The PGA Tour is going down to Rio Grande this weekend for the Puerto Rico Open. This weekend, a lot of the top talent in the sport is sitting out because of the upcoming Masters championship. That leaves the field wide open for a winner. Going into this blind is not a smart idea as a result of this, so we’ve put together some analysis for you in order to help you make a more informed decision while you draft your daily fantasy golf roster.
William McGirt: McGirt is ranked number three in this tournament by DraftKings, but he is our number one choice of who you should draft. His salary is $10,500, he has an average stroke count per round of 69.6, and his fantasy point average of 74.3 is the highest of any of the top ten ranked golfers going into this. He also has made 8 out of 10 cuts, including 3 top ten finishes for the 2016 season. In a typical field, spending more than $7,500 for him would be foolish, but in this field, he is actually a steal at $10,500. If he doesn’t finish in the top ten here, we will be very surprised. A top five finish is also a strong likelihood.
Patrick Rodgers: Rodgers’ record this season is not nearly as impressive as McGirt’s, but he has shown potential after a very rocky start. Let’s clear that up right away with him. He’s made the cut only once in his last four appearances, but it was his last tournament where he did this, finishing a decent T20 at the Arnold Palmer, which was a pretty strong field. He put up 75.5 fantasy points there, his first time above 30 in a long time. He also is finally starting to show consistency, shooting 70, 70, 70, 71 for his four rounds. So his average fantasy score of 60.7 and his 7 of 11 cuts made seem bad, but he’s capable of better. His salary of $10,200 might be a bit much, but right now, he’s showing more strength than the rest of the field, and if he brings this to the course with him, he’s a top ten finisher.
George Coetzee: Coetzee is a bit of a wildcard in this one, and his salary of $10,000 might make him seem attractive. However, for an unknown variable, that’s about $800 to $1,000 more than we’d like to spend. He has one tourney this season, where he made the cut and put up 38.0 fantasy points. One tourney isn’t enough for us to risk this much on, though. He’s capable of making the cut again as this field is weaker than his first tournament, but again, he’s too risky for us. If you want to play a more aggressive game, he could be worth drafting in the event that he swings in your favor, but we’re passing on him.
Graham DeLaet: DeLaet is the number one golfer in this tournament, according to DraftKings. His price tag of $11,000 is far too high for our liking, though, even with a soft field. He is averaging 70.6 strokes per round, and his fantasy average of 60.2 points per tournament is not enough to excite us. DeLaet also only has 2 top ten finishes this season and has made the cut just 7 out of 10 times. He did finish T5 earlier this month, but his weak final round negated the power he showed earlier that tourney. If he were cheaper, he’d be worth drafting, but there are better golfers in this field with lower prices. Choose them instead.
Freddie Jacobson: Jacobson would be a sure thing if he were a couple hundred dollars cheaper, but at $10,400, we’re sitting on the fence with him. He has the second best average fantasy score in the field at 64.3, and his average stroke count of 70.4 is competitive in this field. He also has 3 top ten finishes, which is impressive in this field. Our bottom line for you: draft him if you have space, but don’t worry about it if you don’t.
