Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – The 2016 US Open

The Sleeper Report: Fantasy Golf Sleepers, Long Shots, and Undervalued Picks for the 2016 U.S. Open from Oakmont

The 2016 US Open Fantasy Sleeper Preview

Possibly the toughest test in golf takes place this week at Oakmont Country Club as the top players from around the world get together for the second major of the season, the 2016 U.S. Open.  Typically it’s more of a grind in this event, as the winner’s score is around par or worse.  Unlike The Masters, the U.S. Open changes its venue each year, and this go-around has set its sights on Oakmont, Pennsylvania, where the par-70, 7,254-yard course will host for a record ninth time.  Still, it’ll be the first time the Open has been played at Oakmont since 2007.

The tough course really brings out the best in players as evidenced by some of the previous winners here, the last being Argentinean Angel Cabrera, who took home the trophy after going five strokes over par.  He beat out runners-up Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods by a single stroke in what would be his first of two major victories.  Other names that have been able to conquer this course during the U.S. Open include Ernie Els (1994), Larry Nelson (1983), Johnny Miller (1973), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Ben Hogan (1953), and Tommy Armour (1927).  Three current Official World Golf Rankings top-10 players have won this major since 2011, with No. 3 Rory McIlroy showing up for an eight-stroke winning margin in 2011, No. 10 Justin Rose taking home the huge check in 2013, and the No. 2 golfer in the world, Jordan Spieth, wowing the crowd for his second major win of 2015 last season.

Of course, the field will be littered with the best out there once again, as each player from the top-60 (besides No. 52 Thongchai Jaidee) will be in attendance.  Leading that pack will be OWGR No. 1 Jason Day, who has won seven times in the last calendar year, including the PGA Championship, the WGC-Dell Match Play, and THE PLAYERS Championship.  The previously mentioned Jordan Spieth will be another obvious front-runner, as he has proven to be a dominant force in majors with five consecutive finishes within the top four, including two wins.  He will also be on a confidence high after getting the proverbial monkey off his back after his Masters meltdown thanks to a tremendous effort in the Dean & Deluca Invitational just a few weeks ago, where he outlasted the field.

Phil Mickelson will also take another stab at the career major grand slam this week after being the runner-up in this big outing six times in the past.  The PGA TOUR veteran is coming off a strong effort last week in Memphis, where he finished in a tie for second after three consecutive rounds of 68 or better.

There is a very good chance it will be one of the top names out there who outlasts Oakmont and prevails as the winner when all is said and done, but there are certainly some players with higher odds who are capable of winning an event such as the U.S. Open.  Below are a few golfers who could do just that this week in rural Pennsylvania as they look to make the least mistakes and etch their name in the history books.

Look for these “sleepers” with 50/1 or greater Vegas odds to give your DraftKings and other salary cap fantasy rosters a big boost this week.

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The 2016 US Open Fantasy Sleeper Report

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The US Open 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.

Brandt Snedeker – Vegas Odds 66/1 – Snedeker is one of the biggest names on the TOUR who has not been able to achieve the accomplishment of winning a major championship.  He has certainly been close, though, securing eight top-10 finishes in 35 majors while ranking third twice.  The U.S. Open seems to be his favorite as well, and he has done no worse than 17^th in his last five attempts while coming in a tie for 23^rd the last time it was at Oakmont.  Snedeker also currently sits in fifth in the FedExCup standings thanks to earning five top-10s in his 17 outings this season, including three top-three showings and his eighth PGA TOUR win at the Farmers Insurance Open.  One reason that he is so successful in the tough test that is the U.S. Open is because he is a master around the greens, ranking 25^th in strokes gained around the green behind 65.26% scrambling (10^th on TOUR) and a 54.17% sand save percentage (54^th on TOUR) this year.  He doesn’t possess any true flaws in his game, and that will aid him in getting another strong showing this week.

J.B. Holmes – Vegas Odds 80/1 – Holmes has earned a spot in the top-20 of the OWGR this year as a result of some stellar recent play.  He is nearly flawless in getting to the weekend, with 11 cuts made in 12 events, and has managed seven top-13 finishes in that time.  The 34-year-old did well in the first major of the year, the Masters, with a tie for fourth, and will be looking to add this major win to his other four PGA TOUR victories.  His performance off the tee will clearly dictate how he does when this week is over with, as he averages a massive 310.2 yards per drive (2^nd on TOUR), but will need to improve on his 53.30% driving accuracy (185^th on TOUR) in order to avoid the difficult rough.  Holmes has played in three previous U.S. Opens, making the cut each time with a pair of 27^th’s and a 17^th, and has what it takes to improve on those finishes come week’s end.

Lee Westwood – Vegas Odds 80/1 – Westwood was once considered one of the most dominant golfers in the world, and he can back that up with 23 European TOUR wins as well as two on the PGA TOUR. The veteran continues to remain a consistent competitor for his first major championship, landing in the top-10 18 times since 1997, with nine of those being either a second or third. The last two years were not like the old Westwood, and it seemed like he was ready to roll over and fall out of competition from week-to-week, but the 43-year-old has found a resurgence in his game and since his runner-up at the Masters, has posted three consecutive top-15s on the European TOUR.  Watch as Westwood’s smooth swing continues to gain strokes on the field while he climbs the leaderboard in search of a late-career major on the tough course.

Jason Dufner – Vegas Odds 100/1 – Former PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner earned his way back into the winner’s circle this year with a playoff victory over David Lingmerth at the CareerBuilder Challenge back in January.  Overall he is 16 for 19 (84%) in making it to the weekend in 2016, and has carded a round of 70 or better in 11 of his last 12 attempts.  His strong performances have come thanks to ranking 10^th in GIR (70.29%), which has helped him gain 1.009 strokes on the field from tee-to-green.  When it comes to this major championship, Dufner has been all or nothing–although he has missed the cut twice in the last five years, he has been able to put up two fourths and is coming off of an 18^th in 2015.  With one major under his belt already, Dufner certainly understands what it takes to get it done under the pressure that comes with this week, and these odds seem high for such an accomplished player.

Webb Simpson – Vegas Odds 125/1 –Simpson is no stranger to the tough conditions of the U.S. Open, and that is certainly evident with his win in the event back in 2012.  It is one of four PGA TOUR victories for the Wake Forest alum, but these odds come in this high as a result of not being very impressive in majors other then the win.  He has continued to be a consistent competitor in 2016, going 9 for 12 in cuts made (75%), with his most success coming in his last couple of outings.  A few weeks ago he notched a tie for 11^th at the Memorial Tournament, and right before that netted a tie for third at the Dean and Deluca Invitational.  Simpson is one of the best out of the rough and has a proximity to the hole of 39 feet (8^th on TOUR) when in the long stuff; that’s a number which should prove very useful at Oakmont.  He has also gained 0.326 strokes around the green (22^nd on TOUR) and looks poised to come out with his best showing in this event since the 2012 win.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions?  Check out our full fantasy preview for the US Open here.

Cover photo via Instagram.