Rocket Classic: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values, and Sleepers for Large-Field Tournaments on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR is in the Motor City for the final version of the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club. While it’s the last year of the tournament, the event’s position just two weeks before the FedExCup Playoffs has drawn a strong field to the newly renovated course. It should be another week of low scores and high drama as players look to improve their spot in the standings before next week’s final push for the playoffs.

After Jackson Koivun got a breakthrough win in the first of these three playoff lead-in tournaments last week at the 3M Open, a strong field of players will be looking to join him in the winner’s circle in Detroit. Last year, Aldrich Potgeiter won a three-man playoff over Chris Kirk and Max Greyserman to claim his first PGA TOUR title, but this year, the new-look course should play much tougher due to drier conditions and par dropping from 72 to 70. For more info on the field, the format, and the course for this week, check out this First Look from RotoGrinders.

---

Especially in large-field tournaments, you’ll want to target players with lower ownership projections than their potential performance suggests. Finding high-leverage plays is critical for tournament success, so the picks here go against the grain, looking for under-owned options.

Usually, I rely heavily on the Strokes Gained Model in FantasyLabs, which is very predictive of results. I also tend to lean toward players who excel in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is more sustainable week to week than a hot putter.

Since these are tournament picks, we can accept more risk in exchange for getting a higher ceiling. High-risk, high-reward options with low ownership create the “boom-or-bust” style lineups that often lead to large-field success. To find guidance for all contest types, check out our full Daily Fantasy Golf coverage each week.

No matter what type of format you prefer, be sure to use the FantasyLabs PGA Models to help you make the best choices. These models use stats and simulations to highlight different players’ strengths and weaknesses. A few critical new stats for tournament play are Perfect% and SimLeverage, which are further explained here.

As you dig into the numbers, you can enjoy the many tools FantasyLabs offers, including the Lineup Optimizer, which effortlessly creates up to 300 lineups. Alternatively, you can use the Lineup Builder if you prefer a more hands-on approach.

Check out my top picks in each price range listed below.

Editor’s note: SimLeverage and Perfect% numbers may change after this piece is published. Be sure to check the PGA Models for any updates to the sims.

High-Priced PGA DFS Picks

Chris Gotterup $9,800

While Cameron Young ($10,500) has the highest salary in the field and the highest median and ceiling projections, he also has the highest ownership projection. If you’re looking to pivot away from Young, Chris Gotterup is a strong option that makes sense for some pay-up leverage.

While Young has the highest SimLeverage on the board, as a result of the highest Perfect%, Gotterup has the second-highest SimLeverage in the field and an ownership projection barely in the top 10.

Gotterup has already won three times on the PGA TOUR this season, winning the Sony Open in Hawaii, the WM Phoenix Open, and the John Deere Classic. The 27-year-old has posted 12 top-25 finishes in his 19 events and missed only one cut, showing impressive consistency to go with his high ceiling.

He matches 11 Pro Trends, more than any other player in the field by a wide margin, and he is fifth in SG:OTT and sixth in SG:T2G in the last six months. His driver-forward game makes him a great fit for this track, and he has proven he can pile up birdies when the opportunities arise.

Gotterup has made the cut in all three of his previous appearances at this week’s venue and posted a personal-best T26 last year. With his breakout season fully underway, he’ll look to post a third straight top-20 and maybe even add another trophy at the Rocket Classic.

---

Si Woo Kim $9,600

Another great source of leverage near the top of the salary structure is Si Woo Kim, who has the fourth-highest Perfect% and the fourth-highest SimLeverage in the entire field. The 31-year-old has four PGA TOUR wins in his career, but hasn’t won since early in 2023 at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

While he hasn’t won an event this season, Kim has been very consistent and productive for fantasy. In his 20 events this season, Kim has made 19 cuts with 10 top-10 finishes. He finished runner-up twice and in third place twice, coming within a few bounces of getting the win. He finished runner-up at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson at the end of May and T10 at the Memorial before a couple of down weeks, missing the cut at the U.S. Open and finishing T44 at the Travelers. He regained his form, though, with a T9 at the Genesis Scottish Open and a T6 at The Open Championship in his two most recent events.

Over the last six months, Kim ranks second in the field in Total Strokes Gained, SG:T2G and SG:APP and is also in the top 10 in SG:OTT. His only real struggle has come on the green, where his putting has been volatile.

He has a solid track record at this week’s venue, and this will be his sixth career appearance at Detroit Golf Club. He made the cut in four straight appearances, highlighted by a T14 in 2022. Even though he hasn’t posted a top-10 finish in Detroit yet, his consistent ball striking makes him an excellent leverage option with low projected ownership.

Mid-Priced PGA DFS Picks