Daily Fantasy Golf 2015: Last-Minute Picks and Wild-Card Players
The start of the U.S. Open is just hours away, and you have a pretty good idea of the way your DraftKings golf fantasy team is going to look when players tee off Thursday morning.
However, you may have four of the six spots on your team settled, but you are up in the air about the last two. Don't worry, most of your competitors are in the same boat.
It's hard enough to pick any golf tournament, and the U.S. Open can be unpredictable because the course's layout is designed to hurt golfers who are not accurate. Couple that with the brand-new Chambers Bay track—it has never hosted a PGA Tour event—and it makes it difficult to come up with a six-man team.
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We are here to help you with last-minute picks and wild-card selections for your DraftKings golf contest. Obviously, we are not including huge names like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth or Phil Mickelson, but we will offer five golfers who have the kind of consistency to their game that will allow you to have a shot at collecting the cash Sunday evening.
| Player | Scoring Average | FPPG | Salary |
| Martin Kaymer | 72.8 | 44.4 | $9,000 |
| Patrick Reed | 70.1 | 78.6 | $8,500 |
| Brooks Koepka | 70 | 79.2 | $7,800 |
| Jason Dufner | 70.9 | 61.4 | $7,600 |
| Webb Simpson | 69.8 | 70.8 | $7,500 |
Martin Kaymer, $9,000
You may not be considering Martin Kaymer, but he is the defending U.S. Open champion, and he has the mental wherewithal to put four good rounds together and have another top performance here.
Not only did Kaymer make his mark at last year's national championship, he won the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and that course has some resemblance to Chambers Bay.
Kaymer tends to get discounted because he has not been special this year. He has earned slightly more than $389,000. However, when he is on his game, his iron play can be superb, and his approach shots will land softly and leave him with birdie opportunities.
If Kaymer can get off to a sharp start, he has a chance to hang around for all four days and make a run at a second straight U.S. Open title.
Patrick Reed, $8,500
He's cocky and brash, and you may not like Patrick Reed personally, but that doesn't matter a bit when your money is on the line. Reed may just help you collect on Sunday.
Reed has worked his way up to legitimate contender status. He ranks fifth in FedEx Cup points, and he is the 15th-ranked golfer in the world.
Reed is having a sharp season. He has made the cut in 16 of 17 events this year, and he has a first-place finish in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and a second-place performance in the Valspar Championship.
Reed can be a streaky golfer who can reel off several birdies in a row when he gets his game going. He is averaging 4.11 birdies per round, and that ranks 12th on the tour.
Brooks Koepka, $7,800
Brooks Koepka came to the forefront earlier this year when he was victorious in the raucous Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Koepka proved he could play under pressure in front of a roaring crowd at that unique tournament. Koepka has earned more than $2.2 million this year, and he has made the cut in 13 of 14 events.
Koepka is one of the tour's big hitters, and that could be a key advantage at a lengthy course like Chambers Bay. Koepka is averaging 304.3 yards off the tee, and that ranks 10th on the tour. He is also averaging 69.860 per round, and that scoring average is the sixth-best this year.
Koepka looks like an excellent addition to any fantasy golf team.
Jason Dufner, $7,600
Jason Dufner is not off to a great start this year on the tour, but he has a major championship to his credit after winning the 2013 PGA Championship.
That means that if Dufner can get it together and put himself in a reasonable position by the end of the second round, he can handle the pressure and is unlikely to choke it away. Dufner has earned more than $770,000 this year, and he has made the cut in 11 of 15 events.
While Dufner averages 281.5 yards off the tee, he makes up for his lack of distance with accuracy. His tee shots find the fairway 67.99 percent of the time, and that ranks 25th on the tour. He appears to be a low-priced player who has a chance to improve your DraftKings U.S. Open roster.
Webb Simpson, $7,500
Webb Simpson had his best tournament of the year in mid-May when he finished in a tie for second at the Wells Fargo Championship. After playing brilliantly in the first three rounds by shooting 67-67-68, he struggled in the final round with a 72.
Simpson has earned more than $1.6 million this year, and he has made the cut in 10 of 12 events. He should have a good chance to compete at Chambers Bay because he ranks 13th in ball striking and 16th in total driving.
Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open, and he has four PGA Tour victories to his credit. He has shown he can rise to the occasion in the most important tournament of the year, and he is capable of doing it again.
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