Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – RSM Classic

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for the 2017 RSM Classic

The 2017 RSM Classic Fantasy Sleeper Preview

The 2017 campaign is winding down now with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, but there could still be time for a fourth consecutive maiden winner on the PGA TOUR.

First-timers Armour, Cantlay and now Patton Kizzire, have entered golf folklore by getting their hands on a trophy.

The latter’s win was particularly impressive given that he had to play 36 holes in a day, and on top of that he had to see off the advances of Rickie Fowler. It’s fair to say that Kizzire earned his first title in the big time!

Patton Kizzire reacts to his putt on the 18th hole during the final…

Patton Kizzire reacts to his putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the Barracuda Championship at Montreux Country Club on August 6, 2017 in Reno, Nevada. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The players are off to Georgia this week for the RSM Classic, a fun event by the sea played across two hosts. The Plantation course is the venue for one of the opening two rounds – a jolly Par 72 featuring four surmountable Par 5s (and two simple ones at 16 and 18), while the Seaside stretch hosts the alternate opening round and both of the weekend 18s.

That’s a Par 70 set-up that can be tamed – defending champion Mac Hughes opened up with a 61 here 12 months ago, but by being more coastal the wind does become a factor – and some fairly stiff breezes have been forecast.

It’s an odd event in terms of the winners that have lifted the trophy: Kevin Kisner and Chris Kirk are University of Georgia graduates, so that’s their angle, but unexpected champions in the likes of Robert Streb, Tommy Gainey, and Ben Crane offer hope that sleepers could be the way to go this week.

So who are the likeliest candidates for glory at the RSM Classic?

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2017 RSM Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

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The 2017 RSM Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

Mix and match these players with your usual rosters (or play them separately) to get the most out of your picks this week.

J.J. Spaun – Vegas Odds 50/1 – It’s been an excellent few weeks for Spaun, the Californian who looks set for a big 2018 if he can maintain his current good form.

After missing the cut at the Safeway Open his game has clicked during this wraparound campaign, with T34 at the Sanderson Farms Championship since backed by T10 at Shriners and T14 at the OHL Classic.

He opened with 68-65 here 12 months ago, which suggests an aptitude for both the Seaside and Plantation course, and his current good form is such that it should travel well (he ranked sixth for SG: Tee to Green at Shriners and seventh for GIR at Mayakoba).

Spaun has also shown promise at two correlating events (T6 at the RBC in 2017, T21 at the Honda Classic also last year), so short, coastal trips tend to suit the 27-year-old.

William McGirt – Vegas Odds 55/1 – Since winning the Memorial Tournament in 2016, it’s been a lean old time for McGirt, but this is a guy who seems to love coastal golf so we’re willing to give him a try this week.

And that’s particularly because he finished T10 at Shriners on his last start, where he ranked 16th for SG: Putting. Assuming he can make the transition from Bentgrass to Bermuda, that’s a handy trait to have in the locker.

T27 here 12 months ago, which could have been so much better but for a third round of 71, is backed by a number of complimentary performances: T3 and T9 at the RBC Heritage in 2017 and 16, T8 at the Honda Classic in 2016 and T13 at the Sony Open also in 2016.

Padraig Harrington – Vegas Odds 100/1 – On paper at least this looks to be the perfect layout for Harrington: short, coastal, windy, and a bit of a grind.

He finished T42 last week at the Nedbank Challenge on the European Tour, but we’re not too worried about that: the epic length of that course is never going to suit the short and steady Irishman.

Instead roll back to two weeks ago at the Turkish Airlines Open, where he finished fourth in much more suitable conditions.

Harrington arrived in Georgia on Monday afternoon, so has plenty of time to acclimatize before an event which should suit his game.

Brian Stuard – Vegas Odds 110/1 – Stuard was available at roughly the 125/1 mark for the OHL Classic last week, and after another decent performance there it is downright bizarre that his price hasn’t shrunk further here.

The 34-year-old ranks T9 for Proximity to Hole during this wraparound season, and that excellence with his irons and wedges has been the fulcrum of a fine few weeks.

Stuard has returned top-10s in two of his last three starts: T4 at the Sanderson Farms followed by T9 at the OHL Classic, where he signed off with a superb round of 65.

Blayne Barber –  Vegas Odds 125/1 – Vanquished in a playoff 12 months ago, Barber continues to do his reputation as a Bermudagrass specialist no harm.

His best turns last season – alongside that T2 here – came at THE PLAYERS Championship (T16) and RBC Heritage (T26), both played on Bermuda, and he was also T3 at the Honda Classic and T14 at the Wyndham Championship of 2016.

He also won the South Georgia Classic on the Web.com Tour of 2016, and you sense that if Barber is to ever fulfill his promise and win on the main tour it will be in a low key, Bermuda-based event like this.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the 2017 RSM Classic here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2017-2018)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”0%” bar_text=”0 out of 30 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent=”10.00%” bar_text=”3 out of 30 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”33.33%” bar_text=”10 out of 30 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”0%” bar_text=”0 out of 6 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”0%” bar_text=”0 out of 6 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”73.33″ bar_text=”22 out of 30 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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