Welcome to Playing the Tips!
Each week this will be the one-stop resource to soak in all the picks from our fantasy staffers at Rotoworld.com.
Page 1 is going to look at Daily Fantasy Sports picks (FanDuel, Yahoo, and DraftKings).
Page 2 will have a look at One-and-Done options as well as PGATOUR.com’s fantasy game.
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Dave Tindall
@DaveTindallGolf
DraftKings
Dustin Johnson ($11,000) – Hard to leave anyone out with course figures of 1-7-1. The only question mark is whether DJ is quite playing well enough. Not much wrong with 7-2-32-10 in four worldwide starts so this could be the week where he adds a ‘1’ to that sequence.
Tommy Fleetwood ($9,200) – Finished runner-up on debut and last four worldwide starts either side of Christmas read: 1-2-2-11. I fully expect him to come out firing after a few weeks off.
Sergio Garcia ($8,600) – This is definitely a Sergio track and, along with DJ and Justin Thomas, he’s the only player to have placed in the top dozen (12-7-6) in all three editions at Chapultepec. A good putting week and he should be right up there again.
Rafa Cabrera Bello ($7,600) – Third here two years ago and excellent final 54 holes when again making the top 20 in 2019. T17 at Riviera and, like Sergio, he gets to speak his native tongue this week so comfort levels high in all aspects.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout ($6,900) – Not much salary left but that doesn’t mean Bezuidenhout is a makeweight. The South African has some great form on tree-lined tracks (winner at Valderrama last season) and can add to the strong record of Europeans at Chapultepec. Current form you ask? Runner-up in Dubai and returned home last week to win the Sunshine Tour’s Dimension Data Pro-Am.
Carlos Ortiz ($6,600) – It’s a better field of course but Ortiz was third at the Mayakoba in front of his home Mexican crowd three months ago. Solid of late with T25 in Phoenix followed by T26 at Riviera.
Total salary: $49,900
On the cusp: Rory McIlroy ($11,500), Adam Scott ($9,600), Louis Oosthuizen ($8,900), Paul Casey ($8,700), Matthew Fitzpatrick ($8,000), Kurt Kitayama ($7,200)
Matt Cooper
@MattCooperGolf
DraftKings
Rory McIlroy ($11,500) – Five top five finishes on the bounce and he’s finished seventh and second on the course. Being riled has helped him convert the wins and I’m hoping that being in the final group last week, and not putting up a great show, will achieve that.
Adam Scott ($9,600) – A back-to-back winner, but there’s good reason to believe he can turn in another fine performance. The similarity between Riviera and Chapultepec is one, his freshness another.
Brandt Snedeker ($7,700) – Many have commented on the importance of being a good putter on Poa Annua and few are in the Tennessee man’s league in that regard. Third at Torrey Pines a few weeks ago, I’m forgiving the two MCs since.
Graeme McDowell ($7,500) – A winner in Saudi Arabia and he has the bit between his teeth. He’s won on Poa Annua (at Pebble Beach) and he’s been a winner in Mexico (on a very different track, but good vibes and he’s the type to ride them).
Christiaan Bezuidenhout ($6,900) – A very fine second in Dubai, a winner last week at home in South Africa, has won at the tight, tree-lined Valderrama and should not be shocked by altitude. Great value this week.
Carlos Ortiz ($6,600) – Plays out of Guadalajara and said of Riviera, which is a good pointer for this week, “Similar golf course, same grass, same greens.” T26 last week and T3 when the PGA Tour was last in Mexico.
Total salary: $49,800
On the cusp: Dustin Johnson ($11,500), Justin Thomas ($10,800), Jon Rahm ($10,600), Tommy Fleetwood ($9,200), Matt Kuchar ($8,800), Victor Perez ($7,600)
Josh Culp
@futureoffantasy
DraftKings
Jon Rahm (10,600) - Has compared Chapultepec to courses he grew up playing. I like that comfort level for Rahm who arrives with a lot of steady finishes dating back to the summer.
Rory McIlroy (11,500) - The big hitter was the 36-hole leader here in 2017 and also led after day one last year.
Robert MacIntyre (7,200) - The young Scot has top 20s in six of his last seven worldwide starts. He can fill it up in bunches.
Carlos Ortiz (6,600) - Jumping along with Matt and Dave with this pick as Ortiz is comfortable on the grass types used this week.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (6,900) - He stayed sharp last week with a win last week on the Challenge Tour. That just a few weeks after a runner-up finish at the Dubai Desert Classic. Enters with good form.
Matthias Schwab (6,600) - The Austrian has six top-5 finishes worldwide since June (T3 at the BMW International Open).
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FanDuel
Jon Rahm (11,800): He shared the first-round lead here in 2017 and arrives with a long run of good form.
Sergio Garcia (10,300): With a similar look to Valderrama Golf Club, that immediately puts Garcia into the conversation. His steady driving is perfect for a tight and tree-lined layout.
Branden Grace (8,600): Flashed some upside with four straight top 20s before missing two straight cuts. A good chance to rebound this week.
Lucas Herbert (7,700): He nearly gave up the game last year (slight exaggeration) but he’s recharged his batteries and it showed when he won the Dubai Desert Classic last month.
Dustin Johnson (12,000): Hard to ignore his course form with results of WIN, T7, WIN in three tries.
Abraham Ancer (9,600): The Mexican star has played here twice (T52, T39) but arrives with a lot more confidence in his tank this time around.
Yahoo DFS
Jon Rahm (46): The Spaniard has top 20s in 16 of his last 17 worldwide starts.
Paul Casey (35): The Englishman is struggling with his putter lately but he’s gained strokes putting in all three visits to Chapultepec.
Adam Scott (39): Arrives off two wins and last week was played on the same grasstypes (kiyuyugrass and poa annua greens).
Collin Morikawa (23): He’s gained strokes on approach in 74.6% of his measured rounds on TOUR. That only sits behind Webb Simpson and Hideki Matsuyama over the last year.
Louis Oosthuizen (35): He was the first-round leader here in 2018.
Erik van Rooyen (20): The South African should be comfortable in altitude and comfortable on kikuyugrass. Both common factors back home. He finished T36 here last year.
