This article is part of our FantasyDraft PGA series.
Quicken Loans National
Potomac, Maryland
TPC Potomac - Par 70 - 7,107 yards
Field - 120 Entrants
Purse - $7.1M
The Preview
To be quite honest, there isn't a whole lot of excitement surrounding the Quicken Loans National in what appears to be the Washington D.C. area's final year of hosting the event. Tiger buzz aside, this field includes just eight of the Official World Golf Ranking's top-50 players. As for the layout, TPC Potomac scored as the fourth-toughest course on Tour last year, while the lack of starpower in the field won't help again in 2018. Key in on the field's better ball strikers this week rather than putting gurus, while statistics such as SG: Tee-to-Green, SG: Off-the-Tee, GIR percentage and par-four scoring should be solid predictors of potential success. Other than a moderate combination of heat and humidity, the weather forecast includes sunny skies with essentially no chance of rain and very little wind, making birdie-or-better percentage an important factor as well.
Past Champions
2017 - Kyle Stanley
2016- Billy Hurley III
2015 - Troy Merritt
2014 - Justin Rose
2013 - Bill Haas
2012 - Tiger Woods
2011 - Nick Watney
2010 - Justin Rose
2009 - Tiger Woods
FantasyDraft Value Picks - based on $100,000 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Rickie Fowler - $18,800
Fowler is quite an investment this week, but he's the only player inside of the top-10 in the OWGR teeing it up at TPC Potomac. He's finished top-20 in three consecutive starts and posted a top-three at the Quicken Loans National last year. Fowler also ranks top-20 on Tour in both birdie percentage and scoring average this season.
Tiger Woods - $17,400
A disappointing missed cut at the U.S. Open didn't really seem to factor into Woods' pricing this week, as he sits No. 2 in terms of cost on FantasyDraft's board. The polarizing figure ranks fourth on Tour in both SG: Approach and SG: Around-the-Green, but he could be a popular selection for those who shy away from selecting Fowler at the top.
Francesco Molinari - $16,100
One of just a few top-25 players in the OWGR making an appearance at TPC Potomac, Molinari has finished T25-2-1 in his last three starts worldwide. The Italian ranks sixth in SG: OTT and 16th in SG: T2G.
Glue Guys
Kevin Streelman - $14,800
Streelman broke 70 in all four of his rounds en route to a T33 at the Travelers Championship last week, climbing to fifth on Tour in GIR percentage, 15th in driving accuracy and 25th in SG: Tee-to-Green. He also finished top-20 at the Quicken Loans National last season.
David Lingmerth - $14,500
Lingmerth placed T5 at TPC Potomac in 2017, while he's also finished top-30 in two of his past three starts. Last week at the Travelers, the Swede's impressive short game carried him to a T19 finish and he's now up to 17th in terms of driving accuracy.
Andrew Putnam - $14,200
He withdrew prior to the Travelers Championship due to an undisclosed reason, but he'll be back in action this week coming off a runner-up finish at the St. Jude Classic. Putnam ranks 10th on Tour in GIR percentage, 31st in par-four scoring and 19th in par-three scoring.
Bargain Bin
Keith Mitchell - $13,200
Mitchell has carded no score worse than a 71 in his last eight tournament rounds, making the cut at both the St. Jude Classic and Travelers Championship. The 69th-ranked player in the FedExCup standings will be making his TPC Potomac debut, but he's eighth on Tour in SG: Off-the-Tee and 18th in birdie average.
Matt Jones - $12,900
Jones ranks top-55 on Tour in several key categories including driving distance, GIR percentage, par-four scoring and birdie average, while he's also 19th in proximity from 125-150 yards. He finished T38 at the Quicken Loans National last year and most recently placed top-20 at the Travelers Championship, where he was one stroke off the lead after 36 holes.
James Hahn - $12,800
Since a stretch of five consecutive missed cuts from the RBC Heritage through the Memorial Tournament, Hahn has finished top-45 in back-to-back starts at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and Travelers Championship. He ranks 54th on Tour in SG: Tee-to-Green and made the cut at TPC Potomac last year.
