We have reached Round 2 of the FedEx Cup playoffs as the surviving golfers head to Course No. 3 at Medinah Country Club on the outskirts of Chicago.
Known for its length and thick rough, daily fantasy and betting pundits are placing extra emphasis on tee shots this week with Strokes Gained Off The Tee leading the way as the most discussed key stat according to FanShare Sports.
Knowing which players will be chalky is especially important this week since it's a no-cut event. My colleague, Bryan Mears, wrote about how important going contrarian is in no-cut tournaments in a smart piece about good strategies for how to play DFS in no-cut events.
With the “bomber” narrative in full effect, let’s take a look at which golfers are trending on FanShare leading into the BMW Championship:
Justin Thomas
Odds: 14-1
DFS Price: DraftKings $10,000; FanDuel $11,500
Make it three straight tournaments in which JT has garnered the most pre-tournament buzz.
Make it 3 straight events in which JT has garnered the most pre-tournament buzz.
Sporting a string of solid, but not spectacular results, the market sentiment remains bullish on Thomas finally putting it all together.
Despite the buzz last week at Liberty National, Thomas only ended up with 13% owned on DraftKings. With a $700 dip in salary, we’d say that is the floor for Thomas’ ownership this week.
Adam Scott
Odds: 30-1
DFS Price: DraftKings $9,200; FanDuel $10,900
After a brutal missed-cut at The Open, Scott’s game appears to be trending up again. finishing 5th last week at The Northern Trust.
Scott is also one of the few golfers in the field with positive course history, so to speak. Scott finished T3 at the 2006 PGA Championship.
Jon Rahm
Odds: 10-1
DFS Price: DraftKings $10,900; FanDuel $11,800
Want to know why the market is bullish on the Spaniard? Here are Rahm’s last four DraftKings finishes: 3, 6, 12, 5.
Rahm comes into Medinah with some of the best form in the field, and the market is betting the hot streak continues. Rahm also sits second on Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee which is also fueling the bullish sentiment.
Rory McIlroy
Odds: 8-1
DFS Price: DraftKings $11,500; FanDuel $12,500
After finishing seventh in DraftKings points at Liberty National, McIlroy has now finished within the Top 10 on DraftKings in 65% of his starts over the past 12 months, which is the most in the field.
Blend that with his reputation as one of, if not, the best drivers of the golf ball in the game and there's a lot to like again this week with Rory.
Patrick Cantlay
Odds: 20-1
DFS Price: DraftKings $9,800; FanDuel $10,200
Other than an uptick in salary, not much has changed in terms of the argument for rostering Patrick Cantlay this week.
The 27-year-old carries some of the best long-term form in the field and the market continues to view Cantlay as a cash-game staple who also offers high-upside potential with decent salary relief in GPP’s.
