After a thrilling U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, the PGA TOUR heads to TPC River Highlands for the final signature event of 2025. This week’s Travelers Championship features a limited but stacked field with 72 golfers participating in a no-cut race to the finish on the par-70 layout designed by the renowned Pete Dye.
This course is usually fairly easy relative to par and is all about accuracy off the tee (usually with less than driver), strong approach shots, and excellent putting on the blended Poa and Bentgrass greens. Since it’s such an established track, most players have extensive course history. For more details on the field, the course, the weather, and some key stats to track, 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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Xander Schauffele $10,800
Scottie Scheffler ($13,300) is the defending champion and at the top of all the projections this week. He’s a great play in all formats since he brings so much win equity, but you probably don’t need another post telling you how good he is. Instead, let’s look at one strong pivot option that will save you some significant salary but still brings an excellent ceiling. He has the second-highest ceiling projection in the field and a much lower ownership projection as well.
Schauffele has an outstanding track record at TPC River Highlands. He has five top-20 finishes in his six career appearances. He won the event in 2022 and has finished T19 and T13 the last two years. Over his last 20 rounds at this track, he has an impressive scoring average of 66.19.
Schauffele was sidelined by a rib issue earlier this season but has regained his strong form with a T28 or better in each of his last seven events. Over the last 24 rounds, he ranks in the top eight in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and Total Strokes Gained.
He closed with a strong -1 on Sunday at Oakmont to climb to a T12, and he will look to carry his strong recent form over this week to one of his best courses. The fact that his salary is $2,500 lower than Scheffler’s is a little surprising, given how much difference that extra salary can make on the rest of your roster. Building around Schauffele is a strong pivot for GPP lineups if you’re fading Scottie.
Ludvig Aberg $9,600
Aberg has the highest SimLeverage in the field since his ownership projection is under 15% this week. The public is out on him after he missed the cut last week, but he brings enough of a high ceiling that he’s worth a contrarian play in this no-cut event.
This week, he has the fourth-highest Perfect% in the field, behind just Scottie, Rory McIlroy ($11,500) and Schauffele. His ownership projection is outside the top 15, though.
Aberg got his big win of 2025 in a Signature Event in a similar set and field strength at the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. He dropped off a bit after that but surged back onto the stage with a T7 at the Masters. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open last week in the next two majors, but he also had a few good weeks with a T16 at the Memorial and a T13 at the RBC Canadian Open.
Aberg has finished T27 and T24 in his two previous appearances at the Travelers, and his elite accuracy and approach game could put him in contention if he’s at the top of his game. The 25-year-old isn’t consistent enough to be a “safe” play, but for GPP, he once again has too high of a ceiling to ignore at this type of ownership projection.
Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Mid-Priced PGA DFS Picks
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