Who to Choose for Your Daily Fantasy Team at the U.S. Open
The PGA Tour roll out to the East Coast this week, specifically Southampton, New York, for the second major of the 2018 season, the U.S. Open. Dustin Johnson will enter the tournament as the favorite after winning the St. Jude Classic last week and regaining the No. 1 spot in the world.
But does that make him a good choice for your daily fantasy team?
Just like any other major, this year’s tournament will have plenty of good options for daily fantasy players. Before diving into an examination of what some of those options may be…
How about a little information about the course and weather?
The 118th U.S. Open will be held at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Shinnecock Hills, New York. The course is a par-70 that is 7,445 yards long. This will be the fifth time that the U.S. Open has been held at Shinnecock.
As for the weather, it is expected to be sunny with clear skies on all four days with temperatures in the mid-to-high 60s. Winds will be a little high; from 14 MPH on Thursday down to 12 on Friday and 10 over the weekend.
No rain is expected Thursday through Saturday. But current forecast call for a ten percent chance on Sunday.
The Players
Last year’s champion, Brooks Koepka, is playing well overall, but I don’t know if I could say well enough to warrant what he’ll likely cost to start him. He is the ninth ranked golfer in the world, but he seems to be inconsistent this season.
He tied for 30th last week at the St. Jude Classic. But took second at the Fort Worth Invitational, 11th at the Players Championship. However, before that, he tied for 42 at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Yes, he’s good but you can’t trust what you’ll get out of him. Dustin Johnson, on the other hand, could be the anchor every team needs.
Historically, the winner of the St. Jude Classic doesn’t win the U.S. Open. But for daily fantasy purposes, that doesn’t matter. You just want a guy who will play well, and Johnson has certainly done that at every turn this season.
While he may be your anchor, you’ll need a few more guys to field a team. Here are a few suggestions:
- Rickie Fowler: He’s done well in the U.S. Open the last few years (three top-tens in the last five). So, the stage is not going to bother him, and he has played well at Shinnecock. He’s going to be on Cloud 9 still having recently become engaged.
- Jason Day: He’s coming off a tied for 44th finish at Memorial. But he also has two wins to his name this season. However, he also has three tournaments (not including match play) other than Memorial where he finished tied for 20th or worse. So—with him, it’s sink or swim. But since he’s been in the top ten at five of the last seven Opens, I’ll take swim.
- Justin Rose: With the exception of the Houston Open (tied for 52nd), he’s been playing consistently well whenever he plays. He tied for sixth his last time out (Memorial) and won the time before that (Fort Worth). He missed the cut at his last two U.S. Opens, but I’m looking for great things this year from him.
Here are some buyer beware options. They could play great and win the day for you. But they might miss the cut as well.
- Jordan Spieth: He’s the No. 4 ranked golfer in the world, but let’s be real here—he’s not playing great golf this season. He’s missed the cut in two of his last five tournaments and in the other three his best finish was tied for 21st. However, he was third at the Masters.
- Tiger Woods: It’s Tiger, so how can you not want him on your team? Easy- because while he is playing well, he’s probably a year away from being a consistent, reliable player.
- Phil Mickelson: He’s a very good golfer and has turned in some great rounds this season, but I just don’t see him as being a true contender anymore. However, a lot of experts are giving him a shot. There experts for a reason, right?
- Rory McIlroy: He’s a popular guy that is capable of playing great golf. But this season he’s been all over the place. He won the Arnold Palmer, finished tied for fifth at the Masters and 8th at Memorial, but missed the cut at the Players and Valspar. I’d say leave him off your roster because he’ll probably cost more than he’s worth. But the experts like him…
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