This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit Golf Club - Par 72 - 7,340 yards
Field - 156 Entrants
Purse - $7.3M
The Preview
The Quicken Loans National has undergone an extreme makeover, as the tournament transforms from an invitation-only event at TPC Potomac in Maryland into the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan. The expanded 156-entrant field doesn't exactly coincide with an elevated excitement level surrounding the tournament, however, as just one member of the Official World Golf Ranking's Top 10 will be in attendance. The course is a bit of a mystery as well, given its first appearance in the PGA Tour's rotation, though we do know heavy rains in the area this spring have allowed thick rough to grow past three inches in length. Aside from the usual variety of fairway and greenside bunkers, the only other real defense mechanisms present will be minuscule and undulating poa annua putting surfaces, as the relatively flat layout should be quite scorable for the pros. The weather forecast includes Midwestern humidity and scattered thunderstorms rolling in Friday and Saturday, though winds should remain tame throughout all four rounds.
Key Stats to Victory
SG: Tee-to-Green - This all-encompassing metric should identify the field's top ball-strikers without examining putting differences on Detroit Golf Club's small greens
Birdie or Better percentage - A handful of reachable par-5s and short par-4s should result in par-breaker prosperity as the winning score likely dips well into double-digit red numbers
Par-5 scoring - Eagle opportunities will be in play on a couple of the shorter par-5s, and the 635-yard fourth hole is one of the longest expeditions on Tour
Yahoo Value Picks - based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Dustin Johnson - $52
A disappointing T35 at the U.S. Open can be explained by one of the worst putting performances of Johnson's entire career, as he lost over six strokes with the flat stick alone at Pebble Beach. The World No. 2 still managed to gain 10 strokes from tee-to-green, however, combating such brutal variance on poa greens that usually cater to his preferred feel. Johnson will be the clear betting favorite as he heads to Detroit not only as the field's top-ranked player in the OWGR, but also the leader in GIR percentage over his last 24 rounds.
Gary Woodland - $46
He probably hasn't spent much time on the range since becoming a major champion at the U.S. Open, but Woodland is second to none in both SG: Approach over his past 12 rounds and par-5 scoring over his last 24. He's up to a career-best 12th in the OWGR and leads the PGA Tour in birdie average this season. Hopefully for those going with Woodland, the potential fatigue stemming from media obligations following a life-changing win at Pebble is not an issue.
Hideki Matsuyama - $43
Pacing this week's field in birdie or better percentage over his past 24 rounds, Matsuyama has not lost strokes from tee to green since the 2018 PGA Championship and has placed top-35 in 13 consecutive starts dating back to January's Farmers Insurance Open. Known for his ridiculously good iron play, Matsuyama also ranks first in proximity over his last 12 rounds. Potentially even more significant is the fact that he's gained strokes putting in four straight events for the first time since 2016.
Glue Guys
Ryan Moore - $34
Moore has endured struggles on the greens to the lowly tune of a -0.8 SG: Putting average over his last five tournaments, but the 36-year-old vet has an affinity for poa annua surfaces and will look to get the rock rolling at Detroit Golf Club. He gained seven strokes from tee to green most recently at the Travelers Championship, where he ultimately racked up 20 par-breakers and 55 greens in regulation on the way to a T15. Moore ranks third on Tour in driving accuracy and 27th in proximity from 125-150 yards.
Kevin Streelman - $32
Beware of chalk potential at this discounted price, but for good reason after Streelman added his fourth top-15 in six starts last week at TPC River Highlands, where he broke 70 in all four rounds and gained strokes in each subcategory. He's gained an elite average of 4.8 strokes on approach throughout his past five tourneys and is enjoying a streak of six straight made cuts, pushing him back inside of the top 100 in the OWGR.
Joaquin Niemann - $30
Speaking of the OWGR's top 100, Niemann has officially joined the exclusive list for the first time in his career after notching a T5 at the Travelers Championship. The 20-year-old Chilean is eighth in SG: Tee-to-Green over his last 12 rounds, helping him collect four consecutive results of T31 or better. Niemann ranks just 182nd in SG: Putting on the season, but he enjoyed one of the better flat-stick performances of his young career at TPC River Highlands last week when he gained nearly four strokes on the greens.
Bargain Bin
Viktor Hovland - $23
The recipient of the 2019 Ben Hogan Award as the nation's best collegiate golfer, Hovland tied for 54th at the Travelers Championship in his professional debut and has now made the cut in four straight PGA Tour events dating to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Oklahoma State product earned Low Amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open this season, quickly fostering attention from fantasy players in the lower price ranges. Hovland does most of his damage off the tee with a lethal combination of power and accuracy, but he also gained 5.5 strokes on approach in his penultimate start at Pebble Beach.
Kyoung-Hoon Lee - $20
Lee amassed his fifth top-25 of the season with a T13 at the Travelers Championship and has now officially passed the $1M mark in earnings during his 2018-19 campaign. The South Korean gained at least 4.7 strokes from tee to green in two of his last three starts and ranks 43rd on Tour in both driving accuracy and GIR percentage.
Roberto Diaz - $20
Diaz ranked third among the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and carded only seven total bogeys en route to the best finish of his PGA Tour career at the Travelers Championship last week. He finished in a tie for eighth at TPC River Highlands and has now made the cut in six of seven starts dating to late March's Valspar Championship. Currently residing outside of the top 125 in the FedExCup standings, Diaz has plenty to play for over the next couple months.
Strategy Tips on Yahoo this week
Dustin Johnson's $52 price tag might feel too luxurious at $5 more than No. 2 on the board (Rickie Fowler), but the former could actually be considered quite affordable given significantly softer pricing elsewhere. A whopping 90.38 percent of the 156-man field comes in at $35 or less, allowing Johnson and several other expensive weapons to feel less detrimental when constructing the rest of your lineup.
