This article is part of our FantasyDraft PGA series.
TOUR Championship
Atlanta, Georgia
East Lake Golf Club - Par 70 - 7,385 yards
Field - Top 30 in the FedExCup standings
Purse - $8.75M
The Preview
The stage is set for the 2016-17 season finale and fourth leg of the playoffs, as the top-30 golfers in the FedExCup standings head to East Lake for their shot at the $10 million grand prize. In the past, East Lake's par-70, tree-lined layout has rewarded the top ball-strikers with elite GIR percentages, while power off the tee has taken a backseat to those who simply hit greens, make birdies and have adequate short games. This week on FantasyDraft only nine golfers are priced below the average remaining player price of $14,285, making the construction of lineups even more difficult when it comes to variation with just 30 players in the field. Atlanta will be hot, humid and sunny throughout the week, while a lack of moderately windy conditions could result in an opportunity for more birdies than usual.
Past Champions
2016 - Rory McIlroy
2015 - Jordan Spieth
2014 - Billy Horschel
2013 - Henrik Stenson
2012 - Brandt Snedeker
2011 - Bill Haas
2010 - Jim Furyk
2009 - Phil Mickelson
FantasyDraft Value Picks - based on $100,000 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Jon Rahm - $17,600
Selecting Jordan Spieth ($19,300) or Dustin Johnson ($19,100) at the top of a lineup would be crippling when it comes to filling out the remainder of your squad due to FantasyDraft's somewhat awkward pricing this week, but it's still important to pick a few top-tier options who have a real shot at winning. Rahm, who'll be making his career debut at East Lake, continues to shine during his first full-schedule season on Tour as he posted top-fives at the first three stages of the FedExCup Playoffs. He ranks first in SG: Putting, second in SG: Off-the-Tee, seventh in SG: Tee-to-Green and third in SG: Total throughout his last 12 rounds, while also owning the sixth-best birdie average this season.
Paul Casey - $17,200
In three career appearances at East Lake, Casey has finished no worse than a tie for fifth and placed fourth just last year. He's certainly due for a win after finishing top-five in two of the first three playoff events, while he ranks first in SG: Approach, third in SG: Tee-to-Green and third in SG: Total throughout his last 24 rounds. Casey is also fourth in GIR percentage and sixth on Tour in scrambling this season.
Justin Rose - $17,000
Rose not only owns a stellar track record at East Lake throughout his last four appearances (four top-6s), but he's also finally found his groove again after a stretch of disappointing performances from May through the PGA Championship. In 12 playoff rounds, Rose ranks top-four among the field in SG: T2G, SG: App, SG: ATG and SG: Total. The Englishman is also second in proximity and fifth in GIR percentage during that span.
Glue Guys
Tony Finau - $14,800
Finau heads to East Lake for the first time in his career riding the momentum from a final-round 64 at last week's BMW Championship, which ultimately sent him from 39th to 24th in the FedExcup standings. He ranked eighth in SG: OTT and third in SG: Putting at Conway Farms, reaching 400 birdies in 100 rounds this season.
Charley Hoffman - $14,800
Hoffman, who has been a solid fantasy option while racking up 414 birdies this season, is very affordable this week at East Lake after failing to finish top-15 in any of the first three legs of the playoffs. He still ranks top-10 among the field terms of SG: T2G, SG: OTT, SG: App and SG: Total throughout his last 24 rounds. Hoffman was also first in proximity last week at the BMW Championship.
Gary Woodland - $14,400
Woodland's disappointing short game and well below-average putter have continued to hinder his overall performance, but he's one of the better ball-strikers in the field as he ranks 17th in SG: T2G this season. He's also finished top-10 during his last two appearances at East Lake, and this year Woodland is averaging $112K in earnings per entry, his highest mark since 2011.
Bargain Bin
Pat Perez - $13,800
Perez's career year has continued into the playoffs, placing sixth at the Dell Technologies
Championship followed by a T12 at the BMW Championship. In those eight rounds, he ranks fourth in SG: ATG, second in SG: Putting and sixth in SG: Total. The 41-year-old's all-around game should give him a realistic shot at the top-10 this week, which would provide great value at his price.
Xander Schauffele - $13,600
Schauffele has one more event to make his final case for the Rookie of the Year award, having won the Greenbrier Classic and placed top-20 in two playoff events while ranking 26th in the FedExCup standings. He's sixth among the field in SG: Off-the-Tee and 12th in proximity throughout his last 12 rounds.
