The 2020-21 PGA TOUR season remains in the Las Vegas area following the Shriners event which ended in a three-man playoff and an impressive victory by Martin Laird.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this season’s CJ Cup was moved from South Korea to Shadow Creek Golf Course.  The 78-player no cut event will feature a plethora of big names (that also come with big price tags).  That leads me to my PGA DFS CJ Cup Sleepers, which will provide cheap alternatives to couple with the top players.

Oh, and 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.

Before I present this week’s sleepers, a few quick side notes:

  • Dustin Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the CJ Cup
  • Tony Finau – a week removed from his own positive COVID-19 test – has withdrawn
  • The limited player list means a smaller 6K range (39 to be exact)
  • There is no tournament data for Shadow Creek, which removes one layer of analysis

Now that we have that out of the way, this is no time for FORE-play at The Wife Hates Sports, but time to focus on a list of PGA DFS CJ Cup sleepers.

I ran a model on Fantasy National featuring my favorite stat categories for this event (last 36 rounds played for the field).  Based off that data, here are my top 6K range sleepers on DraftKings:

PGA DFS CJ Cup Sleepers: Top 6K Range Picks on DraftKings

Brendan Steele (DK: $6,500 – Model Rank: 15)

Steele missed the cut last week at the Shriners, but still ranks higher than any other 6K range player in my primary model.  He is 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 2nd in Proximity (last 36 rounds).  Steele is also just outside the top 20 in SG: Tee to Green.  The issue has mostly been taking advantage of the approach game.  His putting numbers are well into the bottom half of the field, as well as his Birdie or Better rank.  A hot week with the putter can lead to a strong showing.

Kevin Streelman (DK: $6,500 – Model Rank: 18)

Like Brendan Steele, the recent putting numbers aren’t great, especially on Bentgrass greens, where Streelman is 62nd in the field over the last 36 rounds.  On the positive side, he’s 7th in Strokes Gained on Par 5’s and there are a few Par 5’s to be had on this course.  He is also ranked high in other key categories, including SG: Approach (14th), SG: Tee to Green (27th) and Proximity (16th).  Finally, his T3 at the Safeway Open shows some recent form, despite two missed cuts to follow, including last week.

Corey Conners (DK: $6,900 – Model Rank: 19)

With Conners, we often get a guy that is consistent and accurate off the tee.  Hitting fairways can have a trickle down effect if you are striking your irons well.  Conners cracks the top ten in both SG: Approach and SG: Tee to Green.  He is also 14th in Proximity over the last 36 rounds.  His recent rank and form on the longer Par 4’s (69th) is concerning, but there is enough to like statistically here to consider him.  He also has a recent solid performance, finishing T17 at Sanderson Farms.

Ryan Palmer (DK: $6,700 – Model Rank: 21)

Palmer has had a fairly consistent run since the restart.  My primary model on Fantasy National covered seven statistical categories (all for the last 36 rounds), five of which saw Palmer in the top 30.  He ranked in the top 20 in three of them, but none higher than 18th.  Palmer finished T34 last week at the Shriners (also Vegas altitude) and T24 at the TOUR championship that ended the 2020 season (no cut event).  He has only gained strokes putting in one of his last seven tournaments, so that’ll need to change.

 

Last Week’s Sleeper Picks: 2020 Shriners (By DraftKings 6K Range)

  • Henrik Norlander – T58
  • Scott Stallings – MC
  • Chesson Hadley – MC
  • Jason Dufner – MC
  • Tyler Duncan – MC

Nothing special from last week’s picks.  The -7 cut line also led to a few early departures for guys that were close to making it to the weekend.

It happens.  Onward and upward, as they say.

For this week, who do you have as your favorite PGA DFS CJ Cup Sleepers on DraftKings?  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 Fantasy National