UPDATED WITH WEEKEND LINEUPS!!!
Filling in on the DFS PGA Playbook is always bittersweet. I miss writing the playbook and am always happy when I get the opportunity to fill in, but I know it pains Drew to have to miss a week. Hopefully, he will be right back at it next week.
In the meantime, we have the penultimate stop in the FedExCup Playoffs, the BMW Championship. The Top 70 in the FedExCup standings have advanced to this no-cut event, with the top 30 advancing to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga. This edition of the BMW Championship will be held at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, IL. Conway Farms also hosted this tournament in 2015 and 2013.
With only those two years to go off of, course history plays a much smaller role in my thinking than it might otherwise. I won’t ignore that Zach Johnson finished 13th at Conway Farms in 2015 and won the tournament two years earlier, but I’m not going to play him based on those facts alone.
Conway Farms is a par 71 measuring 7,208 yards. You don’t have to be particularly accurate or long off the tee, which is why I am paying particular attention to Strokes Gained: Approach The Green. Ten players finished at -13 or better in 2015, so birdie or better percentage should be important, especially in a no-cut event.
As a bit of a side note, I am using Jordan Spieth this week for the one and done. I know Drew used him in his own one and done for the Open Championship when I filled in and used Brooks Koepka, and I don't want to accidentally use someone this week who Drew was saving for the Tour Championship. If you have held onto Speith this long, it may be tempting to wait one more week and use him for the Tour Championship, but I prefer playing him now and using Hideki Matsuyama at East Lake. Of course, Drew may decide to go with somebody else entirely, so stay tuned for that.
Weekend Lineups:
GPP #1:
Jordan Spieth
Charley Hoffman
Kevin Chappell
Tony Finau
Patrick Reed
Marc Leishman
GPP #2:
Jason Day
Daniel Berger
Rickie Fowler
Luke List
Phil Mickelson
Justin Rose
| Player | FanDuel | DraftKings | Comments |
| Jordan Spieth | $ 10,200 | $ 11,800 | Even though he is obviously expensive, I just can't get away from Speith in my cash lineups. Has finished T13 or better in his last six non-majors. |
| Justin Thomas | $ 9,700 | $ 10,300 | He is almost certainly going to win Player of the Year despite missing six cuts in 2017. Just keep him away from your cash lineups. |
| Hideki Matsuyama | $ 9,100 | $ 9,900 | Matsuyama feels pretty cheap for the number three ranked player in the world. It doesn't hurt that he finished seventh here in 2015. |
| Jason Day | $ 9,100 | $ 9,600 | Holds the tournament record at Conway Farms at -22 in 2015. Hasn't played great of late but still has finished T27 or better in five straight tournaments. |
| Henrik Stenson | $ 8,500 | $ 8,900 | I don't know how you keep Stenson out of a cash game lineup. He has finished T26 or better in his last seven tournaments and last 10 non-majors. |
| Louis Oosthuizen | $ 7,800 | $ 8,800 | Oosthuizen is as solid as they come, and he is a proven commodity in strong fields. His only missed cut this season was at the Open Championship. |
| Patrick Cantlay | $ 6,700 | $ 8,600 | I don't know how you pass up that price on FanDuel. Has finished no worse than T48 in any of his 10 starts this season. Finished T13 at Dell Technologies Championship. |
| Justin Rose | $ 7,700 | $ 8,500 | T10 in each of his last two tournaments, giving him seven top-10s on the season. If he makes it three-in-a-row, he will be well worth his price. |
| Patrick Reed | $ 8,400 | $ 8,000 | T6 in Boston, and no worse than T26 in his last five tournaments. Love his price on DK. |
| Kevin Na | $ 6,100 | $ 7,900 | Kevin Na appears to be rounding into form after a rough summer, going T6, T29 and T4 in his last three tournaments. Still ranks 10th in SG: Approach, 32 in Birdie or Better and 10th in Par 4 Scoring. T10 at BMW Championship two years ago doesn't hurt. |
| Marc Leishman | $ 7,100 | $ 7,700 | Coming off a T3 at TPC Boston. Ranks 24th in SG: Approa ch and 35th in birdie or better percentage. |
| Charl Schwartzel | $ 6,400 | $ 7,600 | Strong cash game play, especially on FanDuel. Hasn't missed a cut since the U.S. Open. |
| Charley Hoffman | $ 6,600 | $ 7,600 | Hoffman is 14th in birdie or better and 10th in par 4 scoring. He has made 14 consecutive cuts. |
| Daniel Berger | $ 7,300 | $ 7,500 | He was the runner up here in 2015, but this is mostly about his stats. Berger is ninth in SG: Approach. |
| Francesco Molinari | $ 6,300 | $ 7,400 | He is coming off a rough couple of tournaments, which is why his price is so low. That being said, he is ranked number 17 in the world and it wasn't that long ago he finished second at the PGA Championship. This feels like a nice buy low opportunity. |
| Phil Mickelson | $ 7,200 | $ 7,300 | He doesn't belong anywhere near a cash lineup, but he is a worth a shot after a T6 his last time out. He ranks 12th in SG: Approach and 16th in birdie or better. |
| Kevin Kisner | $ 6,900 | $ 7,200 | Kisner hasn't missed a cut in seven consecutive events, and he ranks 30th on Tour in SG: Approach. I like his price on DraftKings. |
| Gary Woodland | $ 6,100 | $ 7,100 | If this is a contest from the fairway like I think it will be, give me Gary Woodland. He is 17th in SG: Approach this season. |
| Luke List | $ 4,700 | $ 6,900 | On the one hand, I think we as fantasy analysts need to stop trying to make Luke List a thing. On the other hand, he is dirt cheap and ranks eighth in birdie or better percentage. In a non-cut event, List could score a bunch of fantasy points even if he has a bunch of bogeys to go with all of those birdies. |
ONE & DONE PLAY:
| ONE AND DONE PLAY | FINISH |
| SBS - Jimmy Walker | T9 |
| Sony - Charles Howell III | T8 |
| Career - Bill Haas | T17 |
| Farmers - Brandt Snedeker | T9 |
| Waste - Brendan Steele | T16 |
| Pebble - Phil Mickelson | 65th |
| Genesis - J.B Holmes | T34 |
| Honda - Graeme McDowell | T14 |
| Mexico - Alexander Noren | T55 |
| Valspar - Ryan Moore | T18 |
| Palmer - Zach Johnson | T66 |
| Match - Sergio Garcia | Out of Sweet 16 |
| Puerto - David Hearn | T17 |
| Shell - Lee Westwood | MC |
| Masters - Justin Rose | 2nd |
| RBC - Kevin Kisner | T11 |
| Valero - Charley Hoffman | T40 |
| Wells Fargo - Adam Scott | T36 |
| Players - Martin Kaymer | T69 |
| Nelson - Dustin Johnson | T13 |
| D & D - Pat Perez | MC |
| Memorial - Emiliano Grillo | T40 |
| St. Jude - Russell Henley | MC |
| U.S. Open - Jason Day | MC |
| Travelers - Kyle Stanley | T57 |
| Quicken - Justin Thomas | MC |
| Greenbrier - Webb Simpson | T14 |
| John Deere - Johnson Wagner | MC |
| Open Champ - Brooks Koepka | T6 |
| RBC Canadian - Adam Hadwin | MC |
| Bridgestone - Kevin Chappell | T13 |
| PGA CHAMP - Rickie Fowler | T5 |
| Wyndham - Bud Cauley | T42 |
| Northern - Jon Rahm | T3 |
| DELL - Rory McIlory | MC |
| BMW - Jordan Spieth | ??? |