Welcome to the Fantasy Six Pack, where we highlight six golfers to use in two popular fantasy golf platforms, DraftKings and FanDuel. On each, you must select six golfers for your lineup under a specific salary cap. (DraftKings $50,000, FanDuel $60,000). As a reminder, I’m a golf nut with a 1.3 handicap and a nose for analytics — according to Rotogrinders, I’m one of the top daily fantasy golf players. Just last week, during the British Open, I made more than $10,000 in profit … and if Tiger had made that putt on 18 it could have been so much more. Such is life. Want to check out the tools I used to help me earn that? Head to tourlevelfantasy.com! And now, on to the week ahead.
The Tournament: RBC Canadian Open
Course: Glen Abbey GC
Average Winning Score: -16
Average Cut: Even
Yardage: 7,200 yards
Par: 72
Skills emphasized: A fascinating mix of short and long hitters find success here. This was showcased perfectly last year when Tony Finau, one of the longest hitters on Tour, recorded a top-5, as did Charley Hoffman who is one of the shortest. So, as long as you can find ways to make birdies, you’ve got a shot.
Top 5 finishers last year:
Jhonny Vegas (2x defending Champ)
Tony Finau
Charley Hoffman
Ian Poulter
Gary Woodland
Robert Garrigus
Recap of last week’s picks:
If you were able to avoid Dustin Johnson while rostering just about any other star mentioned in the article, you were on your way to a profitable week. In all, players mentioned in my story notched three top 10s, five top 25s and only one missed cut. Solid.
The Favorite(s):
Dustin Johnson (Odds: 10/1, DraftKings $11,700, FanDuel $12,500) One of the most intriguing debates this week is what to do with DJ. He hasn’t looked sharp since Friday at the U.S. Open, and it could signal that he’s running out of form, rather than into it. Still, it’s possible he just had two bad days in Scotland, and he’s ready to show up and win this week. Statistically, DJ still reigns supreme in just about every measured stat (1st in strokes gained tee-to-green; 10th in approaches; 10th in putting) I like him, but would play him with a bit of caution this week.
Going Streaking: Players entering this week in the great form
1. Tony Finau (Odds: 25/1, DraftKings $9,800, FanDuel $12,600) Finau enters the week fresh off his third straight top 10 in a major, but he’s still seeking his first win of the season. He’s 17th in tee-to-green, third in GIR and second in driving distance. In addition to his ninth-place finish last week, Finau also has three other top 25s in his last five outings. We always like to check at course history, and Tony has that going for him as well, coming in fifth last year, and adding a top-25 in 2015. It would be great to see Finau on the U.S. Ryder Cup team in Paris, and a win this week would go a long way to that goal.
2. Joaquin Niemann (Odds: 33/1, DraftKings $9,400, FanDuel $11,000) The “wonder-kid” from Chile has been nothing short of spectacular since arriving on Tour. Since turning pro earlier this year, Niemann has six top-25 finishes and three missed cuts. So, as one would predict from a 19-year-old, he’s been a bit volatile. Still, with top-25 upside in a weaker field, Niemann should undoubtedly be part of your lineups this week. Glen Abbey is a spot where his tee-to-green game (1.45 strokes gained) should work well. His weakness? Around the green, where he’s losing three-quarters of a shot against the field. At 19 though, he’ll figure it out eventually.
3. Stewart Cink (Odds: 66/1, DraftKings $7,100, FanDuel $9,500) Cink is on my list for a second straight week, partly because he remains at a bargain price. He cracked the top 25 last week and has three other solid finishes in his last four starts, including back-to-back top 10s. He also notched a top 10 at Glen Abbey in 2015. Cink has been getting it done from tee-to-green, gaining almost two strokes on average per round, ranking only behind DJ in that category. And he hits it far enough, ranking 81st in distance.
4. Hunter Mahan (Odds: 200/1, DraftKings $6,800, FanDuel $8,100) Quietly, Mahan’s return is one of the stories of the week. Five years ago at this event, Mahan had the 54-hole lead, but then got a phone call that changed his life: His wife was going into labor. He immediately withdrew and headed to the hospital, marking one of the few times in Tour history where the 54-hole leader WD’d. Mahan has since struggled just to keep his card for the better part the last three years. But last week he earned his first top-10 of the season, getting him into this week’s field. Statistically, he’s been riding a hot putter, which is a bit concerning. But if golf gods really do exist, Mahan deserves a good finish this week.
Mulligans: Players who need a reset and expect to play well this week
Jhonattan Vegas (Odds: 50/1, DraftKings $7,500, FanDuel $8,700) We mentioned earlier that Vegas is the two-time defending champion of this event. Even crazier, he’s playing similarly now as his did the last two years, as he’s once again in a dry spell. But he obviously loves Glen Abbey, and he’s an excellent low-salary play this week. He’d probably like a mulligan after the British Open, where he was delayed due to visa problems and barely made his first-round tee time. He missed the cut, but that gave him more time to prep for his three-peat!
Where to play this fantasy Golf this week:
DraftKings:
1. $44 buy-in called “Club Twirl,” with a top prize of $100,000 and a prize pool of $400,000.
2. $444 buy-in called the “Pressure Putt,” with a top prize of $100,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $375,000.
3. $5 buy-in called “Drive the Green,” with a top prize of $100,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $550,00.
FanDuel:
1. $7.77 buy-in called the “Eagle,” a top prize of $20,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000.
2. $.25 buy-in called the “Lob Wedge,” with a top prize of $600 and a guaranteed prize pool of $6,000.
3. $333 buy-in called “Monster,” with a top prize of $10,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $20,000.
These are just some of the many contests between the two sites. For a full breakdown of all contests and offerings check out the links in my bio. Good luck this week!
Jason Rouslin is the founder of tourlevelfantasy.com. He has been playing golf for the last 20 years, betting on golf for the last five and writing about golf for the last two. Connect with him on twitter @dfsgolfer23 or check him out on the @rotogrinders live golf show on Tuesday’s @ 8 PM.