FanDuel PGA: 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Picks – Kuch and Gooch!

Welcome to this edition of FanDuel PGA Picks from FantasyCPR.com. Here you will find players to target for this weekend’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, taking place at TPC Scottsdale – Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In this article, I will present to you some players to consider from each price tier for FanDuel PGA. Some plays will be geared toward cash games, and some for GPP tournaments. Some of course will also technically qualify as both. As we break each play down, I will be sure to specify which type of contests I am targeting that player in.

I will give two players to target from the $11K-$12K, two targets from the $10K-$11K range, and two from the $9-10K range. After that will come my top value plays from the $8-9K range, along with a couple of GPP flyers below $8K. Last but certainly not least, I will end the article the ever popular sample lineup we like to do here at FantasyCPR. Before we get to all that, let’s check out how things fared with last week’s sample lineup!

FanDuel PGA: The 2019 Farmers Insurance Open Recap:

G – Jon Rahm – $11,900 – (107.8)
G – Jason Day – $11,300 – (112.9)
G – Marc Leishman – $10,800 – (68.2)
G – Brandt Snedeker – $10,300 – (60.6)
G – Harris English – $7,800 – (29.8)
G – Rory Sabbatini – $7,900 – (66.4)

                                                           (445.7)

Day was only 8% owned in cash games, as most of my picks are usually vastly under owned. He was able to carry the team with a T-5 place finish with Rahm, and just having that pair together, along with just the one missed cut in English, equaled some green once again.

I think I may be on some chalk for my value plays this week, but we may be a little different at the top once again. Nevertheless, my formula seems to be working, so let’s proceed and see what I can cook up this week.

***Click the bar below to proceed to this weeks PGA 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open FanDuel Picks!***

FanDuel PGA: Top Tier Picks: ($11,000 – $12,500)

Hideki Matsuyama – $11,800 – (Cash/GPP)

Matsuyama is a golfer that I rarely roster anymore. In fact, there was probably a time a couple years ago when he was on my “never again” list. Much like Tiger Woods had a stay on that list for quite some time and has since been removed, it is time to remove Matusyama from the list as well.

Hideki shot back-to-back 66’s to open the Farmers Insurance Open last week at Torrey Pines, and just a third round hiccup 73 spoiled his chances to compete with Rose at the top, as he ended up finishing T-3, behind Adam Scott as well. He was classic Matsuyama drilling approach shots for most of the tournament, and looks to be back in top form.

Last year at the Waste Management Open, Matsuyama was forced to withdraw due to a wrist injury, but his history prior to that is pretty remarkable. He was the champion here in 2016 and 2017, and finished T-2 in 2015 and T-4 in 2014. That is actually insane, and makes him a lock here for me. Two wins and four total top-five’s in four total finishes here. Yup sign me up. That is exactly the stuff I look for.

Phil Mickelson – $11,100 – (Cash)

Speaking of guys I don’t normally roster, it is going to be a wacky and wild week for me, as I cheer for two golfers who are just easy to root against, in Matsuyama and Mickelson. No reason to hate on Hideki I guess, but I have many, many times chalked up a bad round from Phil to the fact that he is just washed up. I am sick of lefty proving me wrong, and since this is home for him and he has dominated here, he will be a top play for me this week, and the anchor for my cash games.

Lefty is still ranked inside the top 30 in the world, and coming off a T-2 at the Desert Classic on a week’s rest has me interested. I like the fact Mickelson is going to take a week off here and there to stay fresh, and probably just do other things, as he seems to be dialed in as of late. He finished an amazing 25-under at the Desert Classic coming up just short of Adam Long, and his 12-under opening round 60 proves he can still go out and win any weekend. Trust me I am scared, but I just cannot overlook these two this week.

***Also Consider: Jon Rahm $12,500 – Rickie Fowler – $11,000***

FanDuel PGA: Mid Tier Picks: ($10,000 – $11,000)

Webb Simpson – $10,800 – (GPP)

Another horse for the course, Simpson may be another name that pops up as a favorite tournament play away from a likely chalky Matt Kuchar this week. He has played just three events since the start of November, but has finished top-15 or better in all three, including a solo third place finish at the RSM Classic. Although his recent form is up to par, (get it?) it is his past history here at TPC Scottsdale that has me thinking this is a Simpson week.

My hope here is that people will just look at 2018, and see the missed cut here, and move along. You have to go back to 2011 to see the big picture of what Simpson has done here at the Phoenix Open. He notched back-to-back T-8 in 2011 and 2012, and posted a solo 10th place finish in 2014. His best finish was just two years ago however, as Matsuyama held him off in a playoff to win his second straight, and give Simpson the playoff loss and second place finish. He tied for 14th in 2016, and did not play in 2013 and 2015, so that gives four top-15 or better finishes in five tries here. I’ll grab a few shares.

Matt Kuchar – $10,700 – (Cash)

Kuuuuuuucchh!! I am going to be saying a lot of that this weekend. By the way if you don’t watch golf or think it is boring, this is a week to tune in. The sight of the 16th hole and “The Coliseum” is pretty unique, and it shows how fun it can be to watch a little golf. Anyways, let’s talk a bit about the heater that Kuchar is on.

The Mayakoba Golf Classic Champion took his momentum to Hawaii, where he won again shooting 22-under, and amassing 154.8 FDP. That huge total will win you GPP’s, and if Kuchar stays on this hot streak, he could post a number like that once again. He has shot 14 of his 16 rounds in four events this season under par, and the other two were even rounds.

Kuchar has finished all over the place here at TPC Scottsdale over the years, but has posted top-10’s in this event in back-to-back years. He T-9 at 12-under in 2017, and followed that up with a T-5 last year at 14-under. This is a Kuch week for me, and I plan to have plenty of Kuch.

***Also Consider: Andrew Putnam $10,500 – Chez Reavie $10,300***

FanDuel PGA: Low Tier Picks: ($9,000 – $10,000)

Lucas Glover – $9,700 – (Cash)

I am taking a little break from the rookies and youngsters for the most part this week, as the crafty veterans that are playing well seem to fit my builds a little better this week. Glover doesn’t really fit the bill of the horse for the course this week, but while he has consistently made cuts here at TPC Scottsdale, he has failed to post a finish in the top-25 over the last few years. On top of that, he is playing solid golf right now, having gone 5-for-5 making cuts thus far.

Did I say he made every cut? Scratch that and let’s start over. In five starts this season, Glover has five finishes of T-17 or BETTER! In 20 rounds of golf, Glover has golfed every round at par or better. His best finish was at the Shriners Open, in which a 10-under third round led him to a T-7 finish. The last five finishes look like this. T-17, T-14, T-7, T-11, T-12. Until he comes back down to Earth and finishes outside the top-20 I am on board.

This should be a cash lock, and will likely be chalky, but I love this play as a GPP almost more. The masses will likely be on Billy Horschel and Emiliano Grillo in this price range, and that could make Glover a sneaky tournament play.

Joel Dahmen – $9,000 – (GPP)

This is another pivot in a sense, as I think Kyle Stanley will get some attention once again this week due to the fact that he has won here. This will be Dahmen’s first Phoenix Open, and he comes in 8-for-8 making cuts on the season. He finally cracked the top-10 last weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open, as he was able to finish 12-under and finish T-9.

Another model of consistency in the early goings, Dahmen has shot just one round over par out of the 32 competitive rounds he has played since the Safeway Open. I am thinking of sneaking him in my cash lineup this week, but I may be much more comfortable with Byeong-Hun An for $200 more if I can make it work.

***Also Consider: Billy Horschel $9,800 – Tyrell Hatton $9,600 – Byeong-Hun An $9,200 – Kyle Stanley $9,100***

FanDuel PGA: Top Value Picks: ($9,000 or Less)

Talor Gooch – $8,700 – (GPP)

Gooch and Kuch! Given their respective salaries here on FanDuel, this duo will likely be in plenty of lineups this weekend. The 27-year-old has endured a rocky PGA career up to this point missing many cuts on the way to his recent hot streak. Whether it is the fact that he is playing for his livelihood or not, he certainly has figured something out with his game over the last couple of weeks.

More from FanSided

• Caesars and PointsBet Promo Codes: $1,750 Bonus For ANY World Cup or MLB Game!
• Thunder projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
• NWSL Challenge Cup news: Courage ruthless against Washington, Racing remain perfect
• 2023 Women’s World Cup: Ary Borges and Brazil showed the entire world what they are about
• Trea Turner’s rough season goes from bad to worse

Gooch is sticking his approach shot, as he gaining strokes on the field in this category among the best in the game over this stretch. I thought it was just a fluke when he crept all the way up to finish 4th with a final round 8-under at the Desert Classic, but he followed it up with a solid four rounds last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, to notch another top-5 finish, and T-3rd. He actually got some air time last week, and from what I had seen, he looks absolutely dialed in. I am curious to see how much ownership he will garner, but I am confident enough to play him in cash games this week.

Jason Kokrak – $8,600 – (Cash)

Another hot golfer who has been around awhile, and we get yet another course that fits Kokrak’s game. Kokrak is 5-for-5 making cuts which is always the first thing I look for in golfers under $9K, and after a lackluster fall highlighted by a best finish of a T-43 at the CIMB Classic, he has cracked the top-20 twice now in two 2019 events.

Big second and third rounds of 7-under and 6-under at the Desert Classic two weeks ago led Kokrak to a T18th finish and 115.2 FDP. He followed that up last week with three straight rounds of 3-under to finish the Farmers Insurance Open, to just crack the top 20 with a T-20 finish. We want guys long off the tee once again this week, and Kokrak is one of the longest in the game.

***Bonus GPP Flyers: JJ Spaun $8,600 – Ollie Schniederjans $8,500***

FanDuel PGA: 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open – Sample 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 – Hideki Matsuyama – $11,800
G – Phil Mickelson – $11,100
G – Matt Kuchar – $10,700
G – Joel Dahmen – $9,000
G – Talor Gooch – $8,700

G – Jason Kokrak – $8,600

That is all for this weeks FanDuel PGA Targets for the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix 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!