Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Fantasy Golf: The BMW Championship Preview

To say that I've developed a bit of a blind spot for Bryson DeChambeau would be an understatement. He might as well be laying across my windshield like the Fig Newton ad on Ricky Bobby's car and I'm still looking for reasons not to pick him when the only real reason is that I just don't want to root for him.

This isn't supposed to happen when you're trying to earn the public's trust (and three dollars a week) by dispensing completely objective fantasy golf advice but I'm just a man goddammit and a hopelessly flawed one at that (the FGW is currently trying to shake and nod her head at the same time resulting in a fittingly dizzying headspin). This certainly isn't the first time I've allowed my irrational biases to impact my judgment. The same thing has happened in the past with guys like Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed, both of whom I have ignored to my financial detriment.

The irony is that I should be big fans of all three of these guys. I love the scientific approach to golf and I'm self-taught so why don't I love DeChambeau. Is it the aloofness? Is it his name? Is it that stupid hat? Yes, yes and yes but no one is more guilty of the first trait than me while the second and third are superficial and shouldn't even enter into the equation because we're supposed to be above judging people for superficial reasons. (HA . . .good one). 

Oh dear God I think I might
even do that mini fist pump.
It's the same thing with Bubba and Reed. I see every shot on the course as a big curve ball just like Bubba so he should be one of my favorites. What gives? Is it that time he hit the ball into the water at The Travelers and then sniped at his caddie about club selection?  I DO THAT FIVE TIMES A YEAR!!! And Patrick Fucking Reed with his prickly on-course demeanor which he might as well have stolen from me. HOLY SHIT!!! I'M A COMPOSITE OF BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, BUBBA WATSON AND PATRICK REED!!! (WHY AM I YELLING?!?) Excuse me while I go hang myself with a white belt.

So does that mean I'm picking DeChambeau this week? No. Golf isn't baseball. You just don't go on three game winning streaks unless you're Tiger Woods in his prime and I'm sure as hell not ready to go there yet with Galileo in a driving cap. I feel like we're due for the revenge of the middle of the pack this week. And that middle of the pack is currently loaded with talent by the way. Aronimink strikes me as a solid sensible player's course. The last time the PGA Tour was there in 2011 K.J. Choi, Bryce Molder and Chris Stroud (a/k/a three guys who would never get a nickname like "Flash" or "Slick") all finished in the top ten.

I am therefore loading-up on "go about their business" guys this week with a couple exceptions at the top. Namely Jordan Spieth and Jason Day who have been off the radar just long enough now to be undervalued. I'm just not ready to accept that they're the 9th and 10th best players in this tournament and neither should you. We're better than that.  

Here is this week's one and done conundrum. I still have DeChambeau, Paul Casey and Francesco Molinari available. Casey always plays great at East Lake so it feels like I should use him there. However, if I don't use the driving cap this week, that would mean I would be leaving the hottest player in the world on the bench all season. Can't do that. So that means it's Casey or Molinari this week and I'm going with Francesco. I think he still has one more top finish in him this season and Aronimink is a great fit.

And one last thing. Last week I wrote that I was going to keep picking Abraham Ancer every week until he wins because I could feel it coming like a "burgeoning dairy fart." Then I spent the long weekend gorging on pizza and ice cream while watching Ancer play his way into the final group on Monday as I stared at a slice of Hawaiian thin crust and made that face that the guy in the movie makes when he thinks, "holy cow . . . this shit really works." And then he gagged it away and I'm abandoning cheese for a week so now I can't feel the dairy fart coming-on anymore. Sorry Abraham. You had your shot.      

One and Done Pick: Francesco Molinari
Somehow I managed to stumble myself
into an Italian theme but hey, when life
hands you Carbonara . . . am I right? 


Other Guy I'd Pick: Tommy Fleetwood

Sleeper Pick: Zach Johnson


The DraftKings Top Ten Values


Jordan Spieth
$9,400
Jason Day
$9,300
Francesco Molinari
$8,800
Tommy Fleetwood
$8,600
Patrick Cantlay
$8,500
Patrick Reed
$8,200
Paul Casey
$8,000
Marc Leishman
$7,900
Kyle Stanley
$7,500
Zach Johnson
$7,100

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

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