This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
THE BARCLAYS
Purse: $8.25M
Winner's Share: $1.485M
FedEx Cup Points: 2000 to the Winner
Location: Edison, N.J.
Course: Plainfield Country Club
Yardage: 7,012
Par: 70
Defending Champion: Hunter Mahan
Tournament Preview
The season-long FedEx Cup race now enters a heightened level of intensity as the first leg of the playoffs kicks off at The Barclays. This week FedEx Cup points are quadruple a typical PGA Tour event, with 2,000 precious tallies awarded to the winner of leg one. The top 125 in the standings are eligible to play, but a few players like Rory McIroy and Sergio Garcia are opting to rest up for the final three legs of the wraparound 2014-15 season. This week's venue, Plainfield Country Club, has played host to The Barclays once before, in 2011, where Dustin Johnson took the win in a rain-shortened event at a staggering 19-under par. The course will play at par 70, one lower than in 2011, due to the fifth hole transforming to a par 4. This obviously changes the course makeup slightly but it still remains vulnerable, making birdies a necessity to contend.
Key Stats to winning at Plainfield
• Par-4 Scoring Average
• Birdie-or-better percentage (par-breakers)
• Recent Form
Past Champions at The Barclays
2014 - Hunter Mahan
2013 - Adam Scott
2012 - Nick Watney
2011 - Dustin Johnson (Plainfield CC)
2010 - Matt Kuchar
2009 - Heath Slocum
2008 - Vijay Singh
2007 - Steve Stricker
2006 - Vijay Singh
2005 - Padraig Harrington
Champion's Profile
Looking at the lone tournament held at Plainfield in 2011, the leaderboard resembled a mixed bag of players from Dustin Johnson to Brandt Snedeker to Brian Davis. This leads us to lean heavily on recent form this week. Beyond that it's about recognizing players who can pile on birdies and score on par-4s since there's 12 on the scorecard. With a field size of roughly 120 players, there's a green light to dig deep into the bargain bin for sleepers while mixing in some star power to create a one-of-a-kind lineup.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Jordan Spieth - $12,600 (Odds: 11/2)
Jason Day - $11,500 (8/1)
Dustin Johnson - $10,700 (12/1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Bubba Watson - $9,900 (Odds: 25/1)
Brooks Koepka - $9,700 (24/1)
Henrik Stenson - $9,600 (28/1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Paul Casey - $8,700 (Odds: 40/1)
Phil Mickelson - $8,300 (60/1)
Charl Schwartzel - $8,200 (50/1)
Zach Johnson - $8,100 (55/1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
David Lingmerth - $7,800 (Odds: 65/1)
Ryan Moore - $7,600 (80/1)
Tony Finau - $7,300 (85/1)
Kevin Kisner - $6,900 (125/1)
Harris English - $6,800 (150/1)
Chad Campbell - $6,600 (200/1)
Camilo Villegas - $6,400 (200/1)
George McNeill - $6,200 (250/1)
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Justin Rose - $10,900
Brooks Koepka - $9,700
Robert Streb - $7,900
Russell Henley - $7,500
Charley Hoffman - $7,000
Jason Bohn - $6,900
The safe lineup is mostly about recent form but there's some stats built in as well. Justin Rose is the hottest player not named Spieth and Day, with top-6s his last four events. Koepka has top-6s his last three and has played the big events extremely well since the British Open. Streb continues to surprise with top-20s in eight of his last nine starts, including a runner-up at the Greenbrier Classic sans a putter on the back nine. Henley has also sneakily rose to form with top-20s in his last four events, while Hoffman has been sporadic but has won a FedEx Cup playoff event. Finally, Jason Bohn screams off the stat sheet in par-breakers and par-4 scoring average as he's 17th and fourth respectively on tour this season. He's also trending with top-15s in three of his last four starts.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jordan Spieth - $12,600
Dustin Johnson - $10,700
Danny Lee - $7,700
Camilo Villegas - $6,400
Davis Love III - $6,300
David Hearn - $6,300
Spieth is now officially the best player on the planet, and for good reason: he has 14 top-10s, including four wins this season. Dustin Johnson won here in 2011 and obviously has all the tools to contend again at a partial venue. Danny Lee combines phenomenal recent form with a knack for birdies, 20th on tour in par-breakers. Villegas has three top-25s his last five starts and tied for sixth at Plainfield in 2011; while there's a real possibility of a missed cut, it's a risk worth differentiating for. Love turned back the clock with his first win since 2008 last week and should continue his momentum to make the cut and perhaps more. Finally, Hearn has closely contended twice since July and is a great all-or-nothing risk in tournament lineups.
