It’s the unofficial first major of the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season.  THE PLAYERS Championship is pushed by the tour as the fifth major with a top tier field and a huge pay day.  The tour moved it to March a few years ago with the idea of avoiding the NFL season.  

TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida plays host to this event and is known best for its signature 17th hole, a par 3 with an Island Green. This hole is one of the most exciting holes to watch on Tour and it has shattered the dreams of many PGA pros. While the 17th is what brings in the casual golf fans, there is a lot more to dive into at Sawgrass.

Like most of the Florida course, accuracy is the name of the game.  This track is not particularly long at 7,215 yards but it can trip you up in many ways. These golfers will feel a false sense of security at times. They must know how to get themselves out of trouble which means scrambling becomes a key stat of the weekend. TPC Sawgrass was designed by Pete Dye and if you've ever played one of his courses, you know it can be quite a humbling experience.  Luck also plays a critical role at THE PLAYERS because depending on where you land the ball on these sloping greens, they can be your best friend or your worst enemy.  The greens are big and these players will attack them but they are also known to be very fast.  

The biggest factor this weekend will be the weather.  There is a 75 percent chance or greater of rain Thursday through Saturday.  You hate to see something like rain determine the winner but that’s the cold hard truth. 

When you look at course history, players who are known as good course managers have had the most success.  We're looking for Tee-to-Green players with excellent GIR numbers and once again take a look at Strokes Gained: Approach to the Green as a key stats. Players must avoid hazards and disastrous situations, so length off the tee is not as important as landing your ball in the fairway.  This is a difficult course and no tour player is completely safe from missing the cut.  There are 144 players in the field and the Top 65 and ties will see weekend action.

There are some interesting trends heading into this week’s event.  Nine of the last 11 winners of THE PLAYERS had already scored a Top 5 finish in a tournament in the same calendar year.  The last 14 winners finished in the Top 25 at THE PLAYERS in the previous year.    

I just wanted to take a moment to remind all my readers that the players listed in my playbook are the golfers that I personally recommend using this weekend.  All the 8K plus golfers on DraftKings have the capability to win this tournament but you must draw the line somewhere because you obviously cannot use all of them. After doing my research, the players I've listed are the ones that I'm building my lineups around.  Just because I did not list a certain player in the playbook, does not mean I am completely fading them this weekend.  I may throw him into one GPP but I will be underweight on him.  I have personally chosen to ride ... weekend and we will see how it all shakes out.

As always, I wish you all the best of luck and make sure you follow me on Twitter @Drew_Phelps83.  Please feel free to tweet me throughout the weekend about the tournament.  Let’s all win big!

My One and Done Play is Justin Thomas.

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Player
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GCollin Morikawa1070023.7%1180031.6%

He is the number two player in the world.  He is the reigning Open Champion golfer.  Collin already has five career victories by the age of 25 and two major championships.  Morikawa hasn’t finished below seventh in any of his last four starts on the PGA Tour, that doesn’t include his time over in Dubai.  He ranks Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach, Putting, Tee to Green and Total.  Not to mention Top 5 in Greens in Regulation, Birdie Average and Scoring Average.  Like you really needed a reason to play him.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJustin Thomas1040022.1%1190025.9%

The defending champion will be a popular play this weekend but ownership will be spread around with so much talent in the field.  JT has six finishes of 8th or better in his last nine starts on the PGA Tour.  He fits this course and it shows in his results.  He’s made the cut in five of his last six cuts.  Thomas ranks Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Driving Distance, Greens in Regulation, Birdie Average and Scoring Average.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GPatrick Cantlay990016.2%1170020.0%

He’s on one hell of a run and took a well deserved break after the Genesis.  Before his 33rd at Riviera, he had scored six straight Top 10 finishes which included two wins at the BMW and Tour Championships.  The 2021 PGA Tour Player of the Year picked up where he left off last season.  The iron play has been fantastic and the putting is always superior to most every player on tour.  While he doesn’t have the best track record at TPC Sawgrass, I’m going to tee him up this weekend knowing he ranks 4th in both Birdie and Scoring Average, 7th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, and 25th in both Strokes Gained: Around the Green and Putting. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GXander Schauffele970012.5%1150011.4%

The dude just keeps doing what he does best, finishing Top 20 almost every time he tees it up (six in his last nine starts) on the PGA Tour.  After a rare 34th at the Farmers, he finished 3rd place at the Waste Management and 13th at the Genesis.  Schauffele finished third at this event in his debut back in 2018 but has missed the cut in his last two trips.  I’m actually hoping that fact lowers down his ownership a bit.  He currently ranks Top 30 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach, and Tee to Green, also Birdie Average, Scoring Average, and Greens in Regulation.   

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GCameron Smith940013.2%1060015.2%

I do love Cam Smith and he just keep delivering.  He already has a victory in 2022 at the Sentry.  The price is at a really good spot this week especially seeing all the talent in this field.  He has made the cut at THE PLAYERS in his last two trips with a Top 20 just last year.  Smith currently ranks Top 5 in Greens in Regulation, Scoring Average and Birdie Average.  He also ranks Top 25 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Around the Green, Putting, and Tee to Green.  When you look through all that, it tells me he's one of the most well rounded players on the tour.   

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GWill Zalatoris890010.0%1020013.5%

A 38th place finish at last week’s Arnold Palmer was less than ideal but that’s not going to deter me from rostering him this weekend at THE PLAYERS.  Will has two finishes of 6th or better in 2022 and leads the entire tour in Strokes Gained: Approach.  He finished 21st in his debut at THE PLAYERS in 2021.  He fits the trends for winning at this event.  Will also ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 16th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and 23rd in Greens in Regulation.  A lot of ownership on him will be spread between Spieth and Berger around him.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GBrooks Koepka860023.2%1040020.5%

We all know how talented Brooks Koepka is and how he loves to show up for big events.  This is one of those big events he does not have on his resume yet but has made the cut in his last four trips.  He hasn’t played much and his results have been mixed thus far but did finish Top 5 at the Waste Management and Top 20 in his last start at the Honda.  Koepka is one of those guys when he turns it on, he could possibly be the best player in the world.  I just can't ignore that price tag.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJoaquin Niemann840011.3%98006.0%

I’m so mad that I missed the start where Niemann won because I’ve been one of his biggest backers over the last couple seasons.  He’s so talented and I’m hoping that early win will be a sign of things to come in 2022.  While he did miss the cut in his next start after the win at the Genesis, I think he’s got the tools to win at THE PLAYERS.  He finished 29th in his debut last year.  He ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 10th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 12th in Scoring Average, 19th in Birdie Average, and 26th in Strokes Gained: Approach.  You are getting him at a great price.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GShane Lowry800018.1%960017.4%

We saw the Irishman make his debut in the states in 2022 at the Honda and finished runner up.  He should have won but the weather derailed his final round.  He does have mixed results at TPC Sawgrass but fits the trends with an 8th place finish last year.  Lowry finished the 2020-2021 season ranked Top 20 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Around the Green, and Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.  He was also Top 40 in Greens in Regulation and Scoring Average as well.  We talked about the need for ball strikers and he’s consistently one of the best in the world.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GTyrrell Hatton78007.5%95002.4%

The only reason I did not roster him last weekend was because I knew his ownership would be out of control and I wanted to see how he’d look on US soil and he passed with flying colors.  Hatton came away with a runner up finish at the Arnold Palmer but his ownership levels will drop at THE PLAYERS because he’s missed the cut three straight years.  I won’t let that scare me away because he’s finished Top 10 in his last four starts worldwide.  If he can keep the ball on the fairway, he should light this course up when you look at his profile as a player.  

Game Type: GPP
GAbraham Ancer760010.3%98006.2%

After a terrific finish to the 2020-2021 season, he hasn’t flashed much early on this season.  He has made the cut in three straight starts but the best finish was 39th at the Genesis a few weeks back.  I’m going to put him in a lot of my lineups because he is built for success on this course.  He is one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour and can ball strike with the best in the world.  He has made the cut in both of his trips to TPC Sawgrass with a Top 15 in 2019.  Sitting near players like Webb Simpson and Marc Leishman in the pricing sheet will benefit his ownership.  I think people will forget about him because he isn’t the flashest player.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GJason Day75004.2%93003.0%

We all love narrative plays and what better than a guy playing in honor of his mother.  Jason lost his mother last week after a long battle with cancer.  This will be his first outing since that happened and what better way to celebrate her life than winning THE PLAYERS Championship.  You can just see it now, him crying on the 18th green with his wife and kids.  This isn’t a huge stretch either because he won this event in 2016 and has two Top 10 finishes in his last three starts at TPC Sawgrass.  He also finished 3rd at the Farmers about 6 weeks ago.  I love him this weekend. 

Game Type: GPP
GTommy Fleetwood74002.2%94001.7%

We got a course on the shorter side with an emphasis on accuracy, chipping and putting, you know Tommy Fleetwood is going to make my playbook.  After playing all over the world over the winter, he’s back playing in the states.  He has missed the cut and finished Top 20 in his two starts thus far.  Before missing the cut in last year’s PLAYERS, he had back to back Top 10 finishes.  He will be a popular play knowing what he brings to the course.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GSergio Garcia74004.9%94003.3%

No one plays or fits TPC Sawgrass better than Sergio Garcia.  He has played in this event 22 times and has made the cut 18 straight times.  I truly don’t care how he is playing because he owns this track.  Let’s talk about how he’s playing though, he’s made five straight cuts with a Top 10 and a Top 15 finish over that run.  He’s Top 5 on tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and still a top end putter.  This is your horse of a course play of the week.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GCorey Conners730013.8%930011.5%

If you’ve read any of my articles, you know how much I love this Canadian’s game.  He is an extremely talented ball striker but putting has been his Achilles heel.  He has not been featured recently because he’s struggled mightily but I think he found his stroke again last week at the Arnold Palmer.  I’m glad he did because he fits TPC Sawgrass very well with two cuts made in as many trips and a Top 10 finish in 2021.  He’s missed three of his last five cuts but I believe he’s over that slump.  He ranks Top 5 in both Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Greens in Regulation.  He also ranks Top 20 in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. 

Game Type: GPP
GCameron Young72008.1%8900

I’m glad I put him into my playbook last week because he paid off with a Top 15 finish and I’m going to ride the hot hand this weekend.  He’s a talented young player who looks to be finding his footing on the PGA Tour.  The driver is legit and it will win him tournaments in his career.  He ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Driving Distance (320 average).  Young is also 7th in Birdie Average and 41st or better in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Putting.  Last week was his first trip to Bay Hill and that didn’t stop him from performing well and I believe he can score well at TPC Sawgrass as well. 

Game Type: GPP
GTalor Gooch720013.8%910015.8%

A terrific three rounds at the Arnold Palmer was ruined by a final round 77 which dropped him to 7th place for the week.  That’s his six finish of 11th or better already this season.  The ball striking has been fantastic and his short game has been on point this season.  Gooch ranks Top 15 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Around the Green, and Tee to Green.  He’s also Top 25 in Greens in Regulation.  He’ll continue to be a favorite play of mine as long as his price tag stays where it is now.  Gooch finished 5th at last year’s PLAYERS and I could actually see him beating that this year. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
GKeegan Bradley69001.4%82001.1%

You have to know what you get when you roster Keegan at this point.  He’s the ultimate boom or bust play.  He has made five straight cuts and is coming off of a nice performance last week at the Arnold Palmer finishing 11th.  When you look at his history at THE PLAYERS, five straight cuts made with a Top 10, Top 20 and TOp 30 finish over those visits.  We know he can ball strike with the best on the PGA Tour ranking 21st in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 32nd  in Strokes Gained: Approach and 33rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.  You take the good with the bad when it comes to Keegan, keep those fingers crossed.  

Game Type: GPP
GThomas Pieters63000.6%77000.5%

He’s been playing all over the world with just two recent visits on the PGA Tour.  Pieters crushed us a few weeks ago at the Genesis when he missed the cut but bounced back with a 32nd last week at the Arnold Palmer.  He ranks 15th in Driving Accuracy, 19th in Greens in Regulation, and 19th in Stroke Average on the European Tour this season.  He has never played at TPC Sawgrass but seeing his skill set, I could see him surprising people and making noise over the weekend.  Really good value play!

Game Type: GPP
G
10700
11800

He is the number two player in the world.  He is the reigning Open Champion golfer.  Collin already has five career victories by the age of 25 and two major championships.  Morikawa hasn’t finished below seventh in any of his last four starts on the PGA Tour, that doesn’t include his time over in Dubai.  He ranks Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach, Putting, Tee to Green and Total.  Not to mention Top 5 in Greens in Regulation, Birdie Average and Scoring Average.  Like you really needed a reason to play him.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
10400
11900

The defending champion will be a popular play this weekend but ownership will be spread around with so much talent in the field.  JT has six finishes of 8th or better in his last nine starts on the PGA Tour.  He fits this course and it shows in his results.  He’s made the cut in five of his last six cuts.  Thomas ranks Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Driving Distance, Greens in Regulation, Birdie Average and Scoring Average.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9900
11700

He’s on one hell of a run and took a well deserved break after the Genesis.  Before his 33rd at Riviera, he had scored six straight Top 10 finishes which included two wins at the BMW and Tour Championships.  The 2021 PGA Tour Player of the Year picked up where he left off last season.  The iron play has been fantastic and the putting is always superior to most every player on tour.  While he doesn’t have the best track record at TPC Sawgrass, I’m going to tee him up this weekend knowing he ranks 4th in both Birdie and Scoring Average, 7th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, and 25th in both Strokes Gained: Around the Green and Putting. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9700
11500

The dude just keeps doing what he does best, finishing Top 20 almost every time he tees it up (six in his last nine starts) on the PGA Tour.  After a rare 34th at the Farmers, he finished 3rd place at the Waste Management and 13th at the Genesis.  Schauffele finished third at this event in his debut back in 2018 but has missed the cut in his last two trips.  I’m actually hoping that fact lowers down his ownership a bit.  He currently ranks Top 30 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach, and Tee to Green, also Birdie Average, Scoring Average, and Greens in Regulation.   

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
9400
10600

I do love Cam Smith and he just keep delivering.  He already has a victory in 2022 at the Sentry.  The price is at a really good spot this week especially seeing all the talent in this field.  He has made the cut at THE PLAYERS in his last two trips with a Top 20 just last year.  Smith currently ranks Top 5 in Greens in Regulation, Scoring Average and Birdie Average.  He also ranks Top 25 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Around the Green, Putting, and Tee to Green.  When you look through all that, it tells me he's one of the most well rounded players on the tour.   

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8900
10200

A 38th place finish at last week’s Arnold Palmer was less than ideal but that’s not going to deter me from rostering him this weekend at THE PLAYERS.  Will has two finishes of 6th or better in 2022 and leads the entire tour in Strokes Gained: Approach.  He finished 21st in his debut at THE PLAYERS in 2021.  He fits the trends for winning at this event.  Will also ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 16th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and 23rd in Greens in Regulation.  A lot of ownership on him will be spread between Spieth and Berger around him.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8600
10400

We all know how talented Brooks Koepka is and how he loves to show up for big events.  This is one of those big events he does not have on his resume yet but has made the cut in his last four trips.  He hasn’t played much and his results have been mixed thus far but did finish Top 5 at the Waste Management and Top 20 in his last start at the Honda.  Koepka is one of those guys when he turns it on, he could possibly be the best player in the world.  I just can't ignore that price tag.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8400
9800

I’m so mad that I missed the start where Niemann won because I’ve been one of his biggest backers over the last couple seasons.  He’s so talented and I’m hoping that early win will be a sign of things to come in 2022.  While he did miss the cut in his next start after the win at the Genesis, I think he’s got the tools to win at THE PLAYERS.  He finished 29th in his debut last year.  He ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 10th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 12th in Scoring Average, 19th in Birdie Average, and 26th in Strokes Gained: Approach.  You are getting him at a great price.  

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
8000
9600

We saw the Irishman make his debut in the states in 2022 at the Honda and finished runner up.  He should have won but the weather derailed his final round.  He does have mixed results at TPC Sawgrass but fits the trends with an 8th place finish last year.  Lowry finished the 2020-2021 season ranked Top 20 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Strokes Gained: Around the Green, and Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.  He was also Top 40 in Greens in Regulation and Scoring Average as well.  We talked about the need for ball strikers and he’s consistently one of the best in the world.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7800
9500

The only reason I did not roster him last weekend was because I knew his ownership would be out of control and I wanted to see how he’d look on US soil and he passed with flying colors.  Hatton came away with a runner up finish at the Arnold Palmer but his ownership levels will drop at THE PLAYERS because he’s missed the cut three straight years.  I won’t let that scare me away because he’s finished Top 10 in his last four starts worldwide.  If he can keep the ball on the fairway, he should light this course up when you look at his profile as a player.  

Game Type: GPP
G
7600
9800

After a terrific finish to the 2020-2021 season, he hasn’t flashed much early on this season.  He has made the cut in three straight starts but the best finish was 39th at the Genesis a few weeks back.  I’m going to put him in a lot of my lineups because he is built for success on this course.  He is one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA Tour and can ball strike with the best in the world.  He has made the cut in both of his trips to TPC Sawgrass with a Top 15 in 2019.  Sitting near players like Webb Simpson and Marc Leishman in the pricing sheet will benefit his ownership.  I think people will forget about him because he isn’t the flashest player.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7500
9300

We all love narrative plays and what better than a guy playing in honor of his mother.  Jason lost his mother last week after a long battle with cancer.  This will be his first outing since that happened and what better way to celebrate her life than winning THE PLAYERS Championship.  You can just see it now, him crying on the 18th green with his wife and kids.  This isn’t a huge stretch either because he won this event in 2016 and has two Top 10 finishes in his last three starts at TPC Sawgrass.  He also finished 3rd at the Farmers about 6 weeks ago.  I love him this weekend. 

Game Type: GPP
G
7400
9400

We got a course on the shorter side with an emphasis on accuracy, chipping and putting, you know Tommy Fleetwood is going to make my playbook.  After playing all over the world over the winter, he’s back playing in the states.  He has missed the cut and finished Top 20 in his two starts thus far.  Before missing the cut in last year’s PLAYERS, he had back to back Top 10 finishes.  He will be a popular play knowing what he brings to the course.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7400
9400

No one plays or fits TPC Sawgrass better than Sergio Garcia.  He has played in this event 22 times and has made the cut 18 straight times.  I truly don’t care how he is playing because he owns this track.  Let’s talk about how he’s playing though, he’s made five straight cuts with a Top 10 and a Top 15 finish over that run.  He’s Top 5 on tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and still a top end putter.  This is your horse of a course play of the week.

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
7300
9300

If you’ve read any of my articles, you know how much I love this Canadian’s game.  He is an extremely talented ball striker but putting has been his Achilles heel.  He has not been featured recently because he’s struggled mightily but I think he found his stroke again last week at the Arnold Palmer.  I’m glad he did because he fits TPC Sawgrass very well with two cuts made in as many trips and a Top 10 finish in 2021.  He’s missed three of his last five cuts but I believe he’s over that slump.  He ranks Top 5 in both Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Greens in Regulation.  He also ranks Top 20 in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. 

Game Type: GPP
G
7200
8900

I’m glad I put him into my playbook last week because he paid off with a Top 15 finish and I’m going to ride the hot hand this weekend.  He’s a talented young player who looks to be finding his footing on the PGA Tour.  The driver is legit and it will win him tournaments in his career.  He ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Driving Distance (320 average).  Young is also 7th in Birdie Average and 41st or better in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Putting.  Last week was his first trip to Bay Hill and that didn’t stop him from performing well and I believe he can score well at TPC Sawgrass as well. 

Game Type: GPP
G
7200
9100

A terrific three rounds at the Arnold Palmer was ruined by a final round 77 which dropped him to 7th place for the week.  That’s his six finish of 11th or better already this season.  The ball striking has been fantastic and his short game has been on point this season.  Gooch ranks Top 15 in Strokes Gained: Approach, Around the Green, and Tee to Green.  He’s also Top 25 in Greens in Regulation.  He’ll continue to be a favorite play of mine as long as his price tag stays where it is now.  Gooch finished 5th at last year’s PLAYERS and I could actually see him beating that this year. 

Game Type: CASH & GPP
G
6900
8200

You have to know what you get when you roster Keegan at this point.  He’s the ultimate boom or bust play.  He has made five straight cuts and is coming off of a nice performance last week at the Arnold Palmer finishing 11th.  When you look at his history at THE PLAYERS, five straight cuts made with a Top 10, Top 20 and TOp 30 finish over those visits.  We know he can ball strike with the best on the PGA Tour ranking 21st in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, 32nd  in Strokes Gained: Approach and 33rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.  You take the good with the bad when it comes to Keegan, keep those fingers crossed.  

Game Type: GPP
G
6300
7700

He’s been playing all over the world with just two recent visits on the PGA Tour.  Pieters crushed us a few weeks ago at the Genesis when he missed the cut but bounced back with a 32nd last week at the Arnold Palmer.  He ranks 15th in Driving Accuracy, 19th in Greens in Regulation, and 19th in Stroke Average on the European Tour this season.  He has never played at TPC Sawgrass but seeing his skill set, I could see him surprising people and making noise over the weekend.  Really good value play!

Game Type: GPP