PGA DFS Core Plays: PGA Championship

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Top-ranked DFS player, Notorious, breaks down his favorite PGA DFS picks at various salary ranges for this week’s tournament. Who should you be building around? Find out below.

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My friends, it is a great week. The year’s second major is upon us. The PGA Championship used to feel like the little brother compared to the other major championships, but that’s no longer the case. The PGA of America has turned it into more of a U.S. Open style of test, and it is no longer the last major of the year, so it’s one that everyone looks forward to. We’ve had some great finishes and some great golf courses at this event over the last five years. Let’s hope we get that again in 2024.

We have no shortage of storylines this week. Scottie Scheffler is teeing it up for the first time since the birth of his first child, Rory McIlroy is looking for his third win in a row and looking to win another major at this venue, Brooks Koepka is looking to win the same major in back-to-back years for the third time in his career, Jordan Spieth is looking to complete the grand slam, Tiger Woods is back in action for the first time since the Masters, and Michael Block (BLOCKIE!!) is back in our lives.

Noto’s PGA Model Download & Video for the PGA Championship (link will be posted shortly)

This year’s PGA Championship will be held at Valhalla Golf Club. The last time it was held here was in 2014 when Rory McIlroy won. The course has gone through some significant changes over the last 10 years. The course has been lengthened to over 7,600 yards and the fairways are no longer bentgrass. They are now zoysiagrass, which dries out quicker and plays firmer. The course is a Par 71 that features three Par 5s, four long Par 3s, and some daunting Par 4s. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and is located in Louisville, Kentucky. Based on what we saw in 2014, the video fly-overs of the course, and player interviews, this course should provide a tremendous test of golf.

Given the length of the course, driving distance could play a critical role this week. There will be a few short hitters that linger on the leaderboard, but it’s hard to imagine the winner not having significant power off the tee. The course is extremely long, the rough is extremely thick (4”), and we currently have rain in the forecast. If the course is a little softer, it will only play longer than the number on the scorecard. In addition to distance off the tee, I’m focusing on long-iron play, scrambling, and bogey avoidance. The three comps that I am using this week (which can be found in my downloadable model) are strokes gained at majors, strokes gained in strong fields, and strokes gained on long and difficult courses.

Editor’s Note: RotoGrinders has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole!

Tool Highlights

PGA DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Core Plays for the PGA Championship

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Cut Rule:

Weather Forecasts

Valhalla Golf Club

Event and Course Notes

What to Look For

Core Plays

Brooks Koepka
DraftKings: $10,800 / pOWN%: 15%
FanDuel: $11,600 / pOWN%: 14%
Driving Distance: 42
Strokes Gained Approach: 24
Strokes Gained Around the Green: 99
Strokes Gained Putting: 3
Birdie or Better %: 108
Bogey Avoidance: 125

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Most will be starting their lineups with Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy. I see the board a bit differently. My favorite play of the week is Koepka. Throughout his career, he has played his best golf in the majors. When he wins the world’s biggest events, he typically comes into the week off a strong finish. The last time he teed it up was two weeks ago when he won the LIV Singapore event. He’s also successfully defended his major championships the first two times around (he won the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens and the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships). He has a chance to accomplish that feat for a third time with a win this week. He’s a bomber off the tee, he’s an elite iron player, and he’s one of the most clutch putters that we have seen over the last 10 years. Some golfers are built for majors.

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About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on Twitter – @RG_Notorious