Fantasy Insider: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and Puerto Rico OpenFantasy Insider: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and Puerto Rico Open
It’s a busy week for gamers with, count ’em, four games on tap! First, the Dell Technologies Bracket Challenge for the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play is back at FantasyBracket.PGATOUR.com. It’s free to play. Compete against others in a League and/or against us Experts. If you want to import a bracket submitted by an Expert, use the AUTOPICK feature in the green rectangle. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO will be hosting the Puerto Rico Open. ShotLink is not used, so only actual scoring and bonus points will be measured. This means that you want to load up on six golfers who you think stand the best chance to win. Fewer points are totaled in setups like this one, but movement in the ranks can be more volatile if you have the winner in your starting lineup in the final round. Both tournaments are included in PGA TOUR One & Done presented by SERVPRO, so be sure to lock in two selections this week. The weekly One & Done column is already published here. Peeking ahead for a moment, the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the conclusion of action this weekend will be eligible for the Masters. For current qualifiers into all four majors, both WGCs and THE PLAYERS, and for all remaining qualifying criteria into all of those events, visit (and bookmark) the page, where I maintain all of it. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Puerto Rico Open (in alphabetical order): Scott Brown Graham DeLaet Chris Kirk Luke List Graeme McDowell Ian Poulter You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Matt Jones; Danny Lee; Fabrizio Zanotti Driving: n/a Approach: n/a Short: n/a Power Ranking Wild Card Wesley Bryan … His bread and butter is his putter. His tee-to-green game came together during his recent hot streak, but it deserted him at Bay Hill. So, either you buy into the hope that last week was an anomaly during a new norm or you respect that he sets up as a trap in his debut at Coco Beach. Before the season, I went on the record stating that I love the guy, and it’s terrific to see him showcase his potential, but I’m OK with allowing my competition to take him for a spin this week. He’s still a rookie learning the ropes. Draws Nick Taylor … It’s easy to point to the T10 at Pebble Beach and the pair of top 25s in the fall as reasons to consider, but his real value is in the other six paydays that contribute to a 9-for-12 record and a spot at 93rd in the FedExCup standings. He’s pretty close to the classic case of how the opposite of what doesn’t translate as value in the mainstream matters in our world. Oh, and he placed T5 in his debut at Coco Beach last year while leading the field in par-4 scoring. Currently 15th on TOUR in par-5 scoring. David Hearn … Finally rounding into form after a terrible start to the season. Went 3-for-3 in the triumvirate of stops in Florida, punctuating the stretch with a T18 at Copperhead where he ranked fifth in strokes gained: putting. That aligns with his profile. He’s also connected with that kind of form in each of his three trips to Puerto Rico, submitting a T14, T8 and T24 from 2011-2014. His actual scoring average in those 12 rounds is 69.08. Alex Cejka … The 46-year-old broke through in epic fashion here in 2015, but he’s also recorded another pair of top 15s in a total of six trips. That angle merges with a T14 in his last start at Copperhead where he ranked 21st in proximity and second in average distance of putts made. What veteran gamers love about this veteran is that he’s automatically greater than face value when he makes cuts. Sixteen of his 33 cuts made in the previous two seasons went for top 25s. Matt Jones … Stuck with conditional status, he’s responded favorable to the challenge, cashing thrice in five starts, two yielding a top 25. Thirteen of his 16 rounds this season have been under par. In short, his touch is on display again. With a T5 in 2012 at Coco Beach and a T14 in 2013, DFSers can invest with elevated confidence. Willy Wilcox … Doesn’t hurt that Coco Beach has been good to the 30-year-old fantasy gamers’ favorite. After a T43 in his debut in 2014, he tied for sixth in 2015. He’s recently fallen on harder times, but it was just a month ago that he posted a T5 at the Web.com Tour’s Panama Claro Championship. But honestly, one of the primary reasons my confidence is high is that he’s chosen the Puerto Rico Open over the Chitimacha Louisiana Open. Since he has conditional status on the PGA TOUR, he has the choice to drop down to the secondary circuit to continue to build a season there. Now, all members of his category are in the field in Puerto Rico, but Wilcox is no longer saddled with the potential additional pressure of the medical extension with which he started 2016-17. At worst, he’s a calculated flier, and that’s just fine. Jonathan Byrd … Ideal in DFS. Perfect in four visits with top 20s in his first three (2009, 2014, 2015). Also went out in the penultimate pairing last year and blew up with a 79. Rested since a T5 at the Panama Claro Championship. Andres Romero … Essentially a horse for the course among the penny stocks. He’s cranked out a pair of top 10s in five appearances. This is just his second start anywhere in 2017, but the Argentine concluded last year with four cuts made worldwide, three of which for a top 30. Fades Fabian Gomez … This is one of those tournaments for which season-long investors have been holding their breath for him to make noise. He opened his career record at Coco Beach with a T7 in 2011, a co-runner-up in 2013 and an actual scoring average of 68.25 in those eight rounds. However, he’s been way too quiet for months to suggest that he’ll suddenly find the key. Just one red number in his last 11 rounds. Kyle Reifers … His age-33 season should set up as at or near the peak of his career bell curve, but it’s been everything but. Just 5-for-13 with no better than a season-opening T35 at Silverado. He’s broken par in just four of 21 rounds in 2017. His ball-striking stats aren’t bad, but he’s 198th in strokes gained: putting and way below average in many other important factors. Perhaps he’ll draw confidence from a T11 here last year, but you’re advised to let him attempt to connect with it alone. Thorbjørn Olesen … Despite his world ranking (80th), he’s surrounded a T2 last June and a win in November with virtually nothing else worth mentioning. The Dane’s strength on the green is duly noted, but he’s 216th on the European Tour in fairways hit and 184th in greens in regulation. John Senden … Once upon a time, you wouldn’t have hesitated in rostering the Aussie best known as a premier ball-striker at a joint like Coco Beach where he’s making his debut, but he’s struggled throughout 2017. His only cut made in seven tries was a T64 at Torrey Pines. There is, of course, the notion that this week’s layout is exactly what he needs, but none of the data that would project for that expectation support it. Steve Marino … Lost in a playoff in his debut here last year, but his only cut made in his last eight starts is a T66 at Pebble Beach. Never bet against the wily veteran, but you can’t anticipate him to threaten a repeat performance at Coco Beach. Returning to Competition Cameron Percy … Back in action exactly one month since a back injury forced him to walk off PGA National in the first round of The Honda Classic. Almost always worth a peek to round off DFS rosters, especially as an Aussie in the wind. He’s 4-for-5 at Coco Beach with a T14 in 2013. Also six cuts made in eight starts this season, including a T10 and a T21. Whee Kim … Discomfort in his lower back led to a mid-round withdrawal on the Friday of the Valspar Championship. It extended his dry spell to just one cut made in his last five starts. He’s 2-for-2 in Puerto Rico, but consider the conservative route around known injury concerns. S.J. Park … Making his first PGA TOUR start in 16 months. Was sidelined with an undisclosed injury until returning to sanctioned competition at the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open two weeks ago. He missed the cut. Has 11 starts on a Non-exempt Medical Extension, so we’ll see him appearing now and again as fields deepen in the coming months. However, with only one top-25 finish in 28 career appearances, he’ll need to show us first that he has the game to stick around. Notable WDs Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott and Adam Hadwin … All qualified for the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, but elected not to compete for various reasons. Power Rankings Recap – Arnold Palmer Invitational Power Ranking, Golfer, Result 1 Rory McIlroy T4 2 Henrik Stenson MC 3 Justin Rose T13 4 Rickie Fowler 12th 5 Hideki Matsuyama T45 6 Jason Day T23 7 Brandt Snedeker T28 8 Zach Johnson T66 9 Francesco Molinari T7 10 Tyrrell Hatton T4 11 Paul Casey T41 12 Tommy Fleetwood T10 13 Wesley Bryan 69th 14 Thomas Pieters MC 15 Louis Oosthuizen T28 Sleepers Recap – Arnold Palmer Invitational Golfer, Result Chad Campbell MC Morgan Hoffmann MC Jamie Lovemark T23 Ben Martin T41 Sam Saunders MC Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR March 21 … Brandon Hagy (26) March 22 … Miguel Angel Carballo (38) March 23 … Johnson Wagner (37) March 24 … Jason Dufner (40) March 25 … Scott Stallings (32) March 26 … Wesley Bryan (27) March 27 … none
