Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2022 Wells Fargo Championship

2022 Wells Fargo Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

You certainly won’t get rich wagering on 6/1 chances in 150-strong fields very often, but Jon Rahm fully justified his position as the sportsbooks’ king at the Mexico Open with a one-shot victory that was more comfortable than it sounds.

Two of the players that finished a stroke adrift – Tony Finau and Brandon Wu – were in the clubhouse while Rahm was strutting his stuff, and the Spaniard never looked like conceding the lead to them or his nearest chaser out on the course, Kurt Kitayama.

In averaging 340 yards off the tee at the generous Vidanta club, Rahm showcased Bryson-esque levels of power – whether by design or not, it will be interesting to see what impact one of the best drivers on the planet adding 20 yards to his game will have on the status quo….Scottie Scheffler, the relatively newly-minted world number one, will definitely be looking over his shoulder.

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We’re a couple of weeks shy of the second major of the year, the PGA Championship, and it’s noteworthy that this week’s event, the Wells Fargo Championship, is the last chance for players outside the top 100 of the OWGR to break into that magic number and, perhaps, secure themselves an invite to the big-time action in Oklahoma.

There will certainly be planet vying for those spots, while Rory McIlroy – the defending champion this week – will be looking to build on the confidence he must have got from that stunning final round at Augusta National.

The Irishman is this week’s sportsbook jolly at 7/1, but he won’t be defending his title at Quail Hollow, where the Wells Fargo normally takes place. That venue is currently being spruced up for the Presidents Cup, so TPC Potomac – home to the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Quicken Loans National, amongst other things – steps up to the plate for one-year only.

And what a stark contrast it could be to that driver-heavy layout. TPC Potomac only shapes up at around 7,139 yards for its Par 70, and while the two Par 5s are long old stretches the emphasis is very much on accuracy and precision over sheer power.

It was, at least, for those two editions of the Quicken Loans National. Kyle Stanley and Francesco Molinari, the two champions, weren’t long off the tee but both ranked inside the top-five for Driving Accuracy and first for Greens in Regulation – it’s a straightforward case of ball-striking this week for our bets.

But who will be carrying our money for the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship? Given the unique conditions and skillset required, there may just be a few names that surprise you on our sleeper shortlist.

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Matt Kuchar – 50/1 – Only Justin Thomas and Cameron Smith have a better Par 4 Scoring Average than Matt Kuchar on TOUR this season, and that goes to show that the wily veteran is still picking his way around shorter golf courses with aplomb.

You would expect TPC Potomac to be right up his street, and let’s not forget that Kooch is coming in hot to Maryland this week.

T16 at the Valspar Championship has been followed by T2 and T3 turns at the Texas Open and RBC Heritage, and that goes to prove that age is but a number in this wonderful sport we love.

Aaron Rai – 55/1 – Another impressive showing in Mexico added to the head of steam Aaron Rai is building Stateside.

Indeed, it was only a poor final round that prevented him from banking the second strokeplay top-10 of his PGA TOUR career, but at a TPC Potomac layout more suited to his natural game we can expect even better from the Brit this week.

An accurate driver and classy iron player, Rai ranks 62nd on TOUR for Scoring Average by virtue of the fact he doesn’t make many mistakes – a characteristic not to be sniffed at this week.

Doug Ghim – 60/1 – There are plenty tipping Doug Ghim to become a multiple-time PGA TOUR winner, and you suspect his breakthrough victory will come somewhere like TPC Potomac, where skill looks like to triumph over brute power.

His is a game built around hitting fairways and greens, and while his putting remains suspect there’s no doubting Ghim’s class – anybody that finishes T6 in the PLAYERS Championship has to have something about them.

A noted amateur player back in 2016-17, now is the time for Ghim to step up to the plate as a pro and notch that first win.

Alex Smalley – 80/1 – A career-best T2 at the Corales Puntacana Championship was both a blessing and a curse for Alex Smalley, who followed that up by missing three cuts on the spin.

But the 25-year-old was back to his reliable self with a T6 turn at the Mexico Open, and that continued a decent season for a player with five top-25 finishes to his name.

Smalley would have cashed at the Puntacana and Mexico Open for each way backers, and we can expect him to go close again this week given that his straight driving and high GIR count should yield rewards at TPC Potomac.

Matthias Schwab – 80/1 – If you look at the weather forecast for the weekend in Potomac, it’s looking a pretty miserable state of affairs.

Those who graduate from the DP World Tour are generally comfortable in cold and wet conditions, and so Matthias Schwab – who has impressed on the big stage this term – is of interest.

The Austrian has played in 12 PGA TOUR events this term, made ten cuts and served up three top-10 finishes, with some impressive Strokes Gained rankings across the board highlighting his strength in all departments.

Not penalized by a lack of length at TPC Potomac, Schwab can let his excellent approach play shine.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the Wells Fargo Championship here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2021-2022)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”3.07%” bar_text=”4 out of 130 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “17.69%” bar_text=”23 out of 130 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”20.76%” bar_text=”27 out of 130 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”3.84%” bar_text=”1 out of 26 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”3.84%” bar_text=”1 out of 26 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”56.92%” bar_text=”74 out of 130 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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