DFS PGA PLAYBOOK - TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Published: Jun 24, 2017
***Update: Post-cut GPP Optimals are posted below***
I really felt good about my U.S. Open selections and I’m proud to have had Brooks, Rickie, Steele, Stricker, and Casey in my playbook. What a devastating blow to the game having eight of the Top 15 players in the world miss the cut. I mean Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlory, Jason Day, Henrik Stenson, Jon Rahm and Justin Rose all not out there competing on the weekend really hurts the game from a star power perspective and it showed in the ratings. Enough about last weekend, it is time for the Travelers Championship.
Last year the Travelers was shifted to after the PGA Championship because of the Olympics but it is back in its traditional spot after the U.S. Open. We’ve got a solid field in Cromwell, Connecticut with players the likes of Rory McIlory, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, and last week’s record breaker Justin Thomas. If you don’t remember, TPC River Highlands gave itself a face-lift just before last year’s tournament. They removed 50 bunkers while upgrading the remaining 69. Several trees were removed, fairways were narrowed, greens were redone and a whole lot more. The course remained 35-35 for a Par of 70 and still measures out to just 6,841 yards. They have added a lot of risk-reward opportunities for these golfers, which means the better course managers will have an added advantage this week. There will be a learning curve but not for long with the best players in the world.
Despite all the changes to TPC River Highlands, it has still yielded a scoring average of 69.6 last year in line with its recent history. Not unlike last week's objective at Erin Hills, playing from the shortest grass here will be a popular narrative for those who score well, but unlike the U.S. Open, you can still perform well missing fairways at the Travelers Championship. Those who will contend should rank among the best on approach and around the greens.
The course is not a long one which means more short hitters can throw their hats in the ring this week. This theory does go out the window when you see how dominant Bubba Watson has been in this tournament. The key to victory this weekend is getting on the green in two and giving yourself as many birdie opportunities as possible. I have filled the playbook with strong SG:TG (Strokes Gained: Tee to Green) players, these are the best ball strikers in the world. I’ve also targeted proximity as well because what’s getting on the green in two if you are 30 feet from the cup. Putting is always important and after the changes to the course, these bentgrass greens are already running 12 feet on the Stimpmeter.
GOOD LUCK THIS WEEK!
Weekend Optimal Lineups
GPP #1
Brandt Snedeker $9000
Brendan Steele $8700
Tony Finau $8500
Wesley Bryan $7700
Smylie Kaufman $7700
Daniel Berger $8400
GPP #2
Rory McIlory $9700
Patrick Reed $8900
Charley Hoffman $8300
Bud Cauley $8200
Anirban Lahiri $7600
Hudson Swafford $7100
Pre-Cut DFS PGA PLAYBOOK:
| PLAYER | DRAFT KINGS | FANDUEL | BREAKDOWN |
| Jordan Spieth | $11,400 | $10,100 | Recent form will keep his ownership reasonable. T35 at the U.S. Open but Leads the TOUR in SG:Approach the Green & T1 in Proximity. |
| Justin Thomas | $10,200 | $9,800 | Sunday 62 helped him at T3 last year at Travelers. T9 at U.S. Open after that 3rd Round 63. T4 at the Memorial |
| Brandt Snedeker | $9,400 | $9,000 | T9 at the U.S. Open & finished T4 in GIR. T25s in his last 3 Starts at the Travelers (T11 in 2014 & T10 in 2015). |
| Marc Leishman | $9,300 | $8,300 | 2012 Winner of the Travelers is a perfect 6/6 Cuts Made (T9 last year). 2 Top 15s in his last 4 Starts. 7th in Adjusted Scoring. |
| Daniel Berger | $9,100 | $8,700 | Blew a 3-Stroke Lead After 3 Rounds LAST Year, hoping he's out for blood. Won the St. Jude Classic (Back to Back Years) |
| Brenden Steele | $9,000 | $8,200 | 5/6 Cuts Made with a T5 (2014) & 4 More Top 25s at the Travelers. Proud of his T13 at the U.S. Open, Led the Field in Par Breakers. |
| Kyle Stanley | $8,600 | $7,000 | Only 3/7 Cuts Made but 2 Finished Top 20 (T20 in 2015). Only missed 3 Cuts all year with 4 Top 10s. 3rd in Proximity & Total Driving. |
| Bubba Watson | $8,400 | $8,500 | 2 Time Champ of the Travelers & All Time Earnings Leader at TPC River Highlands. MC at U.S. Open but T6 at the Memorial |
| Bud Cauley | $7,400 | $7,200 | Another U.S. Open Missed Cutter but the dude has lit it up this season. 4 Top 10s & 3 of those Since Mid-April. |
| Charley Hoffman | $7,300 | $8,300 | 6/6 Cuts Made at TPC River Highlights since 2010 with 2 Top 10s. Finished 8th at the U.S. Open & ranked T4 in Greens Hit. |
| Keegan Bradley | $7,300 | $7,100 | Putting will always be his Achilles Heel but 6/6 at TPC River Highlands with 2 Top 25s & a 68.5 Scoring Average. |
| Emiliano Grillo | $7,200 | $7,600 | U.S. Open missed cut sucked but doesn't take away from his really nice sophomore season. Great Price Tag for his Talent |
| Byeong-Hun An | $7,100 | $7,500 | U.S. Open was his 1st missed cut of the year, not backing off & neither should you. 3 Top 10s (Last one at Byron Nelson) |
| Graham DeLaet | $7,100 | $6,700 | Missed the Cut due to Anxiety in 2016 but 3rd in 2013 & 4th in 2015. He finished T10 in his last start at Memorial |
| Webb Simpson | $6,900 | $7,900 | 7/7 Cuts Made at the Travelers with 2 Top 15s. T5 at Colonial with 4 straight made cuts including the U.S. Open. |
| Harris English | $6,900 | $7,200 | 4/4 Cuts Made with a T7 in 2014 & T25 in 2015. T10 at the St. Jude. This dude is actually battling for his Tour Card. |
| Nick Taylor | $6,800 | $5,600 | Dude hasn't missed a cut in 3 months & has 2 Top 10s during the run. Been a nice solid value play in DFS all season |
| Wyndham Clark | $6,400 | $4,800 | PGA Tour Debut after just winning the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year. Nice GPP Flier Option |
DRAFTKINGS OPTIMALS:
| DRAFT KINGS CASH | PRICE |
| Brandt Snedeker | $9,400 |
| Marc Leishman | $9,300 |
| Brendan Steele | $9,000 |
| Keegan Bradley | $7,300 |
| Charley Hoffman | $7,300 |
| Webb Simpson | $6,900 |
| DRAFT KINGS GPP | PRICE |
| Jordan Spieth | $11,400 |
| Daniel Berger | $9,100 |
| Kyle Stanley | $8,600 |
| Byeong-Hun An | $7,100 |
| Harris English | $6,900 |
| Wyndham Clark | $6,400 |
FANDUEL OPTIMALS:
| FANDUEL CASH | PRICE |
| Marc Leishman | $8,300 |
| Charley Hoffman | $8,300 |
| Brendan Steele | $8,200 |
| Webb Simpson | $7,900 |
| Harris English | $7,200 |
| Keegan Bradley | $7,100 |
| Kyle Stanley | $7,000 |
| Nick Taylor | $5,600 |
| FANDUEL GPP | PRICE |
| Jordan Spieth | $10,100 |
| Daniel Berger | $8,700 |
| Marc Leishman | $8,300 |
| Brendan Steele | $8,200 |
| Keegan Bradley | $7,100 |
| Kyle Stanley | $7,000 |
| Nick Taylor | $5,600 |
| Wyndham Clark | $4,800 |
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 | ??? |