Webb Simpson Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

My strategy this week in my main lineup is to fade Dustin Johnson and target two of the top five golfers in the FedEx Cup standings. This allows me to build a strong lineup all the way through and still have win equity at the top. Simpson is the only golfer in the field that didn’t have to grind it out at Olympia Fields last week. He decided to rest up and get ready for this week, which could be a very profitable strategy. He’s at his best on Par 70 bermuda courses and that’s exactly what we have this week. To win here, you have to hit fairways, gain strokes with your irons, and make putts. This is right up Webb’s alley, so it’s no surprise that he’s played well here in the past. He only has to make up four shots over the course of four days.

Yes, the narrative is tired, but it’s clear that Simpson absolutely loves this event. He has finished 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd here in the last three editions, and you know he is hungry to finally pull out that victory. He did win here back in 2011, he leads the PGA Tour in par four scoring, and his game is suited perfectly to this course. Don’t let the healthy salary scare you away. He is the top option on my board by a fairly wide margin, and the form is reasonable enough. He ranks sixth in this field in strokes gained approach over the last 50 measured rounds, and that’s without accounting for just how good he is at this specific venue.

Golf is a wild sport where anything can happen. Take last Sunday for instance — Brooks Koepka was primed to take home his third straight PGA Championship and he only beat one golfer in the field. I open with that because no matter how good a play looks on paper, it’s still golf. With that out of the way, Simpson is the clear favorite in my eyes this week. He has a home on the course and as noted above, he named his daughter after this event. He’s first in this field when it comes to course history and he’s first in the field in strokes gained on Par 70 bermuda courses. He’s fourth in strokes gained approach and second in strokes gained putting. His form is impeccable with seven top 10 finishes in his last 12 events on tour. He’s going to be popular, but I will look to differentiate my lineups elsewhere.

I would love to sit here and tell you everyone will be fading Simpson because he was popular last week and missed the cut. Unfortunately, the PGA DFS community is far too sharp to let that happen. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being the highest owned golfer this week. I take the approach of targeting my favorite golfers regardless of ownership and then look to differentiate my lineups elsewhere (potentially with the wildcard plays below). Simpson is one of the best golfers in this field on Pete Dye courses, he has never missed a cut at Harbour Town and has two top fives in the last six years, and he's one of the best putters in the world on bermuda greens. He hits a lot of fairways, he's great with his irons, and he is solid around the greens. The last time he missed a cut (last March), he bounced back with a T5 at the Masters. I expect a similar type of bounce-back performance this week.

I have no issue with any of the golfers priced above $10,000 on DraftKings this week, but will likely be starting my main lineup with Simpson. Once again, the best weapon for the truly elite golfers in this field is the driver and that's just not that important this week. Simpson is a short course specialist and has quietly become one of the most consistent golfers on tour. Over the last 14 months, he has made all 18 cuts and has only finished outside of the top 35 one time. He has a win, four seconds, a third, and a fifth place finish during that stretch. In this field, he is ranked in the top eight in strokes gained approach, birdie or better percentage, and strokes gained putting. His course history has been hit or miss, as he has three missed cuts, a third, and a fifth. In terms of the best comp course, Simpson has some of the best course history in this field at Harbour Town. I haven't heard anything about his routine during the break, but no news could be good news.