Christopher Powers suggests avoiding betting on Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship, notably concerned by ongoing equipment tinkering and uncertainty off the tee. Powers emphasizes recent struggles at Bay Hill likely related to uncertain driver configurations and discusses how off-course distractions involving equipment changes could negatively affect McIlroy's preparation and performance at TPC Sawgrass. Given Sawgrass's harsh penalty for misplaced drives, Powers considers these external issues significant enough to doubt McIlroy's ability to consistently avoid trouble—especially considering the field's elite competition and demanding course setup. Powers firmly believes bettors should pass on wagering McIlroy until his driver setup and consistency issues get resolved.

Pat Mayo strongly recommends betting Sepp Straka to finish top-10 based on his current stellar form and favorable skill match for The Players Championship. Straka already has a Florida-based win and success at Pete Dye-designed courses. He enters Sawgrass with impressive recent consistency, recording five top-15 finishes over his past six starts, highlighting his superior accuracy off the tee and ranking within the top five in approach play over his latest 24 rounds. Furthermore, Mayo emphasizes Straka leads all competitors in opportunities gained, indicating consistent scoring chances that significantly heighten his probability of contending for a top-10 spot on the challenging TPC Sawgrass setup.

Christopher Powers believes Viktor Hovland could deliver surprisingly strong results at Sawgrass, despite weaker recent overall results. Powers pinpoints Hovland's under-the-radar excellent approach stats from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he gained over four strokes on approach, offset by poor putting that led to a missed cut. With the potential for putting variance to swing positively, Powers underscores Hovland’s upside at TPC Sawgrass—a course famously favoring precision on second shots. Powers reminds bettors of Hovland's propensity to contend at premier venues (e.g., second-place finishes at last year’s FedEx St. Jude and PGA Championship), emphasizing that Hovland remains a lurking threat in big tournaments regardless of his recent slump.

Keith Stewart highly touts Ludvig Aberg at TPC Sawgrass due to his transformational advantage off the tee. Stewart points out that in his Players debut in 2024, Aberg secured an eighth-place finish despite subpar putting—a signal of his massive upside. Emphasizing Aberg's elite combination of driving distance and accuracy, Stewart mentions the player's ability to reach fairway positions inaccessible to others, markedly increasing his scoring opportunities. Alongside superb short- and long-approach play, reliable scrambling talent, and impressive birdie-or-better rates, Stewart considers Aberg uniquely equipped among favorites to challenge the world's top-ranked players.

Stephen Hennessey identifies Tommy Fleetwood as ready for a significant breakthrough at The Players Championship, noting Fleetwood’s elite statistical profile and course history. Fleetwood currently leads this stacked field in strokes gained on approach over the last 36 rounds according to RickRunGood.com, indicating peak iron performance. He ranks 10th in Good Drive Percentage, underscoring his accuracy off the tee—a critical factor at narrow and punishing TPC Sawgrass. Additionally, Fleetwood’s elite scrambling skills make him well-equipped to minimize mistakes on this challenging venue. Fleetwood already has two top-10 finishes (2018 and 2019) at Sawgrass and just one missed cut in seven appearances. Hennessey firmly believes Fleetwood has the all-around game perfectly poised for a career-defining victory on one of golf’s biggest stages.

Pat Mayo is backing Ludvig Aberg for a strong outing at the Players Championship, dismissing recent isolated struggles like Aberg's disastrous third round at Arnold Palmer Invitational as anomalies. Aberg held the first-round lead at Farmers before illness derailed him, and even with a poor weekend at Bay Hill, he managed a T-22 finish. His other recent performances included a win, a top-5, and a minor withdrawal. Mayo emphasizes two key reasons for his pick: the significance of recent form and iron play at Sawgrass in March, with Aberg excelling in these areas in his prior appearances. Following an impressive T-8 finish last year at Sawgrass, Mayo believes Aberg has the optimal combination of tee-to-green game and approach accuracy for success at this prestigious event.

The anonymous swing coach is bullish on Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship, highlighting that Rory has shifted back to his old driver after issues off the tee at Bay Hill. The swing coach explained this change is crucial, noting McIlroy is again exhibiting elite-level driving, similar to his strong showings earlier this season at Pebble Beach. According to the coach, McIlroy's new approach, which mirrors Scottie Scheffler's patient and consistent play, aligns well with success attributes at TPC Sawgrass—a course that heavily rewards precision and solid tee-to-green performance. The coach predicts this equipment shift, coupled with his new mindset, positions Rory favorably for another victory at the Players.

Justin Van Zuiden identified Alex Smalley as a solid DFS pick due to his quality iron play. He specifically mentioned Smalley's strength in ball striking, finding good value at his current DFS price point for THE PLAYERS Championship.

Derek Farnsworth pointed out Wyndham Clark's unsettling tendency to start very strong in tournaments before fading sharply during the weekend rounds. Clark has notably held the first-round lead in each of his last three events but could only finish outside the top 20 after those initial impressive rounds. Farnsworth views Clark as a risky DFS pick because of these consistent weekend fades preventing him from delivering complete performances.

Derek Farnsworth expressed skepticism regarding Jordan Spieth at THE PLAYERS Championship. He noted that historically, Spieth hasn't had good results at this venue even during his best years. Although he acknowledges Spieth is currently a better driver than past performances suggest, Farnsworth ultimately believes the course fit poses significant risk and would prefer other DFS options.

Justin Van Zuiden praised Laurie Canter's recent performances, citing an eye-popping streak on the DP World Tour. Canter has finished first, second, and third over his last four events. Based on his stellar recent results, Van Zuiden considers him a particularly appealing lower-cost DFS tournament play for THE PLAYERS Championship.

Derek Farnsworth labels Doug Ghim as a sneaky strong DFS play this week priced at only $5,600. Farnsworth points out that Ghim is especially notable at THE PLAYERS Championship due to his past near-win here. While Ghim isn't someone Farnsworth usually targets heavily, he specifically plays him annually at Sawgrass given course fit, making him an ideal low-priced DFS sleeper.

Derek Farnsworth finds significant DFS value in Michael Kim at just $5,900, given Kim's recent form consisting of five straight top-15 finishes, many in strong fields. Farnsworth notes Michael Kim was priced comparably to elite players like Hideki Matsuyama recently and calls his current low DFS pricing disrespectful. Despite poor past course history, Kim's recent elite form warrants heavy DFS exposure at his low price.

Justin Van Zuiden identifies Ben Griffin as one of the top options in the $6,000 DFS pricing tier, given his impressive iron play recently and strong form over the past six to eight months. Given TPC Sawgrass is shorter and emphasizes iron skill, Griffin fits well. However, Van Zuiden expresses mild concern regarding Griffin playing nine straight events without rest, potentially affecting his performance at a demanding venue.

Justin Van Zuiden strongly recommends Aaron Rai at $7,100 in DFS, citing Rai's excellent recent ball-striking form, gaining 11 strokes ball striking in his last event. Rai has two consecutive top-11 finishes coming into THE PLAYERS and a perfect two-for-two record at this tournament. His strong long iron play suits the course demands, making him Van Zuiden's preferred lower-priced DFS target even at potentially rising ownership.

Justin Van Zuiden emphasizes Corey Conners as a clear DFS choice this week at his low $7,900 pricing. Conners has consistently excelled in prominent tournaments on ball-striking courses, with past success here highlighted by finishes of 13th last year and 7th in 2021. Although his approach numbers haven't been peak lately, Van Zuiden expects Conners to elevate his game during this part of the season, making him a reliable DFS play even at popularity, noting historically Conners tends to produce best when highly owned.

Justin Van Zuiden is skeptical about playing Sepp Straka in DFS despite his recent strong performances and excellent approach statistics, ranking him top-seven over the past year. Van Zuiden notes Rob Bolton from PGATour.com surprisingly ranked Straka #1 in his power rankings over elite players like Scottie Scheffler, an assessment Van Zuiden finds overly aggressive. Given Straka's projected chalky ownership at around 20%, Van Zuiden prefers betting him at 50-to-1 odds rather than rostering him at high DFS ownership.

Derek Farnsworth strongly supports playing Si Woo Kim for THE PLAYERS Championship. Farnsworth noted Kim's victory at this event during challenging weather conditions, highlighting good recent form with four straight top-25 finishes and a top-10 performance here last year. Additionally, Kim is known as a highly accurate player on Pete Dye courses, as evidenced by his win at the American Express, another Dye-designed layout. At his DFS price of $8,200 and around 10% projected ownership, Farnsworth confidently prefers Kim compared to higher-owned players.

Justin Van Zuiden categorically advised avoiding Viktor Hovland in DFS at this week's Players Championship due to his poor current form. Van Zuiden expressed significant concern over Hovland's struggles last week, noting weak statistical performances, which resulted in him ranking unusually low (86th) in the tout's model. Van Zuiden stated he sees no value at Hovland’s current DraftKings price near 9,000 salary and will confidently omit him from his lineups.

Justin Van Zuiden advised fading Patrick Cantlay at The Players Championship, pointing to Cantlay's troubling negative history specifically at TPC Sawgrass. Cantlay is notably the only golfer priced above 9,500 DraftKings salary who has consistently lost strokes relative to the field over the past five years, including three missed cuts and uninspiring finishes of 19th and 68th in recent attempts. Van Zuiden remains bearish and intends to remain strongly underweight versus the field.

Derek Farnsworth praised Ludvig Aberg's potential this week at The Players Championship, highlighting several factors signaling upside. Despite recent form being suboptimal due to playing an event while ill, Farnsworth stressed that his stats are misleading. Importantly, Aberg now lives near TPC Sawgrass, reportedly playing the course frequently in preparation, and he finished 8th last year in his debut. Farnsworth believes this local familiarity combined with his strong driving game presents a high-upside sleeper option, especially if public DFS ownership remains modest.

Derek Farnsworth highlighted Collin Morikawa as one of his favorite DFS plays at The Players Championship, citing an ideal course fit. He emphasized Morikawa's accuracy off the tee, elite iron play, and significant improvement in his short game. Although Morikawa has only one top 20 finish in four visits, Farnsworth explained the poor result was due to an unfortunate weather draw, causing many strong golfers to suffer that year (extremely windy conditions forcing high scores). Farnsworth believes Morikawa's underlying skills perfectly match TPC Sawgrass, making him a prime play this week.

Justin Van Zuiden recommended completely fading Xander Schauffele at The Players Championship due to his high pricing relative to recent form. Despite Schauffele making the cut last week after a decent Sunday performance, Van Zuiden wants to see more consistent results before investing at Schauffele's current elevated price above 11,000 DraftKings salary. He firmly stated he would cross Schauffele off his player pool entirely at this price.

Derek Farnsworth strongly endorsed Scottie Scheffler this week at The Players Championship, highlighting his impressive Florida form and elite tee-to-green stats. Despite losing 5.2 strokes putting at last week's tournament, Scheffler has historically thrived at this event, winning back-to-back years and ranking first in strokes gained in Florida at difficult courses and strong fields. Farnsworth emphasized that if Scheffler's putting performance improves even marginally, he should be in contention on Sunday, making him a strong DFS option this week.

Derek Farnsworth advised completely avoiding Cameron Young for DFS contests for the foreseeable future, citing his continued struggle with form. Farnsworth noted his DFS day ended quickly last week when Young shot an abysmal 82 in the first round. Despite a better second-round 71, Young missed the cut. Farnsworth emphasized they have repeatedly tried rostering Young and it has consistently failed. Given these struggles and Young’s clear slump, Farnsworth recommended staying away until there's substantial evidence of a turnaround in form.

Derek Farnsworth highlighted Taylor Moore as a valuable PGA DFS option, noting specifically that Moore has been consistently making cuts and performing well recently. Farnsworth emphasized Moore's affordable pricing at around 5K, which presents tremendous value given his reliability. He recommended him as a strong value consideration due to his stable floor in recent events.

Tyler Tamboline expressed skepticism towards rostering Tommy Fleetwood this week due to his inflated DFS price ($9800), despite solid but unspectacular recent form. Tamboline highlighted Fleetwood's history of failing to secure PGA Tour wins, including a playoff loss to Nick Taylor. He noted Fleetwood’s relatively modest finishes (11th, 22nd, 21st, 5th recently; and a 35th last year at THE PLAYERS Championship) that do not justify his almost-10K price. Tamboline suggested the DFS community's perception of Fleetwood as a reliably 'safe' pick might be misguided, making Fleetwood potentially overpriced at this slate.

Tyler Tamboline named Brice Garnett as a viable, though inherently risky, punt play option with tournament-winning upside for DFS players opting to take risks in large-field MME contests. He stressed the importance of strategic exposure—aiming for 6% to 10% of lineups—rather than minimal exposure. Tamboline underscored the volatile nature of plays like Garnett but explained that smart and meaningful exposure could reap significant rewards if Garnett outperforms his pricing tier.

Tyler Tamboline recommended Chan Kim as an intriguing, albeit risky, low-priced option for those entering large-field DFS tournaments. He acknowledged the volatility of rostering players like Kim, especially down in the bargain price range, but advised including Kim in lineups at around a 6% to 10% exposure rate in a 150-lineup scenario. Tamboline emphasized that minimal exposure (one lineup) is insufficient for capturing upside, so DFS players should allocate enough lineups to meaningfully benefit if Kim performs well.

Tyler Tamboline pointed out Nick Taylor as a potentially overlooked DFS option offering positive leverage due to pricing bias. Although Taylor recently delivered strong results—including a win and consistent top-25 finishes—his DFS appeal tends to decrease whenever his price rises beyond the $6K range, leading to low ownership. Tamboline highlighted Taylor's solid recent form (win, 12th, 33rd, 25th, 9th, and 31st in recent starts) and specifically noted Taylor's playoff win over Tommy Fleetwood, as well as outperforming Fleetwood at last year's THE PLAYERS Championship, where Taylor finished 26th compared to Fleetwood’s 35th. With Fleetwood priced around $9800 and heavily targeted by DFS players, Taylor represents significant value and contrarian upside at just $7300.

Tyler Tamboline labeled Aaron Rai as one of the 'chalkloafs' in the 7K price range, suggesting a fade due to inflated ownership projections in DFS contests. Although Rai has been popular and playing well lately, Tamboline advised being careful because the rising ownership creates more risk compared to the potential reward, making Rai a less appealing play this week.

Tyler Tamboline recommended being cautious or fading Keegan Bradley this week due to potential ownership inflation. He noted Bradley's recent strong round-four performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational would significantly drive ownership, especially given his low $7,700 DraftKings price. Tamboline expressed concern about Bradley becoming a popular 'chalk' play in DFS contests, calling him one of the 'chalkloafs' in the 7K range, which makes him a risky DFS play given how heavily owned he is likely to be.

Tyler Tamboline highlighted Alex Smalley as a strong pivot at just $5,400 on DraftKings, noting Smalley's impressive recent play. While public attention focuses on players like Doug Ghim around this salary range, Tamboline explained the optimizer was consistently projecting Smalley favorably. Due to this overlooked status and solid recent performances, Smalley presents a compelling pivot option for those looking to differentiate their lineups at minimal expense.

Tyler Tamboline advocated for Sungjae Im as a contrarian DFS play after discussing that Sungjae was mistakenly left out of initial pricing and added late at $9,700, causing him to be overlooked. Sungjae is positioned oddly between more popular golfers, creating an ownership squeeze. Tamboline recalled Sungjae’s strong history at correlated courses, specifically mentioning impressive finishes at the Wyndham Championship and previously at THE PLAYERS Championship. Tamboline humorously mentioned Sungjae's reported motivation due to pricing oversight, indicating he is highly confident in Sungjae's DFS potential this week.

Mike Petta strongly advocated fading Viktor Hovland, describing recent performances as extremely poor. His struggles are severe enough that Petta does not believe DFS players will select him frequently, despite relatively low ownership opportunities. He advises confidently fading him, comfortable accepting any financial loss if Hovland improbably rebounds.

Mike Petta highlighted Xander Schauffele as an excellent leverage play because of his low expected ownership at the top pricing tiers. Petta explained that most DFS participants are likely skipping over Schauffele due to pricing concerns and perceived value elsewhere. He emphasized that Schauffele's upside and talent warrant consideration, especially given the potential ownership advantage and reduced competition at his price point.

Tyler Tamboline pointed to Doug Ghim as another golfer benefiting from inflated popularity due to optimizer-driven lineup construction. DFS projections are consistently pushing Ghim into many lineups as a cheap option. Tamboline expressed his doubts, suggesting actively limiting exposure to Ghim through roster-building restrictions or player pool caps, believing Ghim's rising ownership is outweighed by other equally viable, lower-owned options in this deep low-cost range.

Mike Petta noted Rory McIlroy as a potential leverage target due to projected ownership between just 15-20%. Petta believes this ownership estimation is reasonable but thinks there's a chance DFS players underestimate how easily rosters can accommodate higher-priced golfers like Scottie Scheffler with low-priced value golfers. This roster construction dynamic could keep McIlroy's ownership at moderate levels, offering leverage in tournaments if his lower-than-normal ownership holds true.

Mike Petta identified Chris Kirk as an appealing DFS pivot off chalkier Doug Ghim due to their identical price but likely divergent ownership levels. Petta noted Ghim as somebody expected to attract significant ownership, recommending Kirk as the contrarian alternative for large-field tournaments. He emphasized this decision as primarily ownership-driven rather than heavily statistics-based, making Kirk an attractive ownership-based pivot to differentiate tournament lineups.

Mike Petta recommended pivoting from the popular Michael Kim to Jake Knapp at the same price point, citing ownership leverage and Knapp's consistent recent form. Petta highlighted Knapp's solid finishes—6th, 25th, 17th, 44th, and 33rd in recent starts—suggesting stable, reliable golf. He admitted the risk that Knapp's strong performance might not translate perfectly to THE PLAYERS Championship, but emphasized that the significantly lower ownership relative to Kim creates optimal leverage for tournaments, making Knapp a sharp pivot option in DFS lineups.

Tyler Tamboline recommended Akshay Bhatia as a viable high-risk, high-reward GPP play in DFS due to volatility and upside. He acknowledged Bhatia's potential to deliver unexpected high finishes in elite events even though he's priced low at 7K. Tamboline expressed willingness to embrace volatility here and take a chance on Bhatia as an aggressive leverage play capable of differentiating lineups in large-field contests.

Mike Petta endorsed Justin Rose as an attractive, high-upside DFS play at a bargain price, particularly suited for tougher courses and strong fields. Petta cited Rose's recent eighth-place finish last week as indicative of his capacity to contend in challenging conditions. He emphasized Rose's ability to 'grind' effectively on difficult layouts and stated Rose is his favorite inexpensive choice, providing substantial upside at a price point of only 6,300 in DraftKings contests.

Tyler Tamboline highlighted Christiaan Bezuidenhout as an optimal pivot option in DFS, particularly if Aaron Rai's ownership climbs high. Tamboline explained Bezuidenhout thrives on difficult courses, a key consideration for THE PLAYERS Championship. Additionally, his excellent course history at this specific event reinforces Tamboline's stance. With Rai likely seeing substantial ownership, Tamboline views Bezuidenhout as a strong leverage play at a comparable price point.

Tyler Tamboline recommended Corey Conners for DFS following a promising recent performance. Tamboline noted Conners started this year slowly, mirroring last year's trajectory where he heated up as the season progressed. He emphasized Conners' recent finish last week, placing third, as evidence of returning form. Tamboline predicted Conners will avoid excessively high ownership considering other popular names nearby, making him a valuable DFS selection.

Tyler Tamboline emphasized fading Cameron Young, noting a steep and concerning decline in his recent form compared to last year. Tamboline pointed out that the betting odds now actually show Carson Young ahead of Cameron Young, suggesting the market perception has shifted dramatically. He recalled how last year at this event, Cam Young would have been priced significantly higher—around 9,500 or 9,600—in DraftKings contests, but is now viewed as a much riskier option due to poor recent performances.