This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS
Purse: $6.9M
Winner's Share: $1,242,000
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: New Orleans, La.
Course: TPC Louisiana
Yardage: 7,425
Par: 72
Tournament Preview
Just west of the Big Easy, TPC Louisiana will again host the Zurich Classic, a tournament situated two weeks post-Masters and two weeks prior to The Players Championship. Due to its muted spot on the schedule, top-ranked players tend to avoid this tournament. The 2015 crop includes Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Billy Horschel, who represent three of the five top-20 players in the world. The Pete Dye design traverses 250 acres of Louisiana wetlands, characterized by oak and cypress trees, five ponds and Dye's signature waste bunkers. The last five years have yielded an average winning score of 18-under, so players will need to go low to have any chance of raising a trophy by week's end.
Key Stats to Winning at TPC Louisiana
• Total Driving (Emphasis on Distance)
• Strokes gained: Tee-to-Green
• GIR%
• Par-5 Scoring
Last Decade of Champions
2014 - Seung-Yul Noh
2013 - Billy Horschel
2012 - Jason Dufner
2011 - Bubba Watson
2010 - Jason Bohn
2009 - Jerry Kelly
2008 - Andres Romero
2007 - Nick Watney
2006 - Chris Couch (English Turn G&CC)
2005 - Tim Petrovic
Studying the winners reveals an interesting pattern of great ball strikers who are not necessarily known for putting. One reason great putting isn't imperative is the ease of the par-5s, which can allow stress-free birdies since they're all less than 600 yards. Three of the par-5s are reachable for long hitters, giving them an advantage if they can show some accuracy. Strokes gained tee-to-green and greens in regulation are worth focusing on this week; many holes at TPC Louisiana have mounding and challenging bunkers around the greens that make saving par from off the green an uphill battle.
ZURICH CLASSIC DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Dustin Johnson - $13,000 (Odds: 8/1)
Jason Day - $12,300 (10/1)
Justin Rose - $11,900 (10/1)
Rickie Fowler - $10,700 (16/1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Morgan Hoffmann - $9,300 (Odds: 45/1)
Sean O'Hair - $9,000 (40/1)
Justin Thomas - $8,300 (40/1)
Jamie Donaldson - $8,200 (45/1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Nick Watney - $8,100 (Odds: 50/1)
Scott Piercy - $7,800 (50/1)
Russell Knox - $7,700 (50/1)
Martin Laird - $7,500 (75/1)
John Senden - $6,700 (75/1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Lucas Glover - $6,500 (Odds: 100/1)
Robert Streb - $6,200 (75/1)
Marc Leishman - $6,100 (80/1)
Retief Goosen - $6,000 (100/1)
Aaron Baddeley - $5,800 (125/1)
Michael Putnam - $5,600 (125/1)
Robert Garrigus - $5,300 (150/1)
WHO I'M ROLLING WITH THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Rickie Fowler - $10,700
Keegan Bradley - $10,500
Steve Stricker - $9,400
Justin Thomas - $8,300
Michael Putnam - $5,600
Robert Garrigus - $5,300
Fowler should do well this week in a weakened field coming off a backdoor T12 at the Masters two weeks ago, and Keegan Bradley is rocking two top-25s in a row with an eighth-place showing at the Zurich last year. Stricker muted any doubts about his game and/or back health after a solid top-30 at the Masters and has top-15s his last three trips to Louisiana. Justin Thomas continued his torrid rookie year after a T11 last week and is eerily similar to Billy Horschel who rode a hot 2013 before breaking through to win this very event. Lastly, Putnam and Garrigus come with a bit higher risk but come with upside to post a top-15 this week with their ball-striking ability.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jason Day - $12,300
Justin Rose - $11,900
John Senden - $6,700
John Huh - $6,400
Chris Stroud - $6,400
Robert Streb - $6,200
World No. 5 Day is the top-ranked player in the field and leads the Tour in all-around ranking and should finish well in a weak field. Pairing him with a red-hot Rose makes it difficult to fill in the rest of my lineup given the salary constraints, but the contrarian effort could pay dividends if my bottom three can bring their games. Senden is an elite ball striker who has struggled recently but made the cut at the Masters in his most recent start. My biggest concerns lie in Huh, Stroud and Streb, who fit the tee-to-green mold but lack consistency. If two of those three can make the cut there's some serious potential with this group, but doing so is easier said than done.
