Fantasy Insider: Valero Texas Open

With events like the new team competition next week in New Orleans and THE PLAYERS in three weeks, it can be easy to look ahead and lose sight of the next steppingstone right in front of you. Tournaments like the Valero Texas Open may not decide if you win your league championship, particularly since it’s merely the midpoint of 47 tournaments this season, but you may not be able to eventually rule it out as a turning point for defeat. As “Talk of the TOUR” host John Swantek is prone to remind his listeners, especially as I ramble during my weekly segment on Wednesdays, “Focus, people!” This week’s approach for TPC San Antonio should include the requisite four cornerstones to get you to the weekend. Then consider sprinkling in a couple of potential game-changers who can move it off the tee. A solid team total will make next week’s break in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO feel even better. Speaking of which, the structure of the Fantasy Insider column for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is undecided at the moment. We’ll still publish as usual, but the current format won’t return in earnest until the Wells Fargo Championship in two weeks. PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO My roster for the Valero Texas Open (in alphabetical order): Kevin Chappell Charley Hoffman Billy Horschel Brendan Steele Daniel Summerhays Jimmy Walker You’ll find my starters in Expert Picks. Others to consider for each category (in alphabetical order): Scoring: Tony Finau; Brian Gay; Adam Hadwin; Zach Johnson; Matt Jones; Brooks Koepka; Luke List; Graeme McDowell; Ryan Moore Driving: Tony Finau; Adam Hadwin; Zach Johnson; Matt Jones; Ryan Moore; Harold Varner III; Jhonattan Vegas Approach: Adam Hadwin; Zach Johnson; Luke List; Ryan Moore; Harold Varner III; Tim Wilkinson Short: Luke Donald; Brian Gay; Adam Hadwin; Zach Johnson; Brooks Koepka; Graeme McDowell; Ryan Moore Power Ranking Wild Card Graeme McDowell … A tendon strain in his left ankle thwarted his only prior appearance here in 2015, but he’s been as reliable as ever in 2017, even if it’s just as a complementary piece. Currently 26th in adjusted scoring and fifth in second-round scoring (where he’s broken par in every PGA TOUR start since August). And as one of the most accurate off the tee in the field, his profile blends perfectly with his form. Draws Jhonattan Vegas … This endorsement defies his forgettable history at TPC San Antonio (2-for-4 with no top 40s), but experience never hurts. He’s also arriving in the best form of his career. Plain and simple, it’s been a recurring theme since his first child was born 13 months ago and there’s no reason to get off this train. Tony Finau … The kind of dynamic performer who can make a difference every time he plays. You already know that. What goes overlooked is how he plows through the finish line just as often. His scoring average in the final round is lower than his split in the first and third rounds, and nine of his 10 closing scores this season are red. This helps explain why half of his 10 cuts made this season are top 25s. Statistically strong enough to author the kind of victory during which he could lose strokes to the field on the greens. No stranger to TPC San Antonio, either, as he made the cut as a PGA TOUR rookie in 2015. Luke List … Can’t lose faith despite last week’s letdown. The bright side is that he rebounded from an opening 75 with a five-birdie 67 and had chances on his last three holes, albeit long-range, to make the cut instead of falling one short. He’s 2-for-2 at TPC San Antonio (T29 last year) and has put together a strong season overall. Ian Poulter … Needs no worse than a two-way share of 36th place to meet the terms of his Major Medical Extension (via earnings). No worse than a solo 12th would yield an exemption into THE PLAYERS next month. Comes off a T11 at Harbour Town, his best finish anywhere in over 12 months. Tied for 37th in his only previous trip to TPC San Antonio in 2013. While the object nearest in the rearview mirror is encouraging as we peer ahead, the best thing he said last week was that he’s playing like he doesn’t care, which is why he lands in this section. This doesn’t mean that he’s not capable or that he’s not giving it everything he has physically, but he knows enough to get out of his own way mentally. Now, even if he falls short, the Brit will still gain entry into several of the 156-man opens the rest of the season. He cleared the threshold for conditional status as a backup plan weeks ago, and would rise in that category when it next reshuffles at the conclusion of the Wells Fargo Championship. Brian Gay … While the lion’s share (all?) of the attention for a guy on a medical extension is centered on Poulter, Gay’s T6 at the RBC Heritage took a sizable bite out of his own terms to fulfill. He’s now only 20.330 FedExCup points shy of securing conditional status, which he’d achieve with a two-way T35 this week, but he needs just a solo 33rd to meet the minimum for full playing privileges (via earnings). And he still has four starts remaining, including this week’s. It’s been five years since he last cracked the top 55 at TPC San Antonio, but his drought at Harbour Town was longer, and that’s the site of his historic victory in 2009. Consider squeezing him into your DFS lineup. Fades Patrick Reed … Take away last year’s runner-up performance, which was embedded in months of fine form, and you’ll agree with his placement here. His last two months have been uncharacteristically below average, so use this week to test a theory. On one hand, TPC San Antonio isn’t the kind of challenge at which anyone is expected to find his game, but on the other, one’s focus needs to be sharper than usual to avoid the pitfalls across the property. Let’s see which may apply to him this week. Chris Kirk … Essentially in the same boat as Reed. Kirk has top 15s in his last two starts at TPC San Antonio, but he’s fallen on hard times in recent months. Neither guy promotes employment of the reverse contrarian approach. Form over course history is almost always the better investment against the grain. Martin Laird … The 2013 champ has averaged 74.17 in his six rounds since slipping on the cowboy boots at TPC San Antonio. And since a patented streak of intermittently crashing leaderboards to open 2017, he’s regressed to the kind of inconsistency not worthy of our confidence. He still looks great on paper, though, so you’re likely to see your opposition buy in maybe more than expected. Nick Watney … Connected four paydays of late, three of which for a T14, but lost form in a big way in Houston with respective rounds of 76 and 77. However, even if he had played well, the hedge is to abstain at TPC San Antonio where he opened a missed cut in 2015 with 81 in what was his only previous trip. Scott Piercy … Perfect in three tries and usually a solid complement to any roster, but he’s missed the cut in his last three starts that featured one. He’s also gone five months without a top 40 in a tournament with a cut. Ricky Barnes … Included here only because he tied for fourth last year after holding the 54-hole lead. TPC San Antonio is the kind of tricky test on which he’s emerged from the pile throughout his career, but last year’s fireworks show is his only top 35 in six tries. He had also sprung into town on a confidence-building T9 at Harbour Town. No such repeat trend this year as he’s gone eight months sans a top-45 finish. Beau Hossler, Curtis Luck, Jordan Niebrugge and Robby Shelton … All in on sponsor exemptions, all making their debuts at TPC San Antonio and all familiar to gamers. Hossler has been taking his lumps, which means that he’s on track long-term. Don’t worry about it. Luck turned pro after the Masters, thus forfeiting exemptions into the U.S. Open and Open Championship, but he extended his amateur career to accept the exemption at Augusta National as it was. The Aussie may feel a little like he’s at home on the Greg Norman design. Shelton is coming off a win at the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada’s qualifying school last week. Niebrugge tied for third. With a place to hone their craft this year, both have to be entering the VTO feeling like they’re playing on house money. That can be dangerous for the rest of the field, but only the riskiest DFSers should consider at most one of these two. Returning to Competition Matt Every … Walked off Harbour Town during his second round last week with a toe injury. He was one of my Sleepers for the RBC Heritage and once placed T2 at TPC San Antonio (2012), but while he’s flashed signs of life, the overall inconsistency is reason enough to continue to avoid, much less the concern over a bum digit. Notable WDs Kevin Na … It’s been six years since he recorded a 16 on the par-4 ninth hole in the opening round of the Valero Texas Open, but it might as well be yesterday for anyone who remembers. As the kids say today, he was all of us on that day. What you probably don’t remember is that he posted top 20s in his last two visits to TPC San Antonio, but is now sitting out a second consecutive edition. Currently 55th in the FedExCup standings. Nicholas Thompson … Withdrew as an alternate on Monday to continue to focus on the Web.com Tour’s United Leasing & Finance Championship. The 34-year-old has status on the PGA TOUR via a Non-exempt Medical Extension affording six more starts. He burned his most recent when he opted to play the Chitimacha Louisiana Open opposite the Puerto Rico Open. It paid off as a T9 lifted him to eighth on the Web.com Tour money list. As for his decision to turn down potential starts on the PGA TOUR, Thompson said the following to PGATOUR.com writer and Web.com Tour Insider Kevin Prise in Louisiana: “I have played three tournaments out here (Web.com Tour) and I’m already over a third of the way to my card, so first things first. It’s not about making money this year exactly, it’s about getting my full card back, and right now, I think this is my best way. Hopefully, I can go ahead and play really good and knock that out fast, and then go ahead and play some of the TOUR starts that I’m in.” The moral of the story in our world is that only full-season salary gamers in the deepest leagues should continue to wait him out. He didn’t cost you anything, anyway. Power Rankings Recap – RBC Heritage Power Ranking  Golfer  Result 1  Matt Kuchar  T11 2  Russell Henley  T26 3  Kevin Kisner  T11 4  Pat Perez  T70 5  Luke Donald  2nd 6  Bill Haas  MC 7  Branden Grace  T11 8  William McGirt  T3 9  Charley Hoffman  MC 10  Matthew Fitzpatrick  MC 11  Kevin Na  T39 12  Adam Hadwin  T22 13  Martin Kaymer  T32 14  Russell Knox  T11 15  Jason Kokrak  MC Sleepers Recap – RBC Heritage Golfer  Result Zac Blair  T32 Matt Every  WD Charles Howell III  T56 Cameron Smith  T29 Michael Thompson  MC Birthdays among active golfers on the PGA TOUR April 18 … John Peterson (28) April 19 … Matt Jones (37) April 20 … John Senden (46) April 21 … none April 22 … Eric Axley (43) April 23 … none April 24 … Jason Bohn (44); Jonas Blixt (33)

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