X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Daily Fantasy Golf DraftKings Picks (PGA DFS): Safeway Open

Spencer breaks down the DraftKings PGA slate with his Safeway Open DFS lineup picks, under-owned value pays, and golfers to avoid for daily fantasy lineups.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! Dustin Johnson capped off an amazing stretch of play by winning the Tour Championship last week. With the victory, DJ also claimed the FedEx Cup and a huge $15 million payday.

I'll be filling in for the great Spencer Aguiar this week. While I won't be able to equal Spencer's amazing DK analysis, we'll dive into some of my favorite plays for the Safeway Open, a tournament that features one of the weakest fields we've seen in quite some time.

I take great pride in the research and energy I put into my selections from a mathematical standpoint, but my numbers or information aren't always the law. If you have any questions about a particular player from a PGA DFS or PGA betting perspective, please feel free to contact me on Twitter @Teeoffsports. Many golfers barely miss out on being mentioned here by fractions of a percent, and I am more than happy to discuss my feelings or stance on anyone that may have caught your eye. Like always, the purpose of this piece is to help you put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups for DraftKings, 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 articles to help you win big!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code WIN! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

PGA DFS Rankings Wizard - Safeway Open

We have a special treat for all you RotoBallers and golf enthusiasts. In addition to this article, be sure to also check out Spencer's PGA DFS Rankings Wizarda powerful and interactive data spreadsheet, allowing user inputs to create custom rankings and models for golf. If you would like to create your own spreadsheet, you will need to make a copy under "file, make a copy." We hope you enjoy!

 

Safeway Open - PGA DFS Overview

Silverado Resort & Spa North

7,166 Yards - Par 72 - Greens: Poa Annua

A small group led by Johnny Miller purchased this Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed property in 2010. Miller quickly orchestrated a fairly extensive re-design which has been well received. This is a classic layout with tough-to-hit, tree-lined fairways that places an emphasis on accuracy off the tee. Elite ball striking is required at Silverado and will be an area that I will target heavily, while iron play will also take its usual prominent place in my research process. Recent winners here are players that I would largely place in the "ball strikers" category, with most being known for their length and ability off the tee. I'll also glance at scrambling and around-the-green ability this week, as this tournament definitely isn't a "birdiefest", with the average winning score at around 15-under par. For the first time in a while, we'll see true California Poa Annua greens. Poa is notoriously tricky, so I'll definitely be keeping an eye on players that have positive putting splits on Poa.

 

Let's Look At The Stats

Stat Safeway Open Tour Average
Driving Distance 284 281
Driving Accuracy 52% 62%
GIR Percentage 67% 65%
Scrambling Percentage 59% 57%
Average Three-Putts Per Round 0.55 0.56

 

Key Stats

  • Strokes Gained Approach
  • Par-Five Scoring
  • Ball Striking
  • Strokes Gained Off The Tee
  • Bogey Avoidance
  • Scrambling
  • Strokes Gained Putting (Poa Annua)

 

Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for DraftKings (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.

 

High-Priced DraftKings DFS Players 

Si Woo Kim ($10,800)

There's definitely a bit of sticker shock that comes with seeing Si Woo Kim atop the salary scale this week. As we'll see throughout the slate, this Safeway field is an especially weak one. Kim is such a volatile player that it is a bit tough to swallow him at this price, but he has played consistently good as of late, with a third-place finish at the Wyndham being the highlight of a very strong August.  He's gained strokes T2G in five-straight starts dating back to the Memorial, though his Safeway record is nothing fancy - a T49 and a MC in two starts since 2016 - which makes his place at the top of the board even more suspect. We have to understand that pricing is gonna make us feel uncomfortable this week - it's just the nature of these events with weaker fields - but even taking that into account, I can't personally pull the trigger on Si Woo here.

Phil Mickelson ($10,600)

Another head-scratcher here, as Lefty's price feels inflated even with the watered-down nature of this field. Phil Mickelson does possess a very strong course history in this and displayed that he still has game with a third-place finish at the WGC in Memphis and a win in his Champions Tour debut a couple of weeks ago. I really don't hate the play, as he's demonstrated that he still has some juicy upside, but like with Kim, Phil's extremely tough to swallow at this price point.

Brendan Steele ($10,000)

Goes without saying that the price is gross, but Steele is an intriguing option this week. He's won twice on this golf course (2017 & '18) and has flashed some form in 2020 after a disastrous 2019. Steele has gained strokes both T2G and on Approach in his each of last six starts. He also leads this field by a rather comfortable margin in SG: Total for this event since 2016.

Joel Dahmen ($9,500)

Dahmen's history at the Safeway is pretty ugly - MC/T49/MC since 2016 - but his play since the restart warrants him consideration. Dahmen has recorded five top-20 finishes in nine post-layoff starts and possesses top-10 upside this week. As with basically every player in this field, we're taking on some volatility with him, but his recent standard of play is as high as anyone available to us this week.

Harold Varner III ($9,100)

Finally a play that at least feels like a good one. HV3 brings a nice blend of recent form and course history to the table this week. Varner has made five-straight cuts at Silverado, with three finishes inside the top-17 among those starts. Varner heads to the Safeway ranked fourth in the field in SG: T2G over his last 24 rounds and had played well at both the PGA Championship and the Wyndham before his season ended in the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the Northern Trust.

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA subscription?

Like what you read today? You can show your support for Spencer by using promo code TEEOFF when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Mid-Priced DraftKings DFS Players

Cameron Davis ($8,900)

Things start to become a tiny bit more palatable as we move down into the mid-range of the salary scale. Cameron Davis certainly jumps out at $8.9k. The young Aussie is a streaky player, but closed out the season in sharp fashion over his last four starts, going T12/T32/T15/T29 before his season ended after the Northern Trust. He stands first in the Safeway field in Birdies or Better Gained over the last 24 rounds and scored a T17 finish at Silverado two years ago.

Sam Burns ($8,700)

Burns fits the player profile that I'm looking for this week rather nicely. He ranks seventh in this field in both Birdie Opportunies Gained and Par-5 scoring. His ability off the tee (third in the field SG: OTT) is reminiscent of former Safeway winners Cameron Champ and Brendan Steele. Burns put together a strong stretch of results after the restart, making five of seven cuts with three top-25 finishes.

Mark Hubbard ($8,100)

One of the biggest surprises since the restart has been Mark Hubbard. He had popped a couple of times early in 2020, but played very consistent golf post-layoff, making the cut in all nine of his starts since play resumed, often against star-studded fields. Hubbard brings that steady style to a Silverado course where he posted a T13 in last year's Safeway and feels like a "safe" play on a slate that doesn't have many.

Patrick Rodgers ($7,600)

We'll round out the "mid-range" with Patrick Rodgers. Rodgers isn't going to jump out at us statistically, but his game doesn't translate well to every course. I believe the Stanford product is a good fit at Silverado and his history in the Safeway - four made cuts in five starts since 2016 with a T6 and a T25 - reflects just that. He's a long-knocker that should play the four Par-5s well and he ranks seventh in this field in SG: Putting on Poa.

 

Low-Priced DraftKings DFS Players

Cameron Tringale ($7,500)

Cameron Tringale hasn't been super-active since the restart, but he's shown enough over his six post-layoff starts to earn consideration this week. Tringale hasn't had many high finishes at the Safeway, but he has made the cut in four of his last five starts on this Silverado layout. His iron play stands out this week and he comes in ranked third in this field in SG: Approach over his last 24 rounds.

Luke List ($7,400)

List fits the "Brendan Steele, Emiliano Grillo mold" that has worked on this layout before...great ball striker, horrible putter. The Vandy product nabbed a win on the Korn Ferry Tour after the restart and also posted a top-10 finish at the Memorial. He's found some success at the Safeway, scoring a T4 in this event two years ago and making the cut in three of his last four starts at Silverado. He undoubtedly inconsistent, but there's some nice upside here at $7.4k.

Talor Gooch ($7,300)

I feel like I'm constantly chasing Talor Gooch in DFS, as his inconsistency can drive those of us that routinely roster him absolutely crazy. I'm back on board again this week, as we know the talent is there at his $7.3k price tag. I can easily see Gooch getting himself into contention this week, but I could also see him missing the cut. He's the very definition of a boom/bust GPP option.

Wesley Bryan ($7,100)

We haven't had many chances to roster Wesley Bryan lately, but I've routinely leaned on him when he has teed it up. Bryan has been on fire with his irons since returning from an injury, gaining strokes on approach (often a massive amount of strokes) and T2G in all four of his post-layoff starts. He grades out fifth in this field in SG: Approach over the last 24 rounds. Bryan's track record at Silverado is nothing fancy, but I'm always interested in hot iron players with cheap price tags.

Xinjun Zhang ($7,000)

A true GPP dart throw this week, Xinjun Zhang has only two cuts in nine post-layoff starts. However, in those two events where he made the weekend he posted finishes of T10 and T12. Zhang is volatile, but there is some upside here. He's also played well at Silverado, recording a T7 and a T37 in his two career Safeway starts. Strictly a "gut" call.

Adam Schenk ($6,900)

Since I'm filling in for Spencer this week, it feels right to close out the article with one of "his guys".  Adam Schenk is a player that Spencer has written up a few times with great success. I'm willing to go back to the well with him at $6.9k this week, as he has a nice enough blend of recent form and course history (a T14 here two years ago) to consider as a value option. Schenk ranks fifth in this week's field in SG: Par-5s and is an interesting option for those of us that might be forced to punt our sixth roster spot.

  Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team:

Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks


More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP