GOLF

Daily Fantasy Golf Helper: Shriners Children's Open

Which golfers can be our building blocks on FanDuel this week at TPC Summerlin?

By now, you've probably dabbled in daily fantasy sports, but if not, don't worry. Now is a great time to start, especially with FanDuel's daily fantasy golf offering.

Golf can be one of the most exciting DFS sports to follow, as tournaments span four days and allow ample time to prepare each week. It's a great balance between time to research and time spent tracking your team.

But whether you're brand new to the PGA or daily fantasy sports in general, we have you covered -- and we have daily fantasy golf projections and lineup building tools, too.

Let's take a look at some golfers to target this week.

Key Stats for the Shriners Children's Open at TPC Summerlin

- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green
- Driving Accuracy
- Birdie or Better Rate
- Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass

For a more detailed breakdown on the course, check out my course primer.

Daily Fantasy Golfer Picks for the Shriners Children's Open

All stats cited below originate at FantasyNational. Strokes gained data includes stats from the past calendar year and is adjusted based on my field strength and recency tweaks. Putting surface splits also come from FantasyNational and include the past 50 rounds when possible -- unless noted. All ranks and percentile ranks are among the field.

Best of the Best

Abraham Ancer (FanDuel Salary: $11,800 | Golf odds Win Odds: +3000) - A lot sets up for a big week from Ancer at TPC Summerlin, a course where he has finished cut, fourth, cut, and fourth over the past four years. Ancer enters this week ranked in the 92nd percentile in adjusted strokes gained: tee to green, and he should gain a lot of leverage at a course that rewards driving accuracy (96th percentile in fairways gained). I don't expect his win odds to stay at 30/1.

Paul Casey ($10,700 | +3500) - The $11,000 range is pretty strong this week, but we can bump down into the $10,000 section to help us build an extra upper-tier golfer into our lineups. Casey's coming off of a disappointing showing at the Ryder Cup but profiles well for TPC Summerlin as a golfer who makes birdies (94th percentile) and stripes his irons (100th percentile) and wedges (72nd percentile). Casey, in total, is a plus putter on bentgrass (barely -- at 0.09 strokes per round over his past 100 rounds) and deserves an "11" at the front of his salary.

Others to Consider:
Viktor Hovland ($11,900 | +2000) - Has all the tools to win here if the wedges are decent; field leader in birdie-or-better rate.
Harris English ($10,900 | +3200) - Elite bentgrass putter with no blemishes in the profile; 93rd-percentile birdie-maker.
Cameron Tringale ($10,200 | +4500) - The salary dropped; doesn't need to be long this week with driver.

Mid-Range Picks

Charley Hoffman ($9,700 | +4500) - The underrated Hoffman comes available to us at a nice salary this week and usually sets up well at birdie tracks. He's in the 99th percentile in both opportunities gained (FantasyNational's stat that is, effectively, birdie chances) and in birdie-or-better rate gained. He'll have to overcome neutral bentgrass putting splits (-0.02 strokes per round) to convert his chances this week, but the elite ball-striking (91st percentile) helps with some of those concerns -- because he should have plenty of opportunities to stuff some birdies.

Marc Leishman ($9,600 | +6500) - Leishman is a tough one to figure out, but I'm leaning toward prioritizing him this week (of course -- I mean, I'm writing him up). Leishman is a slightly positive bentgrass putter (0.07 strokes per round) but more importantly rates out in the 75th percentile in adjusted strokes gained: approach over the past year. He finished T4 at the Fortinet Championship, thanks to the iron play and putting.

Others to Consider:
Joaquin Niemann ($10,000 | +4800) - Finished 10th, cut, 13th here; good bentgrass putter and a better ball-striker.
Talor Gooch ($9,400 | +8000) - An easy justification most weeks: sits 65th percentile or better in all four strokes gained stats.
Ian Poulter ($9,200 | +13000) - Surprisingly good birdie-maker (88th percentile) and benefits from an accuracy-friendly course.

Low-Salaried Picks

Patton Kizzire ($9,000 | +9500) - Kizzire rates as the fourth-best golfer at or below $9,000 in long-term adjusted form in my database, and of the three above him (Taylor Moore [$8,600], Ryan Palmer [$8,900], and Stewart Cink [$8,300]), he's the only one who sets up really well here in terms of putting and birdie tendencies. Kizzire could spray it (9th percentile in fairways gained) but could also splash in tons of birdies (94th percentile), so he's worth the risk here as someone who seems a bit under-salaried.

Hank Lebioda ($7,000 | +23000) - Okay, so, there are some concerns with Hank right now. Sure. He's really been relying on his putter lately, but the irons are also great. Over the past year, Lebioda ranks in the 80th percentile in adjusted approach play and in the 77th percentile in adjusted putting. That pairs with 80th-percentile birdie numbers over his past 50 rounds and positive bentgrass putting (0.23 strokes per round) over his past 100 bentgrass rounds. He missed the cut at the Fortinet Championship despite ranking 13th in strokes gained: approach -- despite missing two rounds.

Others to Consider:
Lucas Glover ($8,700 | +9500) - Great course history; a statistical standout below $9,000.
Stewart Cink ($8,300 | +13000) - As mentioned, one of the best golfers below $9,000 and is well below $9,000.
Brendon Todd ($8,200 | +20000) - One of the biggest beneficiaries on Tour of a non-distance course; 99th-percentile bentgrass putting.
Martin Laird ($8,100 | +15000) - Two-time winner here (including 2020). Fits with accuracy and tee-to-green; putting is poor.
Lanto Griffin ($7,600 | +15000) - Questionable wedges (11th percentile) and scoring (17th percentile) but still a great value at $7,600.