Inside FedEx"s "Superhub" During Christmas Rush
As part of ESPN Fantasy"s efforts to give daily gamers intel on whom to target in DFS, our fantasy golf experts are here to share which players they view as building blocks for this weekend"s event. The panel for the FedEx St. Jude Classic features ESPN.com"s Bob Harig and Jonathan Coachman, as well as FantasyGolfInsider"s Jeff Bergerson, Jason Rouslin, Zach Turcotte, Taras Pitra and Dailyfantasybootcamp"s Al Zeidenfeld and David Jayne.
Note: Golfer salaries listed are for DraftKings.
Bob Harig -- Phil Mickelson ($11,300)
This is not the week that Mickelson would prefer to win, but he"s used the Memphis tournament as a tune-up several times for the U.S. Open and fared well. Coming off a tie for 20th at the Memorial, where he gave himself numerous birdie chances, Mickelson will look to convert a few more putts at a place where he"s had two top fives in the past three years.
Jonathan Coachman -- Dustin Johnson ($12,800)
This is a really unique week on the PGA Tour. You have a few big names and then several young college stars who are turning pro this summer. I am going with a man who played well last week at the Memorial and has had success in Memphis before as well. He has not won since his 3-putt last year at the U.S. Open. He needs to raise a trophy and this week is going to be the week.
David Jayne -- Brooks Koepka ($11,100)
We have a weak field with only four players in the field that currently rank inside the top 25 of the FedEx cup standings. Koepka is returning to action after losing the lead on the back nine and eventual playoff three weeks ago at the Bryon Nelson. Last year at this event in Memphis he held the 36-hole lead while on the greens he was "burning a bunch of edges" and no putts were really falling for him. In his two starts here he has not been elite on the greens, but coming into the event he compares favorably to the field with the putter. I"m expecting a few more putts to drop for him this week resulting in yet another very strong finish for Koepka.
Al Zeidenfeld -- Phil Mickelson ($11,300)
With most of the top golfers taking the week off to rest, recuperate and prepare for the U.S. Open we"re left with only a handful to choose from. Mickelson is the one I"m going to choose to anchor my lineups this week because of his ability to scramble and be creative around the greens. The fairways are tight at Southwind and the ability to save shots and score from inopportune positions will rule the weekend and as a result, Phil is my guy.
Jeff Bergerson -- Brooks Koepka ($11,100)
Koepka is one of the few players that I can actually envision winning the FedEx St Jude Classic, with most of the top players in the world resting for the U.S Open next week. We last saw him squander a late Sunday lead in the AT&T Byron Nelson and finish runner-up, which was his fourth top 10 this calendar year. In his two appearances here at TPC Southwind he had a 19th in 2014 and a third-place finish last year. Koepka is clearly one of the most talented players in the field this week and I would expect him to add another top 10 to his resume.
Zach Turcotte -- Tim Wilkinson ($7,200)
Most writers are going to fixate on the three most expensive golfers this week, but in order to roster those players, you are going to need to drop down to the lower ranges to find some value to pair with them. Tim Wilkinson offers a lot of value at $7,200. Wilkinson has made six straight cuts and missed just two cuts all season. He has been tremendous in all phases of the game, particularly with his putter. He has made the cut in his last two starts at Southwind and his game is trending in the right direction. He will not win this week, but should be able to make the cut and has some upside potential as he has shown over the last two months.
Jason Rouslin -- Dustin Johnson ($12,800)
It"s no secret this guy has been around the winner"s circle all year and with back-to-back third places finishes, I think it"s his time for a win. The salary doesn"t scare me much as there are a plethora of great players to pair with him in the cheaper salary range, including three college grads playing their first tourney as professionals. DJ is a previous winner here back in 2012 to go along with a 10th and 24th in his other two starts. With an improved putter this season, DJ should be able to find his way into contention. Although it is just a tune-up event before the U.S. Open, I think there is a strong chance that DJ closes it with a win.
Taras Pitra -- Phil Mickelson ($11,300)
Phil has had some really good success at Southwind. We all know he likes to tee it up the week before a major to keep his mind focused on tournament golf rather than practice. Statistically he is the best he"s been in the past five years, so he may be a popular play, but my concern lies within how he scores after the first round as is the case with players teeing it up the week before a major. That being said, he has never missed a cut here, and his 58th place finish in 2009 shows he"ll grind it out even if his focus is on Oakmont.
Source: http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/16019452/fedex-st-jude-classic-expert-picks-daily-fantasy-golf
