This article is part of our FantasyDraft PGA series.
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Akron, OH
Firestone Country Club - Par 70 - 7,400 yards
Field - 76 entrants
Purse - $9.75M
The Preview
An absolutely loaded field heads to Firestone Country Club this week for one of the season's tougher challenges, where a par-70 layout features just two par-fives, four par-threes and 12 par-fours. Dustin Johnson won the event in 2016 with an overall score of six-under-par, and just nine players in all were able to finish in red numbers. The course includes a number of long, daunting par-fours with tight fairways, so a combination of distance and accuracy off the tee will be paramount. Another key statistic will be GIR percentage, so focus more on SG: Off-the-Tee, SG: Approach and SG: Tee-to-Green than short-game numbers such as SG: Putting and SG: Around-the-Green when selecting a lineup of potential winners. With only 76 entrants in the field and a no-cut structure, gamers can deploy riskier options who display higher birdie rates, but may also be susceptible to the big numbers. The forecast for Akron includes rain on Thursday and Friday, which would lengthen the course even further.
Past Champions
2016 - Dustin Johnson
2015 - Shane Lowry
2014 - Rory McIlroy
2013 - Tiger Woods
2012 - Keegan Bradley
2011 - Adam Scott
2010 - Hunter Mahan
FantasyDraft Value Picks - based on $100,000 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Rickie Fowler - $17,100
There's quite a distinct jump in price between the trio of Spieth/McIlroy/Johnson and Fowler, who is priced at least $1,300 less than all of the top-three luxury options. Fowler continues to check the boxes on a weekly basis, ranking 11th in SG: T2G, ninth in SG: Approach, third in SG: Putting and fourth in birdie average on Tour this season. He also finished no worse than T10 over the last three years at Firestone.
Henrik Stenson - $16,400
Stenson owns a pair of top-6 finishes in his last three starts at the WGC-Bridgestone, and he is finally rounding into form after a stretch of three consecutive missed cuts came to a halt in April. Since THE PLAYERS, Stenson has finished T26 or better in 6-of-7 events, and his accuracy off the tee should make him a contender at Firestone. He's sandwiched by Jon Rahm and Justin Rose in price -- both who figure to see higher ownership than the Swede.
Paul Casey - $15,900
Casey figures to be a popular play at Firestone given his ball-striking abilities, as he currently ranks top-10 on Tour in all of SG: T2G, SG: Approach, GIR percentage and par-four scoring. The only dig at Casey is a below-average putter, but that may be less of a factor on the easier greens in Akron. He is coming off a T11 at the Open Championship, which was preceded by a top-5 at the Travelers.
Glue Guys
Kevin Chappell - $14,600
Chappell bounced back from a pair of missed cuts with a T8 at last week's RBC Canadian Open, which unfortunately figures to inflate his ownership a bit. Throughout his past 12 rounds, he's 18th among the field in SG: OTT, 12th in SG: Approach and 19th in P4: 450-500 efficiency. Chappell placed T3 in his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational debut last year.
Charley Hoffman - $14,500
Hoffman hasn't taken a week of rest since teeing it up at the John Deere Classic, but he improved in each of his last three starts. He is coming off a playoff loss at the RBC Canadian Open, but that result still pushed him to 12th in the FedExCup standings. Hoffman is underpriced compared to that ranking this week, and he is also third among the field in SG: Total throughout his past 12 rounds.
Jason Dufner - $14,400
Dufner is top-15 in SG: T2G and ninth in par-four efficiency throughout his last 12 rounds. He hasn't played well at Firestone CC during his last two appearances, but he finished T4-7 in 2013 and 2012, respectively. Dufner is also top-35 on Tour in driving accuracy, GIR percentage and birdie average for the season.
Hidden Gems
Xander Schauffele - $13,100
Schauffele ranks seventh among the field in good drives gained over his past 12 rounds, which translates well to potential success at Firestone. He's also seventh in SG: Total during that during, impressively finishing top-20 at the Open Championship just two weeks after his maiden victory at the Greenbrier Classic.
Kyle Stanley - $12,700
Stanley has finished T55-MC in two starts since a win at the Quicken Loans National, but he is too good of a ball striker for that hangover to continue forever. He's the leader in GIR percentage on Tour this season, while also ranking 14th in driving accuracy and 11th in par-4 scoring. He placed T16 during his lone career appearance at the WGC-Bridgestone back in 2012.
Bryson DeChambeau - $12,600
Much like Stanley, DeChambeau experienced a fallback after his victory at the John Deere Classic, missing the cut at the Open Championship thanks to the reduction in preparation time. He's still top-10 among the field in SG: Total, SG: T2G and SG: OTT throughout his past 12 rounds. DeChambeau is also 19th in par-four efficiency during this stretch.
