DraftKings PGA DFS Picks: Travelers Championship

This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.

Tournament Preview

If scores last week weren't low enough for your taste, welcome to a tournament where a 58 was carded last year. Jim Furyk didn't win, but he stole the show from champion Russell Knox. Both are back this year as the Travelers returns to its traditional slot a week after the U.S. Open. Last year, the tournament also followed a major, but it was the PGA, and it was in July, as part of the Olympic-modified schedule. TPC River Highlands plays a whopping 1,000 yards shorter than Erin Hills, though the winning scores here recently have been close to the 16-under we saw last week in Wisconsin. As this is a par-70 track, it's safe to call this week a birdie-fest.

The tournament gets quite a boost this year in the form of Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, in their Cromwell debuts, plus Jason Day. After those three there are Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed, but for the most part the field drops off precipitously, with only eight of the OWGR Top 30 on hand. Still, if that quintet can make it to Sunday -- far from a guarantee based on recent results -- the tournament will enjoy a rare dose of four-day star power.

River Highlands stays relevant in today's technology-fueled game by pinching the fairways. Yes, Bubba Watson won in 2015, but other recent champs include Knox, Ken Duke, Kevin Streelman and Freddie Jacobson. Good luck finding a 300-yard drive in that bunch. The course was modified after Watson's win in the form of strategically-placed bunkers to squeeze the fairways. This week demands accuracy tee to green, and that will be focused on in the key stats below. Greens tend to run a very slow sub-11 on the Stimpmeter, which enhances birdie opportunities but also neutralizes the best putters and brings a lot of other golfers into the Champion's Profile.

The track features a drivable par-4 -- always fun for golf fans -- in the 296-yard 15th to add some drama late in the round. There is not a lot of water at River Highlands, but there is on that hole, where almost 40 percent of the field notched birdies last year, but almost 15 percent left with bogey or worse.

Weather-wise, typical Northeast conditions are expected for the first week of summer, though there is little chance of rain throughout the four days.

Key Stats to Winning at TPC River Highlands

• Greens in regulation/strokes gained tee-to-green
• Proximity to the hole/ strokes gained approach
• Scrambling/strokes gained around the green
• Driving accuracy/strokes gained off the tee

Past Champions

2016 - Russell Knox
2015 - Bubba Watson
2014 - Kevin Streelman
2013 - Ken Duke
2012 - Marc Leishman
2011 - Freddie Jacobson
2010 - Bubba Watson
2009 - Kenny Perry
2008 - Stewart Cink
2007 - Hunter Mahan

Champion's Profile:

You don't see putting in the key stats above. It's not that putting doesn't matter this week, it's just that with the greens relatively benign, golfers who traditionally aren't good putters often perform well here. Thus, looking at the season-long stats doesn't necessarily help. Bubba Watson finished 17th in putting average during his 2015 win, a very good week on the greens for him. On the other hand, Freddie Jacobson was the 2011 champ, and back then he was on everyone's short list of best putters. Still, he finished 11th in putting average. Not only will tee-to-green play -- everybody's favorite: greens in regulation -- be paramount this week, but we see that proximity to the hole could be a decider. After all, with birdies there for the taking, it's easier to make shorter easy putts than longer easy putts. Last year, the top eight finishers all were top-25 in proximity for the week. You'd think scrambling would factor into things more than usual on a shorter track with rough around the green. There have been years where it has: Watson, Jacobson and Ken Duke each led the field, but Russell Knox, Kevin Streelman and Marc Leishman were well outside the top 10.

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

Tier 1 Values

Jordan Spieth - $11,400 (Winning odds at golfodds.com: 9-1)

Spieth curiously is the No. 3 choice on the DraftKings board. Yes, we can see why he's $200 less than Rory McIlroy, but sitting $100 shy of Jason Day is a head-scratcher. Day is the only one of the three with course history here, and while he's played decently, last week's Erin Hills flameout really was a surprise as his game had been trending upward. McIlroy at least had an excuse for his missed cut, having played only seven events all season, but he will need a few more rounds before garnering consideration again. Spieth rallied nicely at Erin Hills, and he is first on Tour in both proximity and strokes gained: approach.

Patrick Reed - $9,500 (25-1)

Reed did a lot of good things last week and was on track for just his second top-10 of the season until a Sunday fade. However, he did notch his fifth top-25 in his past six starts, and he appears reinvigorated after a horrid start to 2017. Whereas some guys naturally let down after a major -- in particular, it will be interesting to see how Paul Casey responds after his soul-crushing tumble down the leaderboard at Erin Hills -- Reed has to feel really good about himself, and his game. His play both around and on the green is far better than earlier this season, and he tied for 11th here last year.

Brandt Snedeker - $9,400 (25-1)

Snedeker skipped last year's tournament but tied for 10th two years ago and 11th the year before that, and he also notched another top-25 in 2011. Snedeker tied for ninth last week at Erin Hills, his best showing in two months.

Marc Leishman - $9,300 (30-1)

Leishman is the 2012 champ and has made the cut every year since, and he finished T9 last year. He enters on form. Since winning at Bay Hill in March, Leishman has missed only one cut, and is coming off a T15 at the Memorial and T27 at the U.S. Open. His all-around game suits what's needed here. Leishman is 23rd in strokes gained: tee to green, 53rd in approach and 46th in scrambling. It doesn't hurt that he is known as a better-than-average putter.

Tier 2 Values

Daniel Berger - $9,100 (30-1)

Berger never got it going at Erin Hills, but we tend to excuse a bad performance after a victory. Berger repeated at TPC Southwind two weeks ago, so he's on form, and last year he tied for fifth at River Highlands. Berger is 29th on Tour in strokes gained: approach and 38th tee-to-green.

Tony Finau - $8,700 (40-1)

Here we go again with this guy. Finau definitely mystifies. He's perhaps the best golfer to have missed qualifying for the U.S. Open, and he had to be kicking himself, thinking he could have torn up Erin Hills. (At least he's rested!) Finau is sixth on Tour in both GIR and strokes gained: tee to green and also 25th in approach. He played River Highlands the past two years and tied for 25th each time.

Kyle Stanley - $8,600 (40-1)

Weekly followers know we also have liked Stanley a lot, but usually at $1,000 cheaper. Still, we'll bite. Stanley missed the cut here three of the past four years, though of course he's having his best season now and did tie for 20th in that one cash two years ago. He missed the cut the week after his recent near-miss at THE PLAYERS, but got going once again with a T6 at the Memorial and a T27 in Memphis. Stanley is ranked second in GIR, third in proximity, and fifth in both strokes gained: tee to green and approach.

Bubba Watson - $8,400 (30-1)

Watson is clearly struggling, sitting 104th on the money list. He missed the cut in three of his past six events, including last week at the U.S. Open. Interestingly, his three cashes have all been top-10s, including a T6 at the Memorial. The other two are a bit tempered, coming in match play and the New Orleans team event, but he is still playing somewhat well. Watson ate River Highlands for lunch -- two wins, a runner-up, a T4 -- before they de-Bubba-ed the course after his 2015 win. Still, he tied for 25th last year.

Tier 3 Values

David Lingmerth - $7,900 (80-1)

Lingmerth has found another gear of late with top-25s in five of his past six starts, including a T21 at Erin Hills. He has never done much at the Travelers, but that could change this week. Lingmerth's strokes-gained numbers aren't stellar on the season, though they've been quite good during his recent run of success.

Bud Cauley - $7,400 (50-1)

Unlike Lingmerth, Cauley missed the cut in Wisconsin; but like Lingmerth, he had a stretch of five top-25s in six tournaments before that. Cauley is 32nd in strokes gained: tee to green and eighth in approach. Plus he's a decent putter -- 39th in putting average. This is his Travelers debut.

Grayson Murray - $7,300 (Field, 5-2)

Murray is a bit of a hot head, more on Twitter than on the course, but still, River Highlands is a place for patience, at least off the tee. While Murray does give us a bit of pause, his recent play is a full-fledged green light. He has made eight straight cuts, including a T18 in his last outing at TPC Southwind, a tough scoring track. Murray's strokes gained numbers are far improved from the first part of the season.

Emiliano Grillo - $7,200 (60-1)

Grillo missed the cut last week at Erin Hills, his first trunk slam since January. He has never played River Highlands before, but the course and the weather should suit his game. Grillo is 30th in strokes gained: tee to green and 36th in approach.

Long-Shot Values

Byeong Hun An - $7,100 (50-1)

At only $7,100 but with 50-1 odds, something doesn't jibe. Vegas rates An significantly higher than DraftKings, for sure. An is another golfer making his Travelers debut. He's coming off his first missed cut of the entire season last week at Erin Hills (outside of the Zurich team event). He owns really good strokes-gained numbers: 15th in both tee-to-green and approach.

Seamus Power - $7,100 (Field, 5-2)

Power has the same DraftKings price as An, but far worse odds. Hmmmm. The big Irishman by way of East Tennessee State has made 5-of-7 cuts since the Honda Classic in February, and a T27 in his most recent start at Memphis equaled his best finish during that stretch. Power's strokes-gained numbers are vastly improved of late, though it hasn't quite translated onto the leaderboard. He hasn't played River Highlands before, but we view this as a good time and place to take a shot on the rookie, who has risen to 70th on Tour in strokes gained: tee to green.

Webb Simpson - $6,900 (60-1)

It's puzzling why DraftKings has so little love for Simpson in comparison to Vegas, but we're playing on DraftKings, and $6,900 will fit into a lot of lineup configurations. With one of the best tee-to-green games on Tour, Simpson cashed five of his past six starts, including a T35 at Erin Hills. He's 24th in strokes gained: tee to green, and even better on approach at 11th.

Harris English - $6,900 (80-1)

English runs so hot and cold, and that's always a challenge for gamers. He has been running hot the past three tournaments with three straight cashes, including the U.S. Open and a T10 at Memphis, but had three straight missed cuts before that. At River Highlands, English is 4-for-4, including a T25 in his previous visit in 2015 and a T7 the year before. English has better-than-average scrambling and proximity numbers, and his putting is even better than that.