2019 Honda Classic DraftKings Value Picks

Honda Classic: PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – FEBRUARY 25: Justin Thomas (L) celebrates with his caddie Jimmy Johnson following a victory at The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa on February 25, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Hello Fantasy Golf DFS players and welcome to a look inside the Honda Classic!

Before we get into the Honda Classic, an introduction. As a new addition to FanSided and contributor to FantasyCPR, I would like to introduce myself. M

My name is Dom Cintorino and I will be making the transition here from RotoExperts, where I covered both Fantasy Golf and Fantasy Football. I plan to cover DraftKings value plays and a little bit of season-long PGA picks and insight.

The season-long portion of my articles will be highlighted “Mulligan of the Week” section to highlight golfers who may be available in season-long formats. Leagues vary in terms of Fantasy Golf when it comes to season-long, but this will be comparable to a waiver wire in Fantasy Football.

I look forward to meeting and engaging with all of you! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. I would be more than happy to help with anything you need and am also open to hear what you would like to see from me moving forward. I am open to your ideas so don’t hesitate to reach out! With that being said, let’s dive right into this week’s tournament.

The Genesis Open concluded the West Coast swing as the Tour heads to Florida for the Honda Classic. PGA National is a Par-70 stretching just over 7,100 yards. Key stats to consider include bogey avoidance, total driving, and proximity to the hole.

This is a difficult course where it is very easy to make a big number which makes bogey avoidance important. PGA National features five Par 4’s that are 450+ yards to go along with two 535+ yard Par 5’s. Long hitters will have an advantage, but with water being a factor on most holes, accuracy becomes key as well.

This is why it is crucial to hone in on total driving, which accounts for both driving distance, and driving accuracy. Lastly, we need to consider proximity to the hole, as birdie opportunities do not come easily.

Honda Classic: GREENSBORO, NC – AUGUST 17: Daniel Berger plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on August 17, 2018 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Honda Classic: Top End Value Plays

Let me just start by saying nobody is a guarantee when it comes to making the cut at the Honda Classic. Last year, we seen elite players such as Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, and Tyrrell Hatton miss the cut, which ended up being +3.

With the clear top three player in this years field being Justin Thomas ($11,900), Rickie Fowler ($11,200), and Brooks Koepka ($10,700), it is not a bad idea to fade all of them.

You can obviously make the case for any of them to win, but with a tournament of such high variance, it’s not a bad idea to fade the top and save a bit of salary to go with a balanced approach.

Daniel Berger $9,400

Should we be impressed with his back-door T2 in last weeks alternate field at the Puerto Rico Open? Probably not. He was the most elite player in the field which is why he was the favorite, but a high finish was expected. Let’s just say it would have been a major concern if he wouldn’t have had a productive week.

That aside, he is at the very least coming into this week with some type of form. The $9,400 price tag might seem like it’s a bit much, but when you look at the field as a whole, you need to stick with the guys that line up well.

Berger is currently fourth in bogey avoidance, 14th in total driving, and fifth in proximity. He was one of the names that popped when looking through the key stats. In four showings at the Honda Classic, Berger has made two of four cuts with a solo second his rookie year in 2015, and a T29 last season.

Starting your team with Berger leaves you with just over $8,100 per spot for your last five golfers. I wouldn’t consider him a fantastic “value” play, but compared to where everyone else is priced up here, Berger is worth a look and should not carry too much ownership.

Byeong Hun An $9,100

With back-to-back top-20’s worldwide before his quiet T45 at the WGC Mexico this past week, Byeong Hun-An is worth a look this week. In a range with so many intriguing names, An should go overlooked.

An is sandwiched between Luke List, who is coming off of a playoff loss here last year, and Alex Noren who was just one stroke away from joining List and JT in the playoff finishing solo third.

In An’s debut here last year, he found himself in a tie for fifth with Webb Simpson who is $500 more this week. An makes for a nice cash-game play for this weeks Honda Classic as he has yet to miss a cut this season on the PGA tour.

Honda Classic: PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 17: Michael Thompson hits out of the bunker on the 10th hole during the final round of the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club on February 17, 2019 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Honda Classic: Mid-Range Bargains

From $7,000-$8,900, there is lots of value to be found. Kiradech Aphibarnrat ($8,200) is one of my favorite plays just based off of form. With DJ pulling away from the competition at the WGC Mexico this past weekend, he overshadowed Aphibarnrat T3.

Carding three rounds of 68 and one 69, the now 36th ranked player in the world had solid outing in a very strong field. Costing you just $8,200 on DraftKings, Aphibarnrat is a steal.

As popular as Michael Thompson ($8,000) is going to be this week, I think we still need to lock him into our lineups. Everything lines up perfectly for him. He is on an absolute tear on the PGA Tour and is in the best form of his life.

Thompson has rattled off five straight made cuts in 2019 and four of them have resulted in finishes inside of the top-13. So the form is there, but what about course history? Well, his only win on tour came here at the Honda Classic and he has made five cuts in seven attempts. Plug him into your cash-game lineups.

Players sub-$7,000 are very interesting as we find many players under-priced. Starting off with C.T. Pan ($7,800) who has yet to finish inside the top-40 this year, but also has yet to miss a cut.

Pan has made the cut in each of the past two years at the Honda Classic with a T17 last year, and a T37 the year before. Another player who is in a nice spot after a week off is Dylan Frittelli ($7,400). In his first appearance here last season Frittelli finished solo 11th.

Right below him is fellow rookie Sungjae Im ($7,300), who is also coming off of a week of much-needed rest after missing his past two cuts.

Im has played just about every week and had four consecutive cuts made to kickoff the year with three of them inside of the top-16. This is a nice value for I’m who is in a good spot to bounce back this week.

Honda Classic: SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 31: Morgan Hoffmann plays his shot from the 15th tee during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 31, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Honda Classic: Sub $7K and Mulligan of the Week

Though you may not have to go this far down the board this week, there are some interesting names under $7,000. I don’t think many DFS players are going to force themselves into this range unless they go very heavy at the top, which does not seem like that’s going to be the case this week.

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Roger Sloan ($6,600) is also coming off of a T2 finish after a strong Sunday at the Puerto Rico Open. Sloan has had some solid finishes this season and is currently 10th on tour in proximity to the hole, and 42nd in total driving.

It’s not normal that you see the 51st ranked player in the world towards the bottom, but Lucas Bjerregaard is just $6,400. He struggled last week at the WGC Mexico, but had a very strong 2018 campaign with 10 top-10’s worldwide with a win.

His win came at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship which was not an easy field as it included players such as Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Louis Oosthuizen, and Matt Kuchar. For a world-class player like Bjerregaard, this is a price we need to take advantage of at the.

One golfer that stuck out down here with some type of course history is Morgan Hoffman ($6,300). He has made the cut here at the Honda Classic in each of the past three years with his best finish being a T2 in 2017. Hoffman is currently returning from an injury last season playing on Major Medical status so every start has significance.

Mulligan of the Week: Martin Trainer

This is an obvious one coming off of a win because we just had an alternate event occur. Martin Trainer is worth an add in season-long leagues as he will be able to play in just about any tournament he wants.

With a two year exemption on the PGA Tour, Trainer will need to take full advantage of this opportunity. Before his win, Trainer was one of the most irrelevant rookies on tour. However, having this priority over so many golfers, Trainer should now have the potential to make a high volume of cuts.

Next. The Honda Classic - PGA Power Rankings. dark

He is in the field at this week’s Honda Classic which shows that he is ready to play some events. Don’t expect him to win again this season, but any high finish is just a bonus moving forward. We don’t see too many players jump in the priority like this throughout the year, so don’t miss your opportunity to lock him up.

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