Are Lebron and the Lakers ready for a title run in 2018?
Lebron James has now changed teams for the third time in his 15 year career. James has shown that everytime he switches teams he instantly propels that organization into becoming a title contender. The King of the NBA has gone to the finals for eight straight years, but this time it might be a little different with the Lakers. The Lakers signed Lebron to a 4 year $153M deal which is his longest contract in years. That contract is a great thing for the Lakers because it relieves some of the pressure of reaching the Finals in his first year in L.A.. Right after the Lebron signing the Lakers signed multiple free agents to one year contracts to begin filling out their roster. With Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all signing one year deals it clearly opens the door for a possible max contract signing in 2019 free agency. If that scenario I expressed in L.A. with only signing one year deals holds true for this upcoming season, and the Lakers can somehow get rid of Luol Deng’s contract by 2019 that would free up close to $37M in cap space for 2019.
Kawhi Leonard has made it clearly apparent that he wants to sign with the Lakers, and with the way things have unfolded for the Lakers with multiple one year deals has clearly reduced an urgency to trade for Leonard. This allows L.A. to be much more patient and possibly keep some of their young key talented pieces in Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart. This also has its downside in the fact that Leonard could go elsewhere this upcoming NBA season, like the new situation he is in, and re-sign with that team like Paul George did in OKC. On the other hand there is value if the Lakers do complete a trade giving up players and picks to acquire Leonard this season. Even then I’d probably take my chances and wait on Leonard in the fact that even with Leonard on the roster this season the Lakers would unlikely win a championship having to go through the Western Conference.
After all Leonard isn’t the only option for the Lakers future. If they wait until next year then Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, and many other top tier players will be on the free agent block with Leonard as well. Adding a max free agent next summer is not certain for the Lakers, but it would allow them to do so while retaining their young talent alongside Lebron. Allowing Lebron to help develop the Lakers core youth this season with quit possibly the best NBA player ever is a huge bonus. That option clearly remains their best chances of building a championship contending team.
So how good will the Lakers be next season with the new additions and current roster?
So what can we really expect from Lebron and the Lakers.? Let’s take a look at ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM) stats on the new additions and current roster. When looking at this model below it clearly shows that the Lakers would have an offensive rating of 3.6 points better per 100 possessions than the league average. It also shows that the Lakers defense will possibly be just below the league average. Any team with this type of offensive and defensive (RPM) rating in the league would figure to win around 50 games in a season, which puts the Lakers roughly third or fourth in the Western Conference.
There is still some improvements that the Lakers can make this season as well. Losing Julius Randle will hurt them at the Center position in which they are very thin at. I also expect Lebron to play more minutes than usual at the Center position this season just for this reason. At least until they can find a solid C to go along with McGee who can really only play about 20 mins max before running out of gas.
The Lakers really don’t have a chance to challenging the Warriors this upcoming season, even with Lebron. But they should be able to compete at a much higher level after spending the last five seasons in the lottery draft. The Lakers will make the playoffs and probably win a series or possibly two while molding their youth and getting experience for something bigger and better for the future.
2018-19 Lakers RPM Projection
| PLAYER | GP | MPG | OFFRPM | DEFRPM |
| Lonzo Ball | 77 | 32 | -0.2 | 2.1 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 78 | 32 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Brandon Ingram | 77 | 34 | 0.1 | -0.5 |
| LeBron James | 78 | 36 | 4.6 | 0.4 |
| JaVale McGee | 78 | 18 | -0.3 | 0.1 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 78 | 28 | 0.6 | -0.7 |
| Rajon Rondo | 76 | 24 | -1.1 | -0.7 |
| Josh Hart | 78 | 20 | 0.9 | -0.3 |
| Lance Stephenson | 78 | 18 | -0.3 | -1.8 |
| Ivica Zubac | 78 | 12 | -1.0 | 0.9 |
| Total | 3.6 | 0.1 |
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When the New York Giants play this fall, the key daily fantasy targets are going to be Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley. If the match-ups are right, tight end Evan Engram could even be selected. But there is one guy that Eli Manning is talking about—Sterling Shephard.
If a quarterback is raving about a guy, you have to think he’s going to get him involved on Sundays.
Sterling Shephard? Really?
Manning had this to say to the media recently about Shephard:
“I thought Sterling had a great camp during the spring. He’s understanding the coverages, understanding the route combinations, he understands zone and man, and how to make little moves to get open against different techniques.”
“I think he’s primed for a big year. And I’ve been really impressed by his work ethic.”
Praise doesn’t necessarily mean anything. But it stands to reason that a QB may look to someone who has been working hard that he knows has been improving. If Shephard can back up Manning’s confidence with a couple of good games early on in the season, he could turn into a great No. 2 daily fantasy wide receiver.
Why just a No. 2?
No matter how highly Manning thinks of Shepherd, Manning is still going to be looking to Odell Beckham Jr. first on every play. Not that he needs to be told, but the coaches will likely want him to get OBJ involved as much as possible and as early as possible.
Should OBJ struggle a little after missing most of last season, Shephard could be in luck. Manning will still be firing passes at Beckham, but he’ll send a few more Shephard’s way to make sure the offense keeps moving.
But what makes him no better than a No. 2 receiver is that the Giants actually have options this year. They are certainly going to try hard to get the run game going with Barkley and a somewhat revamped O-line. Engram will take some of the receiving work as well.
But that could be a good thing.
Yes, other players getting involved could be a good thing for Shephard’s fantasy value. If his numbers don’t blow up too much too fast, he will have a better chance of remaining an affordable option for daily fantasy players.
Too much success could lead to too high a price tag.
Kevin Na has been mentioned several times on DK Legends this season because of his penchant for being a valuable sleeper pick. His ever-tantalizing salary, coupled with his consistency in making birdies finally paid off as he captured his first win on the PGA tour since 2011. Na’s 138.8 points on FanDuel helped many DFS players haul in big paydays. With a new trophy in hand though, Na is unlikely to be found in the bargain bin moving forward.
Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau, and Bubba Watson were all pre tournament favorites, making lineup building tricky with only a few standouts beyond those three. Fortunately, Finau and Watson had great weekends, finishing outside the top 20, but still compiling impressive numbers on daily fantasy sites. As a matter of fact, 68 players broke par over the course of play, creating a logjam at the top of many contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Lesser Knowns Making Their Mark
Few counted on the likes of Kelly Kraft, Jason Kokrak, and Harold Varner, III to provide the post-Independence Day fireworks. Despite their lack of presence in many lineups, each were able to stand out amongst the group competing in West Virginia this past weekend.
Our lineup recommendations fared decently at Greenbrier, but none were capable of cracking the top 10. Ryan Moore and Keegan Bradley both end Sunday tied for 13th, providing a decent haul of points to pad the scoring in four-day contests. Of our sleeper picks, only Nick Watney made the cut, while Kevin Streelman and Danny Lee didn’t do much to impact DFS play.
Gearing Up for the John Deere
With many of the PGA regulars setting out across the pond to prep for The Open Championship next week, the field teeing it up at the TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois will look to maximize their chance to get some attention. Francesco Molinari seeks his second victory in three weeks as the odds-on favorite, while defending champ Bryson DeChambeau hopes for continued success in a course that suits him well. Each top out the salary list at $12,200 and $12,100 respectively on FanDuel.
Joaquin Niemann, the 19-year-old Chilian who has earned quite a bit of attention this young season, officially earned his tour card after just eight starts in his professional journey. His tie for fifth at Greenbrier helped justify the lofty expectations for the young bomber, and he will look to continue the upward trend this weekend in Illinois. He will duke it out with fellow midrange salary players such as Zach Johnson, who won here in 2012, as well as Moore and Kyle Stanley. All will cost $10,000 and up on DraftKings, and could represent the top option for many lineups, given the thin field.
Despite their encouraging results last week, Kraft, Varner, and Sam Saunders can fill out those fifth and sixth spots in many lineups, as all are toward the bottom of the salary lists. If any of the three continue to produce birdies at the pace they have, they could provide great value.
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This week the PGA Tour leaves West Virginia for the Midwest—more specifically, TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. You will not see as many of the marquee names in the John Deere Classic. If they’ve already qualified for the British Open next week, they are likely overseas getting their bodies accustomed to the time change.
But guys that have yet to qualify for The Open that still want to go will be doing what they can to qualify for one of the final slots. In the process, they could turn in an incredible tournament for daily fantasy players.
Before diving into an examination of your options…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The John Deere Classic is held at TPC Deere Run in the Quad Cities community of Silvis. Illinois. The course is a par-71 that is 7,257 yards long.
As for the weather, fans and players will be treated to a variety of conditions over the course of the tournament. Thursday is expected to have clear skies with just a ten percent chance of rain and temperatures in the low-80s. But wins will be a little high (10MPH).
The winds die down a bit on Friday (7 MPH), the temperature stays close to the same, but there is a slightly higher chance of rain as well (20 percent). But on Saturday things start to get a little crazy; thunderstorms are expected, and there’s a 60 percent chance of rain. The same goes for Sunday, but there is a lower chance of rain (40 percent).
So, whoever makes the cut could get a little wet before the weekend is done.
The Players
Repeat winners are not common in the PGA; they happen, but not very often. I will not say I think Bryson DeChambeau has a shot at repeating (because I don’t think he will). But I will say that I can see him having a good tournament.
He has a win under his belt this season (Memorial), but more importantly, he has five top-five finishes this season and two more inside the top ten. Occasionally, he has a not-so-good tournament. But he has played well more often than not this season making him a safe bet for your daily fantasy roster.
The following are some additional options for your consideration:
Steve Striker: There is no way you can’t at least consider starting Steve Stricker. He’s not the most successful guy on tour or even one of (No. 134 in the world), but he knows this course. He’s a three-time winner on the course (2009-11) and the course’s career earnings leader. He’s finished in the top ten at TPC Deere Run in ten of his last 16 visits.
He hasn’t played since the U.S. Open (tied for 20th)—which could be a good thing or a bad thing.
Zach Johnson: If course familiarity means anything to you, then you should also include Zach Johnson in your daily fantasy lineup. He’s averaged a score of 66.89 a round since 2009. Since then, he’s won it once, placed second three times and third twice.
Francesco Molinari: The last time he played, he won (Quicken Loans National). If you believe in riding a hot hand, he may be the way to go. With most of the marquee names taking the week off, he could be in a great position to steal another win.
Daniel Summerhays: You probably don’t know his name. But he’s made the cut in four of his last five trips to TPC Deere Run. In each of the four, he finished in the top-15. So, the odds are good that he’ll score well for you.
It’s actually kind of hard to recommend too many guys this week. The John Deere Classic organizers tend to invite a lot of up and coming talent to compete since a lot of the big names are taking the week off before The Open.
But there are some talented youngsters worth considering in this field:
- Broc Everett: 2018 NCAA individual champion
- Doug Ghim: 2017 U.S. Amateur runner-up
- Norman Xiong: 2018 Jack Nicklaus (best male golfer in DI) and Haskins Award winner (most outstanding collegiate golfer)
Poor Francesco Molinari. After firing a blistering eight under 62 on Sunday for his first PGA tour win, all anyone could talk about in the aftermath of the Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac was Tiger and the cheating scandal. But his 21 under par was eight strokes better than anyone in the field and his 140.6 points on FanDuel made those daily fantasy players who took a chance on the Italian pro a little richer.
A Who’s That Rather than a Who’s Who
Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler were the marquee names heading into Maryland on Thursday. Both had decent rounds, with Tiger riding a hot putter all the way to another top five finish. But it was a batch of lesser knowns such as Bronson Burgoon, Abraham Ancer, and Sung-hoon Kang who took over the DFS scoreboards in four-day contests. Each golfer outplayed their third tier salary expectations, creating one of the more topsy-turvy weekends of fantasy golf this season. Kang made headlines after being accused of a rule violation, but ultimately was proven correct and not penalized in the long run.
Honoring the Armed Forces at Greenbrier
For this weekend’s PGA stop in West Virginia, much of the early talk revolves around the young tournament honoring US soldiers just in time for Independence Day. A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier will be the official name moving forward.
Many of the world’s top ten will be taking this weekend off, but that won’t limit the fireworks sure to ensue with bombers the likes of Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau, and Bubba Watson set to compete. As the early favorites, these three look to add more hardware to their impressive resumes. Each are available for over $11,000 on DraftKings and represent a key piece to any lineup formulated.
Last year’s victor, Xander Schauffele, is an intriguing option for the available second tier players. With four top tens this year, he will hope to raise the trophy once again in White Sulphur Springs. FanDuel has him available for $10,200. Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore, and Kevin Chappell are also more affordable players who could go on a birdie binge this weekend.
Sleeper picks are few and far between in the thinner field, but solid players such as Nick Watney, Kevin Streelman, and 2015 winner Danny Lee have the potential to put up big numbers at any given moment. For a deep dive, DFS golf enthusiasts could look at Brandon Hagy as the darkest horse. His $7400 price tag on DraftKings is dirt cheap, considering the young professional finished in the top 20 at this tournament in 2017.
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The Greenbrier Classic has been renamed this year to A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. It’s a relatively young tournament having been founded in 2010. There are not a ton of household names entered, but there are plenty of good golfers to consider for your daily fantasy roster.
Before diving into an examination of what some of those options may be…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The tournament is played on The Old White TPC at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It’s a par-70 course that is 7,286 yards long.
As for the weather, there is a chance it could play a role in the outcome. Temperatures leading up to the tournament have been high. But rain is expected on Friday (100 percent). There is a chance some could come on Thursday and Saturday as well (20 percent) with a slight chance for Sunday (ten percent).
Temps are expected to be in the high 70s on Thursday, will drop to the low 70s on Friday, and could dip to the high-60s over the weekend.
The Players
I do like to give defending champions some credit, but I’m not sure how much confidence I can have in Xander Schauffele. He wasn’t playing great before he won last year (tied for 35th at Quicken Loans National). But he wasn’t playing bad either (tied for 14th at the Travelers Championship; tied for fifth at the U.S. Open).
He did play well at the Open again (tied for sixth). But he missed the cut at the Travelers and the two tournaments he played in prior to the Open. Look at him as a wild card and use him at your own risk.
Other players worth taking a look include:
Bubba Watson: Yes, I know we don’t see too many guys win back to back tournaments. To be honest, I don’t envision Bubba winning here. But he has played this course well in the four trips he’s made with an average score of 68.81 per round. He may not win, but he’ll play well enough for daily fantasy purposes.
Webb Simpson: Talk about an exciting season. In his last four tournaments, he’s missed the cut (Travelers), tied for 10th (U.S. Open), missed the cut (Fort Worth) and won (Players). He’s got the game but will he bring it, is the question. In seven starts at Greenbrier, he has finished inside the top-15 four times (tied for 14th last year). So, I’d say yes.
Russell Henley: I like a guy who is playing well and who has a history of playing well on a course. Russ Henley is both. He’s coming off a tied for 6th finish at the Travelers Championship his last time out. In his previous two starts at Greenbrier, he averaged 67.125. He’s probably as safe a pick as there can be for this tournament.
Jimmy Walker: He had a hot hand earlier this season but has since cooled off. In his last two outings, he finished tied or 56th (U.S. Open) and tied for 60th (Quicken Loans). But he does have four top-tens to his name this season and still finished tied for 18th last season despite battling Lyme disease (but had three top-four finishes before that).
Buyer Beware—Phil Mickelson: He’s a great golfer; there is no doubting that. However, it seems like every time he appears to be a logical choice for your daily fantasy roster he has a terrible tournament. A lot of experts are saying he’s a good start and that’s enough for me to say leave him on the bench. But I’m no expert.
If he was going to heat back up, this is where he’d do it.
Sleeper Picks: Tony Finau, Brandon Harkins, Norman Xiong, Joaquin Niemann, and Brian Gay.
The PGA Tour stays on the East Coast this week as it heads to Maryland for the Quicken Loans National at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. The field will not be as star-studded as a lot of tournaments. But there will certainly be some good golfers looking to earn a nice payday.
Maybe the can help you get one too if you start the right daily fantasy roster. Before diving into an examination of what some of those options may be…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
This will be the second year that the Quicken Loans National will be held at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. It’s a par-70 course that is 7,107 yards long located in Potomac, Maryland.
As for the weather, if the current forecast holds and the rain stays away, it could be a pretty nice weekend. There is a 20 percent chance of rain on Thursday but otherwise just a 10 percent chance on the other three days.
Temperatures will range from the high 70s (on Thursday and Friday) to mid-80s (Saturday and Sunday).
Winds will be on the high side on Thursday (10 MPH) but will die down the rest of the weekend (five, three, and six MPH). Thursday will be partly cloudy, but otherwise, golfers should see clear skies.
The Players
I can’t say that I’m behind the idea of last year’s champion, Kyle Stanley, repeating as champion. But he is a good golfer (as he proved last year). While he may not be blowing the competition out of the water this season, he is playing well.
He had a shot at a win at Memorial but lost in the playoff. Last week at the Travelers he finished tied for 15th. It’s a little concerning that he’s missed the cut in two of his last four tournaments. But his game seems to be well suited for this course.
Other players worth taking a look at include:
Tiger Woods: You can’t go a single week without at least thinking about inserting Tiger Woods into your lineup. At one point this season, every aspect of his game has looked great. He just can’t seem to put it all together for one tournament.
When he does, though—he’ll win, and everyone that starts him in daily fantasy can shout “I told you!” to his/her friends
Rickie Fowler: He’s played well in recent weeks recording top-25 finishes in five of his last six tournaments; the one he missed out on he failed to make the cut (the Players). If he didn’t have a disastrous Round Three at the U.S. Open, he could have finished higher than tied for 20th.
He placed third here last year and will probably do well again.
Charles Howell III: The other half of the playoff last year, he should be in pretty good shape to contend this year as well. He’s made the cut in 19 of 21 tournaments this season and has four top-ten finishes and 12 top-25 finishes.
He wasn’t dialed in on Day One last year, and that cost him. Should he be dialed in on Day One this year, you’ll be glad you started him.
Stewart Cink: If you believe in riding the hot hand, then you have to start Cink this week. From March mid-March (Arnold Palmer) to early June (Memorial), he was the last guy you wanted on your team. In that timeframe, he played in seven tournaments, missed the cut three times, and never finished better than tied for 42nd.
But then he tied for fourth at the St. Jude Classic and tied for second at the Travelers last weekend (both TPC courses). He seems to have a thing for TPC courses. Do you want to argue with it or enjoy the benefits?
Dark Horse/Sleepers: Marc Leishman, J.T. Poston, J.B. Holmes, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
Eric Ebron was supposed to be a game changer for the Detroit Lions when they took him with the No. 10 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. But he never quite caught on with Matthew Stafford and the Lions pass-happy offense. In four years he only caught 186 passes for 2,070 yards and 11 touchdowns.
It wasn’t surprising when they let him go in March. It also wasn’t surprising when someone else—the Indianapolis Colts — picked up and signed him within days of the Lions letting him go. Can he turn into a viable daily fantasy option with the Colts?
Why will he be any different in Indianapolis?
Players have struggled with the team that drafted them, been let go, and found success with their second team in the past. From what has been said about Ebron by the Colts staff via the Indianapolis Star, it sounds like that could be the case here:
“He’s really smart,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said of Ebron. “I knew that because we did our homework before he got here. We knew he was a smart player. But he’s like really a highly intelligent football player. And that’s really good because you want to use a guy with the versatility that he has and move him around and call all kinds of things with him. That helps. And he’s an explosive athlete.”
That’s nice, but…
It is great that he comes off as such a smart guy, but what will probably help his daily fantasy value more is the Colts roster. They are not built to be a great running team, so they will likely stick to the pass as they have in recent years.
As far as receivers go, they have TY Hilton—and that’s really it. They picked up Ryan Grant in free agency, but he’s nothing to write home about. That means the Colts are going to need to throw a lot of passes to Marlon Mack out of the backfield or throw a lot to the tight ends, Jack Doyle and Ebron.
The Colts only receiving threat was Hilton last season (because Montcrief was a bust), so they used Jack Doyle a lot. He was target 107 times (Hilton was targeted 108) and made 80 receptions for 690 yards and four touchdowns.
So—does this mean draft him?
Don’t make him your No. 1 tight end. But if you spend most of your salary cap on the other guys, he could be a surprisingly good sleeper.
Many people feel that “strokes gained approach” is becoming the defining stat of modern day golf. Brooks Koepka helped nudge that concept into the forefront with his play this past weekend at the US Open. While his two over par finish didn’t help shatter DFS golf records, his savvy play over the difficult tournament helped him capture golf’s toughest major for the second straight year.
Shinnecock Hills was mostly atrocious for daily fantasy scores, as the dried out greens made approach shots and putting nearly impossible for even the world’s best. The pre-tournament favorites like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Jason Day all missed the cut, as well as Tiger Woods, who has tempted many DFS golfers with his recent improvement of play.
Rickie Fowler posted a monsterous 84 on Saturday, ending any chance for the Southern California native to win his first major, though he did shoot five under on Sunday, 19 strokes better than his third round result. Phil Mickelson made the most headlines, when out of frustration, knocked a moving ball back toward the hole, preferring a two-stroke penalty to the thought of having to keep putting on greens faster than an ice rink.
The DFS Value of Ball Striking and Putting
Big hitters have dominated the PGA tour since its inception. But because of the technological advancement in equipment, length off the tee has become an arsenal for so many more players than in the past. Players are starting to understand that it’s their ball striking and putting, rather than their ability to send it 350 yards down the fairway off the tee, that will lead them to success.
Those who play daily fantasy golf recognize that it’s birdy making that helps win contests. Regardless of where they are after their drive, hitting the ball close to the hole and having the delicate touch to keeping putting average down are the players who help win contests. Koepka proved this at Shinnecock, as he lead the field in strokes gained approach, while finishing in the top ten for strokes gained putting.
Getting Ready for the Travelers
The next tour stop takes the PGA to Connecticut for the the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. Koepka will try and continue his hot streak, while Spieth, McIlroy, Thomas, and Day will look to get back on track after a forgettable weekend in New York. While these five are the Vegas favorites to walk away with the title, there are several intriguing options that could shape four-day contests on FanDuel and DraftKings.
Second tier options are plentiful this week. Players such as Webb Simpson, Ryan Moore, and Xander Schauffele all have robust fantasy points per game numbers, but can be selected for around $9000 on DraftKings.
When scouring the bottom of the draft list for sleeper picks, a few stand out that could prove helpful from the fifth and sixth roster spots. Emiliano Grillo has emerged as a force on the tour this season, though the US Open was largely disappointing for him. Available for $10,200 on FanDuel, Grillo’s 74.54 FPPG could mean the difference between victory and another close call. Other players available in the bargain basement could pose a feast or famine scenario for DFS players. These include Kyle Stanley, Nick Watney, and Jhonattan Vegas.
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After a wild and crazy week in New York for the U.S. Open (yes, golf can get ‘wild’ and ‘crazy’ sometimes), the Tour moves to Connecticut this week for the Travelers Championship.
Unlike after the Masters, when most of the big names took some time off, the Travelers will have some marquee names for you to fill your daily fantasy roster with.
Before diving into an examination of what some of those options may be…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The Travelers Championship is held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, a small suburb south of Hartford. It is a par-70 course that is 6,844 yards long.
As for the weather, things could end up getting a little messy before the weekend is finished. The tournament will start out with a decent day on Thursday (71 degrees, partly cloudy, 7 MPH winds, and 20 percent chance of rain). Friday is expected to be a little cooler but should make for a better day for golf (68 degrees, clear skies, 9 MPH winds, 0 percent chance of rain).
But then it gets a little dicey over the weekend. Saturday currently has a 60 percent chance of rain and 10 MPH winds (70 degrees). Sunday is expected to be 75 degrees and only a 20 percent chance of rain. But winds could hit upwards of 14 MPH (and partly cloudy skies).
The Players
The U.S. Open messed with the heads of many of the best golfers in the world last week—including last year’s Travelers Championship winner, Jordan Spieth. I didn’t recommend him last week, and he proved me right. But I’m going to change course this week and say he’s worth a shot (at the right price).
Spieth has not had a great year. The two rounds he played at Shinnecock were not good by any means. You could put some of the blame on the course, but in the end, it is up to the golfer to make things happen. Spieth made nothing happen.
But guys like him are going to bounce back eventually. They will find their stroke and make you glad you are a fan—or that you started him on your daily fantasy roster. He led the Travelers last year wire to wire.
I don’t see him doing that well this year. But I could see him having a daily fantasy-worthy kind of day.
A few other guys will likely be out for redemption as well.
- Rory McIlroy: He’s had an up and down year. After missing the cut last week, he could be in line for an ‘up’ this week. He finished last year’s Travelers with a 64 on Sunday, so we know he can play the course.
- Jason Day: After missing the cut at the U.S. Open with a score of plus-12 for the first two days, he will definitely be looking for redemption. He missed the cut last year, but he’s due to have another good tournament. When he has good ones, they are really good (two wins, tied for 2nd, tied for 5th).
- Justin Thomas: Unlike a lot of stars, he made the cut at the Open last week, but didn’t exactly have a great day (tied for 25th; 12-over for the tournament). Or you could look at it as his 15th consecutive tournament finishing in the top 25. When you are that consistent, you break through every so often and have a great day.
These guys I would consider sleeper picks:
- Daniel Berger: He’s not exactly a household name, he’s played some not-so-good golf this year, but occasionally he plays some great golf—like he did last week at the U.S. Open (tied for 6th). He also finished in second last year at the Travelers, so we know he can play this course.
- Xander Schauffele: Like Berger, he tied for 6th last week at the U.S. Open. He missed the previous two cuts (Memorial and Forth Worth) but then tied for second at the Players Championship.
- Webb Simpson: It almost doesn’t seem right to call him a sleeper. He did win the Players Championship and has six top ten finishes to his name. But he didn’t have a bad tournament last week (tied for tenth) like a lot of guys. So, maybe he’ll be undervalued since he’s had a good but quiet season.