This article is part of our DraftKings PGA DFS Picks series.
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Purse: $10M
Winner's Share: $1.8M
FedEx Cup Points: 600 to the Winner
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Course: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium)
Yardage: 7,215
Par: 72
Tournament Preview
Dubbed the unofficial fifth major, The Players Championship epitomizes the prestige and charitable nature of the PGA Tour. Held at the well-known TPC Sawgrass Stadium course since 1982, the dramatic history runs deep through the wooded wetlands that legendary architect Pete Dye crafted into a masterpiece of golf lore. The course itself is quite challenging and the tournament often boils down to the final three holes on Sunday; the reachable par-5 16th with an approach over water, the famous par-3 17th "island" green and the treacherous par-4 18th with water lurking left the entire hole. Annually among the deepest of the year, the field features 49 of the top 50 in the world rankings along with 90-plus other top professionals. The Players is the highest non-major payout of the year, the winner collecting $1.8 million of the $10 million purse. In addition, the champion will also receive coveted exemptions: a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, three-year exemptions to the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open and an entry into the PGA Championship in August. The last four years have crowned champions at a score of 13-under, which stands as a great target score for those seeking a permanent spot in golf history.
Key Stats at TPC Sawgrass
• Strokes gained: Tee-to-Green
• Par-4 Scoring
• Par-3 Scoring
• Bogey Avoidance
Last Decade of Champions:
2014 - Martin Kaymer
2013 - Tiger Woods
2012 - Matt Kuchar
2011 - K.J. Choi
2010 - Tim Clark
2009 - Henrik Stenson
2008 - Sergio Garcia
2007 - Phil Mickelson
2006 - Stephen Ames
2005 - Fred Funk
It's well publicized that Pete Dye's Stadium course plays no favorites, mainly because the course challenges all facets of a player's game. No consecutive holes play in the same direction, forcing continued awareness of wind conditions throughout the round. Doglegs turn both directions and holes of widely varying lengths challenge every club in the bag. The field is arguably the deepest of the year, virtually guaranteeing a great champion to emerge, but the necessities for success are premium ball striking and resilience under intense pressure. Although nearly any player type can win, one to avoid would be long-and-inaccurate players who rely mostly on distance. This formula has never added up to victory on a "target" golf course like TPC Sawgrass.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Rory McIlroy - $13,200 (Odds: 7/1)
Jordan Spieth - $12,800 (15/2)
Justin Rose - $10,500 (18/1)
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Dustin Johnson - $9,700 (Odds: 25/1)
Tiger Woods - $8,900 (28/1)
Jimmy Walker - $8,800 (33/1)
Hideki Matsuyama - $8,800 (33/1)
Lee Westwood - $8,400 (40/1)
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Billy Horschel - $7,700 (Odds: 55/1)
Patrick Reed - $7,600 (55/1)
J.B. Holmes - $7,500 (66/1)
Daniel Berger - $7,400 (80/1)
Ian Poulter - $7,200 (70/1)
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Gary Woodland - $7,000 (Odds: 75/1)
Harris English - $7,000 (80/1)
Morgan Hoffmann - $6,900 (100/1)
Ryan Moore - $6,700 (80/1)
Brendon de Jonge $6500 (125/1)
Graeme McDowell $6300 ( 100/1)
WHO I'M ROLLING WITH THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Sergio Garcia - $9,800
Hideki Matsuyama - $8,800
Paul Casey - $8,700
Patrick Reed - $7,600
Sean O'Hair - $7,600
Morgan Hoffmann - $6,900
Sergio has seen both sides of the coin at The Players, winning in 2008 but also choking on the final two holes in 2013. He's a great pick on a ball striker's course with top-10s the last two years. Matsuyama's debut last year ended in a tie for 23rd, and he should look to build on that finish since he's only getting better every year. Casey is fresh off a top-10 at the WGC- Cadillac Match Play and should be fresher than others who advanced past the quarterfinals. Reed is a crazy value with all the form and game to contend for The Players, and O'Hair is much the same having nearly won the Valspar in March. Hoffmann caps a solid squad with top-10s in two of his last four events and a fond history of a top-20 in his debut to go with a Junior Players Championship in 2007.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Rory McIlroy - $13,200
Billy Horschel - $7,700
Patrick Reed - $7,600
Ian Poulter - $7,200
Gary Woodland - $7,000
Harris English - $7,000
World No. 1 McIlroy comes in having outlasted the 64-man Match Play field playing seven matches in five days, so he may be a bit worn out. But his inevitable talent can easily override a letdown round should one occur Thursday or Friday. Horschel is slowly coming around after a trying start to the 2014-15 season, and Reed finds himself in both my lineups due to unavoidable value. Poulter is an enigma worth gambling on since he finished runner-up in 2009 here but hasn't shown up in recent years, making him an under-the-radar pick. Woodland is coming off an impressive runner-up showing last week, and English has quietly notched six top-30s his last eight starts.
