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Adam Scott is the highest-ranked player in the field at this week’s CIMB Classic, but that won’t necessarily translate to fantasy value.
In this second week of the new season, the PGA Tour is kicking off a brief foray into overseas territory. The 78-man CIMB Classic, held at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, will get underway on Thursday, followed by another reduced field event, the WGC-HSBC Champions, next week.
This latest iteration of the schedule presents an immediate challenge to fantasy managers. With the fields at about half the size of a regular PGA Tour event, there aren’t as many possible lineups, making it harder to stand out from the crowd. Still, with a week of great golf at a quality course ahead, there’s no reason to complain.
Let’s get to it. Here are five featured fantasy plays for the CIMB Classic. They should be viable in a number of different formats, but they’re specifically geared towards DFS leagues. Each player’s salary in DraftKings is listed next to his name.
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Ryan Moore — $10,600
A two-time victor at KLGCC, no one in this week’s field has better course history than Moore. He didn’t win last year’s event, but he still performed well, co-leading the field in birdies while ranking second in putts per GIR and fourth in driving accuracy en route to a tie for 10th. If that record wasn’t enough to convince you, he’s hitting it really nicely at the moment, as proven by his tie for second at the Tour Championship and his solid Ryder Cup performance. Paul Casey and Adam Scott might be more likely to win this week, but among frontrunners, you can’t beat Moore’s salary.
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Justin Thomas — $10,400
I didn’t necessarily plan it this way, but my top two fantasy picks for this week are the only players to ever win an official PGA Tour event in Malaysia. This week’s defending champion, Thomas’ memories from last year should help his confidence, as should his recent run of back-to-back top 10s at the Tour Championship and the Safeway Open. He led the field in putts per GIR at last year’s CIMB Classic, so he shouldn’t have any problems on the greens this week. Don’t let his overall inconsistency dissuade you from plugging him in.
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Si Woo Kim — $7,900
This PGA Tour sophomore has been on an absolute roll since his breakthrough win at the Wyndham Championship. After missing the cut at The Barclays, Kim reeled off three straight top 15s to close out the FedEx Cup playoffs before heading to his native South Korea, where he tied for second at the Hyundai Insurance KJ Choi Invitational just two weeks ago. He’ll be a first-timer at KLGCC this week, but his outstanding short game and solid driving ability suggest that he could be a good fit for the course.
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Charles Howell III — $7,000
Okay, so he hasn’t been playing all that well lately, but Howell is one of those guys who’s earned the benefit of the doubt — he’s just so consistent year in and year out that he’s bound to heat up soon, especially with his knack for playing well towards the beginning of the season. His strong record at KLGCC, which includes two top 10s in as many appearances, can only help his chances. At $7,000 in DraftKings, he could be one of the steals of the week, so don’t be afraid to slot him in and see what happens.
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Jon Curran — $6,800
Once known almost solely for being a high school teammate of Keegan Bradley’s, Curran has eclipsed his old pal in terms of performance. The Vanderbilt product caught a big break by finishing in solo second at the Memorial Tournament back in June, and his tie for 26th at last week’s Safeway Open is indicative of decent form as the new season gets underway. While he managed only a tie for 53rd in his CIMB debut last year, he should still be helped by his four rounds of experience at the course. If you’re searching for a flier, he’s worth a look.
Who’s in your fantasy lineup for the CIMB Classic? Let us know in the comments, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now for more PGA Tour updates.
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