After a brief one-week break from traditional PGA DFS, we are back in action with the CJ Cup Byron Nelson next up on the schedule. This takes us back to Texas and more specifically TPC Craig Ranch which has hosted this event in previous years. From a DFS perspective we don’t have many of the heavy hitters that usually are at the top of the board, which gives us a lot of flexibility when building lineups. We also are back to standard individual golf after the team event last week at the Zurich Classic.
Let’s get into my PGA DFS value picks for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Need more golf DFS advice? Subscribe today for access to our industry-leading resources, including our PGA DFS projections, lineup generator, contest simulator and weather splits tool.
PGA DFS Picks: Top Values for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson (2024)
PGA DFS: CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tournament Preview
Craig Ranch is known for its abundance of birdie opportunities, particularly under calm weather conditions. The key strategy on this course is capitalizing on its scoring holes, although it doesn’t have any distinctive features that set it apart significantly. Players with strong driving can exploit the layout from the tee, and as it’s a birdie haven, expect many long hitters to take advantage of this. Success on this course often hinges on the ability to convert numerous 10- to 15-foot birdie putts, and every player should have ample opportunities to do so.
In terms of the field, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day get pricing started. Will Zalatoris had to withdraw, so it’s a pretty thin top end, which allows us to mix and match how we want to build. Regardless, it’s still always massively important to identify some value plays and guys who allow you to spend up elsewhere. Digging into the Stokastic PGA DFS tools and the field, here are a few names to consider when looking to round out the bottom of your lineups.
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PGA DFS Picks: Top Values
Matthias Schmid
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,200
FanDuel: $8,700
Schmid who absolutely has the boom bust potential every time he tees it up. His game is a fascinating profile of skills: An aggressive driver of the ball, but one who seems to actually benefit from courses that aren’t solely about distance. In 2024 he has a 10th in Puerto Rico, an 11th at Corales and another top-20 in March at Valspar. In these events it was Schmid’s driver and putting combo, which always reminds me of how Cameron Champ is successful at times on tour.
The lower-$7,000 range has a handful of players that grade out well in the projections. This is a positive because it, A) should disperse ownership, and B) gives us a lot of options when building lineups. I don’t mind peppering the range with two or even three guys from the lower-$7,000 range, and Schmid is in that conversation. If I build some off-tee stacks targeting guys who lean on the driver, he is one of the best pay-down options.
Parker Coody
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $7,000
FanDuel: $8,200
Coody checks a lot of the boxes I want in a lower-priced golfer. He just went top 10 at Corales with a sixth-place finish thanks to 18 birdies and just two bogeys on his card. That gives him three made cuts in his last four standard PGA Tour events, and we are starting to see some of the upside. At Valero he also made 18 birdies but somehow carded 17 bogeys and a double, making for a roller coaster week.
If Coody continues to score, then placement points won’t be the only out available to making value. This course yields so many birdies that a player like him who leans on the approach and has been converting putts is exactly the risk/reward profile we want. He isn’t expected to be popular, and at a flat $7,000, he is in the pool this week.
Lanto Griffin
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $6,700
FanDuel: $7,700
The entire $6,000 range gives me some hesitation, and if I don’t have to go down here often, it’s good to avoid it. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have some names to consider like Lanto Griffin. Working back from some injuries over the last few years has caused some bumps in the road, but Griffin has the talent to compete on tour and is starting to put it together.
He comes in having made seven of eight cuts in 2024, and his ball-striking numbers stand out in his price range. In the short term, his putter has let him down and caused some middling finishes, so that is what he needs to flip here.
The other interesting thing about Griffin is that his game fits what is important around Craig Ranch. He doesn’t have to be long here, and a few errant drives won’t be overly punished, both of which are positives for him. If it becomes an iron and putting competition, that is where he should feel right at home, and his lone PGA Tour victory did come in Texas at the Houston Open in 2019. Griffin’s range is not one to actively target, but I won’t hesitate to deploy lineups that include him this week.
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