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The best golfers in the world are looking to compete for a title at The Players Championship, and several key picks can help bettors take home some big money.
Winning a daily fantasy golf tournament requires a balanced lineup while getting value throughout. You likely have to choose the event's winner, although hitting on all your picks is what usually puts people in the money.
On a difficult course like TPC Sawgrass, it's important to find players who can handle the terrain with either experience or coming in with a high level of play. Consistency at big events is also a strong indicator of success.
Here are the top value picks available on DraftKings.
Xander Schauffele ($10,300)
The most popular picks will likely be Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau as they continue to compete for titles nearly every week, but Xander Schauffele also has a good chance to shine this week.
The 27-year-old has played extremely well this season even without a win, earning five top-five finishes in nine starts including three runner-ups.
He finished tied for 39th at his last start, but it was his only time outside the top 25 since last June.
Though Schauffele missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass in 2019, he tied for second in 2018 and has proved he can compete with the best at big tournaments with six top 10s at majors in the last three years.
You want him to win, but there might not be a safer option to get points than Schauffele.
Patrick Cantlay ($9,200)
With the 11th-highest price, Patrick Cantlay is a steal at $9,200.
The American is seventh in the world golf rankings and second in the FedEx Cup standings thanks in part to his four top 10s and a win at the ZOZO Championship.
Besides his finishes, Cantlay can also pick up fantasy points thanks to his rate of 4.81 birdies per round, fifth-most on tour this year, per PGATour.com.
His ball-striking ability will suit him well on this course, and it should help him be among the top names on the leaderboard all weekend.
Hideki Matsuyama ($8,700)
The 2020 Players Championship was canceled after just one round due to the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively erasing an incredible first round from Hideki Matsuyama.
Though the 63 was mostly forgotten with all the drama in the world, Matsuyama was on fire during the round:
A year earlier, the Japanese star finished in a tie for eighth for his second top 10 at this event.
Matsuyama hasn't won a PGA Tour event since 2017, but he is often a top contender and he enters the week with back-to-back top-20 finishes. It makes him a solid option going into a tournament against the best in the world.
Abraham Ancer ($7,500)
Consistency is more of a challenge for Abraham Ancer compared to some of the others on this list, especially after missing the cut in two of his last four starts.
There is still plenty of upside for a player who can excel this week by avoiding mistakes.
Ancer ranks first among all golfers with 72.5 driving accuracy percentage and is also among the best in the world while reaching the green in regulation on 71.53 percent of holes. Though his putting could use some work, he generally avoids bogeys and should keep himself high on the leaderboard.
He is at the very least a good bet to make the cut and should earn a high fantasy score while he is playing.
Corey Conners ($7,400)
Though Corey Conners fell apart down the stretch at last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, he still finished in third place after grabbing a 36-hole lead.
The Canadian opened with a 66 and has hit in the 60s in six of his last 10 rounds.
Conners' driving ability could lead him to success at The Players Championship. He enters ranked 15th in strokes gained off the tee and 12th in driving accuracy. This has helped him get birdies and eagles throughout the year, making a significant impact in daily fantasy.
The biggest concern will be making the cut, but he's reached the weekend in 10 of his last 11 events and has enough upside to make this a worthwhile bet.
Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com for details.
Jade Roper Tolbert, a former contestant on The Bachelor, is under investigation after winning a $1 million DraftKings fantasy football contest during NFL Wild Card Weekend.
Roper Tolbert is married to Tanner Tolbert, whom ESPN's David Purdum wrote is a "known high-volume daily fantasy player." The Tolberts met on a season of Bachelor in Paradise together and were married in 2016.
Under the rules of the "Millionaire Maker" event, fantasy players were required to pick eight players and a team's defense/special teams unit. Tolbert's winning lineup included Deshaun Watson, Dalvin Cook and DK Metcalf, and her squad had 180.79 points.
Some daily fantasy players alleged the Tolberts "strategized together to enter unique rosters as a way to circumvent the maximum entries allowed," per Purdum:
"Jade and Tanner's lineups included many of the same players, except for quarterbacks. Jade primarily rostered quarterbacks in the AFC wild-card games, while Tanner stuck with NFC QBs. Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Watson were on 143 of Jade's 150 lineups. Tanner's lineups did not include any of the AFC quarterbacks. He instead used Seattle's Russell Wilson, New Orleans' Drew Brees and Philadelphia's Carson Wentz at quarterback in 148 of his 150 rosters."
The couple denied the allegations, and DraftKings said in a statement the company is "looking into this matter." The Tolberts had yet to receive their $1 million prize on Monday.
Fatigue should not play a major role in Wednesday's seven-game NBA slate. None of the 14 teams played on Tuesday, so daily fantasy basketball players should enjoy an expanded array of well-rested options.
Injuries, on the other hand, present obstacles and opportunities when filling out a lineup on DraftKings or FanDuel. Pay particularly close attention to the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans, as both Western Conference squads hobble into Wednesday night.
There's a chance Anthony Davis plays his first game since Jan. 18. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the superstar is questionable to return from a finger injury that has cost him the last eight games.
While it would be too risky to immediately toss him into cash-contest lineups, his return would take Jahlil Okafor off the radar and affect the opposing Chicago Bulls.
Should Davis and other key contributors sit again, some flourishing replacements make excellent DFS plays.
In an evening graced by James Harden, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, it's imperative to find bargains that clear up enough budget for at least one superstar.
Let's highlight some of Wednesday's top plays to utilize on FanDuel and/or DraftKings.
DraftKings Lineup
PG Chris Paul ($7,100) at SAC
SG Malik Beasley ($5,700) at BKN
SF Kevin Durant ($9,300) vs. SA
PF Kenneth Faried ($7,000) at SAC
C Marvin Bagley III ($5,800) vs. HOU
G Marco Belinelli ($4,000) at GS
F Rudy Gay ($5,900) at GS
UTL Kenrich Williams ($5,000) at CHI
FanDuel Lineup
PG Stephen Curry ($9,200) vs. SA
PG Chris Paul ($7,600) at SAC
SG Buddy Hield ($6,700) vs. HOU
SG Ian Clark ($3,600) at CHI
SF Kevin Durant ($9,600) vs. SA
SF Rudy Gay ($6,000) at GS
PF Jeff Green ($5,800) at MIL
PF Kenrich Williams ($5,400) at CHI
C Jarrett Allen ($6,100) vs. DEN
Chris Paul, PG, Houston Rockets (at Sacramento)
The Houston Rockets rested Chris Paul on Saturday, the second game of a back-to-back, but he should get the green light to exploit an opportune matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
Per DraftKings' data, no team has allowed more fantasy points per game to point guards than the Kings, who rank 19th in defensive rating. While the Rockets have slowed down their tempo this season, they'll have to keep up with an opponent playing at the NBA's second-fastest pace.
When last facing Sacramento, Paul posted 24 points (six three-pointers), nine assists and four rebounds in a 132-112 win. In four games back from a hamstring injury, he has averaged 15.0 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 boards in 28.3 minutes.
The 33-year-old logged his most minutes (33) since December on Saturday, so the Rockets could rev him back into full gear unless they earn another blowout victory.
Having posted at least 31 FanDuel and DraftKings points in every bout since his return, Paul at least offers a high floor at a price that hasn't fully risen to pre-injury norms.
Kenrich Williams, G/F, New Orleans Pelicans (at Chicago)
Even if Davis returns, the Pelicans will have plenty of vacant minutes to fill. They could also be without E'Twaun Moore (quads), Nikola Mirotic (calf) and/or Julius Randle (ankle).
Should they all stay sidelined, turn to the battered squad for cost-effective options. He's not as cheap as Ian Clark, Darius Miller or Cheick Diallo—all worth considering depending on the final injury report—but Kenrich Williams should still validate his escalating price.
Given little to no chances for most of the season, one of New Orleans' last men standing has logged at least 30 minutes in each of the last four contests. While he most recently went 3-of-13 from the field on Monday, the 24-year-old has snagged 40 rebounds and dished out 15 dimes during this extended audition.
Helping out his cause, the Chicago Bulls have permitted the fourth-most rebounds (47.2) per game, as of Tuesday. The Bulls and Pelicans respectively rank 23rd and 24th in defensive rating, so the lottery-bound opponents should deliver a high-scoring bout.
Beware that DraftKings slots him as a shooting guard and small forward but FanDuel lists him at power forward.
Rudy Gay, F, San Antonio Spurs (at Golden State)
According to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News, the San Antonio Spurs will sit DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge against the Golden State Warriors:
The duo leads the squad in minutes, points, field-goal attempts and usage rate by comfortable margins. Even if the Spurs are essentially waving the white flag in hopes of instead winning Thursday's game, somebody is going to play and score some points in a lopsided loss.
The best bet is Rudy Gay, who places third on San Antonio in every aforementioned category besides minutes. Playing time won't be a problem with the two stars sidelined and Derrick White nursing a heel injury.
In three games without DeRozan late last month, Gay averaged 35.2 DraftKings and 35.1 FanDuel points. He attempted 41 field goals, and that was with Aldridge roaming the paint as the clear top option.
Priced similarly on both platforms, the 32-year-old forward should have no trouble at least hitting value. The rest of the competition will likely also turn his way in cash contests, but the usage upside is too tantalizing to resist at his mid-level price.
Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Sacramento Kings (vs. Houston)
Coming off Monday's career-high 24 points, Marvin Bagley III's price jumped to $6,800 on FanDuel. On DraftKings, however, he remains an affordable $5,800.
The rookie, who has recorded three straight double-doubles, opened February by playing at least 30 minutes in consecutive games for the first time since November. He's averaging 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 15.3 field-goal attempts in Sacramento's last six games.
Houston wields the NBA's third-lowest rebounding percentage (69.4), so the 19-year-old could snag at least a dozen rebounds for the fourth straight time. He should also receive more chances to throw down highlight-reel dunks.
Woefully undersized without Clint Capela, the Rockets have relinquished an NBA-high 53.4 points per game in the paint.
Along with the $1,000 reduction, Bagley also holds the benefit of center eligibility on DraftKings. He's best reserved for those contests, but there's enough upside to justify some FanDuel exposure as well.
Note: Advanced stats, updated as of Tuesday night, are courtesy of NBA.com.
For daily fantasy players who like to play the Pro Bowl, the strategy over the years has become pretty well established: The majority of your budget should be spent on tight ends and wide receivers, any running back you play better be a viable factor in the passing game and there's no need to spend big, or at all, on quarterbacks.
Let's break them down one by one.
The first two rules are pretty simple. Pro Bowls tend to be wide open, loosey-goosey affairs, and as such, teams mostly throw the ball. That puts an added emphasis on tight ends, wideouts and pass-catching running backs, and those players should be prioritized as such.
Tight ends hold extra value, however, since teams have to keep a tight end on the field and only four in total will play in the game. That makes both George Kittle and Eric Ebron excellent options.
Ebron, in particular, is intriguing because he's an excellent red-zone threat (13 touchdowns this season) and he'll likely get the opportunity to play some of the game with Andrew Luck. Ebron will also come cheaper than Kittle, making him excellent value, though you could also nab both players and should get great value from each.
At wideout, focus on guys who are deep threats or red-zone options. Tyreek Hill is going to cost you big bucks, but given his game-breaking ability, he'll be worth it. You just know that if he's in the game with Patrick Mahomes, the pair will try to hook up on a few downfield bombs.
Frankly, if the AFC doesn't try to get Hill free down the field at least three or four times, it's a disservice to the fans. He should be your MVP pick.
Mike Evans is another intriguing option at wideout, namely because he's both a deep threat and a red-zone target. But you can't go wrong with any wideouts and should have at least three on your team. Hill, Evans and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the recommended trio for their big-play potential.
If you're going to go with a running back, your best bets are Saquon Barkley (91 receptions this year) or Alvin Kamara (81 receptions), both excellent receiving options. Don't expect much from the rushing attacks, however, as teams generally don't run the ball as much as they throw it in the Pro Bowl.
Last year's Pro Bowl, for instance, featured 31 run plays and 80 pass plays from the two teams. Last year's leading rusher was Mark Ingram, with a whopping 21 yards on five carries. Don't bother with running backs.
You probably don't need to bother with quarterbacks, either, since each team will give three players significant time in the game. Last year, only two quarterbacks exceeded 100 passing yards (Alex Smith and Derek Carr) and only three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes (the aforementioned duo and Drew Brees).
Tight ends, meanwhile, were the stars on both sides. Kyle Rudolph's seven receptions for 70 yards made him the incredibly valuable for the NFC, while Delanie Walker reeled in two touchdown receptions.
Perhaps this year's edition will be more explosive than last year's 24-23 showdown. But players like Kittle, Ebron and Hill should absolutely be in your lineup. From there, trust your gut.
But remember that running backs are likely a poor investment, that you'll get equal value across the board at quarterback despite varying prices and that wide receivers and tight ends have the highest upside.
