This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
3M Open
Blaine, Minnesota
TPC Twin Cities - Par 71 - 7,481 yards
Field - 156 Entrants
Purse - $6.4M
The Preview
Scattered thunderstorms may threaten the flow of the very first two rounds of the PGA Tour's inaugural 3M Open in Minnesota, but hey, any additional excitement could be appreciated with only nine members of the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 in attendance. In all seriousness, though, this week has a very similar feel to the Rocket Mortgage Classic -- i.e. the scores figure to be low despite an extremely pedestrian field. Precipitation throughout the earlier stages of the tournament might result in slightly more demanding rough if fairways are missed, but softer greens would leave this course somewhat defenseless for the final two rounds if the wind remains tame as well. TPC Twin Cities isn't a total mystery with the Champions Tour making a stop here from 2001-2018, but it has been adjusted to suit the needs of a higher level of competition.
Key Stats to Victory
GIR percentage - Without any notable statistics from past champions' performances, hitting greens in regulation is essential everywhere when it comes to racking up those scoring opportunities
Birdie or better percentage - Par-breakers were produced at alarmingly-high rates when TPC Twin Cities hosted the seniors on the Champions Tour, and this should be no different for the young guns, especially with soft conditions expected
SG: Off-the-Tee - This is not exactly a bomber's paradise with enough water hazards and trees to penalize wayward shots, but the layout this week should still cater to the field's longer hitters
Yahoo Value Picks - based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Bryson DeChambeau - $46
Finally showing signs of life in his most recent start at the Travelers Championship, DeChambeau collected his first top-10 in a PGA-Tour-sanctioned event since January's Sony Open when he tied for eighth in Connecticut a couple weeks ago. He gained over six strokes from tee to green at TPC River Highlands, and also gained at least 3.3 strokes or more with the flat stick in each of his past three tourneys. Despite a handful of mediocre results by his standards throughout 2019, the World No. 8 still ranks fifth on Tour in birdie average this season.
Hideki Matsuyama - $44
Pacing the PGA Tour in consecutive cuts made with 24, Matsuyama can be a great asset in both cash-game and GPP formats as he ranks third in SG: Approach, fourth in SG: Tee-to-Green and 10th in birdie average. He actually paces this week's field in SG: Approach over his last 12 rounds and he's gained strokes putting in five consecutive starts, translating to five straight top-25s.
Glue Guys
Kevin Streelman - $36
The putter hasn't been too kind, as he ranks just 147th in SG: Putting on the season, but Streelman has gained a superb average of 6.5 strokes tee to green over his last seven events. He's second in GIR percentage throughout his past 24 rounds and played better than a T35 indicates at last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic, faltering late after playing his first 54 holes in a combined 12-under-par.
Joaquin Niemann - $35
The flat stick is finally beginning to cooperate for the 20-year-old Chilean wunderkind, and the newfound success on the greens has translated into back-to-back top-5s at the Travelers and Rocket Mortgage Classic. Niemann also gained just over five strokes on approach shots last week in Detroit, the fourth-best mark of his career on the PGA Tour. Aside from losing 1.5 strokes putting at the RBC Canadian Open in early June, Niemann has finished on the positive side of every single SG subcategory throughout his last four starts, dating back to the Memorial.
Danny Lee - $33
Both Streelman and Niemann figure to be popular plays in this price range, but Lee could slip through the cracks a bit and is playing well, posting two sneaky top-25s over his past three showings. Lending additional intrigue from a fantasy perspective especially, Lee ranks seventh in birdie or better percentage over his last 24 rounds and he just racked up 22 par-breakers at the Detroit Golf Club en route to a healthy 87.6 points on Yahoo.
Bargain Bin
Viktor Hovland - $21
Given the fact that he carries top-10 betting odds and is one of the more expensive options on several other DFS sites, Hovland's point per dollar potential here on Yahoo is too tough to fade even if he is heavily owned thanks to his discounted price. The collegiate standout at Oklahoma State tallied his second top-15 on Tour this past week in Detroit, where he fired an eight-under 64 during Sunday's finale. Hovland averaged five tweeters per round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and he's second to none in SG: Off-the-Tee over his last 12 rounds.
Cameron Tringale - $20
Coming off a T5 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Tringale might now be less of a certified sleeper than his minimum cost reflects, as gamers are assuredly aware of his recent form. He's placed T23 or better in four of his last six tournaments since the Valero Texas Open and ranks top-5 in both SG: Approach and SG: Tee-to-Green over his past 12 rounds. Additionally, Tringale is 20th on the season in GIR percentage and 13th in par-4 scoring.
Collin Morikawa - $20
Seemingly earning a bit less attention than the Hovland-Matthew Wolff duo among the new kids on the block, Morikawa deserves some praise of his own with three consecutive results of T36 or better since making his professional debut with a T14 at the RBC Canadian Open. The 22-year-old Cal product has gained a respectable average of 3.6 strokes from tee to green during the aforementioned trio of appearances since turning pro and he's 26th in SG: Approach over those 12 rounds.
Strategy Tips on Yahoo this week
Much like last week's template for the Rocket Classic, there's a severe lack of fantasy firepower throughout the 156-entrant field heading to Minnesota, and therefore quite a bit of extra value in the lower ranges of the pricing board. This means a studs-and-duds approach is more than feasible, and a handful of guys hovering around the $20 mark -- like Hovland and Nate Lashley -- are far from 'duds' at this point.
