PGA DFS Example Lineups Hero World Challenge: Top DraftKings & FanDuel PGA DFS Picks
Published: Nov 29, 2023
We are back from Thanksgiving for one more week of action before the only real break on the 2023-2024 PGA Tour schedule. Before we get into this week’s action, I had to congratulate Ludvig Aberg on his first career PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic. This young talented Swede had been knocked on the door a few times but finally got over the hump with back to back 61s over the weekend to win it by 4 strokes.
The Hero World Challenge tees off for the eigth time in the Bahamas on Thursday morning. This exclusive invite only event brings in a 20-man field along with a huge prize pool for only the best in the world. Tiger Woods is the official host of the event and will return to action for the first time since the Masters. We will also see him participate once with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship.
Albany Golf Club is a par 72 that stretches out 7,414 yards with five Par 3s and five Par 5s. Long hitters will have the advantage on two par fives which can both top out over 600 yards. The Par 3s are reasonable in length, only two of them over 200 yards in length. Number 7 and 14 are both drivable Par 4s for most every guy in this field but both come with risk reward decisions. In three of the last four editions of this tournament, the winner has come in at 18 under par and the other won at 20 under. We will see fireworks this weekend in the Bahamas.
I am only presenting my example lineups for this event because of the limited field. You also should be avoiding cash games in a field this small. There is something to be said about being different and trying a lineup with like one top priced option and loading up on the guys at the bottom of the pricing sheet. The more money you leave on the table, the more you can differentiate yourself in tournaments. Those are the type of strategies and risks you have to take to put yourself in contention in these large field GPPs.
HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE TARGETS:
VIKTOR HOVLAND - It is hard to ignore Viktor. He's only won the event in back to back trips. Hovland is also the reigning FedEx Cup Champion. Since winning the cup, he's finished 2nd and 5th over on the DP World Tour.
JUSTIN THOMAS - This may seem odd knowing how bad his 2023 season was but I think you'll get some low ownership and that's the name of the game when it comes to an event like this with such a small field. He's the only player in the field that has participated in all 5 editions of this tournament. .
KEEGAN BRADLEY - He has not been back to this event in 5 years but did you see how well he played this season? He was snubbed for a captain's choice at the Ryder Cup and I feel like this season he'll be on a mission to prove everyone wrong. He has all the tools to sneak up on everyone this weekend.
LUCAS GLOVER - I can't pass up on him at the minimum price this weekend. We all saw him light up the PGA Tour during the FedEx Up Playoffs and then get left off the Ryder Cup Team but has cooled since then. That won't keep me from rostering him because of his terrific iron play. Glover has no participated in this event before.
Good Luck this Weekend!
| Player | Salary | Proj. Draft% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viktor Hovland | $11,500 | - | |
| Collin Morikawa | $10,800 | - | |
| Justin Thomas | $10,400 | - | |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | $10,200 | - | |
| Pivot | Cameron Young | $10,000 | - |
| Keegan Bradley | $8,800 | - | |
| Pivot | Sepp Straka | $8,500 | - |
| Lucas Glover | $8,200 | - | |
| $59,900 |
Player News
Justin Thomas arrived at the Travelers Championship amidst a bit of a slump but left with 25 birdies to manage a T9 finish, his first top 10 since March.
Thomas is known for his stellar rate of big finishes over the course of his career but that changed recently with six straight finishes landing outside of the top 10. A cold putter has been the culprit for much of the downturn but he managed to fight through the flat-stick woes this week. Thomas lost 1.9 strokes putting at TPC River Highlands but ranked 3rd in strokes gained tee-to-green. It was a promising result to rebuild some confidence but he still has some work to do in the putting department. Despite the nice finish this week, Thomas is just 66th in the FedExCup race.
Brian Harman tossed together a 6-under 64 on Sunday at the Travelers Championship, posting a piece of second place on the final leaderboard (-20).
Harman entered the week with just one top 25 in his last 14 stroke-play events. It's been a slump for the straight shooter but TPC River Highlands was the perfect cure. The Georgia Bulldog gained 4.4 strokes on approach, 3.5 strokes around-the-green, and 4.9 strokes putting. All three ranked 13th or better for the week. This was far from his first taste of success at the course, going in the books as his sixth career top 10 at TPC River Highlands.
Chez Reavie started the day just one shot off the pace but stumbled with a 1-over 71 to drop back to a share of fourth place on the final leaderboard.
Reavie and overnight leader Keegan Bradley were in a tier of their own to begin the day. Reavie dropped a rung with seven pars and two bogeys before the turn. His driver remained steady (12-of-14 fairways) but lost strokes in each of the other three categories of strokes gained today. It was a day to forget but a week to remember for Reavie who still managed a T4 finish, vaulting him from 114th to 95th in the FedExCup race.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler steadied a 5-under 65 on Sunday at the Travelers Championship, ending the week on 19-under 261, good for a slice of fourth place.
The Texan piled up 21 birdies and a pair of eagles this week at TPC River Highlands. He ended the week ranked second in strokes gained tee-to-green (+11.08). He's now gained at least 10.6 strokes in that department in six straight events. Scheffler carded three sub-66 rounds this week but a two-birdie 70 on Friday is what held him back from truly contending. The World No. 1 now has six straight top-5 finishes and you have to go back to October to find the last time he finished worse than 12th. It's safe to say he's been the most consistent golfer on the planet over the last nine months.
Rory McIlroy raced out of the gate on Sunday at the Travelers Championship before slowing his pace to record a 6-under 64, ending his week in a share of seventh place (18-under 262).
McIlroy circled birdies on five of the first seven holes today. He couldn't maintain that pace but still bettered the field average by more than three shots today. McIlroy tossed together four sub-69 rounds this week at TPC River Highlands but didn't even sniff contention over the weekend. "I don't particularly like when a tournament is like this. Unfortunately technology has passed this course by, right? It sort of has made it obsolete, especially as soft as it has been with a little bit of rain that we had." The Northern Irishman now has five straight top-10 finishes and has his game trending back toward the winner's circle just in time for the season's final major and the FedExCup Playoffs.
Patrick Cantlay gave the leader a small scare down the stretch was swallowed two late bogeys to finish on 19-under this week at the Travelers Championship, four shots off the winning tally of Keegan Bradley.
Cantlay was slow out of the gate with eight pars and a birdie before the turn. He applied some pressure with four birdies on the next six holes, all while Keegan Bradley was starting to leak with three straight bogeys. That shrunk the lead to just three shots be Cantlay stumbled home with two bogeys and a par. "I thought I struck the ball very solid all day. Played smart. Not the finish I wanted obviously, but my game is in a good spot and a lot of big tournaments left this summer." The UCLA alum carded four sub-69 rounds this week and led the field in strokes gained tee-to-green. Cantlay now has six straight top 15s at TPC River Highlands. He collected two victories last season but still searching for his first win of the 2022-23 campaign.