The PGA DFS industry has continued to gain momentum over the past couple of years. Last July, the PGA Tour and DraftKings Inc. announced a multi-year partnership. This was huge news for the DFS industry, as it will provide the Tour with another opportunity to engage fans and grow the game. We can expect bigger cash prizes and even various PGA Tour prizes down the road in DraftKings contests.
One thing to always remember prior to setting your DFS lineups each week is the weather. Scoring conditions each week are greatly influenced by Mother Nature. Your player pool should be reflective of the weather conditions. Certain golfers perform better in hot, dry conditions, while others tend to perform better when conditions are tough in the rain and wind.
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Navigating Weather Conditions in DFS
Golfers native to England and Australia tend to outperform their competitors in rainy and windy conditions. They grew up golfing in these circumstances, so their game is naturally suited for this type of atmosphere. A prime example of this is Tyrrell Hatton (from England) and Marc Leishman (from Australia) succeeded in recent events with difficult scoring conditions.
This past March at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Hatton and Leishman finished one and two respectively, in some very windy and rainy conditions. Bay Hill Golf course is one of tougher tests of golf without the added factor of weather. That particular week, only four golfers finished under par for the tournament. The conditions were similar to the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2017, where both Hatton and Leishman finished in the top five.
When scoring conditions are favorable and there seems to be no threat of rain or wind, it makes sense to roster supreme birdie makers. The best in the world can rack of plenty of birdies on the most difficult courses if the weather is in their favor. Dry, receptive greens are a golfer’s dream. DraftKings scoring is all about rostering golfers that rank high in birdie and eagle percentage.
Another key resource to use when weighing the weather to pick your player pool is Fantasy National. You can sort the players based on several different metrics, including scoring relative to par, green conditions, green firmness, green speed, and wind. All of these metrics are influenced by the particular weather conditions that specific week and need to be accounted for.
Playing Showdown Game Styles
Keeping an eye on the weather can also give you a massive edge when playing Showdown Game Styles. Golfers that have earlier tee times tend to score a bit better because of the favorable conditions. Greens are more receptive, the wind is usually lighter, and putting isn’t as much as of a challenge earlier in the day. Never discount the effect the weather can have when playing all types of game styles on DFS.
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Nic Turner is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.