FanDuel PGA: Top Picks – The 2019 Valero Texas Open

Welcome to this edition of FanDuel PGA Picks from FantasyCPR.com. Here you will find players to target for this weeks Valero Texas Open, taking place in San Antonio, Texas.

In this article, I will present to you some Fantasy Golf 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. Since we skipped last weeks Corales Puntacana alternate event that FanDuel decided to post a late slate for, there will be no recap this week. Instead, let’s just get right to this weeks Valero Texas Open top picks.

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

Rickie Fowler – $12,500 – (Cash)

Whether you like Rickie or not, I don’t think there is any way around it this week. Your cash lineups should start here, as there is plenty of cut-making talent in the 8-9K range this week that could easily end up finishing in the top-20. Fowler is the only top ten player in the OWGR in this field, and he is a heavy favorite to win this week.

This is Fowler’s first Valero Open, and while I haven’t seen it publicly stated anywhere, I am guessing he doesn’t like Match Play all that much, as he skipped the WGC-Dell Match Play for the second consecutive year. It may have been a strategic move on Fowler’s part to commit here early, as he planned to use this for his Masters tune-up, in what would be a much less talented field.

Billy Horschel – $11,000 – (GPP)

This player pool and pricing on FanDuel is interesting but I think they got it right, as far as making it a challenge goes. Never in a million years did I think I would play Billy Ho at over $10K even, but nonetheless, here we are.

It looks like Matt Kuchar is a go this week, and with him, Jason Kokrak and Sungjae our top options this week, you really have to not only consider some different things, you possibly have to take a different approach. This week in this price range, I really like the combination of course history and recent form Horschel possesses.

Horschel has not missed a cut in literally ages, so we are safe there. While he hasn’t had any huge finishes, he is having a very solid and consistent 2019 up to this point, with his best finish a solo eighth at the Farmers Insurance Open. While I would normally like to see better form at this price, I can’t get past how well Horschel has played here in the past.

If we go back six years to 2013, Horschel has missed two cuts, but was really good the other four years. Last year he T-11 at nine-under, but the other three years were top-five finishes. 2013 he T-3 at 11-under, and he went solo third in 2015, and T-4 in 2016. The missed cuts are a slight red flag, but I think nobody will really be on him at this price, making him a solid GPP play.

***Also Consider: Sungjae Im – $11,100***

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

Jim Furyk – $10,900 – (Cash)

Right after I locked in Fowler for cash games, I did the same with Furyk. Old Man Jim as I like to call him has been on fire in 2019, as he creeps closer and closer to a Masters bid. He currently ranks 52nd in the OWGR, and one more nice finish may get him inside that magical top 50 mark. To say Furyk has something to play for this week is a giant understatement.

So far in 2019, Furyk has amassed four top-20’s in five stroke-play events, and was recently came up just short of a victory at the Players Championship. While he hasn’t played the Valero Texas Open much in the last few years, he did notch back-to-back top-tens in 2013 and 2014, with a T-3 in 2013, and a T-6 in 2014. More recently, Furyk returned here after a two-year absence last year, and T-26 at four-under par.

Lucas Bjerregaard – $10,600 – (GPP)

Going back through golf’s hot new commodity’s results over the last couple of years, I think I see a very distinct pattern. If you don’t know who Bjerregaard is, two things. First, he was really good European Tour golfer before he made his way to the states after the WGC-Mexico, as his OWGR ranking even then left him a good chance of qualifying for the WGC-Dell Match Play. Second, you simply didn’t watch match play last week.

Anyways about his history. Bjerregaard seems like a very streaky golfer, and it is safe to say this is one of those hot streaks. For a six-week stretch last year, he notched five top-tens that included a win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Then after a run of just above-average finishes, Bjerregaard teed it up on the PGA Tour at the Honda Classic and The Players before making his historic run in Match Play last week. He tied for 12th at the Honda Classic, and his T-30 finish at the Players was not bad either.

I hope people fade because of the price, but I have zero idea what to expect here. He is probably very much cash safe this week, but I will save it for GPP, as there is still just too much unknown on my end.

***Also Consider: Byeong-Hun An – $10,200***

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

Si Woo Kim – $9,700 – (GPP)

Sort of volatile and not really cash safe here even at this price, the 23-year-old South Korean Si Woo Kim looks like someone who will end up in my player pool for tournament play this week. This will be Kim’s fourth appearance at the Valero Texas Open, and he has mixed results. His best finish was in 2017 when he T-22 at 2-under.

Kim’s most recent form isn’t great, but his back-to-back top fives in California were not that long ago. He missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and T-56 at the Players in his last two-stroke play tournaments, and took part in the WGC-Dell Match Play, but went 0-3. The fact that he has struggled a bit lately is what is drawing me closer.

Ownership should be down here for his recent struggles, but he has a great chance to excel against this field. I won’t go too heavy here as this price range is pretty loaded with playable plays, but this the one play that stands out the most as someone who could pop with a top five finish.

Aaron Baddeley – $9,600 – (Cash)

This one is kind of hard to swallow too, but Baddelely checks all of the boxes this week believe it or not. Most importantly though, he has a track record here at the Valero that is pretty impressive. After tying for third in 2010, Baddeley did not play the next couple years, but he has since not missed a Valero since 2012, and he has four top-20’s in six tries. In recent years, he finished a solo fifth at 8-under in 2017, and he T-16 last year.

Despite a poor showing and a missed cut at the Players Championship, the recent form is actually not that bad either. Baddeley bounced back last week at the Corales Championship, where he T-7 at 14-under. He also T-2 at the Puerto Rico Open back in February, and T-17 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. While the price might be a little steep, I still think this is a solid cash play this week.

***Also Consider: Trey Mullinax $9,400 – Dylan Fritelli $9,300***

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

Matt Jones – $8,900 – (Cash/GPP)

Another veteran Aussie, and another golfer with a better than average track record here at the Valero, as well as another golfer in decent form. Jones missed the cut last year here at TPC San Antonio, but he T-13 in 2017, and grabbed another top-25 way back in 2010. Overall, he has made five cuts here in seven tries since 2010.

Last week at the Corales Championship, a round of 5-under lead to a T-18 finish, giving Jones back-to-back top-20’s. Although he did MDF at the Desert Classic back in January, he technically hasn’t missed a cut in 2019. While he hasn’t cracked the top-ten yet, this could be the week, and he is awfully cheap. Jones has a total of three top-20’s now in 2019, and his best finish is two T-13’s.

J.T. Poston – $8,900 – (Cash)

Another cash option at just under $9K you say when we need to roster Fowler? Yes indeed! I think Both Jones and J.T. Poston can be played in cash comfortably, as the history and form is head and shoulders above others in this price range, with the exception of maybe Nick Taylor, who is also playing good golf, and also might be cash safe.

Poston is 2-for-2 in his young career at the Valero Texas Open, as he T-27 in 2017 in his debut, and T-30 at 2-under par last year. He had recently made eight straight cuts, before finally missing one in his last action at the Valspar, and they may turn a few folks off this week. I think that is a bad idea, and here is why.

Last time prior to last week that Poston missed a cut was at the RSM Classic back in November. Although there was a long layoff in between, he bounced back as the calendar turned, with a T-20 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and followed that with a T-7 at the Desert Classic. I am not saying he bounces back with authority like that again, but I like seeing a trend like that, that may give us some insight in a guys head. He is my favorite value play this week, and I will have a ton of exposure.

***Also Consider: Nick Taylor $8,700 – Kyoung-Hoon Lee $8,400***

FanDuel PGA: The 2019 Valero Texas 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 – Rickie Fowler – $12,500
G – Jim Furyk – $10,900
G – Aaron Baddeley – $9,600
G – Dylan Fritelli – $9,300
G – J.T. Poston – $8,900
G – Nick Taylor – $8,700

That is all for this weeks FanDuel PGA Picks for the 2019 Valero Texas 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!