Keith Mitchell Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

I’m going back to my boy Keith Mitchell this week. It’s been a while since I have hopped aboard the train, but I like him in these birdie fests. It also doesn’t hurt that he will be back on his preferred bermuda putting surfaces this week after several weeks away. Mitchell made the cut in his only appearance here two years ago, and he is never shy about hunting at flag sticks. He should have some confidence after besting Tiger Woods in their H2H matchup on Saturday at the PGA Championship — and as silly as that sounds, it’s very much a real benefit from a mental standpoint. Mitchell is dirt cheap everywhere and has as much upside as any of the punts on the board. Let’s go Keith! Harken this one back to the Robert Garrigus bold call from a few years ago!

I have not written up Mitchell quite some time, but this is absolutely the perfect time to buy back in. He doesn’t like playing on poa greens at all, which caused him to struggle on the West Coast. He doesn’t like playing on bentgrass that much, which caused him to struggle in the Midwest. He’s not a great fit on links, but he only missed the cut at The Open by one stroke. He always tends to pop more often on bermuda surfaces, and that’s what we have this week at TPC Southwind. Mitchell is now mega cheap on every DFS site, and he played well at the St. Jude last year with a solid 37th place finish (when it was a full field, 156 golfer event). If you are looking for a golfer with value in a no cut event, Mitchell brings that in droves this week. I think he’s a great long shot bet for a top 5 or top 20 finish, too, if you are into the sports gambling space.

When it comes to Mitchell, the rule of thumb is very simple — is he playing on bermuda greens and on a course that lets him hit driver? If so, use him in all formats. It has really been that simple this season. His putting splits are incredible on bermuda and he’s one of the best in the world off the tee (second in this field). He’s ranked 13th in approach, fourth in opportunities, and fifth in birdie or better percentage. Unlike many young golfers coming off a win, he’s actually strung together some nice finishes. He clearly has an eye for the course after finishing in a tie for third here last season.

If you want more of a boom/bust pick compared to Spaun, give my man Keith Mitchell a look. Most of you know how much I love his “all systems go” game, and he will absolutely fire after some birdies on the par fives on these courses. Mitchell scores fantasy points in bunches, as he showed with his ace-birdie-eagle stretch to end the second round at the Sony Open two weeks ago. His distance off the tee should play well here, and I like the fact that he got more experience on the South Course with a made cut (albeit a 63rd place finish) a year ago. At this value price tag, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Mitchell end up as one of the top scoring values of the week — particularly on FD & FDRAFT where his price tag is extremely cheap on a comparative basis.

Since this profiles as a course where short game play stands out, many DFS players will likely shy away from Keith Mitchell this week. That is especially true since he was 5-7% owned last week despite being projected as a chalkier option. However, I am not going to run for the hills. Mitchell scores fantasy points and should get plenty of scoring chances on the easier holes on this course. He ranks inside the top 15 on the PGA Tour this year in birdie or better percentage, which is nothing to scoff at. Even though he finished in the middle of the pack at 41st last week, he ranked very highly with 21 birdies. He’s priced at an extremely dirt cheap tag for this event and is one of my favorite value plays on the board. Let’s go Keith!

BOMBS AWAY. When I went to the John Deere Classic a few weeks ago, I was following Keith Mitchell’s group around for a couple of rounds. Mitchell couldn’t decide whether he wanted to hit an iron or a driver off the tee on a short-ish par four, and eventually he landed on “Let’s just bomb it.” That was the quote to his caddie. I love that attitude, especially on a course like this one. He can make birdies in bunches and is coming off a 7th place finish at the John Deere Classic two weeks ago. Mitchell’s price is very reasonable compared to the other golfers in this range, as he ranks 7th on Tour in driving distance and 18th in par five scoring this year. Fire him up for a lot of upside in GPP formats.