Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Fantasy Golf: The Quicken Loans Preview

After the season I've had so far, I'm not really in a position to gloat about the the fact that I picked Bubba to win last week and besides, gloating is not really my style (everyone who knows me just shot milk through their nose). Maybe it's a sign that things are turning around for me. Needless to say I'm due after the golf shot which shall not be named ten days ago followed by a soul crushing three set doubles tennis loss in which my partner and I cratered in the last set to go down 5-1, battled back to 5-4 on serve and then spontaneously combusted. (In one of the great understatements of all-time, my partner looked at me after the match and said "I think we're both head cases").

But let's see if we can carry last week's FGR momentum forward shall we? There will be no elaborate chart showing how players have fared at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in the past because this is only the second year they've played it since they redesigned it from the crappy track that no one wanted to play. If you want to go back to the results from the old Kemper Open days, then I'd highly recommend the flowing golden locks of Bill Glasson but that's not going to help you much in 2018. If you do want to see how everyone played last year, you can click here. Two comments about those results: (1) Kyle Stanley won it and (2) this is not the type of course you win on twice in a row because it's too arbitrary. (Which is a nice way of saying it still sucks).  

So who should we pick? (We're all in this together). It's not a major so you have to like Rickie Fowler (THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT!). He finished tied for third last year closing with 68-65. Marc Leishman loves these goofy TPC courses which is ironic because he also plays well at Augusta and at the British Open. That's like saying your two favorite bands are Maroon 5 and Rage Against the Machine. The two guys I really like are Charles Howell, III and Jimmy Walker. Just a gut feeling.


As for the lower priced options, Denny McCarthy grew-up in Takoma Park, Maryland which is a dump less than twenty miles from this dump. When I asked a former local for a description of Takoma Park, the two comments I could actually use were "modest downgrade from Rikers Island" and "when I drive through Takoma Park, my heart beats like a phone book in a dryer." So Denny brings both toughness and some course knowledge. I also like Seamus Power. Primarily because I love the name Seamus Power but also because he's been playing solid golf lately . . . which is probably the more relevant fact. 

The One and Done Pick: Charles Howell, III
Two-time Kemper Open champion and
Breck shampoo spokesman Bill Glasson.


The Other Guy I'd Pick: Jimmy Walker


The Sleeper Pick: Denny McCarthy


The DraftKings Top Ten Values


Rickie Fowler
$11,700
Marc Leishman
$11,200
Jimmy Walker
$9,600
Charles Howell, III
$8,900
Kevin Tway
$8,000
Andrew Putnam
$7,900
Si Woo Kim
$7,600
Brian Gay
$7,400
Denny McCarthy
$7,200
Seamus Power
$6,900

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Fantasy Golf: The Travelers Championship Preview

Man I really hate the fucking game right now but we'll need to delve into that at a later date after the night screaming has stopped and they give me my shoelaces back. For now, the FGR must plow forward with this season of fantasy golf picks that could best be described as dubious. Jason Day's missed cut at Shinnecock is just the latest chapter in a really awful novel about a guy who couldn't get lucky in a whorehouse. But seriously, how was I supposed to know that the gritty Australian would crumble under the weight of what we knew were going to be some of golf's most harrowing conditions? (Because everyone knew?)   

This week we have a tournament that usually holds true to some kind of form, however, I'm not sure that it's ever had a field that featured twelve of the top twenty-five players in the world. That could make things a bit tougher on some of the slightly lesser guys who usually fair well like Brandt Snedeker, Brendan Steele and Keegan Bradley. So who do you pick among the likes of Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth? I say none of them. To quote the great monument to mediocrity Lou Mannheim, "stick to the fundamentals . . . good things sometimes take time." (Oh great a pthy little Wall Street reference, just what this shit preview was missing).   


If we're bailing on the favorites who are just showing-up for the first or second time, that means we're going way long on guys who have played well here before including past champions Bubba Watson (twice) and Marc Leishman, guys with multiple recent top fives in Paul Casey and Daniel Berger and a few players who've shown a general affinity for the course in Patrick Reed along with the previously maligned Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele. And don't forget about Jim Furyk who has been poking his head out of whatever shit-hole Steeler fans dwell in and is the proud owner of a 58 on this course back in 2016. Or do forget about him. They're your picks.


There are a host of solid options for your one and done selection. Berger seems to be the hot name this year based on his consecutive top fives here and his recent strong showing at the U.S. Open. I am going to ignore all of those obvious signals (of course you are) and go with Bubba instead. Why? Because in 2015 I decided to get cute and pick someone like Marc Leishman who floundered as I seethed and watched Bubba get the win. After that, I swore I'd pick Bubba at this tournament every year. If that's not sound logic, then I don't know what is (obviously). 


I don't even feel like searching for
pictures so here's Richy Werenski
and his stupid Big Break trophy.
One and Done Pick: Bubba Watson

The Other Guy I'd Pick: Paul Casey


Sleeper Pick: Richy Werenski


The DraftKings Top Ten Value Deals

Patrick Reed
$10,000
Paul Casey
$9,600
Marc Leishman
$9,300
Daniel Berger
$8,900
Bubba Watson
$8,800
Keegan Bradley
$7,900
Brendan Steele
$7,600
Jim Furyk
$7,300
Richy Werenski
$7,200
Dylan Meyer
$6,700

And here is the rest of the information you need to know about the guys you might want to pick. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to play fucking tennis. Maybe my partner will drill me in the back of the head with a serve and knock me out for a month. If only. 



DK Price
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Justin Thomas
$11,500
MC
T3
MC
DNP
T30
Brooks Koepka
$11,300
DNP
T9
DNP
T51
DNP
Rory McIlroy
$10,900
T17
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Jordan Spieth
$10,600
1st
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Patrick Reed
$10,000
T5
T11
MC
MC
T18
Jason Day
$9,800
MC
DNP
DNP
T18
DNP
Paul Casey
$9,600
T5
T17
2nd
DNP
DNP
B. DeChambeau
$9,500
T26
T47
DNP
DNP
DNP
Marc Leishman
$9,300
T17
T9
T39
T11
T30
Webb Simpson
$9,100
T8
T34
DNP
DNP
T5
Ryan Moore
$9,000
DNP
T17
DNP
T5
T7
Daniel Berger
$8,900
2nd
T5
DNP
DNP
DNP
Bubba Watson
$8,800
MC
T25
1st
T31
4th
Charley Hoffman
$8,700
T3
T25
DNP
T26
T7
X. Schauffele
$8,600
T14
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Billy Horschel
$8,500
DNP
DNP
T25
DNP
DNP
Patrick Cantlay
$8,400
DNP
DNP
DNP
MC
DNP
Brian Harman
$8,300
T35
MC
3rd
T42
T51
Zach Johnson
$8,200
MC
T47
6th
MC
T58
Brandt Snedeker
$8,100
T14
DNP
T10
T11
DNP
Russell Knox
$8,000
T62
1st
W/D
T61
T13
Keegan Bradley
$7,900
T8
T25
T39
T31
T18
Patrick Rodgers
$7,800
T35
T3
T39
T36
DNP
Kyle Stanley
$7,700
T57
MC
T20
MC
MC
Brendan Steele
$7,600
T14
T17
T25
T5
T13
Russell Henley
$7,600
DNP
T11
DNP
DNP
DNP
Kevin Streelman
$7,400
T8
MC
MC
1st
MC
Bill Haas
$7,300
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Jim Furyk
$7,300
T26
T5
DNP
DNP
DNP
Trey Mullinax
$7,300
MC
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Chez Reavie
$7,200
T43
T47
T25
DNP
T43
Keith Mitchell
$7,200
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Richy Werenski
$7,200
MC
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Rory Sabbatini
$7,200
MC
T56
DNP
DNP
MC
Doug Ghim
$7,100
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Kevin Tway
$7,100
T43
DNP
DNP
T26
DNP
Pat Perez
$7,000
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
Aaron Baddeley
$7,000
DNP
T34
T48
4th
MC
Abraham Ancer
$6,800
MC
T56
DNP
DNP
DNP
Dylan Meyer
$6,700
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com