The PGA Tour will make the short trip from La Quinta to San Diego, California this week for the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open where some of the biggest names in the sport will compete for their share of a $6.5 million purse. The pro’s aren’t the only ones that will make some money though as DraftKings will provide a full slate of fantasy tournaments for this week’s event including the PGA $450K Drive the Green that includes a $100K prize for the winner.
A lot of people will have the high-price Rickie Fowler in their lineup for Torrey Pines this week as he seeks his fifth win in eight months (coming off a big win last week) but we’re going in another direction. Here is a look at our optimal lineup for this week’s PGA Daily Fantasy Leagues.
Jason Day, $12,000
For the third week in a row, we will run with the highest-priced player on the board and considering how stacked this field is at the top (even without Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods), we have no problem rolling with the best available option on the board. Day is the defending champion at this event and he has placed in the top 10 in each of his last three visits to Torrey Pines. Day has the length, experience and is well-rested heading in to this week, so he should be a lock in your lineup as the favorite to win again this week. Yes, he costs a lot but we’re going to adjust our lineup in other areas and save elsewhere.
Harris English, $8,500
We wouldn’t feel nearly as comfortable spending so much money on Day if there weren’t so many solid options available at more than $3K less and it starts with a player that has never missed a cut at Torrey Pines in English. English has started this season strong and considering he registered a T-2 at this event a year ago when he lost to Day in a playoff we have absolutely no problem plugging him in to your PGA daily fantasy lineup at just $8.5K.
Scott Piercy, $8,100
Piercy is another golfer that is off to a hot start and should be able to keep it going this week at Torrey Pines. He registered a pair of top-25 finishes in Hawaii to open the 2016 calendar year and while he doesn’t have the same history at the Farmers Insurance Open that Day and English do he should be a strong mid-range play at an $8.1K price tag.
Patrick Rodgers, $7,600
Rodgers will be making his 2016 debut at this tournament and while he hasn’t played yet this year it’s important to remember how he finished last year when it comes to building the optimal lineup for the Farmers Insurance Open. Rodgers ended last season with three top-20’s over his last four events and we are banking on him to pick up from where he left off as he looks to kick off a new year in style.
Ben Crane, $6,900
With just under $14K left over for our final two spots it will be important to find the most bang for our buck and that begins with another former champion at Torrey Pines in Crane, who won this tournament in 2010. Crane followed that performance up with a T-14 at Torrey Pines the following year and while he hasn’t cracked the top-20 there since he is coming off a T-24 in the CareerBuilder Challenge and that showing combined with his pedigree at this course and low price point make him worth targeting for this week’s tournament.
Adam Hadwin, $6,900
Hadwin was talked about as a lot as a potential sleeper pick at the CareerBuilder Challenge and after struggling early on he rallied to finish T-6 with an even-par final round to live up to that billing. Hadwin struggled here a year ago before being forced to withdraw but he looked good enough last week that we feel comfortable plugging him in as a sleeper value play that has the potential to really outperform his price tag the way he did in last week’s tournament.
