Fantasy Golf Predictions
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the Waste Management Phoenix Open
2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Fantasy Preview
After all the flip-flopping at the summit of the world rankings these past six months, the official best player on the planet made his presence felt at the weekend.
Justin Rose, the reigning FedExCup champion, lifted his tenth PGA TOUR trophy on Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open, rising to see off the challenge of Adam Scott and co. despite bogeying three of the opening five holes in a nervy start to his final round.
But he rose to the occasion like all good champions do, playing the final 13 holes in a bogey-free -5 to triumph by two strokes from the Aussie.
Obscenely, it was his 24th professional title, and his seventh worldwide since the start of 2017.
The Tour marches onward to the Arizonan desert for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, always one of the most anticipated stop-offs at the iconic TPC Scottsdale.
Rickie Fowler tees off on the South Course during the final round of…
Rickie Fowler tees off on the South Course during the final round of the the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 27, 2019 in San Diego, California. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
Last Week’s Fantasy Results
We’re back in the winner circle with our J-Rose pick last week!
While a lot of DFS players opted for some of the other big name due to a few question marks surrounding Rose (new clubs, OWGR rank, etc), we stuck to our guns. Rose won by 2 shots over Adam Scott to become the number one ranked golfer in the world.
With the win, we now have two winners picked since the beginning of the fall series.
Justin Rose of England celebrates and waves his ball to fans after…
Justin Rose of England celebrates and waves his ball to fans after making a birdie putt on the 16th hole green during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Torrey Pines South on January… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
The 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open Field
There is a strong local flavor this week, with two adopted sons – Arizona State alumni Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, teeing it up on their old stomping ground.
The reigning champion, Gary Woodland, will be looking to cash in on his good recent form to defend, but he will face stiff competition from the likes of Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler.
Two-time Phoenix Open champion Hideki Matsuyama, fresh from an improved turn at the Farmers Insurance Open, will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins at TPC Scottsdale, while Matt Kuchar will be looking to complete his own trio: a third PGA TOUR win of the season so far.
The presence of major champions Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson gives the field an excitingly well-stacked look.
Hideki Matsuyama reads his putt on the 13th hole green during the…
Hideki Matsuyama reads his putt on the 13th hole green during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Torrey Pines South on January 27, 2019 in San Diego, California. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
This Week’s Course Preview
Following the shenanigans of split-course golf these past few weeks, it’s good to be back to the traditional one layout format this week.
And my, what a course TPC Scottsdale is.
Measuring 7,266 yards for its Par 71, this is a classic exposed desert landscape that tends to get buffeted by the wind, and plays at an altitude of around 1,500 feet above sea level.
Designed by Tom Weiskopf, Scottsdale boasts average width fairways and slighter larger-than-the-norm Bermuda greens, which run at around 12 on the stimpmeter. They tend to be rock hard too having been baked by the desert sun.
The layout also features one of the most exciting closing sections in world golf. The 15th is a Par 5 that can easily be reached in two; but mind the water that runs the entire length of the left-hand side of the fairway and green.
The 16th is the infamous ‘Coliseum’; a 163-yard Par 3 which is wholly surrounded by a stadium holding some 20,000 patrons. For a pro golfer the actual mechanics of the approach shot are straightforward enough; but the pressure of having the locals baying for your blood can get the knees a-knocking!
It’s risk and reward time on the 17th. This Par 4 can be driven, although there’s water left and sand right, and the scoring average was around 3.60 last year.
And it’s a similar case on the Par 4 to close, where players can take on sand and water left to earn the perfect angle into the green, or lay up short and right and clutch out the tough approach.
Matt Kuchar almost makes a hole-in-one on the 16th hole during the…
Matt Kuchar almost makes a hole-in-one on the 16th hole during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, at TPC Scottsdale on February 4, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
Weather Forecast for Scottsdale, AZ
Desert golf can often present some rather freaky weather conditions, although the early forecast suggests a rather benign experience for the players this week.
Temperatures are up into the early twenties on Thursday and Friday, with sunny spells intermingled with plenty of cloud cover.
There could be a slight change on Saturday, with some rain predicted and a drop in temperature to 66 degrees. The cooler vibe continues on Sunday, although at least it’s expected to be dry.
Unusually, the wind looks fairly benign too, with maximum speeds of 9 mph expected. But as we know, gusts can be stronger at the localized level.
Last Year’s Results from the Waste Management Phoenix Open
It was, rather belatedly, almost Rickie Fowler’s time at the Phoenix Open 12 months ago.
In 2016, he lost in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama, and 12 months later he recorded a T4 finish.
So when Little Rick held the 54-hole lead last year, he must have been hoping that this was the time he finally took care of business.
But alas, it was not meant to be, and a final round of 73 saw him plummet down the leaderboard.
Instead, it was Gary Woodland – powered by a closing 64 – who got his hands on the trophy, overcoming Chez Reavie, playing on home soil, on the first hole of a playoff.
Ollie Schneiderjans and Scottsdale enthusiast Brendan Steele were tied in third place.
Highlights | Round 4 | Waste Management
SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh In the final round of the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, Gary Woodland jumps up the leaderboard to face Chez Reavie in sudden death and claim his 3rd PGA TOUR victory. Waste Management Phoenix Open is the Greatest Show on Grass.
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the Waste Management Phoenix Open this Week
After a couple of weeks of split course tournaments – which can be very frustrating for DFS gamers if they get the draw bias wrong, it’s back to basics this week at TPC Scottsdale. An excellent opportunity to get stuck in to a mouth-watering slate of contests, then.
- PGA $300k Dogleg: There’s a cool $50k up for grabs to the winner here, and in a relatively small field (10.6k teams) that is very welcome indeed. The top 20 finishers will pocket a minimum of $1k.
- PGA $40k Albatross: For a $12 entry, you could win up to $4k in this contest, while the top 35 players will trouser $100 at the very least.
This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the Waste Management Phoenix Open
An absolute clinic of ball-striking was the foundation for Hideki Matsuyama’s back-to-back triumphs at Scottsdale, and you know that reigning champion Gary Woodland is no slough in that department either.
Indeed, he ranked third for Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fourth on Approach, and his driving stats – 318-yard average length with 60% of fairways found – were outstanding.
Factor in a rare hot week with the putter for the big man, and the trap was set for a fantastic victory.
Woodland, Matsuyama, 2015 winner Brooks Koepka….there’s a theme developing off players able to give it an almighty whack off the tee, and with that X Factor to shoot low numbers into the bargain.
Scottsdale is your ultimate ‘bomb and gauge’ track, with minimal rough that can be played out of with relative ease.
That said, it’s probably advisable to keep your ball in play, with Reavie and Woodland ranking second and third for SG: Tee-to-Green and Schneiderjans, who finished T3, ranking fourth for the same metric.
If you’re looking for course correlations, the hook-up between the Phoenix Open, Memorial Tournament and the Honda Classic doesn’t get much stronger.
In no particular order….Woodland has won this and finished T2 at the Honda, Fowler has won the Honda and finished second here and at the Memorial. Matusyama, meanwhile, has won both the Phoenix and Memorial.
Kyle Stanley has won here and finished second in the Memorial, while Jason Dufner won the Memorial and finished second here!
Mark Wilson has won here and the Honda Classic, Ryan Palmer finished second in this event and the Honda, while Kenny Perry won here and at the Memorial.
All those connections came in the past decade or so, too!
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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the Waste Management Phoenix Open
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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the Waste Management Phoenix Open
*This early in the season some players do not qualify enough stats to register a FPGP and GPFP.
Top Tier Pick #1:
Jon Rahm (Odds: 7/1, FPPG: 101.9, GPFP: 81.52 Salary: $11,700)
It could the battle of the chalk picks this week.
Many gamers will opt for Hideki Matsuyama, given his fine course form at Scottsdale ad how well he played at Torrey Pines last week.
But one swallow doesn’t make a summer, as the old saying goes, and it’s possible that the Japanese star’s bad habits – he finished outside the top-20 in five of his previous six ‘proper’ starts -could return if he gets off to a bad start.
And so we’re much more inclined to side with Jon Rahm, the Spaniard who has been in fine form of late.
The Arizona State graduate would love nothing more than to win on home soil; he still lives in the state.
Sometimes playing at ‘home’ can be a distraction for a player, but Rahm’s record at Scottsdale – 11-16, with a T5 as an amateur – is encouraging.
Rahmbo has been in fantastic form lately with a quartet of top-10 finishes, and he’ll be looking to tick off this trophy from his golfing bucket list this week.
Key Stats:
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 14th
- Birdie Average – 23rd
- Total Driving – 24th
Top-Tier Pick #2:
Phil Mickelson (Odds: 28/1, FPPG: 119.5, GPFP: 152.96 Salary: $9,300)
Any golf course where you can whack it long and wild off the tee, go find your ball and then chip it close springs to mind when thinking of the best work of Phil Mickelson these days; it’s perhaps no wonder he is a three-time winner at Scottsdale.
The Arizona State alumni is always guaranteed a hero’s welcome here, and when he’s confident and in-form that can be a heady mix.
That is exactly what Lefty is right now having nearly joined the 59 Club on his last start at the Desert Classic.
In the end Phil had to settle for an opening round of 60, and while it was slightly odd that he didn’t go on to win from there, he hardly stunk the place out when finishing T2 and contending up the final straight.
Heading back to Arizona, a place he loves, that is a converging trend to savor.
Key Stats:
- Birdie Average – 1st
- Scrambling – 9th
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 18th
Mid-Tier Pick #1:
Ryan Palmer (Odds: 80/1, FPPG: 86.3, GPFP: 107.01 Salary: $7,700)
This is a more than fair price given that Palmer is in form and has previous in this event.
The 42-year-old finished T2 here back in 2014, and to make things even more interesting lost in a play-off in the Honda Classic that same year.
The Texan has been playing well lately, and his effort at the Farmers last week was particularly intriguing. He fired 67-67-75-68, and while we can all play those ifs, buts and maybes games, if Palmer had posted a 67 on Saturday he would have finished solo third.
That follows T3 at the CJ Cup and T7 at Shriners, so clearly the form is there to compete this week in the desert.
Key Stats:
- Birdie Average – 8th
- Greens in Regulation – 24th
- Driving Distance – 27th
Mid-Tier Pick #2:
Lucas Glover (Odds: 100/1, FPPG: 93.4, GPFP: 99.00 Salary: $7,200)
Ever since he finished second at the Web.com Tour Championship, Lucas Glover has been in a rich vein of form.
A top-10 at the Shriners has been sandwiched in-between a quartet of top-20 finishes: Safeway (T17), Sanderson Farms (T14), RSM Classic (T11) and the Desert Classic (T12).
He is not a prolific winner by any means, but then neither are Mat Kuchar and Charles Howell III; that’s not stopped them from getting their hands on a trophy (or two) this season.
Key Stats:
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 9th
- Greens in Regulation – 9th
- Total Driving – 19th
Low-Tier Pick:
Trey Mullinax (Odds: 150/1, FPPG: 55.4, GPFP: 44.29 Salary: $6,700)
It was a good week for Mullinax at Torrey Pines last time out.
He won’t be splashing out on a mansion with his check from a T25 finish, but he ranked third for SG: Approach and sixth for SG: Tee-to-Green which is an excellent display of ball-striking.
There were rounds of 65 and 67 at the Desert Classic too, so there is a certain amount of upward trending in his game.
Other notable performances – T2 at the Texas Open, T6 at the St Jude Classic last year – hint at a fondness for golf in windy, dry conditions; not surprising, perhaps, for an Alabaman.
Key Stats:
- SG: Off-the-Tee – 42nd
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 62nd
- Greens in Regulation – 68th
Sleeper Pick for the Waste Management Phoenix Open
Martin Laird (Odds: 90/1, FPPG: 71.7, GPFP: 78.84 Salary: $7,600)
Growing in Scotland, it’s not a huge surprise that Martin Laird is comfortable playing in the breeze.
A three-time PGA TOUR winner, one of those triumphs came in Texas and another at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, also played in the desert in Nevada.
Laird lives in Arizona, and has banked three top-10s in the last four years of the Phoenix Open.
Having missed two cuts in a row, the Scot finally made a weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open, and a return of 73-66-69-75 hints at another strong showing at Scottsdale.
Key Stats:
- Birdie Average – 44th
- Par 4 Scoring Average – 63rd
- SG: Around-the-Green – 67th
Alternative Sleeper Pick for the Waste Management Phoenix Open
Sung Kang (Odds: 150/1, FPPG: 63.7, GPFP: 50.97 Salary: $7,000)
While he’s not a player we’d normally be racing out to be backing, Sung Kang does have some credentials this week.
The Korean has plenty of form to his name, finishing T20 at the Farmers last week (including a round of 66) after a T10 return from the Sony Open, where he finished 67-65-64.
T12 here in 2017, Kang also has top-10s to his name at the Honda Classic and the Texas Open, another blustery, bone dry challenge.
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 47th
- SG: Around-the-Green – 49th
- Scrambling – 60th
This Week’s Sample DraftKings Lineup
Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only. Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.
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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2018-2019)
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