Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – FedEx St. Jude Classic

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for the FedEx St. Jude Classic

The FedEx St. Jude Classic Fantasy Sleeper Preview

Major fever is starting to ramp up on the PGA TOUR with the US Open on the horizon and just over a week away.

The early suggestion is that Erin Hills will provide a beastly test for those in the field, and perhaps the elite of world golf can be forgiven for working on their game behind closed doors ahead of the year’s second major.

The plucky few are heading to Memphis, Tennessee this week to try their luck in the FedEx St Jude Classic at TPC Southwind. A Par 70 track, conditions will be somewhat similar to those presented at the US Open; who knows, perhaps a strong performance this week could be the catalyst for something altogether more prestigious in just over a week’s time?

Rickie Fowler will certainly be hoping so. This major-winner-in-waiting is likely to enjoy the bulk of his success in the US Open you suspect, with his accurate ball-striking a general precursor to success in the toughest of tests.

It didn’t quite get him over the line at the Memorial Tournament last week though, despite holding a two-shot lead at one point on Sunday afternoon. Fowler would eventually run out of steam and be usurped by Jason Dufner, whose rollercoaster week featured rounds of 65-65-77-68. It was enough, ultimately, to get him home by three shots.

Onlookers will have noted that Dufner climbed 38 places in the Official World Golf Rankings as a result of his exploits, guaranteeing him a place in the US Open as one of the top 60 players in the world.

Will anybody follow his lead this week and book their place at Erin Hills via the back door?  Let’s take a look at a few “sleepers” who might just get that done.

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The FedEx St. Jude Classic Fantasy Sleeper Report

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The FedEx St. Jude 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.

Steve Stricker – Vegas Odds 50/1 – The veteran proved he can still mix it up with the young guns with his T16 finish at Augusta earlier in the year, and on shorter courses like Southwind Stricker still remains a contender.

He followed that with T7 at Dean & Deluca plus a decent middle section at memorial: 68-69 the highlights of a T40 finish.

Like many others in the field, the 50-year-old is sweating on his place in the US Open, and a big performance in Memphis could see him slip into the top 60 of the world….just in time.

Update: Due to Steve Stricker’s WD earlier today our substitute selection is Ian Poulter at the lower price tag of $7,600 on DraftKings.  Despite Poulter’s up-and-down performance, we still believe him to be a quality pickup at this price tag. 

Brian Gay – Vegas Odds 70/1 – While his upswing in form may have peaked a few weeks ago, there is still ample reason to get behind Brian Gay this week.

The fact he is a former winner here in 2009 speaks for itself, as does four other top-20 returns including a pair of top-10s.

As mentioned, he may just have peaked with his pair of T6 finishes at the RBC Heritage and Texas Open in April, but if the confidence and swagger is still there then you would wager that Gay will go well again in familiar territory.

Keegan Bradley – Vegas Odds 80/1 – Bradley has only played TPC Southwind once in his career, bizarrely, and that was a satisfying enough T25 in 2011. Like many of our other picks this week, he should play better than that lack of course experience suggests he might in Memphis.

A missed cut at Memorial is something of a concern, but hey, Dan Berger finished T67 prior to his win here so perhaps we needn’t get too worried about that. His prior form – 13/19 cuts made with seven top-25s – is plenty enough to warm the cockles.

One of the best drivers in the business, Bradley should have an instant advantage off the peg compared to most of his contemporaries, and if his iron play remains solid – he ranks 30th for GIR and 46th for Proximity – then there’s every chance he can go well in Memphis….assuming that his darn putting improves, of course.

Update: Due to Keegan Bradley’s WD earlier today our substitute selection for this slot will be William McGirt, priced at $7,300 on DraftKings. McGirt has played fairly well but fell victim to a rough day during the final round at the Memorial with an 83. We believe he’ll bounce back strong against a weaker field this week at TPC Southwind.

Stewart Cink – Vegas Odds 80/1 – The folically-threadbare Alabaman is fast becoming a Mr. Reliable for DFS gamers. He has made 14/18 cuts this term with eight top-25s, and if you are looking for a mid-budget option then he is surely worth consideration.

He’s never pulled up any trees at Southwind (65-37-53), and yet really this is a course that should suit his eye. Few on Tour strike the ball as cleanly as Cink (T12 for GIR and SG: Approach, T39 for Proximity), and on courses where minimising mistakes is as important as moments of genius, this experienced pro – who ranks 30th for Bogey Avoidance – is certainly worth a shot.

Factor in his excellence on Par 4s (T9 for Par 4 Scoring Average), and once again Cink should outperform his salary.

Harold Varner III – Vegas Odds 80/1 – HVIII was excellent in the Memorial last time out, gaining +2.770 strokes on the field from tee-to-green and +2.209 on Approach as part of his T19 return, and while his short stick was cold a switch from Bent to Bermudagrass could solve that.

Some interesting seasonal stats from Varner read 32nd for Total Driving, 67th for GIR, and 57th for SG: Approach, and so if all components of his game come true he should go well.

T16 on debut here a year ago, it’s only a matter of time before HVIII follows up his Australian PGA Championship win with something as eye-catching on US soil.

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

Cover photo via Instagram