3 days agoTaylor Pendrith has developed a reputation for being one of the most volatile options in the game of golf. A top-10 finish or a disastrous missed cut are entirely in the 32-year-old Canadian's range of outcomes on any given week, and fantasy managers need to look no further
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3 days agoSeamus Power is trending in the right direction leading up to the CJ Cup and should be squarely on the radar of fantasy managers. The 37-year-old Irishman struggled in early 2024 after taking a five-month hiatus from golf while recovering from a hip injury, but he's flashed glimpses of his former self in the past two months. Since March, he's made the cut in four of five starts, with notable finishes of T21 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T26 at the Valspar Championship, and a T12 in his last start at the RBC Heritage. He's also gained strokes on approach in all five of those starts. Power should feel comfortable heading back to TPC Craig Ranch, as he's finished inside of the top-20 in all three of his trips to this event. He is one of the best bentgrass putters in the field and clearly has the all-around game to contend here, and the reward for fantasy managers could very well outweigh the risks for Power this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 days agoDavis Thompson may be a tempting option for fantasy managers this week given his $7,900 DraftKings salary. The 24-year-old Georgia Bulldog has been playing solid golf in his second PGA Tour season, and he enters the week on the heels of four-straight made cuts with three top-25 finishes during that span. TPC Craig Ranch demands elite long-iron play and the ability to spike with the putter, and Thompson certainly checks those two boxes. He ranks eight in approach play from 200+ yards over the last 24 rounds, a proximity bucket in which over 35% of approach shots will come from, and he's gained over two strokes on the greens in four of his 10 measured PGA Tour starts this calendar year. Thompson does have two top-10 finishes in his short career, including a solo runner-up finish at the 2023 American Express. In a year where golf fans have seen a number of first-time and long-shot winners, it would not come as a surprise to see Thompson in contention on Sunday.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 days agoFrom a statistical perspective, Aaron Rai should line up to be a solid course fit for TPC Craig Ranch. The 29-year-old Brit definitely checks boxes required for success at this course, as he ranks fourth in good drive percentage, 11th in overall approach, 9th in approach from 200+ yards, and 10th in opportunities gained over the last 24 rounds. But his short game is usually the culprit preventing him from converting those opportunities, as Rai ranks 81st in bentgrass putting and 80th in birdie-or-better percentage. Perhaps that helps explain his subpar performances here, with a 46th place finish in 2022 and a missed cut in 2023. With only one top-10 finish to his name in twelve starts this calendar year, it's hard to imagine Rai reversing his fortune with a high-end finish this year. Fantasy managers would be wise to pivot away from Rai to higher-upside options around the $8,000 salary on DraftKings this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 days agoMin Woo Lee is undoubtedly a fan favorite who generates plenty of excitement whenever he tees off at a PGA Tour event. But fantasy managers should proceed with caution when considering whether to roster him at TPC Craig Ranch. On a course that demands elite mid-to-long iron play, Lee ranks 93rd in overall approach and 148th in approach from 200+ yards, the latter category in which over 35% of approach shots will come from this week. And while he's generally a positive putter, he's lost strokes on the greens in six of his last eight PGA Tour starts. Perhaps that helps explain the missed cut in his only start here in 2023, in which he lost over five strokes on approach and almost three strokes in the short game. While Lee is super talented with four international victories to his name, expectations should be lowered for the eighth-highest priced golfer on DraftKings this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
3 days agoThe stars could be aligning for Tom Hoge to capture his second PGA Tour win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Prior to a missed cut at the Zurich Classic last week, the 34-year-old TCU put together a string of ten-straight made cuts, including seven top-20 finishes during those starts. Notorious for his iron play, Hoge hasn't lost strokes on approach in a PGA Tour event since the FedEx St. Jude Championship back in August of 2023. He also appears to have found something on the greens, having only lost strokes putting once in his last 10 starts. Hoge will also jump off the page statistically over the last 24 rounds, as he projects to have the best adjusted course fit adjusted course fit while 18th from tee-to-green, second on overall approach, and eighth in both opportunities gained and birdie-or-better percentage. With just an average short game this week, Hoge should find himself in contention coming down the stretch on Sunday.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
4 days agoDon't let the third-place finish for Mark Hubbard and his partner, Ryan Brehm, at the team event in New Orleans trick you into expecting anything similar out of the San Jose State Alum this week in Texas. The lone highlight of him tapping in a three-footer for eagle amongst a handful of wonderful shots from Brehm is all that is needed to suggest that someone's back is feeling pretty sore to start this new week, and it isn't Mark Hubbard's. That isn't to say that putting him in a lineup is a wasted pick, but it's important to keep expectations heavily modest. His 24th ranking in strokes gained on approach (0.491) and top 70 rankings in strokes gained around the green (0.146) and putting (0.158) will probably carry him enough to continue his impressive streak of made cuts, but anything more exciting than that feels highly unlikely.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
4 days agoMost of what Doug Ghim does from tee to green is what many fantasy players look for this week. He's ranked 19th in approaches from 175-200 yards, 27th in strokes gained off the tee (0.383), and 31st in strokes gained on approach (0.425) on the season. He's even ranked 76th in strokes gained putting (0.111), though that statistic has fallen to an average of -0.78 over his last three measured events. The more concerning part is that two were at the previous Texas stops at the Valero and Houston Opens. An added point is that he's only gained strokes on the greens in a Texas event in two of nine starts in his young PGA Tour career. With everything he does right, his surprising shortcomings in this part of the country make the former Texas Longhorn a hard recommendation at $9,400 on FanDuel.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
4 days agoIt was a strong three-week push for Nate Lashley before a disappointing second-round 75 at the Corales Puntacana Championship sent him packing early. It would be a big momentum saver to rebound this week at TPC Craig Ranch, where he has put together a decent track record in five starts with only one missed cut. Nothing about his game screams success here, but nothing necessarily screams failure either. He ranks in the top 100 for approaches from 175-225 yards, historically making up 54.7% of the approach shots at this event. In an event with tons of questionable names, Lashley finds himself in a spot that makes him worthy of possible consideration in certain formats at $8,900 on FanDuel.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
4 days agoAmid a tough run of three missed cuts in his last four starts before finishing T28 with partner C.T. Pan at the Zurich Classic, Kevin Yu comes to Frisco, Texas, looking to turn things around over the back half of the season and will be starting at a place that calls for everything he is proficient in -- strong play off the tee (ranked third on the season in strokes gained off the tee at 0.862) with a skillset for longer approach shots. However, he'll need to find momentum on the greens, as he is ranked 172nd in strokes gained putting (minus-0.642). He is far from a complete lock at $9,300 on FanDuel, but DFS players looking to find some ownership advantage could give him some consideration.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
4 days agoAndrew Novak played well in the Zurich Classic team format last week, finishing T23. This is his fourth consecutive made cut and fifth top-25 finish of the year. Despite a rough start to 2024, Novak has found his rhythm and continues to play brilliantly. TPC Craig Ranch could be a perfect match for Novak's skill set. During last year's CJ Cup Byron Nelson, over 35% of approach shots came from over 200 yards. Over the previous 12 months, Novak ranks in the 88th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway. Therefore, he could be an excellent addition to DFS lineups this week.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
4 days agoPatrick Rodgers has withdrawn from this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson without a specific reason. This may be a surprise as he had tied for fifth place at the RBC Heritage, but it is important to note that he had also withdrawn from the Valero Texas Open earlier this month. Rodgers has either withdrawn or missed the cut in four out of his last five appearances. As a result, Sean O'Hair will replace him in the tournament.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
4 days agoLuke List, who finished T19 at last week's Zurich Classic, will compete in this week's CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. List has had a mixed year in 2024, with four missed cuts in 12 starts, one top-five, and two top-25 finishes. However, he finished T34 at last year's tournament and is expected to perform well again. In last year's edition, over 35% of approach shots were taken from over 200 yards. List's proximity to the hole on approach shots from over 200 yards in the fairway ranks in the 96th percentile over the past 12 months. Even though List may be overlooked this week, he could be a valuable addition to DFS lineups.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
4 days agoRiding scorching-hot play with his irons (averaging 1.32 strokes gained on approach) over his last two starts, Tom Kim is a much more appealing name this week given the questionable firepower at the top of the board. Given how the season has gone thus far, it isn't far-fetched to think the South Korean is in the premier range for players that have won this year not named Scottie Scheffler. Kim is an above-average long-iron player and has kept his putter fairly consistent for months. It's also intriguing that he is notorious for occasionally posting some low scores, which is the typical recipe at TPC Craig Ranch. It's a fairly safe bet that he plays all four rounds, but the extent of how close he gets to the lead is a big question mark. He hasn't shown the firepower needed to contend here, but the trend in his game and the undeniable talent says his next high finish is coming sooner rather than later.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
4 days agoTaylor Montgomery had a disappointing performance at last week's team format, Zurich Classic, as he missed the cut. Unfortunately, this has become a pattern repeated in his previous four appearances. This differs from his performance at the beginning of the 2024 season, where he made five straight cuts and achieved two top-15 finishes. He faces a tough challenge at TPC Craig Ranch this week, considering that over 35% of the approach shots at last year's CJ Cup Byron Nelson came from over 200 yards. Over the previous 12 months, Montgomery ranks in the 16th percentile in proximity to the hole on approach shots that are over 200 yards in the fairway. Despite his recent poor performances, he could still be worth considering for DFS lineups this week.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
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