Fantasy Golf Predictions
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – RBC Heritage
Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the RBC Heritage
2019 RBC Heritage Fantasy Preview
Sometimes in life, the truth is stranger than fiction.
It would take a Hollywood scriptwriter of some skill to conjure up a story featuring a formerly crippled 42-year-old winning arguably the most prestigious prize in sport more than 22 years since his first major victory.
But then, really, the history books tell us that Tiger Woods is no mere mortal.
There were no jaw-dropping chip ins and no ridiculous putts required on Sunday, with the Big Cat just playing solid championship golf as all around him lost their heads.
Francesco Molinari was the worst culprit, twice finding the drink when hitting the middle of the green seemed fair enough, but the Italian is a sublime operator and will be back.
Tiger Woods of the United States and Francesco Molinari of Italy…
Tiger Woods of the United States and Francesco Molinari of Italy stand on the second tee during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
The likes of Koepka, Schauffele and Cantlay all had a look at the Green Jacket on Sunday but failed to capitalize, and in the end it was left to the grand old master to see out the tournament with some solid, mistake-free golf.
It was Tiger’s fifth Masters win, and that puts him just three behind Jack Nicklaus’ all-time major record. Thanks to the rescheduling, he will have to wait barely a month for the PGA Championship to try and add umber 16 to the collection.
Tiger has earned himself a week off, but may of the Augusta Field will go again this week as the PGA TOUR stays out east for the RBC Heritage from Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.
Last Week’s Fantasy Results
The good news is that all seven of our main picks made the cut at Augusta and four of our five sleeper picks did as well.
Going into Sunday our Molinari pick looked unstoppable, but he had a Tiger on his tail, and the rest was history.
Our Webb, Kuchar, and Cantlay selections all came in with Top 9 finishes. But in the end it was Sunday Red.
Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt on…
Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, on April 14, 2019 to win his first major… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
The 2019 RBC Heritage Field
A hunger to win and rack up points and prize money, or take the appearance money and run?
That’s the question this week for DFS gamers as we size up a strong field of differing motivation levels. There is a holiday feel in the air, and many will be looking to simply punch their appearance ticket and pick up an easy check.
Others, however, will be desperate to slip into the garish Tartan Jacket.
Local boy Dustin Johnson headlines a decent gathering that also includes the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Francesco Molinari.
Course specialists such as Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Russell Knox and Luke Donald again aim to tame the Harbour Town Links, while a strong British contingent will be led by Ian Poulter, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Eddie Pepperell.
Jordan Spieth of the United States plays his shot from the second tee…
Jordan Spieth of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
This Week’s Course Preview
When the name Pete Dye appears on the course architect tag, you already know the kind of experience that awaits the players.
A number of his signatures are here: sweeping doglegs framed by trees, and of course tiny greens that even the most precise of players will miss in regulation.
Add in a devilish breeze that sweeps off the Atlantic, and you have a recipe for a tough old test of golf: winning scores here have been as low as -9 in the past couple of years.
The Harbour Town Links plays to 7,100 yards for its Par 71, and that leaves the players just a trio of Par 5s to work with; just one of those comes on the back nine. These could be crucial, as you’d expect, with Si-Woo Kim – who lost in a play-off to Satoshi Kodaira 12 months ago – accumulating -9 of his final -12 tally on the longer holes.
The fairways are of average width but the rough is penal, so this is a layout that favors more accurate drivers than bombers. And with Dye’s trademark small greens placing a huge emphasis on approach, don’t be surprised to see lots of irons hit off the tee this week.
With greens missed there will also be lots of scrambling and chipping to take care of, and these Bermuda greens run smooth and true so a hot hand with the putter will always help!
Scenic of 18th Hole at exclusive Habour Town Golf Links in Hilton…
Scenic of 18th Hole at exclusive Habour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head South Carolina with famous red and white lighthouse. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images
Weather Forecast for Hilton Head Island, SC
Other than some slightly freak weather in the forecast for Friday, it should be a fairly benign week on the island.
The lead up is set to be dry and sunny, which will help to dry out the greens and quicken up the surfaces. Thursday should be sunny and cloudy, with temperatures of 75°F and wind speeds of around 12 mph.
Then Friday comes, and if you’re looking for a draw bias keep an eye on the forecast. There’s thunderstorms in the early predictions and wind speeds of a chaotic 23 mph, so getting your roster on the right side of this could be key.
The forecast for the weekend is more settled with sunny spells and temperatures of between 68°F and 72°F, but note that the wind should stay up, with gusts of 17 mph on Saturday and 12 mph on Sunday expected.
Last Year’s Results from the RBC Heritage
At various times last year it looked like a classy operator might take the spoils, with Bryson DeChambeau and Ian Poulter boasting the 36 and 54-hole leads respectively.
But neither could get the job done in the end, and it was down to a couple of Asian sensations to duke it out on the Sunday.
Satoshi Kodaira, whose previous best on the PGA TOUR was T28 in the Masters, found Harbour Town Links to be too his liking. The Japanese ace shot -12, including a final round of 66, to force a play-off against the precocious Si-Woo Kim.
They traded pars at the eighteenth, which they replayed twice, before heading to the Par 3 seventeenth. Both played okay approaches in, but Kodaira sunk a fantastic 25-foot putt for birdie and watched on as Si-Woo came up short to land his first PGA TOUR title.
Highlights | Round 4 | RBC Heritage
SUBSCRIBE to PGA TOUR now: http://pgat.us/vBxcZSh In the final round of the 2018 RBC Heritage, Satoshi Kodaira powered up the leaderboard to win his first PGA TOUR event after defeating Si Woo Kim in a three playoff hole series. The RBC Heritage is held at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, SC.
Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the RBC Heritage this Week
If you enjoyed a decent week with our Masters picks – and we did pretty well even if we do say so ourselves – then why not reinvest immediately in a gameweek where opportunities for smart gamers are plentiful.
- PGA $555k Drive the Green: This top-paying content has increased in value by some $55k from last year, and so this week you could pocket a $100k top prize from your $5 investment!
- PGA $40k Albatross: What you might find this week is that many at the head of the salaries are high owned. But like we say, it’s a risky week to pick the big names, so maximize your advantage by entering a single entry contest like this, where for a $12 stake you could trouser the $4k jackpot.
This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the RBC Heritage
This is Pete Dye golf, and so some of the usual rules of engagement go out of the window.
The emphasis on many holes at Harbour Town is to avoid making mistakes, rather than blowing them apart with monstrous hitting. Bogey Avoidance is one stat we can consider, but remember that the majority of errors will come around the greens, where any player not confident in chipping will come unstuck.
You will find that the vast majority of players hit irons and fairway woods off the tee this week. Last year Nick Watney led the Driving Distance stats at 301.8 yards, which is way down on the norm, and Satoshi Kodaira took the spoils with an average drive length 271.6 yards.
So, hitting fairways in order to give yourself the best possible chance of finding these greens, is essential.
We’re looking for accuracy from tee to green then and a bit of magic in the short game, so it’s no wonder that the likes of Luke Donald and Jim Furyk thrive at this layout.
As far as correlating courses are concerned, we can look at tournaments such as the RSM Classic, which is played on a trio of coastal layouts in nearby Georgia, and the Sony Open, where Waialae offers gusty conditions and smaller-than-average Bermuda greens.
And perhaps there’s a case to be made for TPC Sawgrass too, another Pete Dye creation. There are plenty of names which feature high on leaderboards here and in THE PLAYERS Championship, from Kuchar and Simpson to Si-Woo, Poulter and Kisner.
[membership level=”0″]
Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the RBC Heritage
You must be a Premium Member to view our exclusive fantasy golf picks.
Already a member? Sign in Here.
[/membership]
[membership level=”1,2,3″]
Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the RBC Heritage
Top Tier Pick #1:
Webb Simpson (Odds: 25/1, FPPG: 77.4, GPFP: 85.18 Salary: $9,300)
It’s very rare for us to do so, but this week we’re inclined to swerve the big guns.
We may be wrong, but we have to ponder the question: how motivated are DJ, Bryson and Molinari and co to really grind it out at Harbour Town this week?
We appreciate that both Xander Schauffele and Matt Kuchar are live contenders, but both were involved in the thick end of a Masters tilt last week.
We know that Jordan Spieth is edging slowly towards better form, but is he ready to contend? The jury is still out on that.
And as for Patrick Cantlay, he showed his class at Augusta and is another possibility this week, but the west coast boy is yet to really convince on Bermuda.
So instead we’ll go with a Carolinan man who should have plenty of good vibes on home soil. Webb Simpson enjoyed a leisurely T5 finish at Augusta last week which tells us he is playing well, but he never really challenged for the green jacket and so should have plenty of gas in the tank.
We always like the former US Open champion on tracks where strategy outweighs brute strength, and it’s no surprise to note that he’s a former winner at Sawgrass who has also gone 5-11 in his last pair of visits here.
A lover of golf on the east coast, Simpson is a fine chipper of the ball and should thrive once again at Harbour Town.
Key Stats:
- SG: Around-the-Green – 11th
- Driving Accuracy – 13th
- SG: Approach – 21st
Top-Tier Pick #2:
Kevin Kisner (Odds: 28/1, FPPG: 69.9, GPFP: 68.51 Salary: $9,100)
Winning a match play event must be strange.
You bank the check and take the confidence boost, but also recognize that – in the grand scheme of things – your peers won’t really give your victory a huge amount of respect.
Well, here’s the thing: to win the WGC-Dell Match Play you have to play solid golf from tee to green, and that’s good enough for us as far as Kevin Kisner is concerned.
That’s because he’s returning to a track where he has featured before, finishing T2, T7 and T11 within his last four visits, and often when you put confident ball striking and course form together it’s a recipe for success.
The South Carolinan clearly prefers life on home soil – he was schooled in nearby Georgia, and he impressed with a T21 at Augusta.
Indeed, Kisner has finished inside the top-30 in each of his last eight starts, and so it will only take marginal gains this week for him to contend.
Key Stats:
- Driving Accuracy – 22nd
- Scoring Average – 30th
- SG: Approach – 40th
Mid-Tier Pick #1:
Ian Poulter (Odds: 40/1, FPPG: 84.1, GPFP: 67.31 Salary: $8,600)
We’ve written about some big names turning up on Hilton Head this week seeking an easy payday, but you suspect that Ian Poulter is not somebody who an be lumped in that category.
The Englishman was a born competitor, and at times he was baring his teeth at Augusta as he sought a first major title.
It wasn’t meant to be in the end, but T12 is continuation of his fine recent form. Poulter strung together three straight top-10s on the European Tour followed by T3 at the WGC-Mexico, and ahead of a trip to a venue he loves that is eye-catching indeed.
A two-time runner-up another Pete Dye creation at TPC Sawgrass, Poulter offers a formline at Harbour Town of 7-11-54-18.
Key Stats:
- SG: Around-the-Green – 7th
- Driving Accuracy – 16th
- Scoring Average – 37th
Mid-Tier Pick #2:
Lucas Glover (Odds: 50/1, FPPG: 76.4, GPFP: 91.66 Salary: $7,800)
If this former major winner continues to play as well as he has been recently, he will surely contend if not win again soon.
Since confirming his return to the ranks of the big boys following a short stint on the Web.com Tour, Glover has been a revelation.
Top-10s at Pebble Beach and in the Honda Classic and Arnold Palmer Invitational set the scene, and all things considered he has finished no worse than T20 in eight of his last ten starts.
A prolific winner as an amateur in South Carolina, Glover should be up for it this week and looking to improve even further upon his recent form.
Key Stats:
- Scoring Average – 7th
- SG: Around-the-Green – 19th
- SG: Approach – 19th
Low-Tier Pick:
Keith Mitchell (Odds: 90/1, FPPG: 69.3, GPFP: 55.42 Salary: $7,300)
This is a borderline offensive price for a recent Tour winner who has shown plenty of class on Bermuda.
Keith Mitchell’s win at the Honda Classic proved he’s far more than just a bomber, and to follow up with T6 at Bay Hill just a week later shows there’s some finesse to his game.
We also like the T16 he recorded at the Sony Open earlier in the campaign; another windy assignment played out on small Bermuda greens.
He closed out with 69 in his first look at Augusta last week, and with a game that suits Harbour Town it is illogical that Mitchell finds himself at 90/1.
Key Stats:
- SG: Tee-to-Green – 22nd
- Par 5 Birdie or Better Leaders – 26th
- Greens in Regulation – 44th
Sleeper Pick for the RBC Heritage
Graeme McDowell (Odds: 55/1, FPPG: 71.2, GPFP: 56.98 Salary: $7,500)
The Northern Irishman won’t give up on his dream of teeing up at his home British Open at Portrush later in the year.
His determination was shown in all its glory when he won the Corales Puntacana Championship and followed up with T7 at the Texas Open.
Ranking points are the name of the game for McDowell right now, and he can expect to bank plenty more this week at a layout which should suit his natural game.
The Irishman does not fear the wind and boasts an excellent short game, and allied to his recent upturn in form – and motivation to do well – he could prove to be a smart play this week.
Key Stats:
- SG: Putting – 7th
- Scoring Average – 38th
- Driving Accuracy – 40th
Alternative Sleeper Pick for the RBC Heritage
Ryan Armour (Odds: 200/1, FPPG: 58.3, GPFP: 46.64 Salary: $6,600)
If you’re looking for an ‘out there’ kind of pick for your roster this week then Ryan Armour could be your man.
The 43-year-old seems to play well when it comes to one type of golf: short, tougher tests played on Bermuda.
It explains his T6 at the Valspar Championship and T12 at the Honda Classic in recent times, as well as T15 at the RSM Classic and T22 at the Sony Open earlier in the year.
Yes there’s lots of missed cuts on the formline, but what do you expect from a guy who hits the ball 280 yards on a good day? Elsewhere that gets punished, but not tracks like Harbour Town, where we expect Armour to outperform his average result this week.
Key Stats:
- Driving Accuracy – 3rd
- Scrambling – 18th
- Scoring Average – 70th
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.
[/membership]
Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2018-2019)
Remember to visit our private Facebook group to discuss this week’s picks for The RBC Heritage with other Premium Members.
Cover Photo via Instagram
What’s Really Going on with LIV Golf?
Blind Ranking The Most Iconic Masters Moments
FIRST LOOK: Titleist Unveils New Vokey WedgeWorks Grind Lineup
New Shot Scope LM1: The Best Budget Launch Monitor Under $200?
Did LIV Golf Finally Get its Big Breakthrough?
FIRST LOOK: Titleist’s New GTS Driver Lineup Spotted on Tour
New Shot Scope LM1: The Best Budget Launch Monitor Under $200?
FIRST LOOK: Titleist Unveils New Vokey WedgeWorks Grind Lineup
Did LIV Golf Finally Get its Big Breakthrough?
Blind Ranking The Most Iconic Masters Moments
We Played This Old Golf Course Where Thomas Edison Was A Member
Are You MEASURING Your Golf Swing Correctly? (This Can Help)
Zach Johnson Explains Why He Didn’t Pick Bryson DeChambeau for the Ryder Cup
Justin Thomas FIRES Coach before Ryder Cup…Who’s Next?
