PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Biltmore Championship

The inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville will be played at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove (par 71, 7,249 yards, Bentgrass/POA greens) in Arden, North Carolina. The Cliffs was designed by Jack Nicklaus, and this is the first-ever PGA TOUR event played at the par 71. There will be 132 players competing, with a top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds this week.

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 $10,000 Range

Jacob Bridgeman ($10,300)

Bridgeman has had a great season and is a strong anchor for cash game lineups. He has missed only one cut in 23 starts and finished inside the top 10 six times. Bridgeman secured his first PGA TOUR win at the Genesis Invitational in February – a Signature Event – and just closed out the FedExCup Playoffs with a ninth-place finish at the BMW Championship and a T4 at the TOUR Championship.

Across those playoff events, Bridgeman gained strokes on approach and with his putter, and he shot under par in all but one of his eight rounds. Bridgeman leads the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting, and we have seen him contend on a Nicklaus design before, as he finished runner-up at PGA National in last year’s Cognizant Classic.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Davis Thompson ($9,700)

Thompson really found his form this summer. In his last three starts, the Georgia product finished T7, T8, and T14 while shooting under par in all but one of those 12 rounds. Thompson gained strokes on approach at each of those events, most recently gaining a massive 12.5 strokes at the Wyndham Championship. That performance led the field by nearly five strokes and marked a new career high for Thompson in the metric, nearly doubling his previous best.

Thompson ranks first in Strokes Gained: Approach when comparing this field over the last 24 rounds. If the elite ball-striking continues, Thompson should post a high finish at the Cliffs.

Kevin Yu ($9,200)

Yu has been awesome. The 28-year-old has made seven of his past eight cuts, with all seven resulting in finishes of T35 or better. Most recently, he posted a fourth-place finish at the Wyndham Championship. That was a season-best performance for Yu, and he gained strokes across the board at Sedgefield.

Yu has shot under par in 10 of his past 12 rounds, and he ranks fifth in Strokes Gained: Total when comparing this field over the last 24 rounds. Yu has thrived at Nicklaus designs in the past, most notably with a T9 at PGA National in 2024, and he brings that type of upside at the Cliffs.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

J.T. Poston ($8,900)

Poston won the Memorial at the Nicklaus-designed Muirfield Village in June, and he is a North Carolina native who grew up about an hour and a half from the Cliffs. Poston is going to be a hometown favorite this week, and he should be highly motivated to play well. He is in the midst of a strong season, making 15 of 21 cuts and producing six top-25 finishes. The four-time PGA TOUR winner just finished inside the top 25 in both of his FedExCup Playoffs starts, and Poston warrants a higher price tag in this weak field.

Kevin Roy ($8,000)

Roy’s game is trending up. The veteran has made five straight cuts, including four finishes of T31 or better. Roy gained strokes on approach at each of his last five events. His putter has also come alive, as he has gained strokes on the greens in back-to-back starts. Roy has been very consistent, shooting under par in 12 consecutive rounds, and he shouldn’t slow down at the Cliffs.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Andrew Novak ($7,800)

Novak is a North Carolina native who should be geared up for this event. The veteran has flashed big upside in the Southeast before, finishing runner-up at the 2025 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina. While Novak has been unreliable this season, making 15 of 24 cuts, he is fresh off his best finish of the year.

Novak finished T7 at the Wyndham Championship last month, and he went nuts in the final round, posting a 7-under 63 at Sedgefield. He gained strokes in every major category during that start and should ride this wave into a strong finish in his home state this week.

Ben Kohles ($7,700)

Kohles should contend for his first PGA TOUR win this fall, perhaps as soon as this week at the Biltmore Championship. Between the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour, Kohles has made 12 cuts in a row, and he has finished outside the top 30 only once during this span. Kohles began this stretch with a win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour in June. Furthermore, he finished T3 at the John Deere Classic and ninth at the 3M Open in July.

Kohles has carded 12 straight under-par rounds, and he ranks first in Strokes Gained: Total when comparing this field over the last 24 rounds.

Chris Kirk ($7,400)

Kirk has won at a Nicklaus design before, taking home the big check at PGA National three years ago, and he enters this week riding a streak of four straight made cuts. Kirk finished T8 at the Rocket Classic in his second-to-last start, and his irons have been excellent. He has gained strokes on approach at six straight tournaments.

Kirk ranks 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach this season, and his strong ball-striking sets him up well for the Cliffs because this venue features small greens.

DraftKings $6,000 Range

Davis Chatfield ($6,800)

After a rough start to his rookie season, Chatfield found his groove this summer. The Notre Dame product has missed only one cut in his last six starts, and every made cut resulted in a finish of T35 or better. Chatfield posted a career-best T5 at the ISCO Championship in July, and his ball-striking has been the key to his recent success. He ranks second in Strokes Gained: Approach when comparing this field over the last 24 rounds. The rookie is way underpriced at only $6,800 and is one of the best values available this week.

Joel Dahmen ($6,800)

Dahmen has been steady recently, making six of his last eight cuts. He has finished inside the top 30 twice over this stretch. For the season, he ranks in the top 20 in both Strokes Gained: Approach and par-4 performance. Dahmen finished T9 at the Nicklaus-designed PGA National in March, and he is a safe bet to make the cut in his first attempt at the Cliffs this week.

Pictured: Jacob Bridgeman
Photo credit: Imagn