The U.S. Open Championship is the next PGA Tour event. This is the second Major Championship of the 2016 pro golf season, and it’s often one of the most competitive events in the world. Before you put together your daily fantasy golf team, take a look at our rundown on a few of the top rated golfers that are entered in the event. Hopefully this will help you as you get ready to crush the competition.
Jason Day: According to DraftKings, Day is the guy to beat here. His salary of $12,100 puts him ahead of even the defending champion Jordan Spieth. However, Day might not be the best choice here. He’s won 2 tournaments this season, including The Players Championship a few weeks ago. However, at The Masters, he only finished T10, and he didn’t look that impressive doing it. He does have some impressive stats going for him, though. He’s made the cut in 9 out of 10 tournaments and has made the top ten 5 times. His average stroke count per round is 70.1, which is good, but not the best here. Also, his average fantasy point production per tournament stands at 84.2. That’s the third best in the field, but it’s also not indicative of what he can do against the best in the world. We like Day, but not as the most expensive golfer in the field. We need to pass on him.
Rory McIlroy: McIlroy is ranked second here with a salary of $12,000. His stats are far more impressive than Day’s, too. He has made 12 of 13 cuts, has made the top ten 7 times, and has 1 win, in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which was on the European Tour. He is putting up more fantasy points per tournament than Day with 88.5, and has a lower average stroke count per round at 69.7. McIlroy is doing far better from a fantasy perspective than Day lately, especially over each of their last four tournaments. If you’re going to choose one or the other, McIlroy is the smarter choice.
Jordan Spieth: Most fantasy golf rosters will have one of the top three ranked golfers on them, and Spieth rounds this list out. With a salary of $11,900, he is the cheapest of the three, but the returning champion. The combination of these things makes him pretty attractive to some fantasy managers. Don’t just blindly draft him, though; know the facts. Spieth has made 11 of 13 cuts this season, but only has 5 top ten finishes. He’s won 2 tournaments, but both were pretty weak when it came to competition. This has inflated his fantasy points, which stand at an average of 83.8 per tournament. His stroke count per round is strong though, standing at 69.7, a tie with McIlroy. However, all other things considered, McIlroy is performing far better and is the better choice even though he’s $100 more.
Adam Scott: Scott is the highest performing player from a fantasy point perspective with an average score of 89.4, but stands ranked #7 overall with a salary of $10,100. His stroke count of 69.7 ties him with McIlroy and Spieth, but he’s a lot cheaper. He’s a compelling choice, but do know that he hasn’t performed the best in the big tournaments. At The Masters, he finished T42, indicating that he’s not the best in big name groups. At Dean and DeLuca, he only finished T55, and that was a weak tourney. So don’t be fooled by him. He’s made 11 of 11 cuts, and has 4 top ten finishes. We like Scott a ton, and in a lesser tournament would draft him. But not this one.
Rickie Fowler: Of the other golfers in the top ten, Fowler is our top choice (other than McIlroy). He’s had a strong season so far, and has made 10 of 14 cuts. He has 7 top ten finishes, and has a stroke average per round of 69.6, putting him ahead of the others in the top ten. His fantasy average of 73.4 is low, but we’re willing to overlook that. The concern is he was cut in The Masters. If you can overlook this, he will help you a ton. If not, we understand, but we do expect big things from him here as his season has been pointed toward this one.
