The PGA TOUR is hosting THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson this week at TPC Craig Ranch (par 71, 7,569 yards, bentgrass greens) in McKinney, Texas. This is the fifth straight year this tournament has been played at TPC Craig Ranch and Taylor Pendrith (-23) is the defending champion of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. For this week, there will be 156 golfers competing and a standard top-65 and ties cut following 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.
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.
The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.
PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts
Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link!
Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.
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DraftKings $10,000+ Range
Jordan Spieth ($10,500)
Rostering Scottie Scheffler at $13,300 severely limits what you can do with the rest of your lineup and his 22.3 place average career finish at TPC Craig Ranch isn’t overly encouraging relative to his massive salary. Now, this doesn’t mean Scheffler won’t contend this week, but opting for the cheaper Spieth, who nearly costs $2,000 less than Scheffler, feels wise for cash games. Spieth has finished T9th, runner-up, and MC in his three starts at TPC Craig Ranch, and he has shot 64 or better in two of these 12 rounds at the par 71. Spieth is gaining 2.1 strokes per round at TPC Craig Ranch – which is notably better than Scheffler at 1.6 – and Spieth has carded three straight top-18 finishes entering this event. The former Texas Longhorn has two career wins in the Lone Star State and Spieth should be in store for a season-best showing this week.
Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
DraftKings $9,000 Range
Byeong Hun An ($9,700)
An has flourished at TPC Craig Ranch, finishing T14th and T4th at the track the last two years. The 33-year-old ranks first in strokes gained per round at TPC Craig Ranch among the players in this field that have played at the venue more than once, and An returns to McKinney riding a five-made-cut streak. The veteran has produced three top-25 finishes during this streak and An should tally another top-25 at TPC Craig Ranch.
Si Woo Kim ($9,400)
Kim is coming off a T8 at the RBC Heritage, in which he gained strokes in every major category at Harbour Town Golf Links. Kim now has five top-25 finishes in 13 starts this season and he has been excellent at TPC Craig Ranch. He has made 3 of 4 cuts at the par 71 and his last two finishes at the course are a runner-up in 2023 and a T13th in 2024. Kim carded an 8-under 63 at TPC Craig Ranch two years ago and he is at his best on bentgrass greens. When we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at courses with this type of putting surface, Kim ranks eighth in strokes gained per round.
Updated on 5/23/25
DraftKings $8,000 Range
Jake Knapp ($8,400)
Knapp finished T3rd at the team-based Zurich Classic last week with Frankie Capan as his partner, and Knapp has produced five top-30 finishes in his last seven solo starts. Knapp finished T8th in his debut at TPC Craig Ranch last season and he is primed for another high finish at the Texas venue. 28.1% of approach shots at this venue have come from 200+ yards and Knapp ranks 23rd in proximity to the hole on approach shots from at least 200 yards this season.
Eric Cole ($8,100)
Cole finished T23rd at TPC Craig Ranch last year and he has been thriving as of late. In his last four solo starts, Cole has finished T12th, T15th, T26th, and T18th, in that order. The 36-year-old gained strokes on approach at each of these last four tournaments and the first two finishes of this run came at courses in Texas. Cole’s game is ascending right now and he is underpriced for his upside in this weak field.
DraftKings $7,000 Range
Taylor Moore ($7,500)
Moore missed the cut at the Valspar Championship in his last solo start, but before this, he had made seven cuts in a row with three top-25 finishes during this span. Moore ranks 17th in Total Strokes Gained over his last 24 rounds and he finished T32nd in his lone start at TPC Craig Ranch in 2022. Moore is simply underpriced for his talent and this is evident when we compare DFS salaries to odds to win THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Moore carries +6000 odds to win this weekend, which are the same odds as Nicolai Hojgaard, who costs $8,200 for DFS purposes on DraftKings.
Matt McCarty ($7,500)
In his last solo start, McCarty shined in his Masters debut with a T14 finish while gaining strokes on approach and with his putter at Augusta National. McCarty has now advanced to the weekend in each of his last seven solo starts and three of these finishes have been top-20 results. McCarty has notably shot under par in 23 of his 28 rounds during this cut streak and while he has never teed it up at TPC Craig Ranch before, McCarty is far too cheap for his current form and he should excel at the vulnerable par 71.
Davis Riley ($7,200)
Riley is the best value on the board this week and a cash game staple. The 28-year-old has finished T9th, MC and T30th at TPC Craig Ranch, and Riley is on the heels of a T32 finish at the Zurich Classic last week with Nick Hardy as his teammate. More importantly, Riley has made six straight cuts as an individual, with his last finish being a T21 at the Masters, which was an impressive feat given it was his debut at Augusta National. Riley finished the major fifth in SG: Approach and on top of the great Masters performance, Riley has also finished inside the top seven twice during this cut streak. Riley ranks third in total strokes gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds and his last win on the PGA TOUR came in Texas at the Charles Schwab Challenge last May. Overall, when we compare this field’s histories in the Lone Star State, Riley ranks eighth in strokes gained per round.
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DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range
Emiliano Grillo ($6,800)
Grillo returns to Texas this week fresh off a T18 at the Valero Texas Open in his last start. The Argentine professional gained strokes across the board at TPC San Antonio that week and this marked Grillo’s sixth made cut in his last seven starts. Furthermore, Grillo has now made nine straight cuts in the state of Texas, including a T46 in his lone start at TPC Craig Ranch in 2022. The 32-year-old is underpriced for his chances of making the cut this week and is a viable cash game target at this sub-$7,000 salary.
Carson Young ($6,700)
Before missing the cut at the Zurich Classic last week with Akshay Bhatia as his partner, Young had made three cuts in a row on his own, including a T10 at the Puerto Rico Open. Young ranks 25th in SG: Off-the-Tee this season and he has been excellent at TPC Craig Ranch, finishing T14th and T30th at the course the last two years. Young has shot under par in all of his eight rounds at TPC Craig Ranch, most notably with an 8-under 63 in 2023. The 30-year-old is gaining a strong 1.4 strokes per round at the par 71 and Young is a great, cheap option that has a terrific chance to make the cut this week.
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Pictured: Jordan Spieth
Photo credit: Getty Images
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