2 weeks agoNeal Shipley has played well over the last five events. The American golfer does put himself in a bit of a pickle at times but he did have a Top 10 at the ISCO Championship and has two Top 20 results including the Rocket Mortgage Classic. One problem is tournament frequency. He did have to qualify to get into the Shriners Children's Open where he finished 41st. He has made the cut in seven of the eight tournaments entered in 2024. Shipley drives the ball well at an average of 313.7 yards and gains strokes to putting lately at a good clip (0.492 over five events). The key for Shipley will be simply keeping the ball in the fairway and on the green.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoAustin Eckroat competed in the Shriners Children's Open in October. For the American golfer, it was his first tournament in almost two months, and it showed. Eckroat was up and down all week but managed to finish inside the top 50. Thankfully, this course is not like a Major or the BMW Championship, where Eckroat just blew up in the final round (77). That is something that has occurred more than a few times at several PGA events in 2024. His putter has not been optimal, but greens in regulation is important at El Cardonal. If Eckroat can stay accurate with his approaches, he can make some putts. Staying in position will be vital for the young golfer.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoRico Hoey has been up and down with his putter all season. The golfer from the Philippines ranks 144th in strokes gained to putting at -0.254. However, his birdie average is 4.14 which ranks 34th. If he avoids trouble, Hoey can fare well even at the World Wide Technology Championship. The major concern with Hoey is that this is not the ISCO Championship where he finished -22 and lost in the playoff. Good news for him is that he performed well at the Shriners Children's Open and closed with a 66. Given his putting average woes (126th on tour in Round 4), the key for Hoey in Mexico will be that final round.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoJ.J. Spaun would like to forget the first half of 2024. The American golfer missed a ton of cuts but has since reversed his fortunes for the better. Since a Top 10 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Spaun has looked much better on the golf course. He has added three more Top 10 results including a tie for sixth at the ZOZO Championship at the end of October. Off the tee, Spaun is an average golfer off the tee losing 0.001 strokes overall but ranks 16th approaching the green (0.493 strokes gained). The key for him is to get on the green then make putts. Last year, he missed a ton of putts in the third round. That 73 set Spaun well outside the Top 50. He must keep making birdies to stay in contention.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoThe driver and flat stick have been the bright spots for Sam Stevens in 2024, as he's averaged +0.74 strokes gained putting and +0.64 strokes gained off the tee over his last three starts. Unfortunately, those metrics have only translated to a T22-T23-T37 line over that span due to averaging -0.53 strokes gained on approach. Given the windy conditions he'll likely face in Los Cabos, playing him at $10,100 on FanDuel is inherently risky, but the case can be made given the strengths in other areas.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
2 weeks agoErik van Rooyen was an unlikely winner of last year's World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico. Birdies at the Baja course were the name of the game as van Rooyen held off Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas by two strokes. The South African golfer claimed his second PGA Tour win. 2024 started off fairly well but van Rooyen has struggled some over the second half. His last Top 10 result came at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June. The previous two weeks have seen the golfer miss some putts he normally makes which has resulted in finishes outside the Top 40. If he can get the putter going (0.403 strokes gained - 27th), van Rooyen could help from a fantasy standpoint.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoAfter consecutive top-three results, Lucas Glover decided to take a few weeks off. The American golfer had struggled over the summer months, where he missed the cut in five out of seven tournaments. Glover may be among the older active golfers but he can heat the greens up at times. He ranks 10th in driver accuracy at 68.9% and fifth in strokes gained while approaching greens (0.722). If his putter is hot, Glover has a chance in Baja. His birdie average of 3.96 ranks 74th, which is a little concerning as well. Which Glover we see is a great question. If he putts and approaches like he did in Utah, there is potential.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoBen Griffin did not enjoy the first two rounds of the ZOZO Championship. However, the American golfer fared better over the final two rounds. His 64 was one of the lower rounds of Sunday as he vaulted into the Top 25. Griffin needs to ideally start better at the El Cardonal in Baja. The course stands at a lengthy 7.363 yards and is a Par-72. A key for Griffin will be driving accuracy since he averages less than 297 yards off the tee. Normally, his accuracy is a mere 57.44% (129th). Last week, he was well above 60% over the final two rounds. Hitting fairways off the tee will be vital for his DFS chances come the weekend.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
2 weeks agoAfter a fast start to the fall series, Keith Mitchell's game has taken a dramatic turn for the worse, missing the cut in his last two starts. He has produced negative strokes gained metrics across the board in both outings and didn't play very well in this event last year either. Coming in at $10,800 on FanDuel, there isn't much here to justify taking him over other top options.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
2 weeks agoIt has been a good fall run for Doug Ghim as he has made the cut in all five events thus far. He comes to Mexico looking to keep the momentum going in a part of the country where he has produced some solid finishes over the last 12 months (T8 in the Mexico Open and T15 at this event last year). That success can be equated to his superb ball striking, ranking 6th in the regular season in strokes gained on approach (+0.704) and 22nd in strokes gained off the tee (+0.393). However, the improved consistency is due to the improvement on the greens and not giving so much back to the field in that area. At $10,600 on FanDuel, Ghim has incredible upside with a higher floor than most others in the field.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
2 weeks agoWorld No. 33 golfer Cameron Young is making his first start since a T43 finish at the BMW Championship, which ended his 2024 regular season. His game was much more in form to start the year than it was towards the closing stretch, as the 27-year-old went cold with his irons for his final two starts, averaging minus-0.875 strokes gained on approach over his last two events. The good news is that he's had over a month to figure things out on that front, but at $11,900 on FanDuel, it's a large chunk to pay for someone with unquestionable volatility.
--Todd McGill - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
4 weeks agoJ.J. Spaun should be in line for a solid week at the Zozo Championship. The 34-year-old San Diego State University alum was knocking on the door of his second career PGA Tour victory toward the end of the 2023-2024 season, posting back-to-back top-10 finishes in his final two events. While he hasn't flashed tremendous upside in his first four Fall Swing appearances, those events are historically categorized as birdie-fests, and Spaun is far from elite with his flat stick. The test awaiting at Accordia Golf Narashino will reward ball-striking, and over the last 36 rounds, Spaun ranks 18th in good drive percentage, fourth on approach play, first in opportunities gained, and sixth in bogey avoidance. He also posted a T25 here in 2022 and a T6 last year. Fantasy managers should view Spaun as a value play with top-10 upside once again this week.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
4 weeks agoFantasy managers should not get too excited over Patrick Rodgers' T11 result in his most recent start at the Black Desert Championship. The 32-year-old Stanford University alum gained close to six strokes putting at the event, but the test awaiting at Accordia Golf Narashino presents a much different challenge. The course historically rewards mid-to-long iron play, and Rodgers ranks 52nd in overall approach play, 51st on approach from 150-175 yards, and 46th on approach from 175-200 yards over the last 36 rounds. Rodgers did post a T16 in his last Zozo Championship start in 2023, but fantasy managers would be wise to consider higher-upside golfers with stronger course fits in the 2024 rendition.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
4 weeks agoBen Griffin could be in line for a solid week at the Zozo Championship. The 28-year-old UNC alum heads to Japan in solid form, making the cut in four of his last five starts with top finishes of T7 at the Wyndham Championship and T11 at the Black Desert Championship two weeks ago. He's also gained strokes around the green in seven consecutive starts, a statistical category that could play a major role with a historically low greens-in-regulation percentage at Accordia Golf Narashino. The OWGR No. 71 ranks inside of the top-15 golfers in the field in strokes gained on approach, around-the-green, and bogey avoidance over the last 36 rounds, and he's more than capable of having a spike putting week. Fantasy managers choosing to invest in Griffin's $7,800 DraftKings salary could be handsomely rewarded at the end of round four on Sunday.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
4 weeks agoHarry Hall has been a fantasy darling as of late, and there's no reason to hop off the Brit's train this week. The UNLV alum and third-year Tour pro has made the cut in nine of his last 11 starts, including his first victory at the ISCO Championship in July and with five additional top-25 finishes during that span. He should be an excellent course fit at Accordia Golf Narashino, as he ranks 16th in driving distance, 15th on approach, second around-the-green, and second in Bentgrass putting. Hall finished with a respectable T21 at his only start at this event last year, and combined with recent form, fantasy managers can reasonably expect another top-15 finish at the 2024 Zozo Championship.
--Ryan HickeySource: PGA Tour
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