After opening the 2017 calendar year with a pair of tournaments in Hawaii the PGA Tour shifts to La Quinta, California for the CareerBuilder Challenge. Justin Thomas has absolutely dominated his competition in the first two events of 2017 so it’s probably a good thing for this week’s field that he is set to sit this one out. Without Thomas in the field, we had no problem building a competitive roster that we think can prevail in DraftKings competitions this week. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings PGA fantasy competitions.
Patrick Reed, $11,200
Reed is the most expensive option on the board for this week but the reality is he is worth the price tag as one of the best options available for this week’s tournament. Reed won this tournament back in 2014 and he is coming off a top-10 finish at the SBS Tournament of Champions so he should be in fine form following a week off to rest and refocus. Reed has all of the tools to dominate at this event so he is worth spending big to get in your DraftKings lineup this week.
Luke List, $8,600
After delivering four top-15 finishes in five starts in the Fall, List remained red hot at the Sony Open when he finished tied for 13th. The veteran golfer has now placed in the top-15 five times in a row and his well-rounded game should translate well in this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge.
Martin Laird, $7,800
This week’s event will mark Laird’s 10 consecutive appearance in this tournament and he has missed the cut just once with four top-25 finishes in his last six starts. Lard is coming off a strong 2016 season in which he finished in the top-25 on six different occasions so it makes a lot of sense to roll with him this week at under $8K.
Adam Hadwin, $7,500
It’s very easy to overlook Hadwin because of the fact that he isn’t a long hitter but he is coming off a solid 2016 season in which he was a regular sleeper play in DraftKings tournaments and we are turning back to him as a cheaper option with high upside again this week. Hadwin finished tied for sixth place at this tournament last year and he is coming off a strong finish to the 2016 season when he placed in the top-15 at both Mayakoba and in the World Cup. Hadwin’s putting skills will be important again this week as he looks for another strong outing in the CareerBuilder Challenge.
David Lingmerth, $7,300
Lingmerth’s $7.3K price tag makes him that much more appealing this week since he has twice made it to a playoff in this tournament and twice finished in the runner-up position. Lingmerth has made the cut in all four of his appearances here as well so he should be a safe bet. Lingmerth won’t be on many radars following a slow start and that could make him even more valuable in DraftKings competitions.
While we’re banking on history, it’s worth noting that Lingmerth has been decent this season in terms of making the cut. He’s made two and missed two, but is coming off a tie for 49th at the Sony Open last week. Another effort like that would work for us in this spot.
Brandon Stone, $7,000
Stone hasn’t had much exposure on the PGA Tour but he is coming off a decent finish at the BMW SA Open last week and he could make some noise again this week. The rising 23-year-old has the same odds to win the tournament as more expensive DraftKings options like Luke List so it makes sense to take a chance on him as a sleeper option listed at just $7K in this week’s fantasy competitions.
Taking a look at his 2016 campaign on the PGA Tour, it wasn’t that impressive. He played in three events overall. He missed the cut at The Open Championship as well as the PGA Championship. However, the South African took part in the 2016 Summer Olympics Men’s Golf Competition and finished in a tie for 55th. We’re just looking for him to make the cut here to help out our team.
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