Harold Varner

Varner's claim to fame during the 2018-2019 season will likely end up being his placement in the final group on Sunday at the PGA Championship. Things certainly didn't turn out as he'd hoped that day, but the season as a whole was pretty solid. Varner has been a decent player since joining the PGA Tour in 2016, but he's rarely been spectacular. There does appear to be something there however, which puts him in the class of "those to consider" when putting a salary cap team together this season.

Varner III is a consistently decent golfer. In his three years on the PGA Tour, he's done nothing spectacular, yet he's managed to keep his card each season. He could spend the next 20 years playing like he has over the past three years and he'd make a lot of money, but once you've established yourself on the PGA Tour, you obviously want more. Does Varner III have another gear though? In three seasons on the PGA Tour, he has exactly zero top-3s. Not once has he played above his current level for a four-day span and threatened to win a PGA Tour event. That's a little troubling, especially in a salary cap format because that format is all about upside. As such, Varner III makes a much better draft-league option than a salary cap option this season.

Varner III made his money last season by making cuts and grinding out top-25s. Varner III teed it up 31 times and made 19 cuts, along with seven top-25s, but only one top-10. In fact, his T10 at the Wyndham Championship was his best result all season. It wasn't all that dissimilar from his rookie season the year prior, except during his rookie campaign, Varner III earned four top-10s. Through two full seasons on the PGA Tour, Varner III has yet to find a top-3 and without those high-end finishes, it's difficult for anyone to jump up the rankings. Varner III will likely rebound this season to his rookie levels, but that's not enough improvement to warrant a salary cap selection.

Varner III quietly had a very strong rookie campaign last year. He made the cut in 18 of 28 events, and captured four top-10s. In all, he earned over $1.3 million and was safely inside the top-125 at the end of the season. It's hard to get a gauge on Varner because he didn't have a ton of success on the lower tours, so his play last season came as a bit of a surprise. The upside is unknown with Varner III, it could be very high, but at this point, it's just too risky to take a chance on him in salary cap leagues. In draft leagues, he can safely be taken in the ninth or 10th rounds.