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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for THE PLAYERS Championship

The PGA TOUR is hosting THE PLAYERS Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass (par 72, 7,352 yards, Bermuda/POA greens) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. This Pete Dye design has been the home of THE PLAYERS Championship since 1982, and Scottie Scheffler will be seeking his third straight title at TPC Sawgrass this week. THE PLAYERS Championship is hosting a field of 144 players, and this is the largest purse of the season at $25 million. After the first two rounds, there will be a top-65 and ties cut.

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 CliffsNotes 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.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
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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.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($12,800)

With a plethora of appealing cheap values available this week, rostering Scheffler is easy and the right move for cash games. The world No. 1 is seeking his third straight PLAYERS title, and Scheffler is the only player to ever win back-to-back titles at TPC Sawgrass. The former Texas Longhorn shot under par in all of eight of these rounds at the difficult par 72, including a final round 8-under 64 last season, which was two strokes shy of tying the lowest score in the history of THE PLAYERS Championship. Scheffler ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s history at Dye courses, and during his T11 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, the only thing holding Scheffler back from contending was his putter. He finished third-to-last in SG: Putting for the week, and Scheffler should regain his former form as a putter on these greens at TPC Sawgrass that he knows extremely well. Scheffler has gained strokes putting in each of his last three starts at this par 72.

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

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,900)

Fleetwood has made 6-of-7 cuts at TPC Sawgrass with two top-seven finishes, and he returns to the par 72 with eight finishes of T16 or better in his last 10 starts worldwide. Fleetwood closed the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 4-under 68 last week, and he ranks fourth on the PGA TOUR in SG: Approach this season. Each of the last five PLAYERS winners has finished the event top seven in SG: Approach, and Fleetwood’s excellent season should continue with another high finish this weekend.

Shane Lowry ($9,100)

Lowry finished T7th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, which is the ninth time he has finished inside the top 13 in his last 12 starts worldwide. Lowry’s ball striking has been excellent this season, with the Irishman ranking 14th in SG: Approach and 22nd in proximity to the hole on approach shots of 200 yards or greater. Just like Bay Hill last week, being efficient on approach shots of this length is critical at TPC Sawgrass, as 24% of the approach shots at this course over the last five years have come from 200+ yards. Lowry has carded a top-20 finish in three of his last four visits to TPC Sawgrass, and he is a very safe option this week.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Sepp Straka ($8,600)

After posting a 5-over 77 in the first round last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Straka went 66, 69 and 69 in his next three rounds, en route to a T5 finish. This marked his best finish to date at Bay Hill and Straka fighting back to contend at the Florida venue is clear evidence that he is playing the best golf of his life, as before this, he had only made one cut in his first five tries at Bay Hill. Starka currently sits at career-best No. 13 in the World Golf Rankings, and he has produced six top-15 finishes in eight starts this season, including a win at the American Express. Straka ranks ninth in SG: Approach this season, and he is a tremendous target at TPC Sawgrass, where he has finished inside the top 16 twice in the last three years.

Si Woo Kim ($8,200)

Kim boasts one of the best resumes at TPC Sawgrass. He has never missed a cut in seven tries at the Dye design with five top-30 finishes, most notably with a three-shot win in 2017 and a T6 last season. Among the players in this week’s field who have teed it up more than once at TPC Sawgrass, Kim ranks third in strokes gained per round at the par 72, via the Rabbit Hole. The 29-year-old has carded four straight top-25 finishes entering this week and is a standout target at this $8,200 salary.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Corey Conners ($7,900)

For the second week in a row, Conners is a cash game staple. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, the Canadian was in the mix for a win with a T3 finish. Conner has impressively only missed one cut in his last 36 starts, and he ranks third on the PGA TOUR in proximity to the hole on approach shots from at least 200 yards out this season. At this venue, Conners has made 4-of-5 cuts, including a T7 in 2021 and a T13 last season.

Keegan Bradley ($7,700)

Bradley has made six of his last eight cuts at TPC Sawgrass – including three top-20 finishes—and the veteran is coming off a T5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, in which he closed the tournament with an incredible 8-under 64. This score tied for the lowest of the Signature Event, and Bradley led the world-class field at Bay Hill in SG: Approach. The former FedEx Cup champion has now finished inside the top 15 in five of his past eight starts, and Bradley’s +5000 odds to win THE PLAYERS Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook are excellent relative to his salary. For some perspective, these are the same odds as Sungjae Im, who is far more expensive at $9,700.

Nick Taylor ($7,300)

Taylor is an easy choice at this low salary. The Canadian finished T26th at TPC Sawgrass last season, which is his second top-30 finish and fifth made cut in seven appearances at the Dye creation. Taylor now returns to TPC Sawgrass, playing arguably the best golf of his career. In his seven starts this season, Taylor has yet to miss a cut, and he has finished inside the top 25 four times, including his victory at the Sony Open in January. Taylor has gained strokes on approach at all seven of these events, and he ranks fourth in the metric for the season.

Aaron Rai ($7,100)

After finishing T6th at the Mexico Open, Rai finished T11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, while nearly gaining strokes in every major category at Bay Hill. Rai ranks sixth in driving accuracy this season, and his precision off the tee makes him a terrific fit for TPC Sawgrass. Rai has finished T19th and T35th at this course the last two years, and he is a steal at this low salary. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Rai carries +7000 odds to win THE PLAYERS Championship, which are the same odds as Viktor Hovland at $9,000.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Michael Kim ($5,900)

Kim is one of the best value plays we have seen this season and can be attacked in cash games at this sub-$6,000 salary. While the veteran has struggled at TPC Sawgrass, making only one of four cuts at the track, Kim has never headed into a PLAYERS Championship in better form than this week, and its not particularly close. The 31-year-old has been brilliant, finishing runner-up, T13th, T13th, T6th, and T4th in his last five starts, with that final start coming at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week. Kim has remarkably gained strokes in every major category in each of these last five starts, and he ranks seventh in total strokes gained this season, but Kim is only the 73rd most expensive golfer on DraftKings this week.

Doug Ghim ($5,600)

Ghim has been great at TPC Sawgrass, finishing T29th, T6th, MC, and T16th the last four years. The 28-year-old has shot under par in 10 of his 14 rounds at the challenging venue, and Ghim is coming off his best finish of the season with a T11 at the Cognizant Classic, in which he led the field in SG: Approach at PGA National. Ghim now ranks sixth in SG: Approach for the season, and he has advanced to the weekend in 14 of his past 16 starts. Furthermore, Ghim has made the cut in five of his last six starts at courses in Florida. Ghim was priced up to $6,800 for last year’s PLAYERS Championship, and he is an elite bargain at only $5,600.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the American Express PGA DFS Picks: Using Perfect% Simulations To Find Value at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Sony Open on DraftKings The American Express: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values, and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR is hosting THE PLAYERS Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass (par 72, 7,352 yards, Bermuda/POA greens) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. This Pete Dye design has been the home of THE PLAYERS Championship since 1982, and Scottie Scheffler will be seeking his third straight title at TPC Sawgrass this week. THE PLAYERS Championship is hosting a field of 144 players, and this is the largest purse of the season at $25 million. After the first two rounds, there will be a top-65 and ties cut.

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 CliffsNotes 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.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

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.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($12,800)

With a plethora of appealing cheap values available this week, rostering Scheffler is easy and the right move for cash games. The world No. 1 is seeking his third straight PLAYERS title, and Scheffler is the only player to ever win back-to-back titles at TPC Sawgrass. The former Texas Longhorn shot under par in all of eight of these rounds at the difficult par 72, including a final round 8-under 64 last season, which was two strokes shy of tying the lowest score in the history of THE PLAYERS Championship. Scheffler ranks fifth in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s history at Dye courses, and during his T11 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, the only thing holding Scheffler back from contending was his putter. He finished third-to-last in SG: Putting for the week, and Scheffler should regain his former form as a putter on these greens at TPC Sawgrass that he knows extremely well. Scheffler has gained strokes putting in each of his last three starts at this par 72.

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

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,900)

Fleetwood has made 6-of-7 cuts at TPC Sawgrass with two top-seven finishes, and he returns to the par 72 with eight finishes of T16 or better in his last 10 starts worldwide. Fleetwood closed the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 4-under 68 last week, and he ranks fourth on the PGA TOUR in SG: Approach this season. Each of the last five PLAYERS winners has finished the event top seven in SG: Approach, and Fleetwood’s excellent season should continue with another high finish this weekend.

Shane Lowry ($9,100)

Lowry finished T7th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, which is the ninth time he has finished inside the top 13 in his last 12 starts worldwide. Lowry’s ball striking has been excellent this season, with the Irishman ranking 14th in SG: Approach and 22nd in proximity to the hole on approach shots of 200 yards or greater. Just like Bay Hill last week, being efficient on approach shots of this length is critical at TPC Sawgrass, as 24% of the approach shots at this course over the last five years have come from 200+ yards. Lowry has carded a top-20 finish in three of his last four visits to TPC Sawgrass, and he is a very safe option this week.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Sepp Straka ($8,600)

After posting a 5-over 77 in the first round last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Straka went 66, 69 and 69 in his next three rounds, en route to a T5 finish. This marked his best finish to date at Bay Hill and Straka fighting back to contend at the Florida venue is clear evidence that he is playing the best golf of his life, as before this, he had only made one cut in his first five tries at Bay Hill. Starka currently sits at career-best No. 13 in the World Golf Rankings, and he has produced six top-15 finishes in eight starts this season, including a win at the American Express. Straka ranks ninth in SG: Approach this season, and he is a tremendous target at TPC Sawgrass, where he has finished inside the top 16 twice in the last three years.

Si Woo Kim ($8,200)

Kim boasts one of the best resumes at TPC Sawgrass. He has never missed a cut in seven tries at the Dye design with five top-30 finishes, most notably with a three-shot win in 2017 and a T6 last season. Among the players in this week’s field who have teed it up more than once at TPC Sawgrass, Kim ranks third in strokes gained per round at the par 72, via the Rabbit Hole. The 29-year-old has carded four straight top-25 finishes entering this week and is a standout target at this $8,200 salary.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Corey Conners ($7,900)

For the second week in a row, Conners is a cash game staple. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, the Canadian was in the mix for a win with a T3 finish. Conner has impressively only missed one cut in his last 36 starts, and he ranks third on the PGA TOUR in proximity to the hole on approach shots from at least 200 yards out this season. At this venue, Conners has made 4-of-5 cuts, including a T7 in 2021 and a T13 last season.

Keegan Bradley ($7,700)

Bradley has made six of his last eight cuts at TPC Sawgrass – including three top-20 finishes—and the veteran is coming off a T5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, in which he closed the tournament with an incredible 8-under 64. This score tied for the lowest of the Signature Event, and Bradley led the world-class field at Bay Hill in SG: Approach. The former FedEx Cup champion has now finished inside the top 15 in five of his past eight starts, and Bradley’s +5000 odds to win THE PLAYERS Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook are excellent relative to his salary. For some perspective, these are the same odds as Sungjae Im, who is far more expensive at $9,700.

Nick Taylor ($7,300)

Taylor is an easy choice at this low salary. The Canadian finished T26th at TPC Sawgrass last season, which is his second top-30 finish and fifth made cut in seven appearances at the Dye creation. Taylor now returns to TPC Sawgrass, playing arguably the best golf of his career. In his seven starts this season, Taylor has yet to miss a cut, and he has finished inside the top 25 four times, including his victory at the Sony Open in January. Taylor has gained strokes on approach at all seven of these events, and he ranks fourth in the metric for the season.

Aaron Rai ($7,100)

After finishing T6th at the Mexico Open, Rai finished T11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, while nearly gaining strokes in every major category at Bay Hill. Rai ranks sixth in driving accuracy this season, and his precision off the tee makes him a terrific fit for TPC Sawgrass. Rai has finished T19th and T35th at this course the last two years, and he is a steal at this low salary. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Rai carries +7000 odds to win THE PLAYERS Championship, which are the same odds as Viktor Hovland at $9,000.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Michael Kim ($5,900)

Kim is one of the best value plays we have seen this season and can be attacked in cash games at this sub-$6,000 salary. While the veteran has struggled at TPC Sawgrass, making only one of four cuts at the track, Kim has never headed into a PLAYERS Championship in better form than this week, and its not particularly close. The 31-year-old has been brilliant, finishing runner-up, T13th, T13th, T6th, and T4th in his last five starts, with that final start coming at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week. Kim has remarkably gained strokes in every major category in each of these last five starts, and he ranks seventh in total strokes gained this season, but Kim is only the 73rd most expensive golfer on DraftKings this week.

Doug Ghim ($5,600)

Ghim has been great at TPC Sawgrass, finishing T29th, T6th, MC, and T16th the last four years. The 28-year-old has shot under par in 10 of his 14 rounds at the challenging venue, and Ghim is coming off his best finish of the season with a T11 at the Cognizant Classic, in which he led the field in SG: Approach at PGA National. Ghim now ranks sixth in SG: Approach for the season, and he has advanced to the weekend in 14 of his past 16 starts. Furthermore, Ghim has made the cut in five of his last six starts at courses in Florida. Ghim was priced up to $6,800 for last year’s PLAYERS Championship, and he is an elite bargain at only $5,600.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the American Express PGA DFS Picks: Using Perfect% Simulations To Find Value at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Sony Open on DraftKings The American Express: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values, and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

About the Author

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player who produces NFL and NBA content for FantasyLabs. He has been playing DFS for nearly a decade, dating back to the DraftStreet days and has been in the fantasy/betting content business for over eight years. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has contributed content for some of the biggest outlets in the industry, such as DraftKings Network, Stokastic (formerly Awesemo) and RotoWire, covering NBA, NFL and PGA. Alex is a data-driven analyst that has multiple wins and high finishes in GPPs on his DFS resume, as well as years of being a successful cash-game player. If you have any questions or need any lineup advice, Alex can be found @Hunta512 on Twitter.