Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Fantasy Golf: The Valspar Championship Preview

I was looking like a genius for most of the extended weekend and not just because I spent most it wearing dorky glasses while walking around scratching my ass in the same sweatpants and t-shirt looking like I was trying to invent a more efficient way to bathe a dog.* No it was because seven out of my ten picks either had a piece of the lead at some point or made a hole-in-one and then hung around the top of the leaderboard. (We will not be discussing my other three picks in this forum). 

Alas, most of them faded into the watery abyss of TPC Sawgrass and even Cameron Smith followed the Pied Piper on the 18th hole but, when you can wedge and putt like Phil Mickelson thinks he can shuck and jive, it doesn't really matter where you hit it. You've always got the keys to the jail cell in your bag.  

TWEET OF THE WEEK

The Law of Parsimony essentially states that, with competing theories or explanations, the simpler one is to be preferred. With that in mind . . . 



GLUTEN FREE GOLF ANALYSIS 

We're looking at another strong middle to upper middle class this week so I don't see any reason to spend five digits on the one of the top four guys. To be honest, I'm cautiously optimistic about the ten players I've identified below and you know what that means . . . RUN THE OTHER WAY!!!

But seriously folks, with two-time winner Paul Casey out, most of the rest pick themselves. The only real deviation from the obvious is that I prefer Louis Oosthuizen, Abraham Ancer and Jason Kokrak over defending champion Sam Burns. And even now as I write that I'm thinking, "well that's kind of stupid." Let your own conscience be your guide.

There is a bit more randomness to the lower tier picks but I will note that I'm giving Doc Redman and Denny McCarthy (along with Maverick McNealy) temporary passes into the "He's About to Win Zone" previously occupied by Talor Gooch. That might be a bit ambitious against this field but you gotta start somewhere.

One and Done Pick: Jason Kokrak
When I build my golf course, there is 
going to be a three hole stretch called
"The Armpit" . . . because lookout,
you're about to play really stinky.

Other Guy I'd Pick: Abraham Ancer 

Sleeper Pick: Vaughn Taylor

DraftKings Top Ten Values

Louis Oosthuizen

$9,900

Abraham Ancer

$9,300

Jason Kokrak

$9,200

Russell Knox

$8,100

Cameron Tringale

$8,000

Mackenzie Hughes

$7,800

Doc Redman

$7,400

Denny McCarthy

$7,400

Joel Dahmen

$7,100

Vaughn Taylor

$6,700


This week's chart is dedicated to an actor who possessed the range to play everything from a retired general turned heroine smuggler in Lethal Weapon to the boozy country club dad in Dharma & Greg to the whistle-blower hit man target in Grosse Pointe Blank. Sure all three characters could have been the same guy but it was the subtle nuances he delivered that made them each come alive.     

                                    THE MITCHELL RYAN MEMORIAL
                                HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE CHART

So we've got a little flavor at the top of this week's chart and a whole lot of bland at the bottom until you get all the way down to 2016 champion Charl Schwartzel. And good luck with Schwartzel. He's like betting on a five year old running across a pool deck holding an ice cream cone.

 

DK Price

2021

2019

2018

2017

2016

Justin Thomas

$11,000

T13

DNP

DNP

MC

T18

Viktor Hovland

$10,800

T3

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Xander Schauffele

$10,300

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Dustin Johnson

$10,200

T48

T6

DNP

DNP

DNP

Louis Oosthuizen

$9,900

T8

T2

T16

DNP

T7

Tyrell Hatton

$9,800

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Shane Lowry

$9,700

DNP

DNP

T49

DNP

DNP

Sam Burns

$9,600

1st

T30

T12

DNP

DNP

Paul Casey (O)

$9,500

T21

1st

1st

DNP

DNP

Brooks Koepka

$9,400

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Abraham Ancer

$9,300

5th

DNP

T16

DNP

DNP

Jason Kokrak

$9,200

T13

T2

T8

T58

MC

Tommy Fleetwood

$9,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matt Fitzpatrick

$9,000

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Jason Day

$8,900

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Bubba Watson

$8,800

T13

T4

DNP

MC

DNP

Alex Noren

$8,700

T21

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Harold Varner, III

$8,600

DNP

T65

78th

MC

MC

Gary Woodland

$8,500

MC

MC

DNP

T58

T42

Keegan Bradley

$8,400

2nd

MC

T31

T58

MC

Webb Simpson

$8,300

DNP

MC

T8

T41

MC

Kevin Kisner

$8,200

MC

T24

DNP

DNP

DNP

Russell Knox

$8,100

T21

T24

T16

MC

T56

Cameron Tringale

$8,000

T3

MC

DNP

MC

MC

Adam Hadwin

$7,900

MC

MC

T12

1st

MC

C. Bezuidenhout

$7,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

B. Wiesberger

$7,800

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Mackenzie Hughes

$7,800

MC

T13

MC

DNP

DNP

Aaron Wise

$7,700

DNP

DNP

T68

DNP

DNP

Kevin Streelman

$7,700

MC

MC

MC

T18

MC

Brian Harman

$7,600

DNP

MC

DNP

MC

MC

Sebastian Munoz (O)

$7,600

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

Doug Ghim

$7,500

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Francesco Molinari

$7,500

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Jhonattan Vegas

$7,500

T48

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Denny McCarthy

$7,400

T39

T9

DNP

DNP

DNP

Doc Redman

$7,400

T39

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Lanto Griffin

$7,400

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

C.T. Pan

$7,300

DNP

T42

MC

MC

DNP

Carlos Ortiz

$7,200

DNP

MC

DNP

DNP

T56

Martin Laird

$7,200

MC

DNP

MC

MC

MC

Patton Kizzire

$7,200

T60

T60

DNP

MC

T33

Sahith Theegala

$7,200

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Brendon Todd

$7,100

DNP

DNP

DNP

MC

MC

Charley Hoffman

$7,100

T18

T18

MC

MC

T11

Joel Dahmen

$7,100

DNP

T30

DNP

DNP

DNP

Scott Stallings

$7,100

T29

T9

T31

68th

MC

Branden Grace

$7,000

T54

MC

T8

DNP

DNP

Emiliano Grillo

$7,000

MC

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

Matt Kuchar

$7,000

DNP

DNP

T40

T22

T11

Sam Ryder

$7,000

MC

MC

T68

DNP

DNP

Stewart Cink

$7,000

DNP

MC

T31

T27

MC

Chez Reavie

$6,900

MC

MC

MC

T27

T22

Lee Hodges

$6,900

DNP

DNP

DNP

DNP

DD

Zach Johnson

$6,900

T29

T24

T16

DNP

DNP

Adam Schenk

$6,700

T18

MC

T59

DNP

DNP

Graeme McDowell

$6,700

MC

T46

T40

T14

MC

Vaughn Taylor

$6,700

T6

T18

DNP

DNP

MC

Troy Merritt

$6,600

T8

DNP

MC

MC

MC

Charl Schwartzel

$6,500

T21

MC

T49

6th

1st


Footnote 

* Apparently there is. According to the internet, you rim the bathtub with peanut butter and while Shithead works his way around licking it, you scrub him. Of course then you have ants in your bathtub but at least your dog is clean. 

Email the Fantasy Golf Report at fgr@fantasygolfreport.com

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