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

After another great Sunday finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship, the FedExCup Fall continues this week and goes international, with a trip to Japan for the Baycurrent Classic. This week’s tournament, formerly called the ZOZO Championship, will feature a new course and a unique format, along with one of the strongest fields of the fall.

The no-cut format includes 78 golfers from the PGA TOUR and Japan Golf Tour, and it’s a good week to swing for the fences since all golfers will play four rounds, barring withdrawal or disqualification. They’ll play those rounds at Yokohama Country Club, which will be making its PGA TOUR debut but has hosted events on the Japan Golf Tour the last several years. For more info on the course, the field, and what to expect this week, check out this First Look from RotoGrinders.

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

All Strokes Gained metrics referenced are from the Rabbit Hole.

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 GPP 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 GPP 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

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Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

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Rasmus Hojgaard $9,200

Hojgaard has the second-highest ceiling and median projections in the field this week, even though he only has the ninth-highest salary in the field.

The 24-year-old from Denmark has the kind of well-rounded game that plays well on a variety of courses, and he has loads of international experience. He is still looking for his first PGA TOUR win but has five international wins, including three on the DP World Tour.

Hojgaard finished T3 last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship after contributing to the European win at the Ryder Cup. That was his sixth top-25 finish in 19 PGA TOUR events this season. Before coming to the U.S. for the Ryder Cup and Sanderson, he posted a pair of runner-up finishes on the DP World Tour in August at the Danish Golf Championship and the Omega European Masters.

Building around Hojgaard is an affordable play that still provides plenty of upside. His ownership projection isn’t exactly low at just under 25%, but it is much lower than Kurt Kityama‘s and Xander Schauffele‘s, who have the two highest ownership projections on the board coming into the week.

Michael Thorbjornsen $9,100

Thorbjornsen is the only player who has a higher ceiling and floor projection than Hojgaard, and the 24-year-old is another young player who seems on the verge of a breakthrough win. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in eight of his last 10 events and is coming off top-30 finishes in each of the first two events in the FedExCup Fall.

Over the last 30 rounds, Thorbjornsen ranks fourth in the field in Total Strokes Gained, third in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, and sixth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. Over the last eight rounds, he leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and is fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach.

On unknown courses like this one, relying on players with well-balanced, strong shotmaking is a great strategy to consider. Both Thorbjornsen and Hojgaard fit that mold as they come to Yokohama looking to claim their first taste of PGA TOUR victory.

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

Mid-Priced PGA DFS Picks

All Strokes Gained metrics referenced are from the Rabbit Hole.

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.