Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – THE PLAYERS Championship 2016

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for THE PLAYERS Championship from TPC Sawgrass

THE PLAYERS Fantasy Sleeper Preview

The PGA TOUR’s unofficial “fifth major” heads back to TPC Sawgrass this week for one of the most anticipated events of the year; THE PLAYERS .  This tournament is often held in such high regard by many thanks to the prestigious par-72, 7,215-yard course and large purse.  You will be hard pressed to find many golf fans that have not seen some shots taken at the famous par-17 par 3 which goes over the water to an island green.  That hole alone claimed 45 balls last year and will likely do the same as players go at the pin again this season. It is an iconic venue that has brought about plenty of exciting finishes and with the field always being stellar, that should once again be the case come Sunday afternoon.

This will be the 43rd year of THE PLAYERS, with this being the 35th at TPC Sawgrass, and some big names have laid claim to the trophy in the past.  Most notably is Jack Nicklaus (1974, 1976, 1978) who is the only three-time victor—although Jack never played the event at TPC Sawgrass.  Since making the move there in 1982, five players have multiple titles here, the most recent being Tiger Woods (2001, 2013).  The only golfer in the field this week who has multiple wins in this tourney is Davis Love III (1992, 2003).  There is also usually a very small margin of victory for the winners, and in the past eight years, there has been just one victor taking home the trophy by more than two strokes.

Last season proved to be one of the more exciting PLAYERS in recent memory as eventual winner Rickie Fowler made up five shots over the final six holes of regulation to push himself into a three-man playoff with Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner.  The trio played the final three holes again, with Garcia being knocked out after the 18th, and it took an amazing shot by Fowler to win it—which landed inside of Kisner’s own great attempt, on the always tough 17th.  With Kisner missing his putt and Fowler making his, the youngster laid claim to the large check and title as THE PLAYERS champion.

The field will be a tough one for Fowler to overcome once again this year as he looks to become the first back-to-back champion in this event.  There will be a mere four players from the Official World Golf Rankings top-50 that will not be attending the event; including Lee Westwood who has been playing some of his best golf in years.

Heading into the week world No. 1 Jason Day will look to continue his solid play as No. 2 Jordan Spieth makes his return to competition for the first time since his epic collapse at the Masters just a month ago.  Still, No. 3 Rory McIlroy is considered by many as the favorite heading into Ponte Vedra Beach Florida as he looks for his first career win here.

Many of the names that eventually top the leaderboard at THE PLAYERS are some of the top players in the game, and it would be a surprise to not see that happen once again.  But, with a 144-man field, anything can happen, and below are a few players whose odds have them as underdogs, but could see a nice run at the trophy as the week progresses.

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THE PLAYERS Championship Fantasy Sleeper Report

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THE PLAYERS Championship 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.

Charley Hoffman – Vegas Odds 66/1: Hoffman has a lot going in his favor as the season rolls on, moving up the OWGR to 32nd in the world after putting together plenty of solid performances during the 2016 campaign in which he is ranked 17th in the FedExCup standings.  He comes into the week on the heels of 11 consecutive made cuts, and has put up his best efforts most recently with a win at the Valero Texas Open sandwiched between two top-15s.  Over those three events he carded better than a 70 in 6-of-11 tries and totaled a score of 24-under-par.  His consistent play this year can be attributed to his combination of a solid drive (294.5 yards per, 49th on TOUR) and putting stroke (0.289 strokes-gained putting, 56th on TOUR) which has led to earning nearly two million dollars.  Hoffman has never really done great at THE PLAYERS, but has made the cut in five of the past six years while finishing between 22nd and 38th.  He is playing some of the best golf in his career and should show that this week in Florida.

J.B. Holmes – Vegas Odds 80/1: Holmes has been flying under the radar this season as he has really not made a real run at winning an event while playing a mere 10 times.  He has been extremely reliable over those 10 starts, though, and has made it to the weekend in each instance while owning seven top-25s; three of which ended in a top-10.  Although he is coming off one of his worst weeks this year, netting a tie for 53rd at the Wells Fargo Championship, he still was able to gain more than a stroke on the field putting and continues to hit the ball a mile (310.1 yards per, 3rd on TOUR).  Recent visits to TPC Sawgrass have not been kind to Holmes, as he has missed the cut in two of his last three visits with last year resulting in a 51st place finish.  That being said, he does have a sixth here (2011) and should have no issues being competitive once again as he finishes up the week.

Kevin Na – Vegas Odds 80/1: Na has been enjoying this event in recent years, earning a sixth in 2015 and a seventh in 2012 while also making the cut with a 38th in 2014.  His comfortableness with the course combined with his tremendous play on the year is a perfect combination for a huge effort this week.  These odds seem too high for a player who is currently ranked eighth in the FedExCup standings and sits at 26th in the OWGR.  Na has failed to get his second victory on TOUR since earning his first back in 2011, but over the past three seasons he has finished as the runner-up five times; including twice this year to go along with two third place finishes.  Overall the 32-year-old has been able to gain 1.313 strokes on the field from tee-to-green (12th on TOUR) and consistently hits fairways (64.90%, 48th on TOUR) and greens in regulation (67.80%, 40th on TOUR).  It would be a surprise to not see Na make a run at the title this week when all is said and done.

Chris Kirk – Vegas Odds 80/1: Kirk is one of the better players on TOUR who would not be considered a household name by many.  He’s finished in the top-50 of the FedExCup standings in each year since making his debut in 2011 and has won four tournaments during that stretch.  By those standards he is actually having a poor season, currently sitting in 57th in the standings while missing four cuts in 15 chances, but he has certainly begun turning it around of late.  In his last six times out, Kirk has made five cuts, with his one missed cut coming at the Masters, and has finished 13th or better four different times.  He is coming off a rain-shortened tie for fifth at the Zurich Classic where he was able to card a 65 on the final day of competition.  He’s made consecutive finishes of 13th here at THE PLAYERS and will look to continue his recent stretch of strong golf at TPC Sawgrass.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello – Vegas Odds 125/1: Cabrera-Bello is not getting the love he deserves with these odds and seems like a great sleeper pick this week.  He’s flown up to 29th in the OWGR and is currently raking over in Europe where he ranks third in the Race to Dubai.  In his last six events between the European and PGA TOUR, he has two top-three showings, including a near win at the WGC Match Play Championship, and another three finishes in the top-17.  Between the WGC third and the tie for 17th at the Masters, Cabrera-Bello proved that he can compete with the best in the world and this week should be no different.  The Spaniard has a tremendous all-around game and should perform well above his odds this week in his debut at THE PLAYERS.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions?  Check out our full fantasy preview for THE PLAYERS Championship here.

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