The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings fantasy golf players with course info, player history, and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $2.25M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
The Field
THE PLAYERS Championship is the first big event on the golfing calendar for 2026. While not technically a major, THE PLAYERS still possesses a 144-man major-caliber field and one of the biggest prize pools of the season (25M and 4.5M to first place). There will be 144 players teeing it up, which is expanded from the 72 players we saw last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the top 125 from the previous season’s FedEx Cup points list making up the majority of the qualifiers.
A great field is part of what makes THE PLAYERS special, but it also has a host course in TPC Sawgrass that brings a lot of volatility and scoring swings into play with its smaller greens and precariously placed water hazards. For DFS purposes, this event is one of the toughest to navigate, as the elite players tend to miss cuts at Sawgrass at a higher rate than any other event on the schedule — hence, getting 6/6 players through the cutline for DFS is always a huge accomplishment.
This event has produced some shock-type winners for betting, as well, with Craig Perks (2002) and, more recently, Si Woo Kim (2017). The last five or six iterations have also seen names like JJ Spaun, Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, and Anirban Lahiri finish in the runner-up position.
Despite the elevated event status, the cut line at THE PLAYERS remains the same as a regular PGA TOUR stop in that the top 65 players (and ties) will get to play the weekend after Friday.
The Course
TPC Sawgrass (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida)
Par 72, 7,275 yards depending on setup; Greens: TifEagle Bermuda (overseeded with Poa trivialis)
TPC Sawgrass is a stadium course that was designed and created specifically for this event in 1981. It was designed by Pete Dye (his wife Alice is responsible for the island green on 17), who has also designed a lot of courses in the PGA TOUR rotation, including Hilton Head at the RBC Heritage and TPC Stadium, host of the American Express. Sawgrass features hard-to-hit, smaller-than-normal greens and water that comes into play on nearly every hole. While it’s got some links to the other Florida venues, such as PGA National, we generally see venues like Colonial, TPC Scottsdale, Sedgefield, and Harbour Town golf links provide the best correlation for results.
The course itself is set up as a traditional par 72 (four par 5s and four par 3s), but each hole presents a unique challenge to players. While the 17th island green can be tricky on Sunday, it’s the 18th hole that plays as one of the hardest on the course every year and requires a pinpoint drive over water to a narrow fairway on a semi-dogleg setup. The rest of the course is made up of risk-reward par 5s and a couple of treacherous, if less well-known, par 3s. As for the par 4s, five of them come in at 450 yards or more and tend to stress longer approaches, while only three will play at under 400 for the week.
The fairways at Sawgrass are generally easier to hit than at an average PGA TOUR stop, but placement on certain sides is still key. Four of the last five winners of THE PLAYERS (Scheffler, Thomas, and McIlroy) gained multiple strokes off the tee, but it’s worth noting that 2022 winner Cameron Smith lost over 5.0 strokes off the tee. In 2024, Scottie Scheffler defended his PLAYERS title from 2023 by gaining 6.4 strokes off the tee and another 6.4 strokes on approach. McIlroy gained over 2.0 strokes OTT at Sawgrass as well. Being accurate (and long) off the tee can keep you out of a lot of trouble and allow you to go pin hunting on these smaller greens.
Smith’s splits from 2022 are extreme and not likely to be repeated anytime soon, but it still emphasizes the point that if a player is hitting his irons well AND scrambling/putting well at Sawgrass, he has a chance (even if his off-the-tee game is sub-par). GIR%’s at Sawgrass, historically, are well below the PGA average (3-6%), and scrambling is also tougher than normal at Sawgrass (5% below the TOUR average). On that note, one thing the last six winners now all have in common is that they gained OVER 6.0 strokes on approach for the week — and finished top six for the week in the strokes gained approach stat (in 2025, Rory McIlroy gained over 7.0 strokes on approach, and was fifth best in this stat for the week). Average Proximity, SG: APP and GIR% are all key indicators for this week.
The move to March in 2019 has seen scoring stay on the easier side, with greens playing a little softer (as the Bermuda grass here is still somewhat dormant in March). Last year’s forecast shifted the advantage back to Sawgrass, which remains a rather open Florida venue that can play immensely tougher when the wind is up. As of now, the forecast for the weekend has gusts as high as 20mph on Friday with some light rain mixed in. Expect tougher conditions the first couple of days, with Saturday potentially easier if the wind stays down. The full forecast breakdown is below.
2026 Weather Outlook: The weather at Sawgrass looks like a large mixed bag at the moment. Light rain is in the forecast for Day 1 with lighter gusts up to 10-15 mph forming throughout the day. Friday looks like the worst day by far, with unseasonably cool temperatures around 65F and heavier rain in the morning. It’s possible the wind and rain ease up Friday afternoon, which would be huge for the AM/PM wave IF there is no stoppage. Saturday looks nicer with sunny skies and no rain, while Sunday is warmer with the potential for light rain. Overall, I would lean Thursday AM/Friday PM starters at the moment, with Friday AM looking like the worst weather cluster over the first two days. However, be sure to keep updating the forecast as the week goes on.
Last Five Winners
2025—Rory McIlroy -12 (over JJ Spaun playoff)
2024–Scottie Scheffler -20 (over 3 players at -19)
2023—Scottie Scheffler -17 (over Tyrrell Hatton -12)
2022—Cameron Smith -13 (over Anirban Lahiri -12)
2021—Justin Thomas -14 (over Lee Westwood -13)
Winning Trends
- 12 of the last 14 winners of THE PLAYERS had already achieved a T4 or better finish on the PGA TOUR in the same calendar year of their victory.
- 16 of the last 17 winners of THE PLAYERS had achieved a finish of 23rd or better at THE PLAYERS in a previous year.
- The last eight winners of THE PLAYERS had all finished T22 or better in their previous start (aka, the one directly prior to their PLAYERS win).
Winners Stats
2025 Winner: Rory McIlroy (12-under par)
2025 lead-in form (T15-T17-win)
SG: OTT— +2.6
SG: APP— +7.7
SG: Total— +14.6
SG: ATG— –0.7
SG: PUTT— +4.9
From an approach perspective, Sawgrass requires a good blend of shorter (125-150 yards) and longer approaches (>200 yards). The dogleg setups and risk-reward par 5s mean good long-iron players will have a big advantage here.
Since 2011, only two winners (Simpson 2018, Smith 2022) have finished outside the top 10 for the week in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green stats. Simpson and Smith both were massively positive with the putter for the weeks of their win, with great around-the-green stats as well.
Players at Sawgrass have excelled in a variety of different ways, but good play around the green has been one of the biggest constants. Greens here are small, and GIR%’s are generally well below the PGA TOUR average for the event.
7/8 winners here have all gained +1.5 strokes or more around the greens for the week of their win and five of the past eight winners have gained +3.0 strokes or more around the greens (Scheffler gained 5 strokes ATG in 2023 and 3.1 in 2024).
Four of the last 10 winners didn’t crack the top twenty in Off the Tee stats for the week of their win, but eight of the last nine winners have gained +4.0 strokes Approach or more for the week.
Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds to win are one factor to think about when picking players (but not the only thing, so be careful putting too much weight on them). This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
Cameron Young +3100 and $8,100
Comparables:
- Patrick Cantlay +5300 and $8,200
- Sam Burns +5900 and $8,400
- Ben Griffin +5500 and $8,300
Akshay Bhatia +4700 and $7,700
Comparables:
- Jacob Bridgeman +6,900 and $7,900
- Jordan Spieth +6000 and $7,700
- Jason Day +9200 and $7,800
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook are subject to change.
HORSES FOR COURSES
(These players have had a lot of success at this event over their careers.)
1. Brian Harman ($6,900 best finishes: T2 – 2024, T3- 2021): Harman’s second-place finish at TPC Sawgrass in 2024 was the second top-five finish he’s recorded at this venue over the past six seasons. He’s got a nice blend of accurate short irons and putting upside that has always allowed him to flourish at this venue.
2. Scottie Scheffler ($14,200 best finishes: win-2023 and 2024): Scheffler proved that he’s still the king of these accuracy-driven venues on the PGA TOUR with his second straight win at Sawgrass in 2024, a performance that saw him gain an ungodly 12.8 strokes ball-striking alone. He’s already won on another Pete Dye course in TPC Stadium in 2026.
3. Justin Thomas ($8,000 best finishes: win-2021): The 2021 winner of this event also finished T3 at Sawgrass in 2016 and only has one missed cut at THE PLAYERS in 10 appearances. He’s coming off an injury layoff and looked terrible last week but course history could propel him to a decent week.
4. Keegan Bradley ($7,200; best finishes: T5-2020, T7-2018): Bradley has missed the cut at Sawgrass in 2023 and 2024, but the veteran has the kind of consistent tee-to-green game that often keeps him out of trouble in Florida and rebounded with a T20 at this event last season. He has done well around the Sawgrass greens, gaining strokes ATG at this event in four of the past six seasons.
5. Si Woo Kim ($9,300; best finishes: win-2017): 2017 shock winner Si Woo Kim has shown a solid penchant for playing well on tricky Pete Dye designs. He finished T23 at this event on his first attempt in 2016 and won on his second in 2017. Kim has made the cut in eight of nine appearances at THE PLAYERS, with his only blemish being a WD (injury) from 2022. He also has a win at the AMEX, which is played on TPC Stadium, another Dye design.
Recent Form
1. Akshay Bhatia ($7,700, win-T16-T6): Bhatia had an amazing back nine last week to sneak past Daniel Berger and grab his third win. He’s entirely too cheap, given the putting form and overall play he’s shown to date in 2026.
2. Jacob Bridgeman ($7,900, T18-win-T8): Bridgeman’s rise to prominence is one of the best stories of 2026 this far. He again held his own in an elite field last weekend and looks cheap again for DFS as well, given the great ball-striking numbers he continues to post.
3. Cameron Young ($8,100, T3-T7): Young is starting to come on after two straight top 10 finishes. He’s not known as a great accuracy-driven player or scrambler, but his form says he’ll have a shot at winning this week, especially with question marks surrounding both favorites.
4. Collin Morikawa ($9,800, T5-T7-win): Morikawa posted his third straight top-10 at Bay Hill and looks headed to a big season. His iron play and overall confidence will make him a popular choice to win among bettors and DFS players alike.
5. Ludvig Aberg ($8,700, T3-T20): Aberg came on last week with a T3 finish, his second straight top-20. He’s still making a few too many mistakes, but showed some great confidence with his putter in spots.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Big Field Punt Plays:
Andrew Putnam ($6,300) – see below
Harry Hall ($6,900): He has the sort of short game and putter that will allow him to excel for four rounds on this venue. Hall looks undervalued thanks to some poor finishes at this venue in the past.
Hao Tong Li ($6,400): He has played well this season, outside of last week when he was a late add to the field. His experience on Open-type venues should come in handy. He looks entirely too cheap for his experience levels and 2026 form.
Core Plays:
Russell Henley ($9,000): Henley grinded his way to a top 10 last week and is certainly the sort of player who could negotiate a tougher, accuracy driven venue with tougher rough this week. At just 9k, he finally looks undervalued enough to back in this spot.
Sepp Straka ($7,600): Straka is one of the most accurate iron players in the world and was in contention last week until one poor final round. Nonetheless, he finished T2 just a couple of starts ago and looks ready for a run at a big title.
Kurt Kitayama ($7,500) – see below
Contrarian Click:
Jordan Spieth ($7,700): Spieth has finished in the top 15 in each of his last two starts. Moreover, he gained nicely on approach last week, and his putter has been in top form most of the season. This has been a tough venue for him over the seasons, but he’s quietly bringing in some solid form.
MY PICK: Kurt Kitayama ($7,500)
Kitayama remains a very underrated player for me in both the outright markets and DFS this week. The American has put together some nice golf to start the season after landing a T2 at Riviera a couple of starts ago. He also backed that up last weekend with a T18 finish at Bay Hill, a venue where he has won in the past.
While the around the green game didn’t click at Bay Hill, Kitayama’s consistency off the tee was again in full effect, as he was 6th in OTT stats for the week (+2.9 strokes) and also gained on approach again. Kitayama ranks 21st in strokes gained approach stats and off the tee stats for the season, and while you may not think of him as a prototypical Florida-player, he’s already proven that excelling on these tougher, wind-driven setups suits him just fine. On top of his Bay Hill win in 2023, he’s also finished top 10 at PGA National, was T2 at the Scottish Open in 2023, and was T19 at Sawgrass back in 2024. Overall, he’s posted rounds of 66 and 67 at this tough venue over the last two seasons. For DFS, I expect he’ll draw attention at just $7,500, but pairing him with another lower-owned option from his range will help keep ownership levels down. For betting, The +5700 outright price on the DraftKings Sportsbook, makes him one of my favorite mid-tier names to target.
MY SLEEPER: Andrew Putnam ($6,300)
Andrew Putnam hasn’t had a lot of success at Sawgrass, with just a T53 to show for his name at this event over the last three seasons. However, when you look at his overall body of work, the veteran golfer does seem overdue for a decent week at this course. He’s finished 2nd at TPC Southwind, another treacherous Florida-style course with plenty of water, and just this January, placed T2 at the American Express event, where two rounds are played on TPC Stadium, the Pete Dye-designed sister course to TPC Sawgrass.
Putnam shot 60 in Round 2 of that event and posted a solid final round 68 on TPC Stadium, en route to his big week. Last week, while he drifted to T44 thanks to a poor week off the tee, his iron game showed plenty of life as he gained 2.6 strokes on approach. While he’ll need to have a better week off the tee, Putnam’s ability to spike on approach and with the putter should make him a dangerous sort of outsider at this week’s event, and the kind of low-priced DFS play with upside you can mix into larger-field GPP lineups.
For betting, the +900 on a top 20 result on the DraftKings Sportsbook is also another way you could get exposure to Putnam’s upside, who could just be rounding into form to make some noise this week.
