Welcome FantasyCPR readers to a new piece I will provide when time permits. I have only recently started playing the smaller PGA DraftKings golf slates, and since they easily have the best contest selection available, I will venture into new territory for me personally, and finally do an article for DraftKings.
Hopefully if you are somewhat new to PGA DraftKings you held off on one day showdown slates or weekend golf as whole as long as possible. For some of us degenerates who may be staring at a missed cut or two or three in our main lineups, we only see the chance to hedge with some weekend golf. So let’s do it!
I am actually quite surprised to see the selection of contests for the Saturday – Sunday, weekend only golf slate on DraftKings. Plenty of options for buy-in’s of every dollar amount, so before we get to my lineup, let’s talk a little bit about weekend golf strategy.
PGA DraftKings – Weekend Golf Strategy:
There really isn’t a whole lot different in general, but the main thing that should be considered here along with how the first two rounds went, is whether or not that golfer is a finisher, or a faulter on Sundays. A couple of golfers that stick right out for me in this sense are Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. Neither golfer has played well when in contention as of late, so guys like that are basically insta-fades for me.
Each golfer got a round at the north course and a round at the south course Thursday and Friday, and now the final two rounds will take place at the south course here at the Farmers Insurance Open. Obviously the first thing you want to do when looking for value plays, is double check that leaderboard and make sure your golfers made the cut. Believe it or not, it happens, and that is just another reason to play.
I am going to target players that had a solid first round on the south course, and have a solid recent history here at Torrey Pines. The second round is currently still under way, so there may be some fringe value picks, but for the most part, all of my recommendations will be as close as possible to safe to make the cut. Will Tiger Woods be a top play? He is only 2-under through 14 on the north course as I write this, so it doesn’t look like it.
PGA DraftKings: 2019 Farmers Insurance Open – Weekend Golf – Top Plays
One thing this slate does look like and shapes up well for, is “stars and scrubs” construction. You want to have the winner on your roster to have a shot at good money in a GPP, so rostering at least two golfers in the top-5 going into the weekend is a must. I found a way to fit three, so let’s see who the top plays are.
Jon Rahm $10,200 – Currently T-3 (-10) – (Finished)
The big talk on PGA DFS Twitter after the start of this years Farmers Insurance Open, was the surprisingly low ownership on Jon Rahm. It was looking like many faders were on quite the tilt as he destroyed the north course for a 62 on Thursday. Just when he was looking like the favorite to win and be the chalk of this slate, he has had just an OK day on the south course on Friday.
The fact that this may turn some away makes me gravitate toward Rahm more once again looking for low ownership. He is currently at even par through 11 holes on the day, and sits three strokes back of the leader, and our next target.
Justin Rose $9,700 – Currently 1st (-15) – (Finished)
While Rose was a complete fade for me basically everywhere this week, time to take my “L” on that really quick and move along. Never hold grudges or let a previous play prevent a future play is a golden rule of DFS, and new clubs or not, the world’s number one ranked golfer is out at Torrey Pines proving why thus far.
I am watching replays until the weekend, so I technically have not seen what has happened today, but I will be watching it back tonight. I am excited to see how Rose handled the south course so well, while it appears Rahm has basically struggled to even par. Rahm will bounce back though, and Rose looks poised to contend, so both are locked in weekend lineup.
Charles Howell $9,300 – Currently – T-9 (-8) – (Finished)
What a change of pace from a day at the north to day at the south. When you looked at the leaderboard after Thursday, one thing was consistent. Most players had a NC by their name, noting that they played on the north course. The only one in contention that didn’t wasn’t Howell, as he was the only player that looked ready to take the south course on twice more.
Howell finished 6-under on the south course on Thursday, and my thought was that he would be right in this thing after today getting to play the north course, but it didn’t come to fruition. Howell only managed to shoot 2-under on Friday, but still looks poised to grab another top-10.
***Also Consider: Tony Finau $9,800 – Jason Day $8,400***
PGA DraftKings: 2019 Farmers Insurance Open – Weekend Golf – Value Plays
Si Woo Kim $7,200 – Currently T-6 (-9) – (Finished)
I’ll kick off the value play section by saying all three of these picks could very well be chalky, as all three currently sit in the top-10. In all honesty, if one of the three actually remain in said top-10 throughout the weekend, I will be a little surprised. All three played great golf the last two days, and all three also held their own on the south course, so all are certainly in play. Just remeber their current place in the standings and whatever they did the last two days, means nothing for scoring for the weekend.
Kim is a golfer that has been on the brink of putting everything together since the Asian Swing last fall, when he posted a string of four top-26 or better finishes. His best finish was at the CIMB Classic where ended up 10th, and shot a final round 65. He has had just one final round over 70 in his last five made cuts, meaning he should be able stick around here.
Joel Dahmen $7,500 – Currently T-6 (-9) – (Finished)
Another value play that should be fairly popular for this slate is the 31-year-old Washington product Joel Dahmen. Like Howell, he was one of very few golfers that had success on the south course on Thursday. After firing an opening round 68, he followed that up on Friday with a 67 on the north course, and currently sits T-6.
Dahmen continues to establish himself on the PGA tour, after years playing in Canada, and on the Web.com Tour. This will be 8-for-8 making cuts this season, and he posted final round 67’s at the Sony Open and the RSM Classic, his last two events played.
Sang-Moon Bae $6,100 – Currently T-6 (-9) – (Finished)
Love to see a guy with serious talent right in the thick of things, and also right near the minimum price. Nobody should have been on Bae to start this event, but all of a sudden we have a reason to take notice of this past PGA winner once again.
For those who know nothing about him, he is a now 32-year-old South Korean golfer, who is just returning to the PGA tour this season, after having to serve mandatory military obligations starting back in 2014, which was right as he was bursting on to the golf scene. Bae won the 2013 Byron Nelson Classic so he has been there before, and he followed up his 68 on the north course on Thursday with a 67 on the south course on Friday. It would be great to see him go on a run.
***Also Consider: Beau Hossler $7,100 – Adam Svensson $6,800***
PGA DraftKings: 2019 Farmers Insurance Open – Weekend Golf – Sample GPP Lineup
The line-up below is meant to be illustrative only to further back-up the logic laid out in previous slides. It is not an optimal line-up. It is in fact, just a “Sample Lineup.”
G – Jon Rahm – $10,200
G – Justin Rose – $9,700
G – Charles Howell – $9,300
G – Beau Hossler – $7,100
G – Adam Svensson – $6,800
G – Danny Willett – $6,900
That is all for this weeks PGA DratKings Weekend Golf slate for the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open. If you have any questions, give me a follow on Twitter with the link at the top of the article. You can also leave a question right here in the comments, and I will do my best to respond before lock Thursday morning. Thank you for reading, and may your golf tilt be minimal this weekend!