The Albatross – FanDuel Preview – FedEx St Jude Championship

The Albatross – FanDuel DFS Golf Preview – FedEx St. Jude Championship
By Erik Dantoft

Take on Jeff (jtbergerson), Zach (myzteriouzly), Aaron (ge3kusa), Ryan (rb42seven), Pari (Dixoncider21), and me (edantoft) of Fantasy Golf Insider for your chance at cash prizes and free FanDuel entries!

Fantasy Golf Insider Beat the Experts FanDuel Contest

Click on the “Fantasy Golf Insider Beat the Experts FanDuel Contest” link above to get an entry into our exclusive FGI contest over on FanDuel. This is a great contest to gauge your PGA DFS skills while competing against the team here at FGI. FanDuel also has decent prize pools for the FedEx St. Jude Championship so be sure to check out their contest lobby as well.

Wyndham Championship Fantasy Golf Insider Beat the Experts Leaderboard:
Position
Username
Score
1st
tltgolf
567.10
2nd
harker
546.20
3rd
thaacarter
533.00
4th
fishman2585
530.00
5th
bogieboss413
523.90

FedEx St. Jude Championship Preview:

After an exciting conclusion to the Wyndham Championship, a world-class event is on tap in Memphis, Tennessee. The FedEx St. Jude Championship will feature the top 120 of golfers from the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season and serves as the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs. They will take on the challenge of one of the most difficult par 70 courses on the PGA TOUR, TPC Southwind. TPC Southwind was previously the host of the FedEx St. Jude Classic for over three decades until it replaced Firestone CC (South) three years ago as the venue for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Now the venue for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, it will play slightly longer since last year’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational due to the par-3 14th hole being extended by 10 yards. Officially TPC Southwind will stretch 7,243 yards in length and will continue to reward golfers that can hit fairways and putt well on the Champion bermudagrass greens. Previous leaderboards of the FedEx St. Jude Classic and the last three years of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational show that golfers with a solid tee-to-green game will likely play well this week, but ones able to land the ball close to the pin with an accurate approach game will be the ones threatening to win.

Recommended Bets for the FedEx St. Jude Championship:
To Win Outright (Odds via @DKSportsbook)
Justin Thomas – 14/1: Justin Thomas should be taken a serious threat to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship even after a poor outing at The Open Championship (T53) and a missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open last times out. He has yet to perform consistently at a prominent level on links style courses, so this hardly came as a surprise. JT won the PGA Championship back in mid-May so clearly his game is in decent shape heading into Memphis, Tennessee. He also knows his way around TPC Southwind as a previous winner here at the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. If JT can get his tee-to-green game working early and holes a few putts, then it should surprise no one if he is in contention come Sunday afternoon.

Sam Burns – 35/1: Sam Burns must be respected to go well at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week. He is coming off a successful trip overseas with made cuts at both The Open Championship (T42) and the Genesis Scottish Open (T66). As a three-time winner this season (Charles Schwab Challenge, Valspar Championship, Sanderson Farms Championship), Burns has proved that he can win any time that he tees it up. TPC Southwind is a course that he also feels extremely comfortable golfing at as he nearly won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational last year here. If his game does not show any signs of rust, Burns should be in the mix in Memphis, Tennessee once again this time around.

Russell Henley – 50/1: Russell Henley will look to keep his good form going at the FedEx St. Jude Championship after a T5 finish at the Wyndham Championship last week. Before that he had a T10 finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Henley has the game to succeed at TPC Southwind as he showed in 2016 with a T7 finish at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. His tee-to-green game is capable of being one of the best in Memphis, Tennessee this week and if his putter also carries its weight, then a trip to the winner’s circle at the FedEx St. Jude Championship should not be out of the question.

Corey Conners – 65/1: Corey Conners seems slightly underestimated at the FedEx St. Jude Championship after a T21 finish at the Wyndham Championship last week. Prior to that he finished T28 at The Open Championship and had a top ten finish at the RBC Canadian Open earlier this summer. A good outing should be in order this week at TPC Southwind as his game is an ideal fit here and has plenty of course experience to lean on as well. That is why Conners offers some of the most value after the bigger names at the top of the market to be in the mix at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Recommended “One And Done” Golfer for the FedEx St. Jude Championship:

Joohyung Kim: Joohyung Kim is in an excellent spot in Memphis, Tennessee and makes for a high upside “One And Done” selection for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has some of the best incoming form in this 120-man field after winning the Wyndham Championship last week. Kim should enjoy the test at TPC Southwind this week where his ball-striking and putting will surely shine. The FedEx St. Jude Championship is a good spot for Kim to keep his momentum going and continue his charge through the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs.

FedEx St. Jude Championship Weather: The latest weather forecast for Memphis, Tennessee can be found here.

Within-Event Strokes Gained Category Correlations to SG: Total at TPC Southwind (Course Average since 2017) via @datagolf:

​SG: OTT – .378
​SG: APP – .647
​SG: ARG – .372
​SG: P – .570

FedEx St. Jude Championship WDs as of 8/9/2022: Tommy Fleetwood, Lanto Griffin, Daniel Berger, Nate Lashley, Hideki Matsuyama

FedEx St. Jude Championship Market Leaders:

Rory McIlroy headlines the FedEx St. Jude Championship field in salaries with a deserving $11.9k price tag. He is coming off a solo 3rd place finish at The Open Championship last time out which came after a T19 finish at the Travelers Championship and a T5 finish at the U.S. Open. He has two wins this season (RBC Canadian Open and The CJ Cup @ Summit) and is one of the best golfers in the world for a reason. A well-rested McIlroy should have no issues taking on TPC Southwind this week and even with a stacked field assembled in Memphis, Tennessee, he will be a serious threat to win the first leg of the FedExCup Playoffs.

Scottie Scheffler slots in next $200 cheaper at $11,700 for the FedEx St. Jude Championship after a sizzling stretch of golf. He bounced back with a T21 finish at The Open Championship last time out after he missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open. Prior to that he finished T13 at the Travelers Championship and T2 finish at the U.S. Open. He also has racked up four victories this season (Masters, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Waste Management Phoenix Open). As he is amid a career year, look for Scheffler to score birdies in bunches at TPC Southwind and ultimately be in contention come Sunday afternoon at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm, Tony Finau, and Xander Schauffele round out the $11k salary tier and all are in play for quality fantasy performances at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee.

Recommended golfers for the FedEx St. Jude Championship for both Cash games and GPPs:

Rory McIlroy – $11,900: Rory McIlroy is clearly one of the top tier golfers for the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week after a solo 3rd place finish at The Open Championship last time out last time out and a T19 finish at the Travelers Championship and a T5 finish at the U.S. Open before that. In addition, he won the RBC Canadian Open, finished T18 at the Memorial Tournament, finished in solo 8th place at the PGA Championship, in solo 5th place at the Wells Fargo Championship, and in solo 2nd place at the Masters. McIlroy should enjoy his visit to Memphis, Tennessee with his game in elite shape. If he can get his tee-to-green game working early at TPC Southwind and holes a few putts, then it should surprise no one if McIlroy is in contention come Sunday afternoon and in position to win his third FedExCup championship.

Justin Thomas – $11,500: Justin Thomas is primed for a quality golf outing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week after a T53 finish at The Open Championship last time out. He also has top 10 finishes at the RBC Canadian Open, PGA Championship (WIN), AT&T Byron Nelson, Masters, Valspar Championship, The Genesis Invitational, Waste Management Phoenix Open and Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2022. Now, JT gets another crack at TPC Southwind where his game is an excellent fit. He is a reviosu winner here (WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational – 2020) so another solid performance in Memphis, Tennessee should not come as a shock to anyone. A win should not be out of the question either.

Xander Schauffele – $11,000: Xander Schauffele is an excellent golfer arriving at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in great form as he is coming off a T15 finish at The Open Championship last time out. His back-to-back wins at the Genesis Scottish Open last week and at the Travelers Championship before that obviously shows that he is on top of his game right now. Schauffele also recently finished T14 at the U.S. Open, T18 at the Memorial Tournament and T13 at the PGA Championship. He remains one of the best golfers on the PGA TOUR as his ball-striking is top notch and is capable of a low round when he gets hot with the flat stick. He should not be underestimated to keep his hot streak going at TPC Southwind this week and making a strong push through the FedExCup Playoffs.

Also consider:
Scottie Scheffler – $11,700
Patrick Cantlay – $11,400

Matt Fitzpatrick – $10,900: Matt Fitzpatrick will look to keep his good form going at the FedEx St. Jude Championship after a T21 finish at The Open Championship last time out. Prior to that he finished T6 at the Genesis Scottish Open and won the U.S. Open. His game should set up nicely again in Memphis, Tennessee at TPC Southwind where he already has two WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational top ten finishes at (2020, 2019). That is why Fitzpatrick seems slightly devalued to go well at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and so offers some of the most value after the bigger names in this field.

Shane Lowry – $10,200: Shane Lowry has every chance to go well at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week. Although he is coming off a poor outing at the Wyndham Championship (T83) last week, prior to that he finished T21 finish at The Open Championship and T9 at the Irish Open over on the DP World Tour. TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee is a good spot for Lowry as his game typically translates here as it did back in 2020 when he finished T6 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. His $10.2k FanDuel salary is extremely enticing and should be a popular DFS GPP and cash game play as he looks to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Sam Burns – $10,100: Sam Burns should be able to maintain his good form at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week. He is coming off a T42 finish at The Open Championship last time out and not long before that he finished T27 the U.S. Open. Burns is also a three-time winner this season (Charles Schwab Challenge, Valspar Championship, Sanderson Farms Championship) so another outstanding effort at TPC Southwind should be in the works after nearly winning here last year during the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Burns offers some of the most value with a low five figure FanDuel salary for the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Also consider:
Will Zalatoris – $10,800
Sungjae Im – $10,300

Russell Henley – $9,900: Russell Henley seems somewhat undervalued at the FedEx St. Jude Championship despite making three of four cuts during the major championships this season (The Open Championship, PGA Championship, and the Masters). He also nearly won the Sony Open in Hawaii to begin his 2022 PGA TOUR season and was in the mix the last two weeks at the Wyndham Championship (T5) and the Rocket Mortgage Classic (T10). Henley is usually on point with his iron play, so a quality result seems reasonable this week at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. He offers some of the most value in the upper $9k FanDuel range to be in contention at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Billy Horschel – $9,900: If you lean on course history at TPC Southwind, then Billy Horschel should be taken under advisement as a FanDuel $9k value play. Since 2012, he has not missed a cut and finished T17, T25, and T9 here during the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational so clearly, he enjoys the course setup in Memphis, Tennessee. Horschel’s recent form finishes of T27 at the Wyndham and T21 at The Open Championship should also help him get another weekend tee time at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. With a FanDuel salary priced below $10k, Horschel is a nice midrange value option for your lineups.

Also consider:
Corey Conners – $9,800
Aaron Wise – $9,600

Harold Varner III – $8,800: Harold Varner III must be respected to go well at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week. His missed cut at the Wyndham Championship last week has severely depreciated his FanDuel salary to $8,800. Before last week’s mishap, he finished T28 finish at The Open Championship and T43 at the Travelers Championship. Plainly that shows that his game can hang with the best golfers on the PGA TOUR and a quality bounce back result should be on the way this week at TPC Southwind. All HVIII needs is for his normally reliable tee-to-green game to do its part and if his putter also shows up, then he should be looking at weekend tee times in Memphis, Tennessee.

Also consider:
Mito Pereira – $8,500
Keith Mitchell – $8,500

“FanDuel $7k Special” for the FedEx St. Jude Championship:

Matt Kuchar – $7,900: If your FanDuel lineup for the FedEx St. Jude Championship requires you to dip down into the $7k salary range, Matt Kuchar and his $7,900 salary should be taken under advisement. Although he missed the cut last time out at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he made eight consecutive cuts before that and has three top ten finishes this season. As someone who has never missed the FedExCup Playoffs since its inception, Kuchar knows what it takes to make a run this time of the season. Even with a robust field this week, having some exposure to Kuchar could be the cut-maker with upside you need to take down a MME GPP this week over on FanDuel.

Also consider:
Andrew Putnam – $7,700

“FanDuel Fade” for the FedEx St. Jude Championship:
Note: This golfer is my personal fade this week.

Cameron Smith – $11,600: The 2021-22 PGA TOUR season has been quite good for Cameron Smith. Specifically, he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS Championship and most recently The Open Championship last time out. While that is some good quality golf, it would probably be best to leave him alone this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Unfortunately, it was all but confirmed from the Aussie with his “No comment.” response when asked about his $100 million deal to join LIV Golf during his press conference Tuesday. Smith may be able to put these potential LIV Golf distractions aside and squarely focus on the FedExCup Playoffs as he also stated, but as the third highest priced golfer over on FanDuel this week, there are simply safer options within his salary range for cash games. Smith