Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Fantasy Golf: Rocket Mortgage Classic Preview

You know the boys on tour are jonesing to play when you still get a "B-" level field to travel to Detroit in the middle of a pandemic. Of course we Baltimoreans love Detroit because we always get to be on the same top ten lists for cool things like, you know, revitalized waterfronts, iconic baseball managers and crime drama plots but the Motor City can be a tough sell as a travel destination even when you're not worried about catching a deadly virus from the last guy who breathed on the flagstick.

We'll get to the picks based on the limited information at our disposal as last year was the first time the Tour stopped at Detroit Country Club and some guy named Nate Lashley took a four day break from being the front man for a One Direction cover band to smoke a mediocre field by 6 shots. But first, this . . .  

TWEET OF THE WEEK

I think we could all use some Chris Farley right now.


SOCIALLY DISTANCED FROM EXPERTISE GOLF ANALYSIS 

Let's start with who I'm not picking and that's the three favorites Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson and Tyrrell Hatton. I have absolutely no reason for this other than I think this is a week for the unheralded after three straight of relative chalk at the top. I hope I'm wrong and Bryson bombs his way into the top five but that's just how PGA Tour golf works. Some Sundays it ends-up being little more than a nap inducing sound machine.   

We do need at least couple high priced picks so let's see how some of the more prominent names did here last year. Patrick Reed and Brandt Snedeker finished T5th, Ben An, Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland finished T13th and Billy Horschel finished T17th. Of those guys, Reed and Hovland are playing the best golf (the sport in question) so let's build around them. Also, what the world needs more than anything right now is a ray of hope and who better to provide that than Patrick Reed?

Feels like one of Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler or Sungjae Im is going to have a big week. I'm going with Finau because he's more due for a second PGA Tour win than anyone since . . . well ever. I can't honestly think of another U.S. Ryder Cup player with only one win. I mean even Vaughn Taylor has three and Wiffy Cox had nine for chrissakes. 

Rory Sabbatini finished T3rd here last year, has been playing well lately and a Reed-Sabbatini 1-2 finish this week would be the most pandemicky thing ever. Lucas Glover, Brendon Todd and Brian Stuard are never bad choices even if picking them feels like eating toasted Styrofoam. And Mark Hubbard, Nate Lashley and Wesley Bryan could walk through your kitchen wearing name tags right now and you still wouldn't know who they are but again, this feels a week when that will describe most of the leaderboard. 

Have a great long weekend watching your amateur pyrotechnic starved friends blow their fingers off! (My readers will be the ones saying "saw that coming" and dialing 911). 

One and Done Pick: Patrick Reed
I mean seriously. Is there a better
nickname in the history of sports
than the "Motor City Cobra"?


Other Guy I'd Pick: Viktor Hovland

Sleeper Pick: Wesley Bryan

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Patrick Reed
$10,500
Viktor Hovland
$10,000
Tony Finau
$9,300
Rory Sabbatini
$8,800
Lucas Glover
$8,400
Brendon Todd
$7,800
Brian Stuard
$7,400
Mark Hubbard
$7,300
Nate Lashley
$6,600
Wesley Bryan
$6,500

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

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