RADIO
Joe Nicely breaks down the FanDuel slate for the 2021 Palmetto Championship At Congaree, providing information of not only who will come into the week under-owned but also who should be avoided for your lineups.
Hello RotoBaller PGA crew! It's great to be back with you guys and I appreciate you joining us here at RotoBaller!
In this article we'll discuss some of the standout PGA DFS plays available on FanDuel for the Palmetto Championship at Congaree...a new event on the schedule that's standing in for the canceled Canadian Open. While it's impossible to hit on every player, we'll touch on some different plays across all price ranges, breaking the groups down into "High", "Mid", and "Low" price options that are worth considering.
Like always, the purpose of this piece is to help you put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups for FanDuel, whether that be from a GPP perspective or a cash-game mentality. Be sure to also read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS and betting articles to help you win big!
Palmetto Championship At Congaree - PGA DFS Overview
Congaree Golf Club
7,655Yards - Par 71 - Greens: Bermuda - Designer: Tom Fazio
When rich guys want a special golf course and money is no object, Tom Fazio seems to be the man for the job. Fazio made billionaire Steve Wynn's dreams come true in the Las Vegas desert with the oasis-like Shadow Creek and the prominent designer has performed a similar trick for Congaree Golf Club co-founders Dan Friedkin and the late Robert McNair in Ridgeland, South Carolina with this unique low-country layout.
Fazio's design has been universally praised and was named Golf Digest's Best New Private Course in 2018 and has already vaulted to #39 in that publication's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses list. Congaree's massive length - 7,655 yards this week on the scorecard - can withstand the modern power game, while it's compelling, natural design plays very firm and fast. Many have drawn comparisons to Australia's Royal Melbourne, one of the world's finest golf courses. If that's the case, we should be in for a real treat this week.
For an in-depth breakdown of this week's course, check out RotoBaller's PGA Premium Course Breakdown by Josh Bennett!
Let's Look At The Stats
| Stat | Congaree | Tour Average |
| Driving Distance | N/A | 282 |
| Driving Accuracy | N/A | 62% |
| GIR Percentage | N/A | 65% |
| Scrambling Percentage | N/A | 57% |
| Average Three-Putts Per Round | N/A | 0.55 |
Key Stats
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
- Par 5 Scoring
- Driving Distance
- Birdies or Better Gained
- Sand Saves
- Three-Putt Avoidance
Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for FanDuel (PGA DFS)
We have tons of great weekly PGA articles, DFS analysis, tools and DFS advice. Be sure to read our other fantastic articles regarding this week's event including DFS lineup picks for DraftKings/FanDuel, betting advice and DFS prop picks.
High-Priced FanDuel DFS Plays
Dustin Johnson ($12,200)
Not gonna lie boys and girls, this field isn't pretty, as the combination of being held the week before the U.S. Open and being a temporary stand-in for the RBC Canadian Open, hasn't helped the turnout to Congaree. South Carolina-native Dustin Johnson will be teeing it up this week and stands out as one of the only elite options on this slate. That said, DJ is not without question marks this week, as he's suffered through a down year by his standards. He posted a win in early 2021 in the Saudi International, but has struggled since. Johnson has missed the cut in each of the year's first two major championships and hasn't logged a top-10 finish since the Genesis Invitational back in February. Despite the sluggish form, DJ (along with Brooks Koepka) is certainly the class of this weak field and is capable of finding his form at any moment.
Brooks Koepka ($12,100)
Like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka stands out as an elite option in this field (first in this Congaree field in SG: T2G over the last 24 rounds), but isn't without his own question marks. Koepka surprised with a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship a few weeks ago and likely will be playing this week with one eye on next week's U.S. Open...though we have seen him play well in the past in events the week prior to majors. Unfortunately, his health is always a concern from week to week...and there is a nagging WD factor at play in this spot. As for the fit here at Congaree, Koepka's ability off the tee (third in field SG: OTT last 24 rounds) will be an asset on this layout, as will his penchant for destroying Par-5s (second in SG: Par-5s).
Tyrrell Hatton ($11,800)
The Englishman comes in a slight tier below the likes of Johnson & Koepka, but unquestionably ranks as an elite option in this week's field. Hatton put together a monster 2020 campaign and kicked 2021 off in style with a win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He has cooled off a bit of late, but a career-best T18 at the Masters and solid T38 at the PGA Championship indicates that he's still playing good golf. Hatton has experienced a vast array of golf courses during his time on the Euro Tour, which means he might be able to adapt to this unique Congaree layout easier than some of his U.S.-based competition.
Matt Fitzpatrick ($11,700)
You can basically take the above notes for Tyrrell Hatton and apply them to Matt Fitzpatrick. This Englishman also has loads of international experience and has been in solid form throughout 2021. Fitz is coming off a missed cut last week at the Memorial - just his second of the year - but this profiles as a nice rebound spot for him. He grades out first in this field in SG: Total over the last 24 rounds and is the type of classy, all-around player that I like to target on unknown golf courses such as this week's Congaree layout.
Ian Poulter ($10,600)
A bit of sticker shock here with Ian Poulter, but that will be a common occurrence on this week's salary scale. I learned long ago to never underestimate Poulter in a Ryder Cup year, and sure enough, the Englishman has picked up his production over the last two months by flirting with top-25 finishes in both the Masters and the PGA Championship, as well as logging a T3 in his most recent start at the Charles Schwab Challenge. His veteran experience should help him to navigate a Congaree track that is expected to play firm and fast, while his sneaky explosiveness (10th in field Birdies or Better Gained) provides upside that might go overlooked this week.
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Mid-Priced FanDuel DFS Plays
Patton Kizzire ($10,400)
This is where things truly start getting gross, as a $10.4k Patton Kizzire is enough to keep me awake at night. However, pricing is always relative to the strength of the field, and Kizzire is actually a really strong option this week. He whiffed as a fairly popular value play last week at Memorial, but Muirfield's penal rough was never a good fit for a player that stands just 144th in Fairways Gained. Congaree's wide-open nature off the tee should suit Kizzire's strengths (and weaknesses) much better, as he grades out first in this field in both SG: Approach & SG: Putting over the last 24 rounds.
Garrick Higgo ($10,200)
Apparently the secret is out on the 22-year-old wunderkind, as Garrick Higgo comes in at a stout $10.2k this week. The South African is overflowing with talent and won two Euro Tour events within the span of 30 days earlier this year. That pair of victories are in addition to a win at the Open de Portugal last September. Yeah...the kid can ball. He logged a T64 last month at the PGA in his first taste of major championship golf in the U.S., but we can expect big things from this young man in the near future.
Keith Mitchell ($10,100)
Keith Mitchell's game nosedived shortly after a breakthrough win at the Honda Classic in 2019, but the UGA alum has slowly been working his way back into form. There are some encouraging recent results with a T3 at the Wells Fargo last month being the most notable. Mitchell is a bomber that ranks 10th in this Palmetto field in Driving Distance and fifth in SG: OTT. He also has the ability to rack birdies in bunches when things are clicking and grades out second in Birdies or Better Gained over the last 24 rounds. With a field such as this - that's packed with inconsistent players - I'm willing to embrace volatility in an effort to target pure upside. Killa Keith has that, which makes him a GPP option worth consideration. As a bonus, we can always the "Only Play Keith Mitchell On Bermuda" PGA DFS maxim that applies to this Congaree course.
Brandt Snedeker ($10,000)
Sneds doesn't fit this week's "bomber narrative", but the short knocker still has the ability to light up a scorecard, especially on firm and fast courses that play to his creativity and short game wizardry. One of the most surprising stats of the week is that Snedeker leads this Palmetto field in SG: Par-5s over the last 24 rounds! He also grades out seventh in Birdies or Better Gained over the same time period. The Vandy alum has made the cut in his last five starts - gaining strokes T2G in four of them - with three top-20 finishes since the beginning of April.
Low-Priced FanDuel DFS Players
Vincent Whaley ($9,200)
Vincent Whaley has morphed into something of a pet player of mine over the last couple of months. Thankfully, that's worked out well, as Whaley has remarkably made the cut in his last NINE starts on the PGA Tour, often times flirting with top-25 results. His game is a case of the "sum being greater than the parts", as he doesn't necessarily standout in any one specific statistical category, but continues to put forth solid results week after week and sticks out as a solid value option amongst this dreadful field.
Ben Martin ($9,100)
A little home cookin' here with the Greenwood, South Carolina native and Clemson University alum. Martin has fought his way back onto the PGA Tour and has played some nice golf recently, making the cut in four of his last five starts and gaining strokes on Approach in all five. The one-time PGA Tour winner isn't a household name, but brings a nice course fit (and price tag) to the table this week.
Rafa Cabrera Bello ($8,900)
This isn't an egregious misprice like we've seen from FanDuel on some occasions, but RCB feels really affordable here at $8.9k. The Spaniard has scuffled in the U.S. for the better part of the past year, but heads to Congaree on the heels of three consecutive made cuts over his last three starts. Rafa has gained strokes T2G in all three of those recent outings and has the international experience that will be an asset on this unique layout.
Seamus Power ($8,700)
When my colleague here at RotoBaller, Spencer Aguiar, talks...I listen. My buddy Spencer (and his amazing model) LOVES Power this week, so I'm willing to roll the dice on the Irishman as well. I suppose Spencer's model knows that Power has made the cut in each of his last four starts (with a top-10 at the Byron Nelson coming in his most recent outing) and has gained strokes on Approach in each of his last three appearances.
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