Fantasy Golf: BMW Championship Preview
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The third stage of the FedEx Cup play-offs heads to Conway Farms Golf Club in Illinois for the BMW Championship this week.
After a week off, the FedEx Cup Play-offs resume as the top 70 golfers on the points list compete for the third title and a place in the Tour Finals at East Lake next week.
Justin Thomas battled with Jordan Spieth and Marc Leishman on a thrilling and rare Monday night of golf at the Dell Technologies, but with the latter two men stuttering on the back nine, it was the PGA Champion Thomas who clinched his fifth Tour title of the 2016/17 season. For Spieth it was a second runner-up finish on the bounce in the play-offs, but it did come with one perk – over-taking Dustin Johnson to claim his place at the top of the FedEx Cup rankings, just a marginal 27 points ahead of JT on 5071.
Spieth, Thomas and DJ are now guaranteed to be in the top five heading in to the final event, meaning they have a greater chance at sealing the FedEx Cup if they win the Tour Championship. Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm occupy the fourth and fifth spots, but could be overtaken by any player in the top 22 of the current points list that wins this week. Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, Marc Leishman, Brooks Koepka and Pat Perez make up the rest of the top 10, and will be hoping to push up a few spots ahead of next week.
So why is getting in to the top 5 that important? The FedEx Cup points are re-set for the top 30 players, meaning that anyone in the top five is guaranteed to win the FedEx Cup and take home the $10million if they also win the Tour Championship.
What about last year’s champion Rory McIlroy? At number 57 on just 881 points, he needs to finish in the top four (at least) just to guarantee his spot in the Tour Finals.
With so much to play for and consider, who should you pick this week for your Fantasy Golf team? Remember, you must have made your selections by midnight on Wednesday the 13th September.
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Fantasy Picks: Dell Technologies (in price order)
Dustin Johnson: Fantasy Price £15m
The four time PGA Tour winner this year was leapfrogged by both Thomas and Spieth after their 1-2 finish last week, but having won the first play-off event at the Northern Trust, DJ is only about 400 points behind. The World No.1 finished T18 at the Dell Technologies, but given that the man defending the BMW Championship this week said he feels back to his pre-Masters best, we’re going to believe him. He’s ranked 1st for strokes gained, 6th for scoring average, 2nd for driving distance and 11th birdie average.
Jordan Spieth: Fantasy Price £15m
The Open champion was beaten in a play-off at the Northern Trust and by JT last week at the Dell Technologies, yet he’s still claimed the top spot in the FedEx rankings. Three victories this year, and he’s also ranked 1st for approaches to the green, 2nd for putting average, 1st for both scoring and birdie average and 4th for greens in regulation.
Jason Day: Fantasy Price £15m
A bit more of a risk given a tumultuous season, but Day has turned it up a gear in the last couple of weeks and his game is very close. He finished T6 thanks to a final round 67 at the Northern Trust, was T9 at the PGA Championship, and if it hadn’t been for a bad opening round at the Dell Technologies he would have finished a lot higher than T25. Ranked 6th for birdie average and strokes gained around the green, 28th in FedEx.
Rickie Fowler: Fantasy Price £14.5m
Fowler has already had a win at the Honda Classic this year and has been pretty consistent all season in every part of his game – with nine top 10 finish in 18 starts. Hasn’t finished worse than 20th in past four events, was T13 at Dell Technologies and is currently 6th in FedEx standings. T20 last week, and ranked third for total driving and putting average, 4th for scoring average and birdie average, and 1st for sand save percentage and scrambling from the fringe.
Justin Rose: Fantasy Price £14.5m
One to watch this week, for sure as he seems to have hit a bit of a hot streak. Two back-to-back T10 finishes in both of the first two FedEx Cup play-off events. Lies 17th in FedEx Cup rankings so a win would push him in with a chance of a top 5 placing. Ranked 10th for birdie average and 12th scoring average.
Patrick Reed: Fantasy Price £14.5m
Following his first top 10 in a major at the PGA Championship, Patrick Reed was 20th at the Northern Trust and 6th in the second play-off event a couple of weeks ago. In his last nine tournaments he’s had three top 10s, seven top 20s, a T36 and one missed cut. Ranked 22nd in FedEx so could challenge for top 5 spot with win this week.
Justin Thomas: Fantasy Price £14m
The Dell Technologies was his fifth victory in the 2016/17 season, pretty much wrapping up player of the year. The 2017 PGA Championship winner shot a 59 earlier this season, set a 59, a scoring record at the US Open, won his first major and is now ranked second in the FedEx Cup. Can he be stopped? He’s ranked 1st for putting, eagle average, 2nd for birdie average and 4th for scoring average
Brooks Koepka: Fantasy Price £13.5m
The US Open champion has been threatening the top of the leaderboards almost every week since March, and despite an off week at Northern Trust he was T18 last week and is ranked 9th in FedEx Cup standings – big chance of moving in to top 5 with a win. Ranked 5th for birdie average, 15th for scoring average and 4th for putting average. His last six results? T18-T49-T13-T17-T6-1
Paul Casey: Fantasy Price £13.5m
Casey has knocked on the door plenty of times this year already, and hasn’t finished worse than 26th in his last 11 starts, which includes seven top 10s. His T5 at the WGC Bridgestone Invitaitonal and T13 at PGA Championship was a confident showing from Casey, and he followed it with another T5 at the Northern Trust and T4 at Dell Technologies. Ranked in top 10 for scoring average, strokes gained and greens in reg.
Jon Rahm: Fantasy Price £12m
Rahm has been a threatening figure all-year, and with a victory on both PGA and European Tours in his rookie year – he doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere fast. Finished T3 at Northern Trust, T4 at Dell Technologies, taking his top 10 count of 2017 up to ten! He’s the World No.5, ranked 5th in FedEx Cup standings, in top 10 for strokes gained, birdie average and scoring average, and is a good fantasy price.
If you’re low on fantasy cash, go for Pat Perez (£8.5m), Kyle Stanley (£6.5m), Adam Hadwin (£8m), Russell Henley (£9m) or Sunghoon Kang (£5.5m)
