Tiger Woods Favored to Win Arnold Palmer Invitational
It’s felt like 1997 on the PGA Tour recently. Last week, Phil Mickelson wowed the crowd in Mexico City, picking up a win for the first time in years. Those attending this weekend’s Valspar Championship witnessed Tiger Woods stalking through the back nine on Sunday with a chance to win a tournament himself.
Interest in golf absolutely boomed when these two were the young guns twenty years ago, and their late career resurgences have peaked a lot of interest once again. The youth brigade left the door open for the old timers and they’ve taken advantage. While each could be had for bargains early this season, both Tiger and Phil are consistent top dollar players in both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Turning Back the Clock at Copperhead
Tiger’s play this weekend wasn’t hugely surprising, as he’s played decently since his health returned. But to put the fantasy scores these last few weeks was beyond anyone’s predictions. His 89.5 points in the four day FauDuel contest made him well worth the $9700.
Paul Casey barely got a headline despite his well-fought victory on Sunday. He has the same “injury-riddled 40-something with way too long of a victory drought” story as Tiger and Phil. But his unlikely win wasn’t determined until over an hour after signing the 65 on his scorecard. And his big weekend surely swung a few fates in daily fantasy contests, as he wasn’t on too many radars leading up to Thursday.
Defending champ Adam Hadwin and ever steady Matt Kuchar never really played a factor all weekend, posting a mediocre DFS score. Some of the popular sleeper picks such as Kevin Streelman and Tony Finau missed the cut, while Kevin Na withdrew just before the tournament kicked off. The out of the normal leaderboard did create some interesting money making opportunities for the creative daily fantasy player, or those nostalgic for the players of twenty years ago.
Woods Looks for Ninth Victory at Bay Hill
Tiger will once again draw all the attention as the favorite heading into Thursday, but there are several intriguing options for building a quality lineup this week. The Arnold Palmer Invitational and its familiar Bay Hill course will bring in a swarm of golf’s elite, as Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, and Hideki Matsuyama tee it up as early popular lineup picks as well.
Remarkably, recent winner Bubba Watson and defending champ Mark Leishman each can be had for a steal at under $9000 on DraftKings. Other great affordable options include Adam Scott, Brian Harman, and Henrik Stenson. For sleeper values, Kevin Chappell, Emiliano Grillo, Ollie Schniederjans, and Patton Kizzire can help round out a lineup with real potential.
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2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Tiger Woods made the final day of the Valspar Championship more exciting last week. So, the question on the minds of many will be whether he can make the magic happen this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Held at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Bay Hill, Florida, the tournament is one where Tiger has experienced a ton of success in the past.
Of course, if Tiger can help you win this week, of course, you want to start him on your daily fantasy team. But the field also contains seven other former winners and five of the top ten golfers in the world. However, you’ll need more than Tiger to win. Who else should you pick up?
As always, that’s a great question. But first…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The Arnold Palmer Invitational takes place at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge whose course is 7,419 yards long and a par-72. Dick Wilson designed the original course, but it was later redesigned by Palmer.
As for the weather, the tournament is going to start out cool on Thursday (59 degrees). But it will warm up to the mid-60’s on Friday and reach the low-70’s on Saturday and Sunday. The skies are expected to be clear each day except Saturday (partly cloudy). Winds will be reasonably low Thursday through Saturday (6-8 MPH). However, they pick up on Sunday (13 MPH).
The only day that is forecast to have a chance of rain is Sunday (10 percent), but a storm appears to be coming in on Monday (80 percent chance of rain). Hopefully, it will not come early.
The Players
Marc Leishman, as last year’s champion, deserves a little consideration. But he should not be anyone’s first choice and probably not their second or third either. Yes, he won last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he has been struggling of late. He finished tied for 37th at the WGC in Mexico a couple of weeks ago (1-under). He missed the cut at the Genesis Open and finished tied or 31st at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix.
Previous success on a course is nice as is being ranked 16th in the world. But Leishman is not playing exceptionally well right now. He could break out of it, of course. But why take that chance when there are so many better options available?
Like…
• Tiger Woods: Anyone who doesn’t start Tiger this week is crazy. Not only does his game appear to be back after four solid rounds at the Valspar Championship, but he has had an insane amount of success at Bay Hill. He’s an eight-time winner who last won in 2013 (13-under) by two strokes over Justin Rose. To be fair, he is playing in back-to-back weeks. Can his back hold up? Can his game? We don’t know.
• Jason Day: If he’d played recently, it would be easy to say Day comes in with the hot hand in the group. But since he last played at Pebble Beach last month, that hand isn’t really all that hot. However, while it has been awhile, the last two times he played, he was excellent. He tied for second at Pebble Beach and won the Farmers Insurance Open. Day has won at Bay Hill (2016) and could certainly contend again.
• Tommy Fleetwood: The No. 11 golfer in the world will be making just his second start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He tied for tenth last year, but what makes him intriguing is that he did so despite shooting an opening round 78. If he can put four good rounds together, he could win. But the problem with him can be putting four good rounds together. He did so at the Honda Classic (70, 68, 67, and 69) and finished fourth. But at the WGC in Mexico he had a slow start (72 and 71) but finished well (67 and 66) to tie for 14th.
• Tyrell Hatton: Certainly not the most famous name of the group and somewhat of a long shot to win it (25-1), Hatton could be an inexpensive option that could really pay off. He tied for fourth last year (9-under) in his first start at Bay Hill. His last time out, the WGC in Mexico, he tied for third (15-under). However, while capable of playing well, he is not the most consistent player. Prior to the WGC in Mexico he missed the cut at the Honda Classic. Consider him your boom or bust player of the week.
NBA Tankers Top Targets
There are several factors to look at heading into the last 20 games of the NBA season for DFS. With eight teams showing drastic signs of tanking combining for over 45 straight losses in the month of February. Mark Cuban got fined $600,000 by the NBA for coming out on a podcast saying the Mavericks were tanking. Even the Memphis Grizzlies have lost every game in the month of February for the first time in decades. It’s hard to remember a time when the NBA had this many teams that were this dreadful. There is currently eight teams on pace to win fewer than 30 games this year. That has never happened in a full 82-game NBA season. DKLegends will break down nine teams along with some key notes on players you might want to look at or target for NBA DFS moving forward. Here is a list composed of the nine teams tanking in order.
9. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls traded Nikola Mirotic before the trade deadline and are now sitting Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday indefinitely. These are strong signs of tank value for DFS players .
Zach Lavine– Lavine is the only true star talent the Bulls have. He should finish the year off strong since he is in a contract year and trying to showcase for a new contract.
David Nwaba– Look for Nwaba to get a ton of minutes with Holiday out indefinitely. Nwaba is not a pure scorer but does rebound well and get steals. Get him in your roster before his salary increases drastically. 28.6 DKFP over last ten days and averaging close to 34 minutes.
Cristiano Felicio– Felicio won’t necessarily play big minutes but his price is cheap and the Bulls really don’t have any other true centers. He is now starting with Robin Lopez out indefinitely and look for him to get around 15-25 DKFP. He is still a very raw player, but getting better every week.
8. New York Knicks
The Knicks have lost eight straight games and have fallen below .400 on the year for the first time. With Kristaps Porzingis out for the season this should help parachute the Knicks down the ladder to be even more terrible. The problem is that the Knicks started the season off playing rather well, making it hard to jump the teams that began this season made for tanking. The Knicks only hope is to battle the Bulls for eighth or ninth place. The Knicks had struggles at the guard position, so now it’s time to see what some of these young guards on their roster can do.
Emmanuel Mudiay– Mudiay has a great chance to finish the season off well and making the Knicks think about rostering him for a future role. He has averaged 30.0 DKFP over the last ten days and is finally starting to see around 30 mins a night the last three games.
Trey Burke– Burke can score and is fast. It is starting to look like he has found his way in this league, and may soon become a real threat. Over the last three games Burke is averaging 38 DKFP in only 25-30 minutes. His salary is on the rise so strongly think about rostering him before it is too late.
7. Brookly Nets
Let’s be real the Nets are bad folks. The Nets don’t even have an incentive to be bad since Cleveland owns the right to their first overall pick. Even if they finish around seventh the Nets have a 15% chance of a top three pick. The Nets have lost eight straight and even though they found a great player this year in Spencer Dinwiddie, they clearly don’t have enough to compete with even decent teams around the league. The Nets won’t really sit their starters because of no true incentive for the team.
Spencer Dinwiddie– Look for Dinwiddie to continue his strong campaign this year and remain in the starting line up. He is a guy that can have low ownership sometimes and put up big numbers.
D’Angelo Russell– He basically was hurt most of the season and has recently returned. Russell is getting back to 30 plus minutes a night and is another guy that can score and put up big numbers. Look for his salary to continue to rise as he gets back into basketball form.
Jarett Allen– Brooklyn had a Center problem all year long ranking close to last in that category. With Booker getting let go and Okafor hurt again Allen has shown signs of becoming a true talent in the NBA. He is very raw but has some great basketball agility for a big man. Look for Allen to continue starting and getting better every week. His numbers should begin to become more and more consistent and someone to think about when that right match up arises.
6. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizz have lost every game in the month of February making that the first time in decades the team has accomplished that horrible feat. They fired their coach this year, traded Randolph, Mike Conley has been hurt for basically two seasons, shut down Tyreke Evans, and are most likely shutting Marc Gasol down any moment. I forgot to mention Chandler Parsons who will probably never be the same player he once was again. The Grizzlies are tanking, and falling fast. There is some guys to target and some of them have been playing rather well.
JaMychal Green– Green has been playing great basketball as of late and is averaging 32.8 DKFP over his last ten days. He is finally getting 30 plus minutes and can be rostered, especially against favorable match-ups.
Andrew Harrison– Harrison is going to be getting heavy minutes to close off the season. He is averaging 29.9 DKFP over his last ten days and it looks to be the clear starting PG for the Grizz.
5. Orlando Magic
The Magic are clearly a dysfunctional team on the court, the Magic defense is bad, but they can score the ball. Aaron Gordon is playing for a huge contract this year, but he has to stay healthy. Frank Vogel is most likely coaching for his job next year with an almost entirely new front office. The Magic have some talent on this squad with Fournier, Vucevic, Gordon, and Simmons so look for them to tank and try and get a top draft pick (Most likely a PG). They will still roll out their starters on a nightly basis so look for several players to finish strong.
Aaron Gordon– He is back after the all star break and has been averaging close to 37 DKFP per game. Like I stated above he is in a contract year and will have his minutes moved back up to over 30 per game. Look for Gordon to finish strong and have some big games before the year ends.
Nikola Vucevic– Vucevic is averaging 33.4 DKFP since returning from a long injury stint. He is a solid player that has the potential to go off on any given night. Vucevic should finish the year with a strong campaign.
4. Dallas Mavericks
Rick Carlisle is a tactician so if anyone can draw up a losing game plan, it is him. Dallas is not normally used to this tanking thing, as you can tell as Mark Cuban got fined $600,000 for his team tanking comments on a recent podcast. Wesley Matthews, Dirk, and Harrison Barnes are all starting to see their minutes decrease as the season closes.
Dennis Smith Jr.– He should continue to still see some heavy run as Dallas tries to make him the PG of their future. He has been a little low on scoring coming off an injury but has still posted a solid 25 DKFP over his last ten days. Expect that to increase with Barnes and Matthews getting less minutes, meaning more shots for Smith Jr.
Jose Juan Barea– Barea has been on a tear lately playing great basketball. Look for him to continue his 33.2 DKFP over his last ten days in trying to showcase himself for teams next year, because he probably won’t be in Dallas much longer as the team tries to get younger talent.
Dwight Powell– Powell is another guy that is finally hitting his stride in the NBA. He is averaging 28.2 DKFP over his last ten days but has seen a heavy increase in minutes over his last three games. In those three games of 30 plus minutes he posted 30 plus DKFP making him a solid target with potentially low ownership.
3. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have been quietly one of the most consistently awful teams all season. They are young, raw, and dysfunctional on offense. They aren’t totally embarrassing, but have some major work to do.
John Collins– With waiving Ersan Ilysova last week the Hawks are committed to giving Collins more playing time. Collins can score and has the ability to put up solid numbers. He hasn’t been that efficient as of late posting 25.3 DKFP but that number should surely rise in the weeks to come. If the match-up is right, roster him.
Taurean Prince– Prince is primed to be a great player in this league. He is long, athletic, plays defense, and can put up stats all across the board. One of my favorite targets to finish the year. He has posted a whopping 34.8 DKFP over his last ten days and look for that trend to continue.
2. Sacramento Kings
For most of the season the Kings have had a net rating below -10 which is historically bad. The Kings got rid of George Hill to open the door for D. Fox and have actually played slightly better with the veterans off the court. They have some young potential, but a lot is going to be riding on their top pick in the draft.
Bogdan Bogdanovic– Bogs had a recent run of 30 plus DKFP for six straight games, which is a good sign for Sacramento. If he continues to see solid minutes, then he should produce solid numbers.
Justin Jackson– Jackson is finally starting to see the floor on a nightly basis and is averaging just over 20 DKFP per game over his last ten. Look for him as a solid cheap option when nice match-ups occur.
De’Aaron Fox– Fox was Sacramento’s lottery pick in the draft and with Hill gone, his production is rising. Look for this trend to continue as the very young Kings continue to learn how to play basketball together. He has the potential to put up big numbers and also big busts, so buyer beware of the match-up.
Skai Labissiere- Skai has come off his injury seeing minutes increase and his production as well. He can score and be a great affordable option
1. Phoenix Suns
This is the worst team in the NBA since the ten win 76’ers season in 2015-16. You would think you could chalk this up to youth on the team, but they have had several of these young guys for several years now. It is crazy that they may not even get the worst record in the NBA. The Suns are tied with the Hawks and Sacramento for the worst records in the League, but are clearly awful. They made a move to get Elfrid Payton at the trade deadline, but that only puts a bandaid or blindfold on what people are really looking at. You might say they made that move just so the true Suns fans will continue showing up to games.
Josh Jackson– He has been a monster since starting and getting heavy minutes. Jackson has posted 34.2 DKFP over his last ten days and showing why he was a lottery pick. Don’t get me wrong he has a lot to learn and makes plenty of mistakes, but this kid can ball. He should have the opportunity to finish the year strong and make a case as a prime player going into next season.
Alex Len– It looks like Tyson Chandler is shut down for the season and opened the door for Len to start at Center. His 26.1 DKFP over his last ten days is a little skewed considering two of those games he posted an 8 and 8.5 DKFP. If Len has a good match-up, he can be a force down low.
Dragan Bender– Bender has recently joined the starting rotation and has started somewhat slow. He is only posting a 20.1 DKFP over his last ten days, which isn’t that great considering he is getting 28.7 minutes. But this kid has the ability to shoot the ball. His salary is still low enough to take on as a flier or punt play in GPP’s and hope he hits 3’s.
FanDuel Valspar Championship Lineup
Another Wild Weekend at the WGC
Theatrical seems to be the word to describe the early part of the 2018 PGA season. With a talented field in attendance for the World Golf Classic Mexico Championship, the huge crowds were treated to the most exciting Sunday so far this year. In the end, there was the age defying Phil Mickelson claiming his first victory in four years after holding off Justin Thomas in a one hole playoff.
Daily fantasy players on DraftKings were treated to a whopping 123.5 points from the big lefty in their four-day contests. His steady performance over the last several weeks has been driving his price tag up, but his ability to go on ridiculous birdie streaks makes him a tempting play every time he tees it up.
A Great Weekend for European Tour Players
Other pre-tournament favorites such as Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Jordan Spieth had mediocre weekends, however, Bubba Watson put up another quality DFS score. Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters didn’t provide that second tier lineup punch they’ve offered up recently, but Rafael Cabrera-Bello continues to climb the world golf rankings and become a go-to player in any daily fantasy contest. His 121 points on FanDuel was well worth the $10,500 price tag.
Two popular sleeper picks prior to the tournament paid off in a big way this weekend in Mexico City. Shubhankar Sharma and Tyrell Hattan showed off how well they’ve been playing in the early going of the European Tour, gaining the attention of PGA fans with their dominant play.
Returning to Florida
The PGA returns stateside for the Valspar Championship at Copperhead this weekend. Early favorite Spieth will look to return to winning form in the tournament he won three years ago. Tiger Woods is getting a lot of buzz as a good FanDuel lineup option at $9700 after a promising finish at the Honda Classic. Defending champ Adam Hadwin can be picked up on DraftKings for $8800.
The ever-steady Tony Finau remains a solid middle of the pack option, but there are a slew of cheap sleeper picks to choose from in this deep field. Kevin Streelman, Kevin Na, Chez Reavie, and Matt Kuchar can all certainly help shape a winning roster.
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Valspar Championship
After spending last week at the WGC Championship in Mexico, the PGA Tour rolls on this week with the Valspar Championship. The tournament will be held at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, from March 8-11. The field of 144 will include some of the world’s best golfers who will all be hoping to take home some of the $6.5 million prize fund.
But who is going to take home a ton of money is not what you’re concerned with knowing. You want to know who can help you win some cash. Who are the daily fantasy-worthy players this week?As always, that’s a great question. But first…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The action will take place on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club. It’s a par-71 course that is 7,340 yards long.
While people typically think of Florida as having beautiful weather, this week, it may not be the most pleasant. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high 50’s Thursday and Friday with no chance of rain. But it is also going to be partly cloudy on both days. Winds are expected to be around 14 MPH Thursday but drop to 7 MPH Friday.
Things start to take a turn for the worse on Saturday. Temperatures reach the high 60’s, winds are around 9 MPH, it will be partly cloudy, and there will be a ten percent chance of rain.
Sunday, however, is where things are expected to be bad. Winds will reach 19 MPH, and there is an 80 percent chance of rain. But there is only a ten percent chance of rain on Monday (if they have to finish then).
The Players
Last year’s champion is not exactly a household name, but it is one that daily fantasy players should consider this week. Adam Hadwin recorded his first career win last year at the Valspar Championship. That can be a reason for concern for daily fantasy players because if he was any good, he’d won before—right?
But one of the great things about golf is you can be very good without ever winning. Hadwin has 15 top ten finishes to his name (his career started back in 2009), three of which have come in the last few weeks. He finished tied for third at the CareerBuilder Challenge (20-under). In January, he finished tied for sixth at the Genesis Open (8-under).
Last week, at the WGC in Mexico he finished tied for ninth (10-under).
It may be sexier to go with one of the more well-known golfers. But do you want a sexier daily fantasy lineup or do you want to win money? The following players are also worth a look:
• Tiger Woods: Anytime he is part of the field it would be foolish to ignore him. He’s not the unstoppable force he was back in the day. But former studs like him are prone to breaking out when you least expect it. He did miss the cut at the Genesis Open but then he followed that up with a 12th place finish at the Honda Classic (E).
If you go with him and he flops, you’ll wish you never picked him. But if he does well and you don’t, you’ll kick yourself even more.
• Sergio Garcia: He hasn’t played the course since finishing tied for seventh in 2013. While he has played the course several times, this will be the first since it was redesigned. While he didn’t play well at the Hondo Classic (tied for 33rd; 5-over). But last week in Mexico, he looked good and finished tied for seventh.
• Paul Casey: The last time he played in the Valspar Championship was back in 2014, and he didn’t make the cut. He has a balanced game that could play well on the redesigned course. With how he’s played lately, Casey could either break out and win. At the least, he should play well.
He finished tied for 12th last week in Mexico. Before that, he had a bad outing at the Genesis Open (tied for 49th; 1-over). But a week earlier, he finished tied or 8th at Pebble Beach.
• Jordan Spieth: Vegas gives him the best odds at 17/2, and it is not hard to understand why. Yes, he hasn’t been playing lights out golf lately. But he has been playing very well. He finished tied for 14th (8-under) in Mexico last week. A couple of weeks earlier he tied for ninth at the Genesis Open (7-under).
To be fair, he tied for 20th at Pebble Beach and missed the cut in Phoenix. But even the best golfers have bad games from time to time—and he is one of the best. Don’t be shocked if he rebounds this week with a big win.
WGC Mexico and FanDuel Lineup
While no one was able to tear up PGA National at this weekend’s Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Justin Thomas provided an exciting finish to what was the most challenging tournament of the young season. Thomas needed an extra hole to secure victory over Luke List, who blistered through the back nine on Sunday to force the playoff which were both DKL Lineup Builder players.
Despite the wind holding down fantasy scores to the lowest of the year so far, the leaderboard was bunched together much of the weekend, granting DFS players an exciting final round; each shot literally swaying four-day contest results.
Making the Most of Few Scoring Opportunities
PGA National was unkind to those hoping for a weekend birdie-fest. Thomas posted an impressive 65 on Saturday, but despite the young phenom’s good day, the wind required many to use whatever ingenuity they had to keep shots from sailing all over the place. Thomas was one of very few to provide a scoring punch, giving a hundred points to those who built their lineup around his expensive salary on DraftKings and FanDuel. List, Alex Noren, and Tommy Fleetwood rounded out the top scorers, but their 80 to 100 points were far below recent tournament scores.
Heading into the Honda, defending champion Rickie Fowler was the odds-on favorite; however, he had a miserable first two days and found himself on the outside looking in on Saturday by missing the cut. DKL once again nailed this by floating him in all formats… did you? As value picks, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott provided a little boost, as both finished inside the top 15. Rory McIlroy, Ollie Schniederjans, and Sergio Garcia were all fortunate to make the cut, but made little impact in four-day and weekend contests.
Top Golfers Looking to Heat Up in Mexico
Thomas will look to continue his winning ways as the PGA travels south of the border to tee it up at the WGC-Mexico Championship. He will be joined by several other top 10 players to round out a stacked field, which includes number one and two in the world, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm as the other tournament favorites. While these top three will certainly cost a good chunk of your salary, there are an array of sleeper and value picks to be had for a good price.
Despite his recent victory, Bubba Watson can be had for $8900 on DraftKings, a steal for a guy who is seeing his game round back into shape. After finishing in the top five last year at Naucalpan, Thomas Pieters will look to capitalize on a course that suits him well. DFS players can pick him up on FanDuel for $9500. As a great ball striker, Noren could find himself on many lineups on Thursday, since his $8800 price tag is quite reasonable.
Several key European Tour players will come to the Club de Golf Chapultepec this weekend, and those with formidable approach and short games will look to post great numbers.
Matthew Fitzpatrick and Shubhankar Sharma represent terrific sleeper picks, as both have been playing well and are some of the best of the third tier options. Who will the DKL Pros go with?
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The 2018 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship
This week will find 65 of the best golfers in the world take their skills to Mexico City for the 2018 World Golf Championship-Mexico. It will be just the second time the event will be held at the Club de Golf Chapultepec in Naucalpan, Mexico. The WGC had previously held an event at this time of the year on the Blue Monster Course of the Trump National Doral.
Dustin Johnson won the first edition of the tournament in Mexico last year and would love to become its first back-to-back champion. But there will be a talented field of players that will have something to say about that.
But first…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The tournament is held at the Club de Golf Chapultepec in Naucalpan, Mexico, which is actually just west of Mexico City and at an elevation of 7,870 feet above sea level. It’s a par 71 course that is 7,330 yards long.
As for the weather, there is a slight chance of rain on each day of the tournament (between 10 and 20 percent). But otherwise, it looks like it is going to be four near perfect days for golf. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-60s. Everyday but Friday is supposed to have clear skies, and Friday is just partly cloudy. Winds will be between five and eight miles per hour.
Not bad, right? But who’s going to win? Who should you start on your daily fantasy team?
The Players
Playing in the tournament will be the top players from the official World Golf Rankings along with the money lists/Order of Merit from the six main professional golf tours. So, there will likely be a few names that the casual fan will not recognize. But there will certainly be a talented field of players to choose from.
It would be foolish not to give last year’s winner, Dustin Johnson, a good look.
How can you not like the No. 1 golfer in the world, right? Easy—because even the best have off days. He certainly did on the first (74) and last days (73) of the Genesis Open last week. But he placed second the week before at Pebble Beach and won the last time he played prior to that at the Tournament of Champions in early January.
He’s been the No. 1 golfer in the world for just over a year for a reason. While he is imperfect, more often than not, he is going to play well.
Other golfers of interest include:
· Justin Thomas: The No. 3 golfer in the world (No. 1 in FedEx Cup standings) is coming off a nice win at the Honda Classic last week. Last year he tied for fifth at Chapultepec. Oddsmakers are giving him the second-best odds (8-1) next to Dustin Johnson (6-1).
· Jon Rahm: A case could be made for including Rahm on your roster since he tied for third here last year with three of four rounds coming in under 70. Overall, you could say he’s been playing well lately since he won the CareerBuilder Challenge and placed second at the Tournament of Champions. But his last three outings were not stellar. He tied for 29th at the Farmers Insurance Open, for 11th in Phoenix, and for 26th at Pebble Beach.
To be fair, he shot under 70 for seven of the 12 rounds in those tournaments. But he also had three rounds of 75+. Go for him if he’s cheap, but he probably will not be cheap.
· Tommy Fleetwood: He could be the definition of riding a hot hand this week. At the Genesis Open he didn’t have his ‘A’ game scoring over 70+ on the first three days. He finally scored below 70 on the final day (69) to finish tied for 37th. But he did much better at the Honda Classic last week (70-68-67-69) and finished fourth.
He placed second in the tournament last year. it wouldn’t be shocking if he ended up being the one who keeps Dustin Johnson from winning it again this year.
· Paul Casey: This will be your value pick; your boom-or-bust option. While he did not bring his best game at the Genesis Open last week (tied for 49th; 1-over), he has played well this season. he doesn’t always play great, but he typically plays consistent. At Pebble Beach, he tied for 8th after shooting a 67 on Day One and following that up with three 70’s. So he may not win the day for you, but he may not lose it either.
But he showed he is capable of stringing some great rounds together at the CIMB Classic last October. After starting the tournament with a 77, he followed it up with a 63, 69, and 65.
Could Kirk Cousins Make The New York Jets Receivers More Fantasy Relevant?
With the cap space, the Jets have headed into free agency, they are expected to make a run at one of the experienced QBs set to hit the market. Rumor has it they are serious about going after Kirk Cousins. How serious? Enough that they may fully guarantee his contract!
With how he’s played the last couple of years, that is going to be a massive contract. But what daily fantasy fans want to know is whether he’ll make the Jets receivers better daily fantasy options?
Most people would be quick to say “yes.”
But last season, the Jets top two wide receivers, Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse, outranked Cousins’ top two wide receivers in Washington, Jamison Crowder, and Ryan Grant. Anderson ranked 18th among wide receivers according to ESPN and Kearse ranked 26th. Crowder ranked 33rd and Grant 54th.
That would make it look like Josh McCown was a better quarterback than Cousins last year—but no one would ever say that with a straight face. However, the numbers say otherwise.
But you can’t always trust the numbers. At least you can’t without looking at the entire picture.
So—what is the entire picture?
Cousins lost both of his primary receivers from the 2016 season during the offseason last year, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. He pretty much went from having two talented, veteran receivers on the field to a pair of young, inexperienced, and unproven talents as targets.
But Crowder did better in 2016 (67 receptions, 97 targets, 847 yards) than he did last season (66 receptions, 104 targets, 789 yards). How do you explain that?
Defenses had an easier time defending the Redskins passing game and taking away the options Cousins had at his disposal. Why? Easy, because they were not as good. When he was the No.3 option, life was easier for Crowder. But when he became the No. 1—not so much.
But the Jets don’t have more talented players than his Redskins did—or did they?
An argument could be made that Kearse, who was traded to the Jets from Seattle because the Seahawks didn’t need him, is better than Crowder. While Grant showed some promise, Anderson showed a little more.
In that regard, the numbers do not lie.
So—can Kirk Cousins make the Jet wide receivers more fantasy relevant?
Absolutely.
Josh McCown is an underrated quarterback, but there is a reason why he has never managed to stick anywhere long enough to become the No. 1 QB. Cousins, on the other hand, has been franchised tagged the last two seasons for a reason. The only reason he’s going to be available for the Jets to throw a truckload of money at is because the Redskins didn’t want to.
Bottom line is Cousins is the better quarterback of the two. He’s grown accustomed to working with a lackluster run game the last couple years in Washington. So, he should feel right at him in New York’s backfield and style of play.
No matter who lines up at wide receiver for him (since neither Anderson or Kearse are a lock to stay), he’ll make them better.
Recapping the Genesis Open and Previewing the Honda Classic
While many of the young guns were dormant this weekend at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, a member of the old guard found himself in the mix late Sunday Afternoon at the Genesis Open. Bubba Watson, who’s inconsistent play had him considering retirement less than a year ago, finished off this stacked field with a final round 69 to claim the two-stroke victory over Kevin Na and Tony Finau.
Watson hadn’t sniffed the winner’s circle since this very tournament in 2016, but picked a perfect time to remind daily fantasy golf players how his fun and unpredictable play can influence many of FanDuel and DraftKings contests. His -12 didn’t break any DFS scoring records by any means, but his penchant for the dramatic provides quite the roller coaster ride for anyone who has him in their lineup each week. Now that he’s stuck pay dirt once again, the $7800 price tag he could be had for is likely to climb.
Not Ready to Roar Quite Yet
Tiger Woods didn’t have the best odds to win entering Thursday, and by unceremoniously missing the cut, he’ll continue to be available cheap until he finds the magic to his game once again. Fellow old-timer Phil Mickelson however, continued turning back the clock, posting another top ten finish.
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas didn’t play a factor this weekend. Johnson faded on Sunday, a trend he hopes doesn’t continue if he wants to remain tops in the world. Spieth and Thomas had solid top ten finishes, but didn’t necessarily light the course on fire with their play. All three though will assuredly be chalk picks in any tournament they enter throughout this PGA season. Many of the recommended sleeper and value picks prior to the tournament fell out of contention early, but Tony Finau continued to cement his place among the world’s elite with his stellar showing.
A Homecoming for Many of Golf’s Greatest
The PGA Tour will journey across the country for this weekend’s Honda Classic in Palm Beach, Florida. PGA National represents somewhat of a home course for the likes of Thomas and last year’s champ, Rickie Fowler. While both will cost daily fantasy players a good chunk of their salary, they have good odds for victory at the storied course.
The tournament welcomes 10 of the world’s top 25, so four-day contest lineups can be built in a variety of ways. Sergio Garcia is making his first US start of 2018, and has classically played well here. Rory McIlroy will play in back-to-back weeks after taking it relatively easy with a rib injury late last year. Alexander Noren looks to make an impact this weekend as he hopes to ascend toward the top 10 himself.
There are several quality players available for a decent drafting price this week. Ollie Schniederjans has the style of play that could see him finally notch a win after playing so well early this season. Woods is very comfortable at this course, and after working off some rust in LA this past week, could find himself with ample birdie opportunities. Adam Scott, who won the tournament two years ago is available on DraftKings for a steal at $7700, but his play so far this year has been inconsistent.
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The Honda Classic
The PGA Tour has been on the West Coast in recent weeks. But this week it will move to the other side of the country, Florida. To be more precise, the Tour is going to the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for the Honda Classic.
It began 46 years ago as the Jackie Gleason’s Inverrary Classic. Honda has been the title sponsor since 1982. Ten of the top 25 players in the world are scheduled to play this week. But which ones should you start on your daily fantasy team?
How about a little information about the course and weather?
Over the years it has been played at several local golf and country clubs in South Florida. But since 2007 it has called the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens home.
The tournament is played on the Champions Course which is 7,140 yards long and a par-70. It opened in 1981 and was redesigned in 2002. How well a player can handle “the Bear Trap” can determine a player’s fate for the tournament (the par-3 15th, par-4 16th, and par-3 17th).
Weather could play a factor this week. Thursday is expected to be clear and warm (76 degrees) with a 15 MPH wind and a 20 percent chance of rain. Friday is expected to be clear and sunny as well (75 degrees) with strong winds (16 MPH) and no chance of rain. But Saturday’s play could be impacted by a 40 percent chance of rain.
While Sunday is expected to be clear and Sunday, there is a 20 percent chance of rain.
The Players
Last year’s champ, Rickie Fowler, would love to become the first back to back winner and second in tournament history since Jack Nicklaus did it (1977-78). A case could certainly be made in favor of him pulling it off.
Since winning the tournament last year, he has had six finishes in the top four. A few weeks ago in Phoenix, he led going into Sunday but then hit, a 73 and dropped out of the top ten (he placed 11th). If he can start strong and stay strong, he’ll have an honest shot.
But there is an impressive list of golfers that will be gunning to make sure he doesn’t repeat:
• Sergio Garcia: The No. 11 golfer in the World will be making his 2018 debut at the Honda Classic, so he’ll be motivated to get his season off to a good start. Last year, he was up and down all four days and finished tied for 14th (4-under). But the year before he placed second—so he can play the course well.
• Rory McIlroy: He won the tournament in 2012, had to withdraw the following year, and placed second in 2014 (lost in a playoff). But then he failed to make the cut in ’15 and ’16. He’s had some injury issues but appears to be in good health and is working on getting his game on track. After missing the cut at Pebble Beach, he looked good at the Genesis Open last week (3-under). He is due for a breakout tournament; don’t be surprised if this is the one.
• Justin Thomas: Picking the No. 4 golfer in the world may sound like an easy pick, but Thomas (like McIlroy) is due for a breakout win. After shooting an 11-under in Phoenix (tied for 17th), he was nearly in the mix last week at the Genesis Open (tied for ninth; 7-under). His history at the Honda Classic has seen mixed results (missed cut in 2015 and ’17 but placed third in ’16). This could be his year.
• Buyer Beware—Tiger Woods: It is so easy to cheer for Tiger and look for him to win. He is certainly capable of it, too. But at the same time, his game is still inconsistent. With this being the first time playing in back to back tournaments since his back surgery, it is hard to have faith in him. Yes, he is capable of breaking out and having a magnificent tournament at any time. But the signs are not in his favor this week.