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, and ranked inside the top 25 of all players! Find out my strategies and more at tourlevelfantasy.com.
Recap of last week’s picks
Five out of our six picks saw the weekend, and half of our picks cracked the top 10, including Tiger. Hopefully that helped everyone earn a little bit of cash last week!
In terms of the tournament, it was incredible, riveting, edge of your seat television. TV ratings were the highest they have been since 2009. I for one am excited about the state of the game, and am thankful to be able to write about it.
Now, let’s turn the page to this week.
The Tournament: The Wyndham Championship
Course: Sedgefield CC
Average Winning Score: -17
Average Cut: -3
Yardage: 7,200 yards
Par: 70
Skills emphasized: To win at Sedgefield you better be able to score and putt. Although it’s a little hard to predict, we can combine a few stats, including strokes gained off-the tee and ball striking, to help us pinpoint golfers who might have success.
Top 5 finishers last year:
Henrik Stenson
Ollie Schniederjans
Webb Simpson
Rory Sabbatini
Ryan Armour
The Favorites
Hideki Matsuyama (Odds: 16/1, DraftKings $11,300, FanDuel-$11,900) A late addition to the field, it’s a nice surprise that one of the top players in the world has decided drop in for this one. Hideki had a fantastic round on Sunday at the PGA that included an eagle on the drivable par-4 11th and six other birdies while shooting 66. He’s currently 83rd in the FedEx standings, but a win would vault him back in the mix for a spot at East Lake next month. He along with Henrik Stenson (Odds: 12/1, DraftKings $11,00, FanDuel $12,100) and Webb Simpson (Odds: 15/1, DraftKings $11,600, FanDuel $12,200) headline the field this week.
Going Streaking: Players entering this week in great form
Harold Varner III (Odds: 66/1, DraftKings $8,900, FanDuel $9,300) This East Carolina product has been on a tear of late and has risen to 106 in the FedEx, likely earning a spot in the playoffs. In his last three starts he’s finished 5th, 6th, and 17th, and he has now made four straight cuts. He ranks eighth in the field in strokes gained tee-to-green and does a lot of his work on approaches, where he also ranks eighth in this field. He finished 10th at this event last year, and I think he’ll be a big part of the story again this week.
Ollie Schniederjans (Odds: 66/1, DraftKings $8,600, FanDuel $9,300) Like Matsuyama, he’s a late entry into the field, and he will look to recapture some of the magic he found here last year, when he finished second to Stenson. Ollie’s game has steadied late this season, and he’s currently 82nd in the FedEx. He finished fifth at the Barracuda a few weeks back, and we continue to wait for a true breakthrough. Could be the week?
Abraham Ancer (Odds: 66/1, DraftKings $8,500, FanDuel $9,200) The 26-year-old from Mexico has enjoyed a nice season, where he’s ranked 84th in FedEx. Comfortably aboard for the first round of the playoffs, Ancer will look to build momentum and earn a fourth straight made cut and – perhaps – a second top 10 in five starts. His putter has cooled off as of late, but he ranks 13th in the field in strokes gained ball striking and fourth off-the-tee. I expect this to be a low-scoring event, so if you aren’t positioning yourself off the tee and your name isn’t Tiger Woods, it’s likely you’ll struggle to make enough birdies to compete.
John Oda (Odds: 125/1, DraftKings $7,200, FanDuel $8,000) The UNLV product by way of Hawaii left before his senior season to turn pro. He hasn’t gotten many Tour starts, but was able to Monday qualify at the Barracuda and went on to finish third. That gave him the exemption in this week’s event, and it’s a big opportunity for him. Contrary to some of the other young guns on Tour, Oda is a ball striker with a consistent all-around game. It would be a feel-good story if he can make a run as a Monday qualifier.
Mulligans – a player who needs a reset but should play well
Sergio Garcia (Odds: 40/1, DraftKings $9,200, FanDuel $10,900) It’s been about five months since the birth of his daughter Azalea, and it has been just about that long since Garcia’s last top 10. (At least, it feels that way.) Sergio has hit a dry spell, as he’s missed four out of his last seven cuts, and three of those were missed by one shot. What better spot to break out of a slump than a weak field and a course where he should excel? He’s known for his ball striking, and if he runs hot with the putter this week, which has been the worst part of his game lately, I see no reason why he can’t be a factor.
Where to play this fantasy Golf this week
DraftKings: Championship season has started, and DraftKings is offering a one of a kind promotion. Win one of 12 contests over the next month to be entered into an exclusive contest where you could win a trip to the 2019 Masters! Here are this week’s three contests.
1. $5 buy-In called “Drive the Green,” with a top prize of $100,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $625,000.
2. $444 buy-In called “Pressure Putt,” with a top prize of $100,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $325,000.
3. $2,120 buy-in contest called “Clubhouse” with a top prize of $50,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $140,000.
FanDuel:
1. $7.77 Buy-in contest called the “Eagle” with a top prize of $20,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000.
2. $1.00 Buy-in contest called the “Flop Shot” with a top prize of $700 and a guaranteed prize pool of $7,000.
3. $33 Buy-In contest called the “Monster” with a top prize of $10,000 and a guaranteed prize pool of $30,000.
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!
