PGA Drive for Show, DFS for Dough - THE PLAYERS Championship
Our PGA gurus are here to break down the field for THE PLAYERS Championship! Join Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84) and Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) for Drive for Show, DFS for Dough, your first look at this week’s PGA DFS slate.
Show Highlights
This podcast episode focuses on providing expert strategies and insights for THE PLAYERS Championship. Hosted by Justin Van Zuiden and Derek Farnsworth, the episode dives into the importance of player selection, course evaluation, and lineup building.
Watch the video below to hear all about THE PLAYERS Championship PGA DFS slate!
Course Overview
- TPC Sawgrass hosts a 72-hole stroke play event; the field cuts to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes.
- The Stadium Course (~7,200 yards) features narrow fairways, thick rough, and demanding approach angles. Driver accuracy is as important as distance.
- Greens are firm and fast. Iron precision and approach play are premium skills; bogey avoidance is a meaningful separator.
- The par-3 17th island green and the closing stretch create scoring variance. Big numbers are always in play.
- Ball-striking (especially long irons) and around-the-green performance are rewarded. A complete game profiles best here.
- Scoring is tighter than birdie-fest events. Mistake-prone players are exposed quickly on this layout.
DFS Strategy
- Scottie Scheffler at max price compresses the top of the board. Balanced builds are more viable than true stars-and-scrubs construction.
- Chalk is concentrated in the $9,000–$10,000 tier. One or two contrarian mid-range plays are necessary to differentiate GPP lineups.
- Primary filters: approach/iron play and off-the-tee metrics. Bogey avoidance is a key secondary filter this week.
- Course history at TPC Sawgrass carries real weight. Prioritize multi-year event history alongside recent form.
- Be cautious with momentum plays from weak-field events.
- Value options at $6,000 are thin. Most carry either poor form or poor course history. Limit exposure in this tier.
Player Highlights
$10,000+ Range
- Scottie Scheffler — target — highest ceiling in the field; unavoidable cash anchor despite max price.
- Rory McIlroy — cautious — withdrew mid-tournament last week; illness/injury status is uncertain. Monitor before locking. High ownership expected regardless.
- Xander Schauffele — target — elite ball-striker who fits the course profile; core cash and GPP play.
$9,000 Range
- Collin Morikawa — target — premier iron player; strong course fit and viable in all formats.
- Ludvig Aberg — target — efficient iron play, complete all-around game; legitimate top-of-the-board upside.
- Tommy Fleetwood — sprinkle — solid ball-striker with course fit; better in GPP than cash.
$8,000 Range
- Jake Knapp — target — hosts identify him as a primary play in this range; withdrew (back) post-lock last week, so confirm availability before using.
$7,000 Range
- Min Woo Lee — target — one of the hosts’ primary plays; strong ball-striking profile fits course demands.
- Rickie Fowler — sprinkle — top 30 in all five starts this year; has won at TPC Sawgrass. Both hosts are willing to play in GPP.
- Corey Connors — target — projected ~4% ownership; gained 5 strokes ball-striking last week, lost it on the greens. Strong GPP leverage over chalk plays nearby.
- Daniel Berger — lean — good Florida track record; gained strokes across all categories last week. Hosts accept the chalk here given the price. Better cash than GPP.
- Nicolai Hojgaard — sprinkle — preferred over Rasmus this week; better ball-striking numbers make him the play if using either Hojgaard.
$6,000 / Value
- Ricky Castillo — target — won the prior week, top-5 the week before; implied odds markedly better than similarly priced peers.
- Krisoffer Reitan — GPP flier — top 30 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee over last 36 rounds. High ceiling if he keeps it in play; large-field GPP only.
- Ryan Fox — sprinkle — one of the few value plays with credible course history at TPC Sawgrass.
- Hao Tong Li — sprinkle — missed cut last week but was a late, underprepared add. Hosts still willing to play him at the price.