On the heels of two major tournaments over the last three weeks, the focus shifts to the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut for the Travelers Championship this week. Even with the top four players in the world all skipping the event the field is loaded with talent including two top-10 players and nine of the Top 25 players in the world. We took the time to break down the best possible combination of star talent and strong sleeper value plays to assemble the best possible fantasy roster for this week’s event. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s PGA DraftKings tournaments.
Patrick Reed, $10,900
Reed is still looking for his first win of the summer but he has had a solid 2016 to this point. That includes two runner-up results and four top-15 finishes in his last seven events. He has been playing very well these days and his consistency makes him an excellent pick this week as he looks to finally break through with a memorable performance at the Travelers Championship. Reed missed the cut on the number each of the last two years at this event. That is a concern but at the same time, his history is suppressing his price tag a little bit. That could work in our favor since we are getting decent value on a top golfer that should be focused and playing with a sense of urgency at TPC River Highlands.
Matt Kuchar, $10,600
Kuchar has struggled at major tournaments in 2016 but a look at his numbers in non-majors provides the perfect illustration of why we are plugging him in to this spot. Kuchar has strung together six straight top-10 finishes in non-major tournaments including third-place finishes at The Players Championship, the Byron Nelson and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. With the top four players in the world sitting this one out, the door will be wide open for Kuchar to continue his dominance at non-major events this week.
Paul Casey, $9,900
Casey is another player available at a very decent number for one of the best options on the board. Casey had never played competitively at the TPC River Highlands before pushing Bubba Watson in to a playoff a year ago where he eventually settled for a runner-up finish and he has some momentum heading in to this tournament following after he tied for 10th place at the PGA Championship last week. Casey has struggled with consistency throughout this year but he is in fine form heading in to a tournament where he will be an excellent pick to win outright.
Chris Stroud, $6,300
We certainly wouldn’t have been able to afford three players listed between $9.9K and $10.9K if it wasn’t for some value plays at the other end of the spectrum. Stroud is one of those value plays with high upside at just $6.3K. Stroud has made the cut here every year since 2008 and he has flashed some upside at this tournament with three top-20 results here dating back to a runner-up finish here in 2013.
Michael Thompson, $6,200
Thompson is another strong value option following a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship and another top-15 finish the week before at the RBC Canadian Open. He is in strong form following a couple of strong finishes and he did record a fourth-place finish at this tournament back in 2011. Thompson might not win the Travelers Championship outright but like Stroud, the upside is certainly there for a player listed at just $6.2K.
Billy Hurley, $5,900
Hurley picked up his first PGA Tour win at the Quicken Loans National earlier this season. We will use him to fill out the final spot in our optimal lineup for this week’s event. Hurley is coming off a tie for 22nd at the PGA Championship last week and he will certainly benefit from playing in a limited field as another strong value play at the Travelers Championship this week. This is a good price tag for a guy who should do a lot more than just make the cut this week. We’re hoping for another Top 25 result.
