VidantaWorld Mexico Open: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values, and Sleepers for Large-Field Tournaments on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR continues its international travels as part of the FedExCup Fall with a two-week stop in Mexico. This week, the VidantaWorld Mexico Open moves from February to October and joins the World Wide Technology Championship in the FedExCup Fall. This week is a full-field event and gives players a continued chance to improve their status for next season by moving up the FedExCup Fall Standings, with four events before the season concludes.

The tournament has been held at Vidanta Vallarta every year since it became a PGA TOUR event in 2022, although its history dates back to 1948. For more information on the field, the format, and the course for this week, check out this First Look from RotoGrinders.

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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.

Also available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

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 Pick

Doug Ghim $9,400

For the FedExCup Fall, we’ll focus on just one pick in each price range, and at the bottom of the section, we’ll list out a few more plays that stand out in that price bracket. This week, Doug Ghim has the highest Leverage Rating among the top eight players in the field. He seems highly priced but can be a source of pay-up leverage if he continues his recent momentum on a course where he has played well in the past.

Two years ago at Vidanta Vallarta, Ghim finished T8 in his most recent appearance at the Mexico Open, and he also had a T33 in 2022. He missed the cut in 2023, but he comes back to the venue this week with some positive momentum after posting five straight top-20 finishes.

Ghim is up to No. 56 in the FedExCup Fall Standings, which would be good enough to earn him a spot in the Aon Next 10 and secure a spot in the early Signature Events next year. He will need a strong finish over the next four events to keep that spot, which would also earn him a full-time exemption for next season.

His best finish of the season came just less than a month ago at the Bank of Utah Championship, where he finished solo second behind Austin Smotherman. He didn’t play in Bermuda last week but finished T17 at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, extending his current streak to five straight top-20 finishes.

Over the last six months, Ghim ranks third in the field in SG:OTT, SG:T2G, and Total Strokes Gained. His name isn’t as recognizable as the elite options in the field, and he’s still looking for his first career win, but his recent form makes him a good play with a high floor and high ceiling this week.

Other High-Priced Picks from the Model: Tom Kim ($10,100), Marco Penge ($9,700), John Keefer ($9,500)

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Mid-Priced PGA DFS Pick