest a torn oblique muscle. Fowler played through the injury at The PGA Championship, and it appears that he only took these last two weeks off to ensure a healthier body for The Ryder Cup. The news and timing of his injury could very well make Fowler an under the radar pick in terms of his normal fanfare this week. Still, one of the more consistent ball strikers on tour, Fowler if healthy is a great fit for Aronimink. Not that he needs any more motivation in his career to start winning a few more events, but you would have to think young players like Bryson DeChambeau winning the 4th PGA event of his career ( tieing Fowler) adds extra incentive to get his first win of the season.
As reported by: DraftKings PGA Expert Survey To the Grilloooooo... To the Hole!
The final pick of the week is the safest play below $7,400. I thought that honor belonged to Zach Johnson last week, but of course he bogeyed the easy 18th hole on Saturday to miss the cut by one. Am I bitter? No, you are! Grillo has made 22-of-24 cuts this week and is coming off of a great week at the Dell Technologies Championship. He finished in a tie for seventh, despite losing strokes with his short game. He’s actually putted very well this season, so if the irons are starting to heat up, he offers plenty of upside at this price point.
Time for a Good Putting Week
Has Stenson played well recently? Absolutely not. His last four finishes are as follows: 39th, MC, 20th, and 69th. From a macro perspective, there isn’t a lot that suggests an improvement is coming. However, during that stretch he has lost 21 strokes putting. Let me repeat that, he has lost 21 strokes putting in his last four tournaments. Tee to green hasn’t been an issue whatsoever, as he has gained 18 strokes on the field during that stretch. I’m always willing to bet on a ball striker whose results are a little misleading thanks to a poor stretch of putting.
Ryder Cup Snub?
If you read the column last week, then you know that I had nearly 80% exposure to Paul Casey. In typical Casey fashion, he got off to a hot start that was quickly thrown away thanks to a triple-bogey. He strung together a solid final round and finished in a tie for 21st. There were reports that he was fighting his swing a couple months ago, but he seems to have figured it out. He’s one of the best on tour when it comes to long irons and there should be plenty of those hit this week on this long, Par 70 course. Casey is a safe play and he provides good upside at his price point.