The PGA Tour season ended just three days ago, with Dustin Johnson scoring a $15 million prize to bring home to Paulina. If only new sports seasons started this quickly. Just like that, here we are with the 2020-21 PGA Tour season ready to kick off, opening with the Safeway Open in Napa Valley. From my end, I considered a number of key stats when selecting PGA DFS 2020 Safeway Open Sleepers.
Obviously, the term “SLEEPER” can be interpreted in a number of different ways. In this case, it’s the lower cost players that stand out in key statistical areas, specifically the 6K range on DraftKings.
So, this is no time for fore-play at The Wife Hates Sports, but instead the time to focus on a list of DFS 2020 Safeway Open sleepers. This time around, there are very few stars in play, so taking 6K range players will instead be to seek potential diamonds in the rough.
I’m not expecting any trophies to be raised by these guys, but a top ten and some lineup flexibility is most certainly a strong possibility. Then again, who knows, right?
I ran a few models on Fantasy National featuring my favorite categories (all covering the last 36 rounds for players in the field, unless otherwise noted). Here are my favorite sleepers this week:
PGA DFS 2020 Safeway Open Sleepers: Top 6K Range Options on DraftKings
Chris Baker ($6,400)
Baker’s only appearance in recent weeks resulted in a solid showing – a T20 finish at the Wyndham. He’s also only played once at the Safeway Open, a missed cut last season. Baker is 4th in the field in Fairways Gained (last 36 rounds). That will be a benefit when dealing with these tree-lined fairways. He has also putted much better on Poa Annua greens. At least, statistically, where he’s 38th on Poa the last 36 rounds played versus 132nd in SG: Putting over the last 36 rounds. Baker also cracks the top 30 in SG: Ball Striking at Silverado, as well as on longer Par 3’s (200-225 yards). He has performed well (12th) on Par 4’s 400-450 yards in length. FYI: this course has seven holes that length.
Graham DeLaet ($6,200)
A bit of an unknown (like Baker), DeLaet is low cost with a few stats that stick out amongst the field. He’s 9th in the field (last 36 rounds) in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Opportunities Gained. He’s also 16th in SG: Ball Striking at Silverado, with a T5 finish at the Safeway Open during the 2018 season. He has not played in a while, so form may be a bit of a question mark. He’s also 78th in Fairways Gained, which is in the middle of the pack. He’ll need to be accurate off the tee to compete.
Jason Dufner ($6,900)
It’s typically smart to include a 6K range veteran in the mix. In this case, that is Jason Dufner. Dufner’s last tournament performance was a T31 finish at the Wyndham. He also has two missed cuts at the Safeway Open – not a strong endorsement. Despite that, he lands 18th in the model I ran. Over the last 36 rounds played, he’s 14th in the field in Fairways Gained and 7th in Strokes Gained Approach. That’s one major reason for the high ranking. He also cracks the top ten in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking at Silverado (despite the missed cuts). However, Dufner has been absolutely brutal on the greens, so he’ll need a strong putting performance to have a chance.
NOTE: I originally had Vaughn Taylor included in this list, but he has withdrawn due to a rib injury.
Previous Sleeper Picks: 2020 BMW Championship (By DraftKings 6K Range)
- Joel Dahmen – T20
- Brendan Steele – T33
- Talor Gooch – T65
Who do you have as your favorite PGA DFS 2020 Safeway Open Sleepers? Chime in with your favorite plays below. Either that or stop by to praise or poke fun at mine.
Best of luck and as always, thank you for visiting The Wife Hates Sports!
All stats and data via PGATour.com and FantasyNational.com
Image Credit: Chris Baker Twitter
