DraftKings PGA: Quicken Loans National

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Updated on June 21, 2016 7:51PM EST

QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL

Purse: $6.9M
Winner's Share: $1,242,000
FedEx Cup Points: 500 to the Winner
Location: Bethesda, Md.
Course: Congressional Country Club
Yardage: 7,569
Par: 71
2015 champion: Troy Merritt

Tournament Preview

The tournament returns to Congressional Country Club in the course rotation, a beast of a track that hosted the 2011 U.S. Open. The Quicken was played at Congressional in 2012-2014 and 2007-2009, but there were course changes after '09, mostly to the greens, so '12-'14 is really our best guide. Among the winners those three years, only 2013 champ Bill Haas is in the field. Last year, Troy Merritt won at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia. Tiger Woods' tournament takes a big hit this year because of the compressed PGA Tour schedule, coming a week after the U.S. Open. Only three golfers in the top 25 in the OWGR are entered: No. 6 Rickie Fowler, No. 13 Patrick Reed and No. 19 Jim Furyk. Rookie sensation Bryson DeChambeau is also on hand. At more than 7,500 yards, this is a long course, especially at a par-71. There are seven par-4s exceeding 450 yards and, with small greens throughout the course, greens in regulation will be paramount, but a challenge. There are three par-5s, one more than 600 yards, but they aren't great scoring holes, as most par-5s are. In typical summer Washington, D.C., weather, it's forecast to be hot and humid with rain in the forecast for the first two rounds, particularly Thursday.

Key Stats to Winning at Congressional

• Ball striking
• Greens in regulation
• Scrambling
• Putting average

Past Champions

2015 - Troy Merritt
2014 - Justin Rose
2013 - Bill Haas
2012 - Tiger Woods
2011 - Nick Watney
2010 - Justin Rose
2009 - Tiger Woods
2008 - Anthony Kim
2007 - K.J. Choi

Champion's Profile:

Rose, Haas and Woods, the champions from 2012-'14, and Rory McIlroy, who won the U.S. Open at Congressional in 2011, are all great ball strikers. In 2014, the top five finishers all were in the top-20 in strokes gained off the tee, and the top three were in the top-10 in strokes gained on approach shots. Rose, playoff runner-up Shawn Stefani and Charley Hoffman were not among the best putters. Rose won at only 4-under, though Haas was 12-under when he defeated Roberto Castro by three strokes. It sounds overly simplistic and obvious, but keeping the ball in the fairway, finding the small greens and making an occasional putt is the recipe for success at mighty Congressional. Missing the green, which will happen here, will require a deft scrambling touch.

DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)

DraftKings Tier 1 Values

Patrick Reed - $11,700 (Winning odds at golfodds.com: 15-1)
Jim Furyk - $11,300 (20-1)
Marc Leishman - $10,900 (25-1)
Justin Thomas $10,700 (25-1)
Charley Hoffman - $10,500 (25-1)

DraftKings Tier 2 Values

Brendan Steele - $9,900 (30-1)
Russell Henley - $9,000 (40-1)
Bryson DeChambeau - $8,800 (40-1)
Webb Simpson - $8,700 (40-1)
Roberto Castro - $8,600 (50-1)

DraftKings Tier 3 Values

Jamie Lovemark - $8,200 (50-1)
Keegan Bradley - $8,000 (60-1)
Adam Hadwin - $7,500 (80-1)
Harold Varner III - $7,100 (100-1)

DraftKings Long-Shot Values

K.J. Choi - $6,800 (Field, 2-1)
Smylie Kaufman - $6,700 (100-1)
Jhonattan Vegas- $6,200 (Field, 2-1)
Vijay Singh - $6,000 (Field, 2-1)

MY PICKS THIS WEEK

Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Brendan Steele - $9,900
Russell Henley - $9,000
Roberto Castro - $8,600
Jamie Lowemark - $8,200
Harold Varner III - $7,100
K.J. Choi - $6,800

Steele finished fifth here two years ago and 16th the year before. Plus, he's scored top-20 checks in four of his past five outings overall. Henley at such a high price gives us pause, but he's been playing his best golf of the season most recently; he missed the cut in 2014. Castro was 30th last year after being runner-up in 2013, and he's playing his best golf since his breakthrough 2013. Lovemark hasn't played Congressional since 2007, but it suits his game: 12th in strokes gained off the tee, 21st in strokes gained around the green. Varner hits the ball a ton and has been consistently getting better as his rookie season progresses. Choi is the 2007 champion and he makes a lot of cuts.

Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Patrick Reed - $11,700
Jim Furyk - $11,300
Bryson DeChambeau - $8,800
Jhonattan Vegas - $6,200
Ricky Barnes - $6,200
Ernie Els- $5,700

We're loading up at the top big-time, with three of the favorites to win the tournament. Reed was 11th in 2014, is good off the tee and great around the greens (but not so much on the greens). Furyk is coming off a runner-up at the U.S. Open. He finished top-7 at Congressional from 2007-2009 and, while the course has changed since then, those numbers can't be completely dismissed. DeChambeau has steadied after some shaky events upon turning pro. With only $18,100 left for three golfers, here we go: Vegas is sound off the tee, and was fourth in 2012. Barnes tied Reed for 11th two years ago. Els -- well, we hope he makes it to the weekend.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Len Hochberg plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DK: Bunker Mentality.