Josh Culp's Blog, page 63

FanDuel Fantasy Football back with a Bang: $3 Million Dollar Fantasy Football Championship

FanDuel will be offering $1 million to the winner of the 2013 FanDuel Fantasy Football Championship. This is an annual contest but the stakes have reached an all-time high. $3 million in total prizes will be awarded to the 50 contestants that earn their way as well as a trip to Las Vegas for the finals on December 8th. Don’t forget about the ride home in a private jet to the winner. That is really just icing on the cake.

When news came out about Draftstreet’s $2.5 million fantasy football contest, I was excited to see what FanDuel would respond with. They did not disappoint.

Qualifying matches start as low as $10 but you can win your way via satellite tournaments starting as low as $1. Matches will run from Week 1 – Week 11.

Join the 2013 Fantasy Football Championship now at FanDuel.

Deutsche Bank Championship Fantasy Preview

Last week was Mungo Jerry’s “Playoff Time.” The theme song for this week is “Bombers Paradise” by Coolio. TPC Boston is very favorable to the long hitters and it doesn’t punish poor tee shots. Just take a look at all the winners since 2007. Only one winner has been ranked inside the Top 90 in Driving Accuracy.

Rory McIlroy is the defending champion and he is finally hitting his stride. He has to be on your radar this week. McIlroy won last year with a score of 20-under. Will Rory be able to defend his title? The stats suggest it it possible but not probable. Lets take a look at the previous winners since 2007 to see what they have in common.

Five of the past six winners finished the regular season inside the Top 7 in FedEx Cup Standings. You should start your search there. It was great when #77 Charley Hoffman won it in 2010, but that is looking like more of an outlier than anything right now. This tournament is won by the cream of the crop.

Five of the past six winners had four or more podium finishes during the regular season. This tournament has been won by golfers that have been competing all year.

Lastly, and maybe the most odd: Five of the past six winners had a Driving Accuracy lower than 62% on the season. TPC Boston is very forgiving, so the players that usually gain an advantage by hitting fairways lose that edge here. I’m not saying golfers like Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, and Henrik Stenson can’t do well here because they are accurate off the tee. I am just saying they lose their usual edge at TPC Boston and need to make it up in other ways.

In a very unscientific way, we can take those three characteristics and say there is a 51% chance that the winner will come from a golfer that finished the regular season inside the Top 7 in FedEx Standings, had four or more podium finishes in 2013, and has a driving accuracy less than 62%. The only two golfers that fit those three criteria are Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar. Choose wisely. Now lets take a look at some golfers that may be overlooked this week:

Patrick Reed: He had his virgin-win hangover last week, as expected. Reed hasn’t played this tournament before but it should fit his play style perfectly. Reed is a birdie machine, he takes advantage of Par 5s and he doesn’t rely on hitting fairways (ranked 159th in Driving Accuracy). I look for Reed to bounceback this week in a big way.

Dustin Johnson: A lot of people will be turned off by DJ’s missed cut last week, but his inconsistent play is nothing new. This weeks course should suit his eye yet again and his length should come in handy. Johnson has two Top 5s here at TPC Boston over the last four years.

Harris English: Mr. English has grown so much in the last year. He proved that he can win earlier in the year at the FedEx St. Jude. He also proved that he doesn’t need to hit fairways to do it. Ranked 134th in Driving Accuracy on the year, that hasn’t stopped him from compiling eight Top 25s in 2013.

Robert Garrigus: Garrigus was a popular sleeper pick last week around the interwebs but I think this course plays into his strengths much better. With two Top 25s in his last three tournaments, we know Garrigus is feeling pretty good, unlike most of the season when he was nursing a wrist injury. Garrigus is 20th in Birdie Percentage, 7th in Driving Distance and 166th in Driving Accuracy. These are all good signs of things to come this week.

Ryan Palmer: He has the perfect statistical profile for this course but has an average finish of 50th in the four attempts at TPC Boston since 2007. Palmer is having his best season of his career though, so why not finish strong? Palmer is long, but wild off the tee. He is Top 10 in Birdie Percentage and Top 15 in Par 5 Scoring. If you handed me his blind resume without his name attached, I would have to put him in my Top 15 this week.

Last week the Fantasy Golf Guide had Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, and Adam Scott as the Top 3 in the Power Rankings. That turned out pretty well. If you want to see the Top 3 this week, go cop the Fantasy Golf Guide now for a reduced $2.99 price.

Become the First Fantasy Football Millionaire

Draftstreet is the King of Daily Fantasy Sports so they are no stranger to large contests. But their latest contest is out of this world. Draftstreet has just announced the 2013 Draftstreet Football Championship where the winner will take home a cool $1 million. Not $1 million in total prizes, that has been done before. Draftstreet is taking it to the next level and giving away $1 million to the WINNER.

Sign up with using the image above and you will receive a deposit bonus, and you will be on your way to becoming the first Fantasy Football Millionaire. All your hard work of watching football every Sunday will finally pay off and you can say “I told you so” to all the doubters.

40 competitors will make it to the Vegas Stage where it will all culminate on December 15th.

Qualifying leagues kick off during Week One of the NFL season, with two qualifiers held each week through Week 14. Entry fees for the qualifying leagues range from $22 to $420, with league sizes capped from 150 to 3,000 players based on the entry fees. The winner of each qualifying league will win an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to compete in the DraftStreet Football Championship.

With Satellites starting as low as $2 and Qualifier Entries starting as low as $22, there is no reason you shouldn’t be in the DraftStreet lobby right now signing up for Week One.

Join now at Draftstreet.com

Favorites For The Deutsche Bank Championship

With the Barclays now behind us, and Adam Scott having collected another mightily impressive win, it’s time to look ahead to the next significant tournament. The Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts is next up on the FedEx Cup Playoff schedule. The event, sponsored by the Tiger Woods Foundation, offers great entertainment every Labor Day weekend. This year’s competition looks fairly open at the top, without a clear favorite having been defined. So just for fun, let’s take a look at who the Betfair sports book has listed as the 5 frontrunners, as well as a couple of dark horse candidates to take the Championship.

The Favorites

Tiger Woods – Woods just had a very strong tournament at The Barclays, playing consistently well over the weekend before falling one stroke shy of the title (he finished at -10). Despite the much-publicized failure to capture a Major this season, Woods has had an otherwise exceptional 2013, and looks to be in a good position to potentially win his own tournament. With all the treatment he will be receiving this week, his back should be good to go for this week. At 5/1, his odds of winning are significantly out front.
Adam Scott – If anyone ought to be rated ahead of Woods, it’s hard to figure on anyone but Scott. Continuing an absolutely spectacular year that has seen him move from solid contender to perpetual championship threat, Scott took The Barclays title with a superb -11 this past weekend. He’ll be in the mix in Norton.
Phil Mickelson – Mickelson, too, was in the hunt at The Barclays, ultimately tying for 6th place with a -9. Lefty’s been in fine form for most of the year, and should be relaxed and ready.
Matt Kuchar – Kuchar was on a pretty good pace at this weekend’s tournament before turning in a disastrous 78 on Sunday. So it goes for Kuchar, who can be a bit hot and cold, but based on his season as a whole, he’s slated with the 4th best odds of taking The Deutsche Bank.
Justin Rose – Justin Rose has seemed to be riding high ever since capturing the US Open title this summer, and just turned in a 2nd place finish (tied with Tiger) at The Barclays. Rose certainly seems like he’ll stick around at the top of professional golf, and a victory at the Deutsche Bank would do a lot to solidify the newfound reputation.

Don’t Forget About These Guys

Jason Dufner – Why not? Dufner shot a mediocre -2 this past weekend, but the popular PGA Champ just showed us that he can be brilliant.
Jim Furyk – Furyk has had a very impressive summer, but hasn’t yet won a title. It almost seems as if he’s due.
Bubba Watson – Watson was very steady this past weekend, and would have been in the hunt if not for a so-so Saturday. He looks to be in good form for the Deutsche Bank.

Dark Horses

Matt Jones – He is in as good of form as nearly anyone in the field. His last five finishes include three Top 10s, a 40th place, and a 33rd place.
Harris English – Harris already won on Tour this year, and was in relatively good form coming into the playoffs. A missed cut last week has taken him off a lot of peoples radar, and explains why his odds are 140/1 for the Deutsche Bank. His proven winning mentality and length off the tee could lead to a nice payday if you back English this week.
Jason Kokrak – TPC Boston favors the long-hitters and that is exactly what Jason Kokrak is. He is 6th in driving distance as he is your typical bomber that can’t keep it near the fairway most of the time. That won’t matter this week as TPC Boston is very forgiving. He is also coming off a 9th place finish last week at the Barclays.

The Barclays Fantasy Golf Contests to Enter

The Barclays Preview was kind of lengthy this week. I didn’t want to make it longer by adding in a huge lists of fantasy golf contests you should join this week. Instead, I will put them all here. Enjoy:

Golfradar

You know the deal by now. If you have been following me for any period of time at all, you know I am a big fan of Golfradar. If you only join one fantasy contest this week, make it Golfradar. Check out the Golfradar Strategy article if you want some help picking your golfers this week.

Enter Golfradar Playoffs Series — Weekly Prize: TravisMathew Gift Card + More

Enter PGA Tour Superstore Playoffs Series — Weekly Prize: Callaway FT Optiforce Driver + More

Enter Golflogix Playoffs Series — Weekly Prize: Taylormade SLDR Driver + More

Enter Troon Golf Playoffs Series — Weekly Prize: TRUE Linkswear Golf Shoes + Troon Reward Points

Enter Future of Fantasy Weekly Match — Weekly Prize: Drawing for $50 PGATour Superstore Gift Card

Fantasy Golf Tour

Entry fee has been cut in half from $25 to $12.50 so come try it out if you were hesitant because of the higher entry fee before. Pick a total of 16 golfers and make daily lineup changes. Lowest overall team score from starting golfers is the winner. Caution: Very Addicting!

Join Fantasy Golf Tour Now — Weekly Prize: $1,500 to the winner + More

DraftDay Fantasy Golf

DraftDay has an exciting scoring format that rewards making the cut, consistency, and going low. Pick six golfers using your allotted salary. They offer salary-cap formats as well as Pick’Em style games. Definitely worth a look.

Join Draft Day Now

FanThrowdown Fantasy Golf

FanThrowdown is becoming a household name in the daily fantasy sports industry. They make it easy to pick any six golfers you want to, and offer a variety of guaranteed prize pool contests. Very cool user interface, as well.

Join FanThrowdown Now

Fantasy Feud Fantasy Golf

Fantasy Feud offers a very fair scoring system that penalizes players for missed cuts but you can still place with a few of your golfers missing the cut. Pick ten golfers and get scored based on their finishing position.

Join Fantasy Feud Now

DraftStreet Fantasy Golf

DraftStreet is the leader in Daily Fantasy Sports so finding a match that will fill up is never a problem here unless you join at 11:00 on Wednesday night. Very nice interface and tons of guaranteed prize pools.

Join DraftStreet Now

the Barclays Fantasy Preview

The Playoffs are here! The majors are all done and over with. We had three first time major winners this year (Scott, Rose, and Dufner). For everyone else, it is time to make up for a major-less season by winning the FedEx Cup. The FedEx Cup is still relatively new but you can feel the importance growing year-by-year. The players all want their name in the history books. It is officially playoff time. Or as the Mungo Jerry has famously sung so many times:

In the playoff time when the weather is high

You can stretch right up and touch the sky

When the weather’s right

You got women, you got women on your mind

Have a drink, have a drive

Go out and see what you can find

Okay, I might have changed the lyrics in that first line a little bit, but you get the idea. Where do we begin? We start the 2013 FedEx Cup in New Jersey where things have been known to get a little rowdy from time to time. You might have seen or heard of the TV Show The Jersey Shore. Now instead of fighting, hooking up, tanning, and acting stupid you instead have 123 golfers hitting a little white ball around the golf course. Pretty much the same thing.

Liberty National is the golf course. Lady Liberty provides the scenic views. The Statue of Liberty is in view from nearly every hole on the golf course. That is why you have to pay the big bucks to play this course. The Barclays was staged here back in 2009 was Liberty was still an infant. Most of the players despised the course, and Tiger Woods said “It was interesting.” Rennovations have been made, the rough has been cut down to reasonable lengths, and the course should play much better this time around.

Most of what I need to say about the Barclays this week has been well-documented in the 2013 Fantasy Golf Guide: FedEx Cup Preview. This is an Amazon Kindle Book that will be a monthly feature starting next season. There are a lot of statistics in there and tons of over-the-top in-depth analysis on the upcoming tournaments. Check out the book if you haven’t already. I guarantee it will be worth the $1 per week that you are paying.

Instead of the usual preview, I will instead provide some last-minute thoughts on the Barclays now that all my research has settled in.

Many people will point to 2009 when Heath Slocum won here and say that someone is going to come from off the radar and win this. First, I think the renovations made will help out as the greens are no longer ridiculously sloped and the rough has been cut down to Masters length, per Phil Mickelson request. Second, the prestige of winning the FedEx Cup is growing, the big names want to win it more than ever. Third, Slocum was the outlier. Four of the six Barclays winners have come from golfers that finished inside the Top 20 in the FedEx Cup Regular Season standings. Don’t get caught up in guys needing to make a move to secure a spot in the next tournament. There is a reason those golfers are ranked that low to begin with. Look in the FedEx Top 20 Standings for your winner this week.

I hear a lot of people talk about golfers being in form. I agree that this is somewhat important. I will also say that is not as important as most people think. I have done some extensive research on the topic of golfers staying hot. Well, actually it is in the beginning stages of being extensive. So far the results have shown me that a larger sample size is better than a smaller one. Duh! A golfer that has been doing well for five weeks is much more likely to continue that streak than a golfer that has done well for two weeks. This may seem obvious but a lot of people are quick to get excited when a golfer has two straight Top 25s and say he is in ‘great form.’ But really you need a much bigger sample size.

If you do want to emphasize recent form then here is a little nugget of wisdom for you. Look at a golfers last five results but take out one or two of his worst finishes. Everyone has bad tournaments. This yields much better results than just looking at an overall average of a golfers recent results. A golfer with two Top 10s sandwiched between two missed cuts in his last four tournaments is more likely to do better this week than a golfer with four straight 45th place finishes.

Rickie Fowler: I didn’t mention Dick Fowler, P.I. (shown left) at all in the Kindle Preview but I wanted to point out his good form in case you’ve overlooked him. Fowler has nine Top 25s this year. Six of those nine Top 25s have come in his last seven tournaments. Expect the hot streak to continue this week.

Matt Jones: I can’t forget to mention my love for Matt Jones this week. If you are playing in a weekly fantasy game with a salary cap, Jones is likely to be a real bargain this week. Jones has been killing it for a while now but his salary across fantasy golf sites still hasn’t caught up. Jones has three Top 10s in his last five tournaments. He is knock, knock, knockin’ on the winners door.

Jason Day: If you read the kindle book review, then you might be hesitant to pick Jason Day this week. I mentioned how his wrist is not 100%. I also mentioned how well he has been playing with a sore wrist. In weekly contests I am all-in on Day. If you have a league that has been running all year and one bad week/withdrawal could kill you, that is when I would suggest leaving Day on the bench.

Rory McIlroy: Will Rory turn it on for the Playoffs just like last year or will 2013 become the Lost Season for Rory? Rory finished Top 25 in all four playoff events last year including two wins. However, he also had five podium finishes in 2012 before entering the playoffs. This year, he only has one and that was back in April. He has played the Par 4s in his last five events 32-over par. 18 rounds, 32-over par on Par4s. That is not the recipe for success. I want to believe in Rory, I really do, but I just can’t see him winning any tournaments at this point.

Jim Furyk: Mr. FedEx should be his nickname. Furky has ten Top 10s in Playoff events. That is tied for the most with Stricker and Villegas. Furyk has a 69.20 stroke average in FedEx Cup events. That is good enough for third best behind Tiger and Sergio. Thanks to Sky Sports for those FedEx stats. Furyk is also swinging a hot club. He has three straight Top 10s finishes and may be peaking at the right time. Add him to your radar this week.

Keepers




ExpertKeeperWhy the Pick?YTD




The 19th HoleTBD--To Be Determined--Avg Finish: 44th


Future of FantasyTiger WoodsPrepare for FedEx domination. Avg Finish: 34th


Jake GaerRory McIlroyLoves fall golf. Showed signs of life lately, especially at the PGA Championship. He’s one of the best drivers of the golf ball on tour, and the greens aren’t as penal as they were in ’09, I think his short game will finally give him enough to get a W this year.Avg Finish: 29th




Sleepers




ExpertSleeperWhy the Pick?YTD




The 19th HoleTBD--To Be Determined--Avg Finish: 59th


Future of FantasyJonas BlixtBlixt is looking more like the golfer I expected to see when I touted him as a breakout golfer this year. He credits it to returning to his old irons. Keep it up Jonas. Avg Finish: 50th


Jake GaerMatt JonesHe is hot to trot. Ride ‘em while they’re hot.Avg Finish: 50th

For more insight and weekly power rankings, download the 2013 Fantasy Golf Guide: FedEx Cup Preview for any kindle reading device, including the new Amazon Cloud Reader where you can read it on your web browser.

the Barclays Golfradar Strategy

If you haven’t heard. Golfradar is the place to be this week. They are kicking off their FedEx Cup Playoffs Challenge. Winner gets to play a round of golf with Ken Griffey Jr. at Pinehurst #2. They are also having weekly prizes sponsored by Travis Mathew and PGATour Superstore so go enter now.

Golfradar is the most strategic fantasy golf game I’ve ever played. That also makes it the most fun to play. There are endless possibilities of coin-combinations that you can use. The most traditional strategy that I find myself using most often is the two 20-coin, four 10-coin, four 5-coin strategy. This strategy gives you two big guns, some mid-range golfers and also gives you four chances at big-time bonuses by picking four 5-coin golfers.

What is the best strategy this week when all the big names are in attendance? Heath Slocum won it last time they played at Liberty, so maybe a six 5-coin approach and hope for a miracle will be the best approach. There are a lot of juicy 10 coins names that have the potential to win (Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Jim Furyk, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan to name a few). Heck that’s seven of your ten golfers right there. Maybe ten 10-coiners is the way to go. What strategy will you deploy at the Barclays this week?

Below are my current top three at each coin tier to help you with your Golfradaring this week:

20 Coin Golfers

Tiger Woods: The fact that Tiger is even playing in the Barclays this year tells you that he is hungry. He went majorless, so now he needs some kind of accolade to make this season alright. I wouldn’t be surprised if he swept the FedEx Cup. Yup, all four of them.

Justin Rose: He has the highest Top 25% of anyone in the field in 2013. He earned Top 25s in 10 of the 13 tournaments he entered. One of those was his first Major after winning his first Major. Understandable that he missed the cut at the Open this year. I make Rose my #2 man this week.

Adam Scott: Another man that is showing up in all the biggest tournaments. He has three podium finishes this year in 12 tournaments played. Put another way, there is a 25% chance that Scott finishes in the Top 3.

10 Coin Golfers

Dustin Johnson: DJ just got engaged as you probably know. A big life event like that can sometimes lead to a new attitude on the course. DJ also loves the New York/New Jersey area. He has five Top 10s in his last nine tournaments in the area. The only downfall with DJ is inconsistency. His Top 25 percentage is below 40% this year. The only other golfer to win the Barclays with a sub-40 Top 25 percentage was Heath Slocum. Do I like DJ to show up nicely this week yes? Do I like him to win? No.

Webb Simpson: If someone is going to take down Tiger, why not Webb? He seemingly doesn’t get affected by pressure. He finished 8th at Liberty back in 2009 and he has four Top 10 finishes this year.

Sergio Garcia: I dare you to find someone more consistent than Sergio in the last calendar year. He hasn’t missed a cut since the 2012 PGA Championship.

5 Coin Golfers

John Rollins: I am really torn on this pick. First, he has only one finish inside the Top 50 in nine attempts at NY/NJ area courses since 2007. That is bad, real bad. On the other hand, he has 11 Top 25 finishes in 22 events this year. That is the highest percentage of Top 25s of any 5-coiner this week. Decisions, decisions.

Matt Jones: Don’t mess with a golfer this hot, you will surely get burned if you try to get cute. His last five finishes include 5th-40th-7th-2nd-64th. En Fuego.

Chris Kirk: 11th in All-Around Ranking this season. 26th in Adjusted Scoring. 24th in Strokes Gained Putting. Also something you would never have guessed, he leads the Tour in Total Eagles this year with 13. All those stats are top notch for a 5-coin golfer.

Play a Round of Golf with Baseball Legend Ken Griffey Jr. – Golfradar Fantasy Golf

If you haven’t been playing fantasy golf at Golfradar, now is the time to start. The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin this week, and so does the Golfradar Playoffs Fantasy Challenge.

Golfradar, touted as golf’s most strategic fantasy game, is offering a trip to Pinehurst – including airfare, accommodations and a round with Griffey Jr. on the legendary #2 course – for the player with the best performance during the four-tournament PGA TOUR FedEx Cup Playoff challenge.

I will let you gather yourself and think about that for a while. We are talking about Seattle Mariners legend, Ken Griffey Jr. If you grew up in the 90′s then Junior aka The Kid was probably one of your idols. If he wasn’t, then I don’t know if we can be friends. He hated the Yankees, he had his own video game, he pretty much invented the backwards hat look and he had the sweetest swing in the league. I can only imagine how smooth his golf swing will be.

If you are just a golf fan and could care less about baseball then it is still a remarkable opportunity. How often do you get the chance to play a famous course like Pinehurst? It is the venue for next years U.S. Open, after all.

Golfradar’s FedEx Cup Playoff challenge winner will be the player with most cumulative points from all four playoff events. The player may be able to accumulate the points needed without participating in all four events. Golfradar will not only offer the grand prize of playing with Griffey for the FedEx Cup as a whole, but it also awards weekly prizes to those who finish on top of the leaderboard.

Enter your Golfradar team now

Wyndham Championship Fantasy Preview

It’s amazing how quickly a season can turn around. Before the U.S. Open Jason Dufner had four Top 25s in 13 events and zero, count’em…ZERO Top 10s. It was a disappointing follow-up to a breakout 2012 campaign, to say the least. Fast forward five tournaments and Dufner can now say he is a Major Champion, he now has three Top 10s, seven Top 25s and he is the only golfer that can say he finished 26th or better in all four majors this year. Quite a turnaround for the Duff Daddy.

This week we head to Greensboro, North Carolina where players will be competing at the Wyndham Championship. The course is Sedgefield Country Club, a Donald Ross designed course. You may remember his name from last week because he also designed Oak Hills Country Club, the site of last weeks PGA Championship. The Wyndham Championship has been played here since 2008, so ignore any course history before that time.

Sergio Garcia is the defending champion but other champions include Webb Simpson, Carl Pettersson, Ryan Moore, and Arjun Atwal. Local knowledge can be play a key factor as Webb Simpson (Wake Forest) and Carl Pettersson (NC State) both went to school in the area. There are actually a ton of golfers with ties to the region: Tim Clark (NC State), Davis Love III (UNC), Mark Wilson (UNC), Brandon de Jonge (lives in Charlotte), Brad Fritsch (lives in Holly Springs), and Bill Haas (Wake Forest). There are even more than that but those are the main names you should be worried about.

Other than the usual adjusted scoring and Par 4 scoring, Bogey Avoidance is the name of the game this week. There are a ton of scoring chances on this golf course. The average winning score has been 19-under par. Everyone is going to make birdies at this course but avoiding bogeys will be key to winning. Check out the Bogey Avoidance leaders before you make your picks this week. Lets see who is worth a look in Yahoo this week:

Group A

Tim Clark: Has North Carolina roots as he went to NC State and has a 2nd place and 6th place finish the two times he has played here. He withdrew the third time in 2009. He has a pretty good shot at competing this week.

Charles Howell III: My favorite for the week. I’ve been saying all year that Howell has been playing too good to not win this year. He hasn’t had a Top 25 since the Memorial at the beginning of June but this is a course he really likes. Seven of his 12 rounds at Sedgefield have been 67 or better.

Mark Wilson: Another guy with ties to North Carolina as he went to UNC. He hasn’t played here since 2010 but has finished inside the Top 45 in each of his three tries here. He is leading the Tour in Good Drive Percentage. He could be a real player this week but no way will I that chance and pick him over guys like Sergio, Howell, Kirk, Haas, Clark.

Sergio Garcia: Defending champ. Has played here twice, and has only one round over 67. Definitely worth a long, hard look.

Group B

Webb Simpson: Webb went to Wake Forest so he knows the lay of the land. He won here back in 2011 and should be right up there again this week.

Jimmy Walker: Jimbo Walks is on a mini-slump as he has missed four of his last five cuts. He has a tie for 2nd sandwiched in there, so it wouldn’t be unlikely if he did something similar this week. Another golfer that has played too well this year to go winless. He also finished fourth here last year.

Zach Johnson: ZJ has righted the ship in a big way. Looking like a lost season just a month ago, Johnson has since posted 2nd-6th-4th-8th place finishes. He is on fire, playing great golf. Ride him while he’s hot.

Chad Campbell: Currently sits at 132nd in the FedEx Cup standings. Top 125 make it to the Playoffs. You know you will get Campbells best effort and he finished 4th here last year.

Carl Pettersson: The Fat Swede love this course but he hasn’t finished inside the Top 50 since switching from the long putter to the a short putter + saw grip. I’m going to avoid him until he gets the flat stick under control.

Group C

Hideki Matsuyama: Matsuyama has yet to disappoint, and has also been a part of Tiger’s 61 and Dufner’s 63 in the past two weeks. Chez Reavie and Kevin Chappell are his playing partners this week if you are looking for the next low round.

Patrick Reed: Patrick Reed is one of the hottest golfers on Tour since switching from Nike to Callaway at the Byron Nelson. Since then he has made 7 of 8 cuts, including three Top 10s.

Jerry Kelly: This savvy vet has 10 sub-68 rounds at Sedgefield in 16 rounds played. That has led him to two Top 10s and two other Top 50 finishes. You could definitely call him a horse for the course.

Keepers




ExpertKeeperWhy the Pick?YTD




The 19th HoleBrandt SnedekerPlayed only average since winning RBC Canadian Open a couple weeks back.  I expect him to push the issue with FedEX Cup playoffs looming.Avg Finish: 43rd


Future of FantasyWebb SimpsonA local fan favorite should play well here as usual. Doesn't do anything great but does everything well. Avg Finish: 35th


Jake GaerBill HaasT3 in par 4 scoring average and he has enough top tens this year to fill a basket. Avg Finish: 30th




Sleepers




ExpertSleeperWhy the Pick?YTD




The 19th HoleMatt JonesI like this kid.  He took a few weeks off through July and into august after a T2 at Breenbrier and a T7 at John Deere.  His result, a T40 at the PGA Championship.  Sit's 9th in all-around rankings due to consistency throughout his bag.Avg Finish: 59th


Future of FantasyCharles Howell IIITime to break out of his mid-season slump with a familiar venue that he likes. Avg Finish: 50th


Jake GaerJason BohnBack to back top 10s last month and 3 top three finishes in this tourney. Avg Finish: 50th




Top 20 for the 2013 Wyndham Championship

1. Brandt Snedeker -18

2. Charles Howell III -18

3. Webb Simpson -18

4. Bill Haas -17

5. Sergio Garcia -17

6. Brendon de Jonge -17

7. Zach Johnson -16

8. Chris Kirk -16

9. John Rollins -16

10. Chez Reavie -16

11. Patrick Reed -15

12. Tim Clark -15

13. Jerry Kelly -15

14. Hideki Matsuyama -15

15. Jimmy Walker -15

16. Roberto Castro -15

17. Mark Wilson -15

18. Jordan Spieth -15

19. Carl Pettersson -15

20. Pat Perez -15

Weekly Contests

Golfradar: No matter how long you look, you aren’t going to find a more unique and interesting Fantasy Golf experience than GolfRadar. Pick up to 10 golfers ranging from 5 to 20 coins each. Earn Top 10 and Winner bonuses. The possibilities are endless and the prizes are good.

Enter the Future of Fantasy Match Now

DraftDay: DraftDay offers a basic salary-cap Fantasy Golf game. Their weekly match entry fees range from $1 to $215. Start with something small and start entering the big ones if you have some success. Pick your Six Golfers Now

FanThrowDown: FanThrowDown offers some of the best Guaranteed Double Up contests. All you have to do is finish in the top half of the league and you double your money! Start Drafting Now

PGA Championship Fantasy Preview

Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson all have cemented their place in the history books. Who will be the fourth and final name to win a Major Championship in 2013? We will find out this week when the golfers tee it up at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York.

Oak Hill is a very short Par 70 course that is tree-lined, like the name suggests. The course is pretty straightforward, and it’s only real defenses this course has to offer are the tree-lined fairways, extra long rough, and 84 bunkers.

This will be a tough test for certain, just like every Major Championship. In my opinion it will not play as hard as the US Open or The Open Championship did this year. I was on record saying you should expect a 2-under winning score at the US Open this year. The winning score turned out to be 1-over by Justin Rose. That was when the oddsmakers had the winning score handicapped at 7-under so they were way off. This week my educated guess on the winning score is 8 or 9-under par.

Accuracy off the tee will be vital this week. The fairways are thin and just like your favorite bacon, the rough is extra, extra thick. Certain golfers like Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley will be at a disadvantage due to the short length of this course. They like to feast on long Par 4′s and Par 5′s but their length is negated this week. It is possible for golfers like Phil and Tiger to leave the driver in the bag for most of the round. It will just mean 7-irons into greens rather than wedges. Tiger is so good with his long irons, I would suspect he leaves the driver in the bag for most of the round.

“I would say most players won’t use driver more than half the time. I would be shocked if someone hit seven drivers at Oak Hill.” -Oak Hill head pro Craig Harmon.

Some things to look at this week other than recent form is past success at Short Par 70 Majors. Two of Tiger’s Majors have come on Par 70 tracks. He has also failed 23 other times when a Major has been played on a Par 70 course. Something to keep in the back of your mind. Some other stats to look at prior Thursday are Par 4 Scoring, Bogey Avoidance and Scrambling.

Now we know what to look for, so let’s make our picks:

Group A

Tiger Woods: Tiger is way overdue for another major. Tiger has 21 Top 10s in his last 30 Majors played in. He just crushed the Top 50 in the World at the Bridgestone, winning by 7 strokes. Tiger is famous for saying if you win one Major in a season it is a good year, even if you miss the cut in every other tournament. I’m paraphrasing, but you get the idea. Tiger will bring his A-game this week as this is his last chance in 2013.

Phil Mickelson: Since World War II, only 4 golfers have completed the Open Championship and PGA Championship package deal in the same season. Three of those times have been more recent (since 2000). Two times is was accomplished by Tiger Woods and the other by Paddy Harrington. Mickelson is on top of his game right now, but I don’t think another win is in the cards this week.

Rory McIlory: Even when he’s on his game, short courses are not for him. The last five majors played on short par 70 courses have resulted in 41st, 60th, 95th, 25th, and 47th place finishes for Rory. Add in his struggles this year and I’d be surprised if Rory found his way into the Top 25 this week.

Nicolas Colsaerts & Kevin Chappell: Both golfers love the short, difficult courses. Don’t be too surprised if one or both of these young lads make a splash this week.

Group B

Webb Simpson: Short majors bring out the best in Webb, so you have to like his chances this week. Nobody is really paying attention to him which is when he does best. 23 golfers have better odds than Webb this week. He’s not getting the love he deserves. You should give him some love this week.

Ernie Els: There is not a lot to say that hasn’t already been said about Ernie. He absolutely crushes in Majors and short courses are even better. Anything outside a Top 25 this week will be a big disappointment for Ernie.

John Senden: Senden hasn’t played this bad since… well ever maybe. He missed three cuts in a row which should be a wake-up call for this Aussie. Short, difficult courses are right up Senden’s alley so I am expecting a big bounceback this week. When people are talking about how surprised they are that Senden found his way to the Top 25 this week, remember you heard it here first.

Steve Stricker: Would be the perfect pick this week if it weren’t for his damn hamstring injury. It’s late in the season, not a time to take on a potential withdraw on your fantasy teams. Best to let someone else take a chance on Stricks this week.

Zach Johnson: 5 of his 9 career wins have been on Par 70 courses. After his early season mediocrity, Zach has grinded out three straight Top 10s and could easily make it a fourth straight this week.

Group C

Rickie Fowler: Fowler let me down big time at The Open Championship but I am going back to the well. Fowler’s last four Majors played on short par 70 courses have resulted in finished of 10th, 31st, 41st, and 5th. If he lets me down again this week, we may be taking a long break. I don’t think that will be a problem though. Fowler is a legitimate contender this week.

Adam Scott: Six Top 10 finishes in his last 11 Majors played. It is safe to say he has these Majors figured out, and no longer has any pressure to win one. He is one of the favorites this week, as always.

Henrik Stenson: Everyone’s favorite pick it seems. He as been on fire this year but how am I supposed to back the 105th ranked putter in a Major Championship? I will give him good chances at a Top 25 but I think a win is very unlikely.

Lee Westwood: Speaking of poor putters. Just like Stenson, Westwood can not drop a putt if his life depended on it. Westwood found something with the putter before the British thanks to Ian Baker-Finch but went back to normal Westwood last week at the Bridgestone. If he can combine his play style from the last two tournaments, then he is probably the favorite. After Tiger, of course.

Keepers




ExpertKeeperWhy the Pick?YTD




The 19th HoleTiger WoodsHe won't allow last weeks win to influence him this week.  Only thing missing from his amazing season is a Major...and this is the last one.  If that doesn't motivate him, nothing will.Avg Finish: 43rd


Future of FantasyTiger WoodsI got cute last week and didn't pick Tiger here. This is Tigers last chance at a major this year. He's definitely due. Avg Finish: 35th


Jake GaerKeegan BradleyDrives it long and straight and hits greens. Ball striking will be at a premium at Oak Hill. Keegan has shown his best golf is played at the end of the year during his brief time on tour, and last week’s T2 shows that he’s ready for the stretch run once again.

Avg Finish: 30th




Sleepers




ExpertSleeperWhy the Pick?YTD




The 19th HoleGraham DeLaetRanked 1st in total driving allows him to follow up with a solid iron game which ranks 1st in GIR as well.  He should have his share of birdie attempts if he can get his putter going.Avg Finish: 57th


Future of FantasyJohn SendenThis Aussie can eat short courses alive, and three straight cuts should have him motivated to bounce back. Avg Finish: 49th


Jake GaerTim ClarkSecond on tour in fairways hit on tour and he finished 3rd at Oak Hill in 2003.Avg Finish: 49th




Top 30 for the 2013 PGA Championship

1. Tiger Woods -9

2. Phil Mickelson -7

3. Webb Simpson -6

4. Adam Scott -6

5. Ernie Els -5

6. Lee Westwood -5

7. Jason Dufner -5

8. Justin Rose -5

9. Rickie Fowler -4

10. Henrik Stenson -4

11. Hunter Mahan -4

12. Brandt Snedeker -4

13. Luke Donald -4

14. Ian Poulter -3

15. Jim Furyk -3

16. Matt Kuchar -3

17. Charl Schwartzel -3

18. Zach Johnson -3

19. Dustin Johnson -3

20. Sergio Garcia -3

21. Harris English -2

22. Bubba Watson -2

23. Jordan Spieth -2

24. Bill Haas -1

25. John Senden -1

26. Billy Horschel -1

27. Kevin Chappell -1

28. Freddie Jacobson -1

29. Keegan Bradley -1

30. Nicolas Colsaerts -1

Check out all the PGA Championship Fantasy Contests for this week.