3 months agoBrooks Koepka is in the field for the upcoming WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Koepka heads to Memphis on the heels of yet another strong performance in a major championship, as he logged a T4 at Royal Portrush. His talent is without question, but it is fair to wonder which version of Koepka will show up at TPC Southwind. Will we see the world beater that thrived at Royal Portrush or the disengaged player that's phoned it in at multiple PGA Tour events this season? He has played very well in his previous trips to Southwind and this WGC event carries more prestige than most run-of-the-mill Tour stops, so it's possible that Koepka's slate-high DFS salary is justified. If he's motivated, he has more win equity than any player in the field.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoWebb Simpson is set to tee it up in this week's WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Simpson has been rock-solid in 2019 and heads to Memphis on the heels of a top-30 outing at the Open Championship. The Wake Forest alum should feel very comfortable on the TPC Southwind layout on which he logged a T3 in 2015. Simpson ranks 18th in strokes gained: tee to green on the PGA Tour this season and his strong overall game will give him a great chance to contend this week. He's severely underpriced on DraftKings and is a tremendous DFS option.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoTiger Woods won't be in the field at this week's WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Woods has elected to skip the no-cut event after his disappointing performance at the Open Championship. We have seen the legend significantly scale back his schedule in 2019 and it appears that he won't tee it up again until the FedEx Cup Playoffs get underway next month. It isn't outside the realm of possibility that Woods could make a late-season charge, but he hasn't looked sharp in his limited outings over the past month. Look for his next start to be at the Northern Trust in August.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoIn eight career Open Championship attempts, Jason Day has yet to miss a cut and has finished no worse than a share of 27th place over the past four seasons. Part of the reason for his success stems from the fact that he is arguably the best player in the world in adverse conditions. If we look at how players have performed in moderate to severe winds during their past 50 rounds, only Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy have gained more strokes than Day. In fact, when we add in who the top performers have been in rainy conditions since 2014, Day ranks fourth - behind only McIlroy, Stenson and Koepka. The 31-year-old enters the Open Championship this year as motivated as we have ever seen him and could surprise with a run towards the title.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoIt has been a long, hard road for Dustin Johnson in major championship events, which has been evident by some of the misfortunes he has suffered in his quest over the years. Johnson is arguably the best player in the world, but his inability to close the deal during the most significant events has been concerning. The Open Championship has never been Johnson's best major, but there will be a contrarian approach to be had with the big-hitting American this week. We don't have an issue playing Johnson in GPP events but would be hesitant using him in our cash-game lineups.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoIt has been five years since Rory McIlroy was last able to find the winners circle during a major, but that won't stop Vegas as installing the Irishman as an 8/1 favorite to hoist the Claret Jug. At just the age of 16, McIlroy broke onto the scenes
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3 months agoTony Finau heads to Royal Portrush this week for the fourth Open Championship appearance of his career. Finau is a perfect three-for-three in his previous Open starts and will attempt to continue his sharp play in the game's oldest major. The rising star has underwhelmed a bit in 2019, but heads to Northern Ireland fresh off a good outing at the 3M Open, where he gained over five strokes on approach and finished in a share of 23rd place. Finau's disappointing season might scare some DFS players away, but he remains an excellent high-upside option in large-field tournaments.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoThree-time Open champion Tiger Woods is set to take aim at his fourth Claret Jug this week at Royal Portrush. Woods shocked the world with his miraculous win at the Masters earlier this year, but has been off the radar since then. This week's Open will be Tiger's first start since a T21 in last month's U.S. Open. Rust is a legitimate concern for the 43-year-old, as he struggled mightily in the PGA Championship after a long layoff. We know that Woods has a knack for pulling off unbelievable feats, so he remains in serious DFS consideration this week.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoJustin Rose heads to Royal Portrush with his eyes on a breakthrough at the Open Championship. Rose came oh-so-close to winning the Claret Jug at Carnoustie last year, but ultimately had to settle for a share of second place. The Englishman has had an underwhelming year by his lofty standards, but played beautifully at the recent U.S. Open en route to a T3 finish. Rose brings a hot putter with him to Northern Ireland, as he's gained strokes putting in five-consecutive starts. If his ball striking comes around, he'll have a great chance to put himself into contention at Portrush. Rose is a rock-solid DFS option this week.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoPhil Mickelson is set to make his 26th career start in the Open Championship. Mickelson struggled in Opens during the early portion of his career, but eventually captured the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013. The 49-year-old kicked off 2019 in style with a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but his game has been in a downward spiral ever since. He's missed the cut in four of six post-Masters starts and must be considered a long shot at Royal Portrush this week. 'Lefty' is a 'boom or bust' GPP play that shouldn't be anywhere near cash-game lineups.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoRickie Fowler has a sterling track record in the Open Championship, but he heads to the 2019 edition at Royal Portrush in sluggish form. Fowler has made the Open cut in eight of his nine career appearances, including a runner-up finish at Royal Liverpool in 2014. The fan favorite has a win at the Waste Management Open to his credit this season, but his recent form has not been sharp. He missed the cut at last week's Scottish Open on the heels of disappointing outings in his last two starts on U.S. soil. Though his game doesn't look great at the moment, Fowler will still be a popular DFS option for many casual fans this week.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoHenrik Stenson is in the field for the upcoming Open Championship. Stenson captured the Open title in an epic duel with Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon in 2016 and heads to Royal Portrush in red-hot form. The Swede recently logged top-10 finishes at both the Canadian and U.S. Opens, and notched a T4 in last week's Scottish Open. He's perhaps the best iron player in the world and leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach this season. Stenson's current form and stellar Open track record makes him an elite option in all fantasy formats this week.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoBrooks Koepka is in the field for this week's Open Championship. Koepka has won four of the last 10 major championships in which he's played and will attempt to continue his dominant run at Royal Portrush. The American made his bones on the Euro and Challenge Tours, so he brings plenty of links-golf experience to the table. He's made the cut in four of his five career starts in the Open, with top-10 results in 2015 and 2017. Koepka looms large in all fantasy formats and continues to be an elite DFS option in major championships.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoKyle Stanley arrives at the John Deere Classic as the second-highest ranked player in the field at 56th in the world. The American has been known to fold under the pressure of the most significant events each season, so perhaps the apparent downgrade of quality will do the 31-year-old well. Priced at $8,800 on DraftKings, Stanley is projected to be around 10 percent owned and does make for an intriguing option to use this weekend - especially in cash-game lineups.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
3 months agoTony Finau entered the 3M Open on the heels of three-straight missed cuts, but the young star flashed some improved form at TPC Twin Cities. Finau logged four sub-70 rounds to finish at 13-under par for the tournament and a T23. The 29-year-old has disappointed his backers a bit this year after a breakout season in 2018. He has struggled with his short game recently, but continues to be dynamic off the tee and ranks seventh on the PGA Tour in driving distance. Finau will now turn his attention to the upcoming Open Championship at Royal Portrush. He logged a T9 in last year's Open and will be a high-upside DFS option once again.
--Joe Nicely - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
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