This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Dell Technologies Championship – Norton, MA
TPC Boston (7,342 yards, par 71)
$8.75M Purse
$1,575,000 and 2000 FedEx Cup points to the winner
Tournament Preview
After last week's epic duel found Dustin Johnson edge out Jordan Spieth in the first leg of the playoffs, the FedEx Cup traverses North to Boston in a unique Labor Day finish at the Dell Technologies Championship. New this season is title sponsor Dell Technologies, replacing longtime sponsor Deutsche Bank, who held this honor since 2003. After last week's premeditated cut of 25 players from the playoffs, just 100 remain, 97 of them are competing this week. Players on the bubble will again need to step up to make the 70-player cut for the BMW Championship after a break in the schedule next week. TPC Boston has been the host of this event since 2003 and part of the FedEx Cup playoffs since its 2007 inauguration. The par-71 layout features 11 par-4 holes and a thrilling par-5 18th finish where players can card scores ranging from eagle to double bogey.
Prior Decade Champions
2016 – Rory McIlroy
2015 – Rickie Fowler
2014 – Chris Kirk
2013 – Henrik Stenson
2012 – Rory McIlroy
2011 – Webb Simpson
2010 – Charley Hoffman
2009 – Steve Stricker
2008 – Vijay Singh
2007 – Phil Mickelson
Key Stats to Winning at TPC Boston
• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
• Par-4 Scoring Average
• Recent Form
Champion's Profile
TPC Boston's rich history tells a clear story – ball strikers rule the roost. Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green is the king stat this week; making it too much more complicated than that is probably a waste of time. If you want to take it a stride further, the presence of 11 par-4 holes make par-4 scoring more relevant, so players who are highly ranked in both SG:T2G and par-4 scoring are surefire targets. On eight occasions in the last 10 years, a hot-handed player has won multiple playoff events in the same year. This signals a great chance for Dustin Johnson to continue his success as the field quality is nearly identical -- only 25 less than last week. But taking last week as a lesson, don't just assume the 54-hole leader will win; in fact, seven straight champs at TPC Boston have rallied back from a deficit to win on Sunday.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Dustin Johnson, $10200 – Returned to the winner's circle in style last week after rallying to beat playing partner Jordan Spieth in an epic battle that required a playoff hole for good measure. DJ has posted three top-10s at TPC Boston and leads the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.
Jordan Spieth, $10000 – Despite a tough playoff loss last week, Spieth played incredibly well. Though Spieth's record at TPC Boston has just one top-5 finish, the proven youngster leads the TOUR in par-4 scoring average and is having the best ball striking year of his young career.
Hideki Matsuyama, $9200 – Much like Spieth, Hideki has dominated in both Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (4th) and par-4 scoring (2nd). It's easy to discount him after a missed cut last week, but the Japanese star hasn't missed two consecutive cuts in nearly 15 months, so look for a bounce back this week.
Rickie Fowler, $9000 – Fowler won this event two years ago and followed it up with a T46 last year, so while there's some risk here, it's likely he'll finish somewhere in between those finishes with upside to win again.
Longer Shots Worth a Risk
Patrick Reed, $8300 – Reed may represent the best value of all players this week. His runner-up at the PGA followed by last week's top-10 show his current form. Top-fives in his last two trips to TPC Boston show his knack for the course.
Louis Oosthuizen, $8100 – Another underrated value lies in the South African Oosthuizen, whose putting has found its form in recent events. Oosthuizen sports the best average finish of anyone in the field at TPC Boston, where he's cracked the top-12 in each of his three starts there.
Kevin Chappell, $6700 – Chappell has really taken a step forward in the past year or two on TOUR, and his history at TPC Boston speaks to his strong tee-to-green game. Three of his last four starts here ended in top-25 finishes.
Jhonattan Vegas, $5500 – Vegas has made the cut in both trips to TPC Boston and last week tied for third at Glen Oaks Club. Jhonny has surprising distance and notched a win, T17, MC, and T3 in his last four starts.
Strategy Tips for this Week (based on 60k standard salary cap)
With only about 10 powerhouses in the field this week, it may be the best time of year to take some shots using a studs and duds strategy. Toward the bottom of the field there are plenty of quality players who can make the cut, so securing two top guys like Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth in combination with some bargain players in form can vault your team up the leaderboards.
