FanDuel PGA: The 2019 Genesis Open

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA – FEBRUARY 16: A view of the Fedex Cup signage during the first round at the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club on February 16, 2017 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) FanDuel PGA /

Welcome to this edition of FanDuel PGA Picks from FantasyCPR.com. Here you will find players to target for this weeks Genesis Open, taking place at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.

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 $11K up to the top salary, 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 to consider for tournament play. 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 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am Recap:

G – Jason Day – $11,700 – (109.4)
G – Chez Reavie – $10,500 – (74.5)
G – Branden Grace – $10,400 – (83.9)
G – Shane Lowry – $10,000 – (44.6)
G – Russell Knox – $9,200 – (79)

G – Trey Mullinax – $8,000 – (81.6)

(473)

Despite the results of the above sample lineup, I personally had a slightly down week overall, but man this one was something to be proud of. Too bad PGA is just way too hard for me to just make one lineup per week so there is that. This lineup was not great by any means, but it was exactly what we look for in a cash lineup.

Anyways, 473 was a solid score, and just the one missed cut in Shane Lowry was the only downfall of this lineup for the most part. In my 100-man 50/50’s, I finished anywhere from sixth to 14th, and was also able to find minimum cash in my GPP’s.

After taking a loss last week and snapping the streak of four straight wins, it was nice to get right back to it, and at the very least, give you all the best lineup I made. It was a weird week in tough weather, and just an event that I am just glad is over for so many reasons.

This week the West Coast Swing wraps up in Pacific Palisades, California, and we have a very solid field to sort through. Without further delay, click the bar below to proceed to this weeks picks for The Genesis Open.

OAKVILLE, ON – JULY 30: Dustin Johnson of the United States lines up a putt on the second hole during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club on July 30, 2017 in Oakville, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

FanDuel PGA: Top Tier Picks: ($11,000+)

Dustin Johnson – $12,000 – (GPP)

I saw quite a bit of Johnson in cash games last week, and it was kind of surprising to me. It should never be, because it was very easy to roster him without a doubt, but I really thought he would be at least under 40%, which he was not. After a solid 5-under first round at Pebble Beach I thought I had maybe made the mistake, but he was never able to get anything going in the conditions, and wound up a disappointing T-45th and likely caused plenty of those who rostered him in cash to miss the cash line.

He wasn’t a bad cash play and I certainly considered it, but Day just made more sense last week. I was even more enamoured with that group between $10-11K that I rostered however, and sometimes it just comes down to the safest thing you can make work.

Anyways, all of that is relevant because I am in the exact same situation this week. Course history alone says you should start your cash lineups with Johnson and Bubba Watson this week, but I think I will save both of these plays for GPP. I expect DJ to be up over 50% in cash games this week easy, but I am going balanced once again, and ride a slightly hotter hand in my opinion in cash games.

Jon Rahm – $11,800 – (Cash)

In many, many people’s eyes, they will see Rahm and DJ and think OK, but you got the GPP and cash thing mixed up. Maybe, but just the $200 in savings is making a difference for me once again this week, and can you really argue either in any format?

Johnson struggled a bit last week, but prior to that he won at the Saudi International, and there could have been some travel fatigue, as he is without a doubt still in great form. On top of that, he is a past winner at the Genesis Open, and has added two runner-ups as well.

Meanwhile all Rahm has done is rip off five straight top-10’s, including his win at the Hero World Challenge in November. This will be his first trip to the Riviera CC and the Genesis Open, and they say many struggle their first time here, but Xander Schauffele was an example that the good ones can still get it done. Schauffele finished 7-under and tied for ninth last year in his first attempt.

Rahm had a week off, and my guess is he got some practice rounds here this week. I have been playing him every week, and my weekly readers will not be shocked to see this at all I am guessing.

Also Consider: Rory McIlroy $11,500 – Xander Schauffele $11,200

PACIFIC PALISADES, NV – FEBRUARY 18: Bubba Watson chips in from the bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club on February 18, 2018 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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

Bubba Watson – $10,700 – (GPP)

The more I read about the Riviera Country Club and the history of the Genesis Open, the more it becomes evident that this might be the most important week for course history of the season. There are a handful of golfers that have played really, really well here over the years, and the results for Bubba are among the best.

Watson has won here three times since 2014, with the other victories also coming in even years as they occured in 2016, and 2018 as well. He will try to go back-to-back and mix-up that trend a bit, and the fact that he played very well last time out actually has me excited to have some exposure this week.

Bubba finished T-4 two weeks ago at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and he led the entire field in strokes gained, tee-to-green. On top of his three wins here at the Riviera, he has an additional four top-20’s over the years. It’s Bubba week, but that unfortunately that always equals risk in my opinion, so I am saving this one for tournaments.

Matt Kuchar – $10,300 – (Cash)

The main reason why I decided to fade Watson in cash, is right here for $400 less in Matt Kuchar. Arguably the most consistent player on tour and already two wins under his belt this season, Kuch is a guy who consistently posts top-25’s regardless of course or weather, and this price is just too low.

Kuch battled the elements last week to finish T-22nd at Pebble Beach, and two weeks ago he struggled in the weather at the WMPO on the final day, but was still able to T-4th. Prior to that he was arguably on top of the golf world with wins at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and the Sony Open, and I actually believe we are seeing Kuchar in his prime at 40-years-old.

He hasn’t been one of the great ones here at the Riviera, but he certainly has not been bad. His best finish was in 2016, when he cracked the top-10 and finished T-8th. He followed that up with a T-22 in 2017, and a T-26 in 2018.

Also Consider: Cameron Smith $10,400 – Tommy Fleetwood $10,100

ST SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 18: Charles Howell III of the United States plays a shot on the eighth hole during the final round of the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Golf Club Seaside Course on November 18, 2018 in St. Simons Island, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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

Charles Howell – $9,600 – (Cash)

I need to start this tier by saying there are so many solid plays in this range. In fact, if my player pool is final at this point, I will have seven golfers in the $9-10K range in play overall, and three in my cash lineup. In my opinion, the best play for the price this week is right here with Charles Howell.

I had to do a double take when I saw this price. Seriously, what has Howell done to not be at least priced with guys like Kuchar and Cameron Smith? Howell last missed a cut at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, and that must have been exactly what he needed to put it together, because he has been on fire since.

In dominating fashion, Howell opened up play at the RSM Classic following his missed cut with rounds of 8-under, and 6-under, and went on to seal a victory. Following that, he played all four January events, making all four cuts, and notching three more top-20’s. He skipped Pebble Beach and should be rested, and he is a cash game lock in my opinion this week.

Adam Scott – $9,600 – (Cash/GPP)

Another play almost exactly like Howell here, that just feels at least $900 too short salary wise. Being able to roster both Scott and Howell at under $10K is something that I look forward to this week. The solo second place at the Farmers Insurance Open just two weeks ago gives me all I need to see this week as far as recent form goes. If you have followed golf at all over the last few years you will know that if Scott just brings his putter, he should be right in the thick of things.

Scott missed the cut last week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but for the most part, playing in that atmosphere with amateurs in horrible weather did not look like much fun. I get the price drop, but we do have another player here with solid history here at The Riviera, and I will have plenty of Scott this week.

This course seems to score much lower in recent years, but if we go back to 2005, Scott was the winner here in a playoff against Chad Campbell, finishing at 9-under. He followed that by just missing the repeat in 2006, losing to Rory Sabbatini by one stroke, as he shot 13-under. More recently, Scott T-2 in 2016 with Jason Kokrak at 14-under par.

Also Consider: Adam Hadwin $9,700 – Martin Laird $9,400 – Jason Kokrak $9,200

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA – FEBRUARY 16: Sung Kang reacts to his chip shot on the 12th hole during the first round at the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club on February 16, 2017 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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

Sung Kang – $8,900 – (GPP)

I think there will be plenty of people firing up Kang in cash this week, and I thought about it as well. However, going with three golfers in that mid-9K range just seemed like the better route, but I will definitely have plenty of Kang in GPP play.

More from FanSided

Kang bounced back well from his missed cut at the WMPO, pulling off a T-14 finish at last week’s Pebble Beach Pro Am. Prior to the missed cut, Kang notched back-to-back top-20’s at the Sony Open and the Farmers Insurance Open as well, so the recent form should not be in question. He is also kind of surprisingly yet another golfer who has found some success here at the Genesis Open.

Kang has made the cut in each of the last three seasons here at The Genesis Open, with his worst finish being a T-22 in 2017. He grabbed a top-10 with a T-8 in 2016, and was solid once again last season, finishing T-16.

The whole $8-9K range other than Kang is pretty awful in my opinion, and I think going any lower than Kang in cash is just unnecessary this week. Out of the three flyers listed below, I will have the most shares of Sang-Moon Bae, as he looks to get back in gear at a place he has been good at in the past. He tied for 8th in both 2013 and 2015, but his recent play has not been good.

Nick Taylor has made the cut here in back-to-back years, and Scott Brown tied for 2nd here just two years ago. All three look to be sneaking in my player pool, as it looks like half of my lineups will be stars and scrubs, while half will be balanced with that loaded mid-tier.

Bonus GPP Flyers: Scott Brown $7,400 – Nick Taylor $7,400 – Sang-Moon Bae $7,100

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 25: Matt Kuchar of the USA plays a shot during day four of the 2018 World Cup of Golf at The Metropolitan on November 25, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) /