The PGA Tour travels to San Antonio, Texas for the Valero Texas Open. The field will be a little better than it was last week in South Carolina, but many of the top 50 golfers are still taking a break following the Masters.
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Last week my golfers thought the tournament was only three rounds because none of them showed up on Sunday. I could have had a nice payout if Kevin Kisner and Jason Dufner played halfway decent in the final round. It was not all bad though so now we move onto Texas.
This course is similar to what we saw last week at Hilton Head, South Carolina. The golfers will need to be accurate off the tee and be able to scramble around the greens. San Antonio has seen a lot of rain in the last two weeks so the greens should be shorter than normal. The PGA Tour announced that they will lower the rough this week, so some of the bombers will be excited about that news.
One of the trends I noticed on DraftKings is that players need to have six golfers make the cut in order to cash in their Tournament Contests. This was not the case the first two years the site offered golf contests. The competition is getting much better, so it will be important to have all of the golfers play four rounds and at least two of them finish in the top 10. This is the receipt for success this season.
Top Golfers for $10K This Week
Brooks Koepka $10,900: Koepka is overpriced this week so many people will stay away from him this week. He is one of my top Tournament plays this week. Koepka got off to a horrible start this season but he said at the Masters that he found something in his swing and fixed it. Koepka ended up finishing 11th in the Masters. Las Vegas and DraftKings love him this week so he must be close to regaining his 2016 form.
Charley Hoffman $10,700: He is the highest priced golfer I will be using this week. Hoffman loves this course. He won this tournament last year and he has made the cut in all 11 of his tournaments in San Antonio. Hoffman has finished in the top 15 in seven straight Valero Texas Opens. He is the best choice in the field this week and worth the price you need to spend to use him in your contest.
Ryan Moore $10,200: Moore is another good Tournament Contest play this week. Most people will use Matt Kuchar, Charlie Hoffman or Jimmy Walker if they are going to use one of the top priced golfers. Moore offers just as much upside as the other golfers in this category. Moore is coming off a 9th place finish at the Masters and has made 6/7 cuts this year. He should finish in the top 10 this week.
Top Golfers for $9K This Week
Branden Steele $9,900: Steele is my No. 1 golfer this week. He checks every box that I am looking for in a golfer. He has won this tournament before and he has not missed a cut in his 8 tournaments this season. Steele has made 5/6 cuts at the Valero Texas Open with 3 finishes in the top 10. I like Steele for both Tournament and Cash Contests this week.
Kevin Chappell $9,400: Chappell is a horse for the course this week. He finished 4th in this tournament last year and also has a 2nd place finish on his resume. He enters the tournament in good form. Chappell finished 7th at the Masters and he has made his last four cuts.
Adam Hadwin $9,100: If you have been following my picks you should know by know that I am a fan of Hadwin. Why not be? All the guy does is make cuts and finish in the top 20. The Canadian has been one of the most reliable golfers on tour this season. Hadwin has made 9/9 cuts with three finishes in the top 10. He is my second favorite golfer this week behind Branden Steele.
Top Golfers for $8K This Week
Tony Finau $8,400: He is a bomber who can keep it in the fairway, creating a easy approach shot to the green. Finau ranks 13th in Driving Distance and 6th in strokes gained off the tee. That is the perfect recipe for success this week. I will be using him in both Tournament and Cash Contests this week.
Ollie Schniedejans $8,200: First off… Put on a damn hat!! You look like a fool out there! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s discuss the rookie’s golf game. He played very well last well at Hilton Head (finished 3rd). Schniederjans has made 8/10 cuts this season but he has also missed 2/4 cuts. He is a good Tournament Contest play this week because of his ability to keep the ball in the fairway.
Jhonattan Vegas $8,100: I always use Vegas when the tour travels to Texas. His University of Texas alumni always plays well in the Longhorn State. He finished 15th a few weeks ago at the Shell Houston Open. I expect similar results from him this week.
J.J. Spaun $7,800: This is another rookie to keep an eye on this week. Spaun finished 6th last week and he has made his last four cuts. Most people have never heard of him so he will be a great Tournament Contest play this week.
Top Golfers for $7K This Week
Martin Laird $7,700: Laird is a good play this week. He is a former winner of the Valero Texas Open and he has made 4/5 cuts in this tournament (including 2 finishes in the top 10). I like Laird for both Tournament and Cash Contests this week.
Keegan Bradley $7,600: Bradley has not been lighting the course on fire with his hot play but he has been making cuts. Bradley has made his last four cuts and seems to be playing better now than he did early in the season. He is another golfer who excels in Texas. Bradley finished 15th in the Shell Houston Open.
Daniel Summerhays $7,000: He has not been very good this year but you can throw his recent form out the window when it comes to playing in San Antonio. Summerhays is a horse for the course. He has finished: 29th, 7th, 2nd, 4th and 13th in his last five trips to the Valero Texas Open. Summerhays is starting to play better. He made the cut at the Masters and last week at the RBC Heritage. He should have no problem making the cut this week.
Top Golfers for $6K This Week
Bud Cauley $6,900: Cauley is coming off a 9th place finish last week in South Carolina. He has been hit or miss this season so he is worth a flier if you plan to play multiple Tournament Contests. I definitely would not use him in more than one contest.
JT Poston $6,900: Poston in my favorite cheap play this week. He has made 8/9 cuts this season, including six in a row. Poston also has 3 finishes in the top 20, so there is potential. If you need a golfer at a cheap price to spend up for the more popular golfers, Poston is your guy.
Nick Taylor $6,500: I do not know what is in the water in Canada this year but it must be something that helps people play golf better. Adam Hadwin, Graham Delaet and David Hearn have all been playing well. Taylor is another Canadian who has had success. He finished 22nd last week at the RBC Heritage and 44th in the Shell Houston Open. Taylor is worth a roster spot in one of your Tournament Contests this week.
Rafael Campos $6,200: The golfer from Puerto Rico came out of nowhere this season. He has made five cuts in a row, including a 32nd place finish last week and a 7th place finish at the Shell Houston Open. He is definitely worth a look this week.
Tournament Lineup 1
Brendan Steele $9,900 (8/8 Cuts Made) 77.8 Avg.
Adam Hadwin $9,100 (9/9 Cuts Made) 83.2 Avg.
Tony Finau $8,400 (7/9 Cuts Made) 72.7 Avg.
Jhonattan Vegas $8,100 (7/8 Cuts Made) 69.2 Avg.
Keegan Bradley $7,600 (7/10 Cuts Made) 57.6 Avg.
JT Poston $6,900 (8/9 Cuts Made) 64.9 Avg.
Tournament Lineup 2
Ryan Moore $10,200 (6/7 Cuts Made) 67.5 Avg.
Brendan Steele $9,900 (8/8 Cuts Made) 77.8 Avg.
Tony Finau $8,400 (7/9 Cuts Made) 72.7 Avg.
Keegan Bradley $7,600 (7/10 Cuts Made) 57.6 Avg.
Daniel Summerhays $7,000 (6/10 Cuts Made) 52.0 Avg.
JT Poston $6,900 (8/9 Cuts Made) 64.9 Avg.
Tournament Lineup 3
Charley Hoffman $10,700 (7/11 Cuts Made) 66.4 Avg.
Adam Hadwin $9,100 (9/9 Cuts Made) 83.2 Avg.
Ollie Schniederjans $8,200 (8/10 Cuts Made) 66.4 Avg.
Jhonattan Vegas $8,100 (7/8 Cuts Made) 69.2 Avg.
Luke List $7,600 (7/11 Cuts Made) 61.6 Avg.
Rafael Campos $6,200 (3/3 Cuts Made) 87.8 Avg.
DraftKings Cash Lineup (50/50 or Double-Ups)
Brendan Steele $9,900 (8/8 Cuts Made) 77.8 Avg.
Adam Hadwin $9,100 (9/9 Cuts Made) 83.2 Avg
Byeong-Hun An $8,500 (8/8 Cuts Made) 68.3 Avg.
J.J. Spaun $7,800 (8/11 Cuts Made) 65.7 Avg.
Martin Laird $7,700 (7/8 Cuts Made) 63.1 Avg.
JT Poston $6,900 (8/9 Cuts Made) 64.9 Avg.
FanDuel Strategy / Lineup
Finally I am starting to win in the FanDuel PGA Contests. I cashed both of my 50/50 contests last week. This week I will try some Tournament Contests and see how it goes.
I really wish FanDuel would change the format for their PGA Contests. The CEO of the company was on SiriusXM last week and he said they are still considering if fans like the Thursday/Friday and Saturday/Sunday format or if they should make their contest more like DraftKings. FanDuel is asking for your opinion so if you do not like it please make your voice heard on their website.
FanDuel Lineup
ROUND 1-2: Kevin Chappell $6,600
ROUND 1-2: Daniel Summerhays $6,600
ROUND 1-2: J.T. Poston $5,800
ROUND 1-2: Andrew “Beef” Johnston $5,800
ROUND 3-4: Matt Kuchar $10,200
ROUND 3-4: Brendan Steele $8,500
ROUND 3-4: Charlie Hoffman $8,300
ROUND 3-4: Ryan Moore $8,100
Good Luck This Week!!!!