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Joe Nicely digs into his PGA DFS Core Four for the Genesis Invitational, an article that provides DraftKings daily fantasy golf lineup selections.
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Hello RotoBallers and thanks for joining me for the Genesis Invitational! In this article you will find my four favorite overall DraftKings DFS lineup plays for this week's PGA tournament.
The 'Core Four' will usually be spread across different DraftKings price points, but every week in PGA DFS is different and this article will reflect that by trying to give you an overall outlook of how the slate is shaping up. Be sure to also read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS and betting articles to help you win big!
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Genesis Invitational Notes
Man, I'm so glad to have Pebble Beach and these course-rotation events behind us! I'm also really excited for this week's Genesis Invitational. When you start digging into this tournament, it doesn't take long to recognize that this field is legit major-championship quality. If that isn't exciting enough, we also get to see four rounds on one of America's most iconic courses, Riviera Country Club! So while last week was all fun and games, this week will be serious business for all involved.
Because this field is so deep, we are faced with major-like pricing this week. It's a bit of a double-edged sword though, as there are almost too many good options, which can make narrowing down your lineup difficult. There are lots of ways you can build rosters for the Genesis. All the guys at the top of the board are very strong options and you can easily find enough value to squeeze them in. The mid-tier range is also very strong, which makes a more balanced approach also enticing. The path you choose for the Genesis will ultimately be a decision you'll have to make, but personally I'm looking for upside this week, which means targeting players that I believe have a legitimate shot to win or finish inside the top-10 in this event. I feel this week's Core Four reflects that approach, while leaving an average salary that makes it possible to round out rosters with players from the very fertile $7k range.
You can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week.
Justin Thomas - DraftKings: $11,000
This isn't a week that you have to pay up. It is very possible to start your roster construction in the $9k's and make an extremely strong lineup. That's actually the direction I was headed with the Core Four this week - and usually my preferred approach in general - but I just can't get away from Justin Thomas. He has some unfinished business at Riviera after suffering a surprising collapse in the final round last year to finish in solo second.
It was his second straight classy outing at the Genesis (he finished T9 in 2018) after sputtering at Hogan's Alley early in his career. J.T. has made seven starts in the new 2019-20 season - in those seven starts he has two wins and three top-fives! Thomas is perhaps playing better than anyone in the world right now and he's continually improved with each start at Riviera. With the depth of great players now on the PGA Tour, it's basically impossible to say with certainty "this guy is going to win this week"...but if I had to pick a winner this week, I'd go with J.T.
Xander Schauffele - DraftKings: $9,200
There is TONS of quality in this $9k range and I could make a reasonable argument for a handful of guys here, but I'm always interested in Xander in "big events", as he has a Koepka-like knack for always showing up against strong fields in the best tournaments. Schauffele usually stays on the backburner when it comes to industry buzz, but he could very easily be in the "hottest player in the world" conversation.
He's suffered some near misses this season, losing in playoffs in both the WGC-HSBC and the Tournament of Champions. Schauffele has two Riviera starts under his belt, going T15-T9 over the last two years and he's a Cali kid that's comfortable with Poa. I'm hoping we can slide under the radar a bit with him this week after he suffered a missed cut at the Farmers and a final-round slide at the WMPO. This is a great bounceback spot for X, a player that has no real weaknesses in his game.
Alexander Noren - DraftKings: $7,300
I realize that I'm skipping over tons of quality players as we go from Xander Schauffele down to Alex Noren. There are lots of guys there that I will mix and match in different lineups. However, in a tournament like this it's impossible to play everybody, so decisions must be made. Noren's price is the obvious attraction here, as I believe he represents tremendous value at just $7.3k. After looking absolutely horrible for the better part of 2019, the Swede has slowly but surely steadied the ship.
He's made the cut in every tournament he's played in the new season with three top-15 finishes in those five starts. Noren has actually gained strokes T2G in every event he's played since May of last year with just one different facet of his game consistently being a little off from week to week at the end of last season. It appears he's finally putting it all together as he heads to a Riviera layout where he notched a T16 in his lone 2018 Genesis appearance. I'm not super concerned about "safety" this week because I think it will take a lineup full of high finishers to make any DFS noise on this slate, but I do feel that Noren checks that "extremely likely to make the cut" box while also bringing top-10 upside to the table.
Joaquin Niemann - DraftKings: $7,300
I realize that I'm bringing some volatility into the mix with Joaquin Niemann, as there are definitely "safer" options available in the mid-$7k price range. However, I'm a big believer in his talent and upside, so I'm willing to take on some risk with him. Niemann hasn't done much since picking up his first PGA Tour win at Greenbrier back in the fall (he did log a top-five in the TOC) and he doesn't really have much course history to speak of (a T44 in his Genesis debut last year)...so it's fair to wonder why I'm in on him this week.
Well, I could mention that he's gained strokes on Approach in 15 of his last 16 measured tournaments or that his tremendous upside has led to 10 top-10 finishes in just 40 professional starts - but it really comes down to his price, which I feel his way too cheap when compared to his explosiveness, and the fact that I gravitate towards great ball strikers on classic-type courses such as Riviera. Look, Niemann could have a bad week on the greens and miss the cut - you have to consider this possibility when rostering him - or he could win the tournament. I understand that this play might not be for everybody, but it's a gamble I'm willing to take at $7.3k.
