Let’s get into the top PGA DFS value picks for this weekend’s Cognizant Classic as I dish out my expert advice using our PGA DFS projections.
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PGA DFS Picks: Top Values for Cognizant Classic DFS Picks
PGA DFS: Cognizant Classic Tournament Preview
Before we dive into the DFS salaries and specifically the value plays we need to get an idea of what type of skillset we’d want our players to have. Despite the name we still have PGA National as the venue, which is a course we should be familiar with. It’s a Par 70 layout measuring just over 7000 yards with plenty of hazards that will test this field. Certainly, precise irons and ball striking is needed, and emphasis on pure driving distance will be reduced.
Speaking of the field we have Rory McIlroy as the clear man to beat and priced like it, but then the board opens up quickly. We know that 2024 has been the year of the longshot and you easily could have a player in the 6 or 7k salary range competing on Sunday. With that in mind let’s look at a few guys who are worth using to round out your lineups this week. Â
Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the golf DFS value plays I’m targeting that can help save you some salary and bring some uniqueness to your lineup.
PGA DFS Picks: Cognizant Classic DFS Picks & Top Values
Billy Horschel
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,000
FanDuel: $9,000
Projected Ownership
DraftKings: 2.4%
FanDuel: 1.14%
There might not be a player on tour more synonymous with a part of the PGA tour schedule than Billy Horschel is with Florida golf. The former Florida Gator absolutely makes his living by getting it down during the Florida swing and of course that starts with this weeks event. The fascinating evaluation is that Horschel brings to Florida average at best ball striking numbers and really is leaning heavily on his putter. Horschel is 2 for 4 in made cuts this year but you almost have to treat this as a new start to his season. We’ve seen in years past him limp into this tournament and suddenly the form takes a massive leap forward.
Course history is impressive with 6 of the last 7 years Horschel found the weekend including four Top 20’s over the same time span. Looking at Bermuda putting splits and Billy Ho is amongst the best on tour so he should be feeling extremely confident if he can just keep the ball striking steady. I do think the range of outcomes is pretty wide here but for a guy who might come in sub 5% owned it’s an easy GPP target for me. Â
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Davis Thompson
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,800
FanDuel: $8,800
Projected Ownership
DraftKings: 13.3%
FanDuel: 9.16%
One thing about the Florida swing that is always interesting is that first tournament which takes players from the West Coast to a completely different type of golf. For some it’s a momentum killer while for others it can be a welcomed reset if their game isn’t firing on all cylinders. For Davis Thompson it’s probably a little of both as he is playing quality golf but also thrives on these Bermuda greens.
Thompson only missed one cut so far in 2024 and is coming off a 24th in Mexico and an impressive 15th a few weeks ago at Waste Management. Both tournaments were the same strategy which was gain with the irons and roll the rock on the greens. This course absolutely allows that type of game to excel so I see no reason why he cannot continue his form here. Taking a peak at our projections and we have Thompson amongst the highest leverage plays on the entire slate which of course furthers my interest in getting over the field this week.
Justin Lower
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,400
FanDuel: $8,300
Projected Ownership
DraftKings: 3.5%
FanDuel: 2.9%
Here’s a guy who absolutely caught our attention with his 3rd place finish last week in Mexico. More important than the finish is the strokes gained numbers which show positive numbers across the board. It’s a welcomed sight for a guy who was making cuts, but not making an impact on the leaderboard.
Seeing that upside puts him in a new category and one that we certainly have interest in this week. Furthermore, as we look at the field besides Rory, this isn’t the most jammed pack giving guys like Lower a chance to replicate that Mexico Open success in a big way.
Profiling Lower we see a guy who leans on the irons and that is exactly what I want in my PGA National punt plays. Of course, if you drive it into the water it’s a quick exit, but that’s true for anyone in this field and something we just have to live with. This course isn’t overly demanding off the tee distance wise so our goal here is to just keep it in play and lean on the approach game. Coming off a Top 5 in Mexico and seeing a mid 6k price tag is too appealing to pass up and Lower is a great pay down option this week.
Stokastic’s PGA Tools & Expert Advice
Still need more PGA DFS Picks advice? How about other Cognizant Classic DFS Picks and top value plays? The rest of our expert articles are loaded with advice here to help, but even our experts need tools, and that’s what a subscription to Stokastic will get you! Use the tools our pros use to win contests, like our PGA DFS projections, lineup generator, contest simulator and weather splits tool.
