AT&T Byron Nelson - Fantasy Picks - Presented by DraftKings
Last week at Colonial, Jordan Spieth was a favourite in front of the home crowd, and this week is no different. As the Tour stays in Texas, Spieth has another opportunity to get a win in front of family and friends and in doing so continue to make his case for why he does in fact belong in conversation surrounding why he can challenge McIlroy for number one in the world.
For as good as McIlroy, Spieth and the other top players currently in the game are, the namesake of this week’s tournament will always be remembered for accomplishing a feat that will almost certainly never be even approached, let alone repeated, in professional golf. In 1945, Mr. Byron Nelson won 11 straight professional tournaments. Motivated by his desire to earn enough money to pay for the ranch he desired to build, Mr. Nelson’s run is as impressive as anything ever seen in golf. When you examine the very nature of competitive golf and all the factors that come into play in achieving victory, one could argue that his streak is one of the most impressive ever seen in sport.
It is an unfortunate reality that Mr. Nelson is no longer with us. Seeing him sit in the shaded grandstand behind the 18th green, encouraging each and every player as they came through, was something that any true golf fan came to appreciate.
Whoever hoists the trophy on Sunday at TPC Four Seasons, you can be sure that they will mention what a privilege it is to win the championship that serves to honour the gentlemen who did so much for our game.
Jordan Spieth - Playing very close to home, and coming off an up and down week where he almost pulled out the victory. I would be very surprised not to see him in the mix come Sunday afternoon.
Dustin Johnson - T43 & T69 in last two stroke play tournaments (Zurich Classic & The Players). Is coming off a couple weeks of rest and has been playing extremely good golf this year.
Jason Day - Does not play a heavy schedule, but always a threat to compete. Not a surprise considering ranks 1st in birdie average, and 2nd in overall ranking.
Marc Leishman - Has not finished outside of top-30 in last three events played, and coming to a course that he has played extremely well the past three years (T3, T12, T3).
Brandt Snedeker - Coming off a T2 finish at Colonial. Ranks 9th in FedEx cup race, and 3rd in strokes gained putting .
Ian Poulter - Finished T5 last week, and has four top-10’s this season. Looking to follow in Rickie Fowler’s footsteps and post a “W” after being voted one of the most overrated players on tour.
Matt Kuchar - Another player coming off a couple weeks of rest. Made 13 of 14 cuts this season with eight top-25’s and three top-10’s. Ranks 6th in strokes gained putting.
Charley Hoffman - Has finished inside the top-15 in four of last seven tournaments played. Coming off a solid week at Colonial (T10). Finished T8 at this event in 2013.
Morgan Hoffmann - I think taking last week off may serve him very well, as he has had a good season, but has played a lot of tournaments. Has performed well at this event, finishing T16 in 2014 and T5 in 2013.
Brandon Todd - This week’s defending champion, has had a season which has seen him make a lot of cuts, has failed to contend on a regular basis. This pick is based off of last year’s win, along with a T17 finish the previous year.
Sleeper Picks
George McNeil - Finished T5 at Colonial. Has finished outside the top-20 only once in the past month (T28 at Wells Fargo).
Adam Hadwin - The Canadian is coming off an exciting week at Colonial where he finished two shots back. Came into the week having missed 5 of 6 cuts, but struck the ball beautifully, finishing second in driving accuracy.
Now for the real fun, my DraftKings fantasy picks for the week. Let’s take a look at who I’m choosing and why.
Team A
Jason Day - $11,200
Marc Leishman - $8,800
Charley Hoffman - $8,400
Hunter Mahan - $7,100
Morgan Hoffmann - $7,000
Jim Herman - $6,600
I’m really excited about this team. I feel like I’ve been able to get a lot of “bang for my buck”. I’ve had to spend a bit for Day, but getting Leishman, Hoffman and Mahan for less than $9,000 each has me very happy. Even Jim Herman and Morgan Hoffmann I am feeling good about, for Herman has continued to play well this past month, and Hoffmann is having a strong season, is coming off a week of rest, and has played well in this event in the past.
Team B
Jimmy Walker - $9,400
Marc Leishman - $8,800
Charles Howell III - $8,500
Russell Henley - $7,900
Jerry Kelly - $7,900
George McNeill - $7,100
I can’t say that I feel as confident about this team. My strategy here was to try and prevent against going top-heavy in my spending, but instead make my picks from the middle of the rankings. As you can see, I’ve placed Marc Leishman in both lineups. His history over the past 3 years makes it difficult to expect anything but a solid week from him. Jimmy Walker is a machine when it comes to making cuts, and Charles Howell III makes his fair share as well. Henley and Kelly are gentlemen who can earn their ways onto leaderboards, and George McNeill is coming off a T5 finish at Colonial to complement a month of golf that has seen him finish outside the top-20 only once.
About the Author This article was written by Jonathan Carr (@jonathanwcarr) as part of our weekly #FantasyGolf series. Each week we preview the upcoming PGA Tour event and highlight some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on. As a scratch golfer himself, Jonathan has a keen eye for what it takes to be successful on and off the golf course. His passion for golf is surpassed only by his passion for his faith and his family. Read some of Jonathan's other articles here. About DraftKings DraftKings is a leading provider of online fantasy sports. Our core product is a 1-day Fantasy Sports Contest, where users compete against each other to win cash prizes. The game works similarly to how season-long contests on ESPN or Yahoo operate, with the key difference being that instead of season-long commitments, our users only need to commit to playing for a single day at a time. Free and entry-fee-based games are available. Featuring daily fantasy sports contests and same-day settlement, DraftKings makes playing fantasy sports simpler and faster for both seasoned and casual players.
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