PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Austin Championship

The PGA TOUR is hosting the first-ever Austin Championship at the Fazio Canyons Course (par 72, 7,451 yards, Bermuda greens) at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. This will be the first PGA TOUR event played at this Tom Fazio design and the second-to-last tournament of the FedEx Cup Fall series. This week’s field consists of 120 players, with a cut to the top 65 and ties after the first two rounds.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

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My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

• Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
• Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
• Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The Cliffs Notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

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

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Doug Ghim ($9,800)

Starting your cash-game lineup with Ghim is a no-brainer this week. The 30-year-old has been outstanding, coming very close to winning his first PGA TOUR title over the last few months. Ghim has made six straight cuts and finished no worse than T19 during this run. Ghim finished runner-up at the Bank of Utah Championship last month, and he just finished T6 at the Mexico Open two weeks ago in his last start. Ghim has shot under par in 15 consecutive rounds, including two rounds of 62, and he ranks first in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. Ghim now heads to the Fazio Canyons Course in Austin, an area he knows well after attending the University of Texas. This being a Fazio design also bodes well for Ghim, as he finished T6 at the RSM Classic last season. 3-of-4 rounds for this event are played at the Fazio-designed Seaside Course, and Ghim shot a career-low 10-under 60 at this venue last year.

Blades Brown ($9,900)

Brown broke through for his first PGA TOUR win last week at the World Wide Technology Championship by defeating Ben James in a playoff. While only 19 years old, Brown joining the winner’s circle this early isn’t surprising, as he has been incredible recently. Between the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour, Brown has made 20 of his last 21 cuts, and he has produced 17 top-25 finishes during this span. After beginning the year as the 481st-ranked golfer in the world, Brown now sits at a career-best No. 62 following his win at El Cardonal. The ascending talent shot an 8-under 63 in the final round, marking his 20th consecutive sub-par round. With his first career win under his belt, Brown should be as confident as ever, and there’s nothing stopping him from contending again this week.

Chris Kirk ($9,400)

After finishing T6 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, Kirk kept his foot on the gas at the World Wide Technology Championship this past week, finishing T12. Kirk has now made eight straight cuts with five top-20 finishes during this streak. The veteran gained 7.9 strokes on approach at El Cardonal last week, which ranked second for the event and is the second-best ball-striking performance of his career. Kirk has gained strokes on approach in 10 straight starts, and he ranks sixth in SG: Approach for the season. Evident from his strong recent play, this is an important stretch of golf for Kirk. He currently sits at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, and only the top 100 following next week’s RSM Classic earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2027 season. Kirk is locked in right now, and the six-time winner should finish high at the Fazio Canyons. Kirk is a previous winner in Texas, winning the 2015 Crowne Plaza Invitational, and he won the 2023 Honda Classic at PGA National, which is another Fazio design.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Seamus Power ($8,900)

Power has been lights-out this fall. The Irishman has finished T7, T20, runner-up, and T8 in his four starts. Power has shot 67 or lower in 12 of these 15 rounds, and he has gained strokes on approach and with his putter in three of these past four starts. Power ranks third in SG: Total when we analyze this field’s last 24 rounds, and he shouldn’t slow down at the Fazio Canyons. Power has finished inside the top seven three times at the RSM Classic, and he has finished inside the top 12 twice at the Fazio-designed Corales Golf Club for the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Rico Hoey ($8,100)

Hoey is coming off a T21 at the World Wide Technology Championship, marking his ninth made cut and fourth top-25 finish in his last 10 starts. Hoey ranks 10th in SG: Total when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he has been elite off the tee this season, ranking 12th in total driving, which sets him up well for the lengthy Fazio Canyons. Hoey has made six cuts in a row in Texas, and he has carded back-to-back top-20 finishes in the Lone Star State. Hoey was just priced up to $8,900 on DraftKings for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in his third-to-last start, and he is a value that’s tough to pass up at only $8,100 this week.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Stephan Jaeger ($7,900)

Jaeger secured his lone PGA TOUR win in Texas at the 2024 Houston Open, and he travels back to the Lone Star State this week in compelling form. Jaeger has only missed one cut in his last six starts with four finishes of T26 or better, most notably a T4 at the Baycurrent Classic last month. Jaeger also finished T25 at the World Wide Technology Championship last week while ranking third in SG: Approach at El Cardonal, marking his third straight event gaining strokes on approach. Jaeger is dialed in with his irons right now, and he is a great target at this affordable salary.

Max Homa ($7,500)

Homa has made 18-of-23 cuts this season, and he has finished inside the top 30 in three of his last four starts. Homa just finished T13 at the Baycurrent Classic last month, and the six-time PGA TOUR winner has a real knack for Fazio courses. Homa won at Quail Hollow in 2019, and he won at Riviera Country Club in 2021 and finished runner-up there in 2023. Riviera underwent renovations under Fazio. Homa and the Fazio Canyons should be a strong match, and he is way too cheap for his upside at only $7,500, which is a dramatic drop from the $9,200 price tag he saw for the VidantaWorld Mexico Open in his last start.

Austin Eckroat ($7,400)

Eckroat won the 2024 Cognizant Classic at the Fazio-designed PGA National, and he has been a terrific cut maker over the last few months, failing to make the cut only once in his last 17 starts. Eckroat just finished T21 at the World Wide Technology Championship last week while gaining strokes on approach and with his putter. Eckroat ranked 10th in SG: Approach for the event, marking his fourth straight tournament gaining strokes on approach. Eckroat can’t afford to underperform this week: he sits 122nd in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, and only the top 125 after next week’s RSM Classic will earn conditional status for the 2027 PGA TOUR season. With the stakes high, he is an excellent target.

DraftKings $6,000 Range

Chad Ramey ($6,900)

Ramey has made eight of his last 10 cuts, and he is coming off a T25 finish at the World Wide Technology Championship last week. Ramey finished the event 10th in SG: Approach, and he will now look to build on that result at the Fazio Canyons. Ramey’s one PGA TOUR win came at the Fazio-designed Corales Golf Club in 2022, and a second straight top-25 finish is a possibility this week.

Kensi Hirata ($6,500)

Hirata has found something in his game. The 25-year-old has improved in each of his last three starts, finishing T34, T11, and fourth, with that last finish coming at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship. Hirata has gained strokes on approach and with his putter in each of these past three starts. He has shot under par in all but one of his 11 rounds during this time, including an 8-under 63 at Vidanta Vallarta, matching his career low. These three starts alone have moved Hirata up 149 spots in the world golf rankings, and he should easily outperform this $6,500 salary this week.

Pictured: Doug Ghim
Photo credit: Imagn