The schedule change that moved the Shriners Hospital for Children Open to November provided a shake up to the look of this week’s field with a severe lack of star power set to compete at TPC Summerlin Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. We broke down the numbers to figure out what the best combination of star talent and sleeper value plays looks like in a field that at least on paper appears to be wide open. There is no Jason Day, no Rory McIlroy, no Dustin Johnson and no Jordan Spieth, so there is a lot of sifting to do here if you’re playing PGA fantasy.
Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings PGA fantasy tournaments.
Ryan Moore, $11,000
Moore strung together a couple of top-25 finishes at the CIMB Classic and the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and he has had a ton of success in Las Vegas over the years. Moore won the Shriners Hospital for Children Open back in 2012 and he has posted an average score of 75-under over the course of his history at this tournament. The hometown hero is listed as the favorite to win this event outright for a reason and with the field seemingly wide open we have no problem building our lineup around the top option on the board for this week.
Scott Piercy, $9,700
Piercy is another Las Vegas-native that has the potential to thrive at this week’s event at the TPC Summerlin course. A three-time winner on the PGA Tour, Piercy has recorded three top-10 finishes and another two top-25 finishes at this event and there is no reason to expect a drop off in his performance this week. Piercy isn’t as expensive of an option as Moore and the fact that he is available at under $10K should make him an obvious choice to have in your DraftKings lineup.
Johnson Wagner, $7,700
Wagner’s decision to compete in this tournament for the first time in four years could have something to do with the fact that he is absolutely on fire right now with three top-five finishes in his last five starts. Wagner’s putting is on point and he ranked T-7th in Greens in Regulation when he finished third at the Safeway Open in his last start. Wagner is playing at a very high level right now so look at him as a strong value option in PGA fantasy this week.
Cameron Smith, $7,500
Speaking of strong value options, Smith’s price tag on DraftKings seems a little low for a golfer that is coming off a top-five finish at the CIMB Classic. The 23-year-old seems to be hitting his stride and should be very confident that he can contend in a wide-open field this week. A strong start could be the key to Smith contending for another top-10 finish this weekend and at just $7.5K he makes for another strong pick for your PGA fantasy team.
Michael Kim, $7,200
Kim will look to build on a strong debut at TPC Summerlin as a rookie on the PGA Tour a year ago when he tied for 16th in last year’s Shriners Hospital for Children Open. Kim ranked second in both putting and scrambling strokes gained and he now has a full tournament of experience under his belt. Kim isn’t going to win this event outright but a top-25 finish isn’t out of the question for this weekend. He’s a decent pick for the price.
Ryan Blaum, $6,800
Blaum is another player that won’t win the Shriners Hospital for Children Open but should be in the mix for a top-25 finish if he plays to his potential at TPC Summerlin. Blaum has climbed to 41st in the FedExCup standings in his first season with a PGA Tour card and he will be looking to put together another strong performance this week. Blaum’s name doesn’t really stand out when scanning a list of contenders for this weekend’s tournament but he has the potential to be a sneaky good sleeper pick for the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in PGA fantasy DraftKings tournaments.
