US Open Golf 2022: Daily Fantasy Picks and Tips for Sunday
The 2022 U.S. Open is shaping up to have a thrilling finish. There's no clear front-runner heading into Sunday's final round, and a large number of golfers remain in contention for the title at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., including some of the sport's biggest names.
After 54 holes, Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzgerald are tied atop the leaderboard at four under par. Jon Rahm, the defending U.S. Open champion, is only one stroke back. No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler is among a trio of golfers at two under par, while Rory McIlroy is among three at one under.
One of the most surprising developments from Saturday's third round was the fall of Collin Morikawa, who entered the day tied for the lead at five under par. He now sits tied for 17th at two over after shooting a 77.
What will happen to cap the third major tournament of the year on Sunday? That's what daily fantasy players are trying to predict prior to tee times for the final round.
Here are some golfers who should be strong DFS plays on Sunday.
(All prices via DraftKings Sportsbook.)
Rahm Will Be Best Play Among High Prices
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Jon Rahm won his first major tournament at last year's U.S. Open, and now the 27-year-old is well positioned to defend his title. He got off to an impressive start, shooting a 69 in the first round and a 67 in the second, before carding a 71 in Saturday's third round.
There's a good chance that Rahm will get back on the other side of 70 on Sunday. The only reason he ended up at 71 on Saturday was a double bogey on the 18th hole. And it's unlikely he struggles that much on the final hole again in the final round.
Rahm will be one of the more expensive players to include in DFS lineups on Sunday at $10,000 (behind only Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas). But Rahm seems like the safest bet among those high-price options, given his consistency so far in Brookline.
Will Rahm play well enough to win a second straight U.S. Open title? He may or may not. But he should shoot a 69 or better and be a great anchor for a DFS lineup. All areas of Rahm's game are clicking right now, and when that happens, he's a reliable performer.
Bradley Should Provide Tremendous Value
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Don't count out the importance of a home-course advantage. Keegan Bradley, a New England native, is proving that this weekend at The Country Club, which isn't far from his former high school in Hopkinton, Mass.
The 36-year-old Bradley is having an impressive showing at the U.S. Open, and he's been consistent. After shooting a 70 in the opening round, he carded a 69 in both the second and third rounds. That has him at two under par entering Sunday, only two strokes back of Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick for the lead.
It would be an incredible story if Bradley won his first U.S. Open title at The Country Club, which is hosting the tournament for the first time since 1988. It's also been 11 years since his lone major victory, which came at the 2011 PGA Championship.
Even if Bradley comes up a bit short, he's been playing so well that his DFS price of $7,900 is a tremendous value. Expect him to post a score similar to his first three, as he'll be a great contributor for a DFS lineup with a likely top-10 finish on the way for him.
McCarthy Is a Great Sleeper Option for Lineups
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A golfer tied for 11th and five strokes back of the lead entering the final round of the U.S. Open may not seem like a sleeper. But Denny McCarthy's DFS price for Sunday is at $7,100, as there are quite a few golfers who are much more expensive to play than the 29-year-old.
That's why McCarthy seems like great value for DFS players who may need to save some of the rest of their budget for one of the high-price golfers. He's never finished better than 42nd at a major tournament and hadn't played the U.S. Open since 2016, but there's reason to believe he'll have a strong finish on Sunday.
So far, McCarthy has improved in each of his three rounds at The Country Club, carding a 73 on Thursday, a 70 on Friday and a 68 on Saturday. Could he keep that trend going to cap off the tournament?
It seems unlikely that McCarthy shoots better than a 68, but he could be somewhere in that range again on Sunday. It's worth taking a chance on him because of how well he's been playing and his low DFS cost.
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