Kenny Kim said Corey Conners "makes a lot of sense at a course like this" and loves him at $7,100. Conners can "plot his way along," providing steady four-round scoring without forcing rosters into the over-owned 6K chalk. Kim expects to feature Conners heavily in balanced DFS builds that still leave salary for one or two expensive studs.

Kenny Kim argued Sungjae Im is the premier leverage play in the six-thousand range. Priced at just $6,200, Im owns "extremely good course history" at the Tour Championship, yet could be "one of the lower-owned guys in the 6K range" because salary relief is scarce in a 30-man field. Kim is willing to overlook shaky recent form, banking on the proven track record and ownership dip to swing GPPs if Im posts another top-tier finish.

Kenny Kim highlighted Hideki Matsuyama as a sneaky tournament play in the $7K tier. Matsuyama has been "decent hitting fairways," owns a short game that can rescue errant drives, and is "really good on long par threes and long par fours." Kim likes the $2,000 discount off Justin Thomas and expects the PGA DFS crowd to shy away because of recent off-the-tee concerns, creating a clear ownership discount. He views Decky as the perfect pivot for GPP players who want upside without eating chalk.

Kenny Kim recommended fading Justin Thomas in DFS even though Thomas owns a solid track record at East Lake. Kim noted that 2025 is Thomas’s worst driving season, a glaring weakness on a course that demands accuracy off the tee. While his putter is running at a career high, Kim feels the driver issues outweigh the spike putting and prefers to allocate $9K salary elsewhere.

Kenny Kim suggested rostering Rory McIlroy as a leverage play in the $10K tier. With Scottie Scheffler projected for massive ownership and Ludvig Aberg generating buzz, Kim believes Rory will be the lowest-owned of the elite options. East Lake fits McIlroy’s game and, in large-field GPPs, the ownership discount outweighs concerns about recent form, giving lineups that fade Scheffler a high-upside differentiator.

Kenny Kim’s favorite sub-$6,500 DFS punt is Jacob Bridgeman at $6,100. Kim highlighted Bridgeman’s fairway-finding prowess, competent short game and respectable putter, traits he believes are critical when you lock Scottie Scheffler into lineups and need three bargain plays. Because most of the field will default to Shane Lowry at $6,400, Kim expects Bridgeman’s ownership to stay low, giving Scheffler builds much-needed uniqueness.

Kenny Kim backed Viktor Hovland at 20-to-1 in the without-Scheffler market. Hovland sits 2nd in strokes-gained approach and 10th in fairways gained over the last 12 rounds, excels on long par-4s, and has a history of success at East Lake. Kim believes the course accentuates Hovland’s ball-striking and minimizes his short-game liabilities, making 20-to-1 a clear buy number.

Kenny Kim advised grabbing Russell Henley at 14-to-1 on DraftKings before the number slips. In Kim’s 12-round model Henley ranks 1st in fairways gained, dominates long par-3s and par-4s, and is one of the best in the field on approaches from 200+ yards. Kim thinks East Lake’s positional layout is tailor-made for Henley’s precision iron game, giving him genuine win equity at a price still available on one book but already down to 12-to-1 elsewhere.

Kenny Kim said to fire on Tommy Fleetwood at 10-to-1 in the without-Scheffler outright market for the 30-man Tour Championship. Kim pointed out that Fleetwood arrives with two straight FedEx Cup top-10s and posts elite recent numbers—5th in strokes-gained approach, 4th tee-to-green and 2nd in fairways gained over his last 12 rounds. East Lake rewards accuracy and sustained momentum, which Kim compared to the playoff runs of Lucas Glover and Billy Horschel. In a field this small he believes Fleetwood finally converts a win and the double-digit price is too good to pass up.

Kenny Kim took Tommy Fleetwood 10-to-1 in the without-Scheffler market, arguing that the 30-man no-cut format finally lines up for the Englishman’s first PGA Tour win. Fleetwood ranks near the top of the field in fairways-gained and has posted consecutive FedEx Cup Top-10 finishes, showing the current form Kim looks for in East Lake champions. With every tee ball requiring driver but demanding accuracy, Fleetwood’s blend of controlled length and dialed-in irons places him firmly on the short list. Kim is skipping each-ways and swinging for the outright, saying “if Tommy’s going to win one, this is it.”

Kenny Kim said he has already bet Tommy Fleetwood to win the 30-man Tour Championship and collect the FedEx Cup. Kim framed it as a ‘chaos’ outcome the current staggered-start format still permits, noting that one hot week can vault a chaser past the points leaders. His conviction is rooted in Fleetwood’s sustained form: since the start of May Fleetwood ranks second only to Scottie Scheffler in strokes gained across all categories. Kim believes that level of tee-to-green consistency, paired with East Lake’s demanding layout that rewards ball-striking, makes Fleetwood undervalued in outright markets despite his lack of a PGA-Tour victory.

Kenny Kim said he is leaving Scottie Scheffler off every outright ticket for the Tour Championship even though he called Scheffler “inevitable” and compared him to Thanos. Kim’s reasoning is simple: the books have already baked Scheffler’s recent dominance—including Sunday’s 17th-hole chip-in and the elimination of his three-putt issues—fully into the price, leaving no betting value. Rather than laying short odds on the overwhelming favorite, Kim wants to deploy his bankroll on longer shots and placement markets where potential ROI is meaningful.

At $6,800, Daniel Berger made Kenny Kim’s short list because he historically thrives when scoring conditions are soft. Kenny noted that most signature events Berger plays these days are tougher setups; dropping into an easier track where birdies flow should let Berger ‘see the ball go in the hole more often,’ a confidence boost Kenny believes can spark a ceiling week at low ownership and salary relief.

Kenny Kim labeled Harry Hall a ‘sneaky’ play at $7,400. Hall owns what Kenny called the best putting stats in the entire field and is motivated by a still-alive outside chance at a Ryder Cup spot. The combination of elite flat-stick performance and added incentive makes him an appealing tournament flier on a course where birdie streaks matter.

Kenny Kim locked Kurt Kitayama in as his third Cash-Game Cornerstone. Kitayama’s length off the tee is a perfect match for the driver-heavy setup, but the real difference-maker is the putter—he has gained strokes putting in three consecutive events after it plagued him earlier in the season. Kitayama already owns a PGA-Tour win this year and has produced three top-10 finishes in his past four starts, giving Kenny the floor/ceiling mix he wants for double-ups and head-to-heads.

Kenny Kim named Lanto Griffin his second cash-game cornerstone, doubling down on an outright ticket he already placed. Kim praised Griffin’s combination of length off the tee, hot putter and elite birdie-making form, attributes he believes set up perfectly for a low-scoring BMW Championship. At a mid-tier salary Griffin offers both cut safety and top-10 upside, allowing Kim to build balanced rosters around cornerstone plays Aberg and Griffin.

Kenny Kim locked Ludvig Aberg in as his first cash-game cornerstone for BMW DFS builds. Kim loves Aberg’s field-leading strokes-gained off-the-tee numbers and his ability to spike with the putter—two skills he thinks Caves Valley will reward. Pivoting off the chalkier Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele pairings that burned him recently, Kim sees Aberg’s $10K-plus salary as a high-floor, high-ceiling anchor around which he can comfortably construct balanced lineups.

Kim took a gut-feel shot on Maverick McNealy at 40-1 (eight places), stressing McNealy’s historical ability to torch birdie-fest setups. When Kim toggled his model to the last 24 rounds on easy-scoring courses, McNealy vaulted from 38th to 5th. Kim pointed out the Stanford product’s most recent easy-course start was the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where he finished 8th. Known for length off the tee and a long-term plus putter, McNealy has been merely average of late, but Kim expects the friendlier scoring environment to reignite confidence on the greens and unlock upside. He notes bettors might shop for a better number but has already locked in the wager.

Kim fired on Kurt Kitayama at 40-1 (eight places) despite Kitayama’s reputation as a streaky putter. The flat stick has turned around, with positive SG:Putting in three straight starts and three top-10 finishes—including a win—over his last four. Kitayama has gained both off-the-tee and on approach in nine consecutive events and sits second in Kim’s overall model, dropping only to third when the model is filtered to easy-scoring courses. He is top-10 in proximity from 175-200 and 200+ yards and 11th in birdie-or-better rate over his last 24 rounds. Kim thinks the current tee-to-green heater plus improved putting give Kitayama legitimate win equity on a course that rewards length.

Kim backed Ben Griffin at 25-1 with eight places, arguing the North Carolina bomber has quietly been elite in every key scoring metric over his last 24 rounds: 14th in driving distance, 8th in putting, and 6th in birdie-or-better rate against the very best field of the season. Griffin has gained with his irons in 14 of his last 15 recorded starts and finished 15th or better in eight of his last ten events, showing both floor and upside. Kim believes that combination of length, approach consistency, and a trustworthy putter plays perfectly on a track where chipping opportunities are limited and birdies will be plentiful.

Kenny Kim said he is betting Ludvig Aberg at 33-1 with three places for the BMW Championship because the course rewards "driver-putter" specialists and Aberg checks both boxes. Kim noted Aberg ranks among the very best drivers on Tour and has already gained 3+ strokes putting in 25 percent of his PGA Tour starts. The Swede has gained on approach in five straight measured events over the last 10 weeks, suggesting the iron play is trending with the flat stick. Kim expects another lift-clean-and-place setup that will keep greens-in-regulation near 70 percent, minimizing short-game importance and allowing Aberg’s length and spike-putting profile to separate. Kim thinks the recent middling finishes were simply variance and Aberg “gets back on track” this week.

Kenny Kim opened his outright card with Ludvig Aberg for the BMW Championship, arguing that Caves Valley lines up perfectly for Aberg’s power-plus-putter profile. Kim noted that the Swede has gained strokes on approach in five straight events and sits near the top of this field in driving distance – a crucial edge at a par-70 that now stretches past 7,600 yards. Just as important, Aberg is an explosive "spike" putter: in 48 recorded ShotLink rounds he has gained 3-plus strokes with the flat stick 12 times, a 25 % clip. Kim reminded listeners that when the Tour last visited Caves Valley (2021) every player who finished T9 or better ranked top-18 in putting and top-10 off the tee, reinforcing the driver-putter narrative. With no cut, narrowed-but-still-wide fairways and at least 25 birdies likely needed to win, Kim believes Aberg’s combination of length, iron consistency, and volatile putting gives him true slate-breaking upside in both outright betting markets and large-field DFS contests.

Kenny Kim advised staying away from Keegan Bradley for both DFS lineups and Ryder Cup futures. Bradley’s game has tailed off since his Travelers victory—about six mediocre weeks—and Kim believes the added captain duties are "too much of a distraction." Unless Bradley wins the BMW Championship this week and backs it up with a top-five at East Lake, Kim would leave him off the Ryder Cup roster and off fantasy rosters. The implication for bettors: Bradley’s current form does not justify his odds or salary, and his self-appointed roster spot could keep the slump going.

Kenny Kim advised bettors to pound the in-play market against Tommy Fleetwood any time he tees off Sunday with the outright lead. Kim argued Fleetwood’s repeated late collapses—two squandered chances in the past month and a decade of ‘almosts’—reveal a persistent mental block. Even when Fleetwood posted a respectable 69 last Sunday, it still was not enough to close. Kim summarized: "Put him in front and he melts." That track record makes Fleetwood a profitable target for live fades whenever he is atop the leaderboard after 54 holes.

Kenny Kim explained he is saving Viktor Hovland for next week’s playoff event instead of firing him at the FedEx St. Jude. Kim noted that the Slider Cup payout multiplier jumps from 4× this week to 6× next week (and 8× at the Tour Championship), so burning a premium player like Hovland when the prize pool is larger maximizes expected return. He plans to deploy Hovland in that higher-multiplier slot to chase a late-season payout surge.

Kenny Kim highlighted Jordan Spieth as a contrarian tournament play. Spieth is first in the field in double-bogey avoidance over the last 24 rounds, a sample that includes the Open and U.S. Open. Kim believes the wrist is as healthy as it has been all year and noted Spieth ranks 5th in total strokes-gained across the last 12-, 8-, 4-, and 2-month rolling windows. With a DK salary that prices him 26th while Kim’s upside model has him 16th, Spieth offers ceiling at expected low ownership.

Kim named Chris Kirk ($7,200) his fourth cash-game cornerstone. Kirk has gained strokes on approach in nine of his last ten events and ranks top-10 in this field in iron play over the last 24 rounds. He is well above average from 150-200 yards, solid around the greens, and owns strong course form: 2nd and 5th in two of his past five starts plus a T16 at Southwind two years ago. Kim views the all-around profile as perfect for cash safety with realistic upside.

Kenny Kim agreed that Daniel Berger profiles well but warned that he projects as the single most-rostered golfer in the $7K range. Kim stated he will pivot away in large-field GPPs if Berger becomes the highest-owned play, arguing there is no edge in eating 20-plus-percent chalk on a volatile golfer who can "putt and chip his way out of tournaments." The fade is purely an ownership leverage decision in DFS contests.

Kenny Kim refuses to abandon Chris Gotterup despite a one-week layoff. Gotterup has posted three straight top-10s and sits 2nd in the field tee-to-green over the last 24 rounds, 1st off the tee, 5th in double-bogey avoidance and top-10 around the greens. Kim noted Gotterup is still campaigning for a Ryder Cup berth and believes the bomber’s driver can overpower TPC Southwind at a discounted DraftKings salary, making him a high-upside DFS play.

Kenny Kim singled out Ben Griffin as a sneaky mid-tier option. Griffin’s iron game remains sharp, and Kim believes the North Carolinian is still auditioning for a Ryder Cup spot after a strong showing last week. Although Kim passed on the 35-to-1 outright number, he likes Griffin’s statistical fit and extra motivation for both DFS builds and longer outright tickets at TPC Southwind.

Kenny Kim identified Sepp Straka as the go-to pivot in the $8k range, fading the expected chalk of Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama. Straka owns more recent victories than either rival and backs it up statistically: sixth in strokes-gained approach and third in bogey avoidance over the last 24 rounds, plus 22nd–27th from 150-175 yards. Kim believes Burns’ past near-win at Southwind and Matsuyama’s hot finish last week will push their ownership, leaving Straka under-rostered despite similar pricing and superior win equity. Kim plans to exploit that discrepancy in large-field DFS tournaments.

Kenny Kim locked Viktor Hovland in as his second Cash-Game Cornerstone, happy to “chalk up top.” Hovland ranks first in the field from both 150-175 and 175-200 yards and has led the field in overall ball-striking across the last 24 rounds. Kim argued that if Viktor keeps finding fairways and greens—something his metrics strongly suggest—the Norwegian’s shaky chipping will be required far less often, a formula that produced prior success at TPC Southwind. Byron Lindeque agreed, noting Hovland will “be chipping far less than everyone else.” Kim expects Hovland to contend and considers him safe for cash while still offering tournament-winning upside.

Kenny Kim labeled Patrick Cantlay his “hustler play of the week,” stressing the ownership leverage created by the public’s frustration with Cantlay’s mediocre major results. Kim rattled off a string of signature-event finishes—15th (The Sentry), 5th (Genesis), 12th (THE PLAYERS), 13th (RBC Heritage), 4th (Truist), 12th (Memorial), 12th (Travelers)—noting Cantlay was a single stroke shy of top-10s in six or seven of them. Since THE PLAYERS he has gained strokes off the tee in every outing and on approach in all but two, while ranking top-10 from 150-175 yards over his last 24 rounds. Course history at TPC Southwind shows three top-15s in six starts, including a runner-up. With Viktor Hovland, Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama expected to hog ownership in the same price tier, Kim loves Cantlay’s elite ball-striking floor, win equity and projected sub-12 % roster rate for both cash builds and GPPs.

For DFS, Kenny Kim highlighted Justin Thomas as the premium-tier leverage play. With Scottie Scheffler projected 40-50% and Xander/Russell Henley 20-30%, Kenny expects JT to settle around 15% ownership—one-third of Scheffler and half of Xander. In elite fields the ‘lowest-owned stud’ angle historically pays off, and Thomas still offers elite upside while giving rosters immediate uniqueness. Kenny plans to pair JT with chalk elsewhere, viewing him as the cleanest path to large-field GPP leverage in the 10k range.

Kenny Kim locked in Wyndham Clark at 40-1 with eight places for the FedEx St. Jude. Kim pointed to Clark’s career-best iron week at the 3M Open, where he gained almost ten strokes on approach, as evidence the swing changes are finally clicking. Clark enters Southwind in peak form with three straight top-15 finishes, including a fourth at the Open Championship, and he closed strong here last season. Because TPC Southwind rewards elite approach play and Clark’s irons are suddenly scorching, Kim believes the outright number is at least ten points too long and offers placement protection via the eight-place each-way.

Kim’s third outright is Wyndham Clark at 40-1 with eight places. Clark gained 9.8 strokes on approach at the 3M Open—his best iron week as a professional—and parlayed that into three straight Top-15 finishes, including fourth at The Open. Southwind similarity comps well with PGA Tour stops where Clark has excelled, and he logged a strong finish here last season. Kim believes Clark’s newfound iron ceiling, coupled with a driver that can shorten Southwind’s numerous 450-yard par-4s, gives him more win equity than the 40-1 price suggests in a short field.

Kim also grabbed Hovland outright at 30-1 with eight places. Beyond the elite proximity numbers, Hovland has gained strokes on approach in every recorded event this season, sits first in the field in both 150-175 and 175-200 proximity over 24 rounds, and has improved his FedEx St. Jude finish each visit, culminating in last year’s runner-up. Southwind rewards controlled drivers who keep big numbers off the card; Hovland ranks 4th in double-bogey avoidance since January. Kim argued that with the Norwegian’s trending course form and mid-iron dominance, 30-1 is too long in a limited playoff field.

Kenny Kim’s first outright is Xander Schauffele at 20-1 (three places paid). Schauffele is coming off consecutive Top-10s at the Scottish Open and The Open, gaining 17.4 strokes total across those events, and historically catches fire this time of year: seven Top-5s and eight Top-10s in his last 10 FedEx Cup playoff starts, plus the 2021 Olympic gold collected in the same late-summer window. Kim highlighted that Southwind’s 450-plus yard par-4s demand driver, an area where Schauffele sits 6th in strokes-gained off the tee over the last 50 rounds. With form peaking and a proven playoff pedigree, Kim believes 20-1 underrates Schauffele’s win equity in a 70-man field.

Kenny Kim said he pounced on Viktor Hovland at +116 for a Top-20 on PlayProfitX after noticing most books sitting at –138. Kim argued the price is off by more than 50 points for a player whose game fits TPC Southwind perfectly. Hovland has gained strokes on approach in every measured start this season except the Sentry, ranks first in the field in proximity from both 150-175 and 175-200 yards over his last 24 rounds, and has improved his finish here four straight years (56th → 36th → 20th → 13th → runner-up). Kim also noted Southwind’s water trouble makes double-bogey avoidance critical, an area where Hovland has excelled since tightening up his short game. Given the iron profile, upward course trend and a demonstrable edge versus market consensus, Kim believes the plus-money Top-20 is a must-bet.

Kenny Kim flagged Matti Schmid as a high-leverage punt at $6,800 because the German sits right on the FedExCup playoff bubble (70th) and needs a strong week to keep his season alive. Schmid is 10th in proximity from 150-175 yards over the last 24 rounds – the money distance at Sedgefield – and is coming off a "really strong" finish a week ago that validated the recent iron pop. Kim likes pairing that statistical fit with the clear motivation narrative, noting that playoff desperation has historically produced spike weeks from similarly priced longshots. In large-field GPPs he expects sub-5% ownership on Schmid, giving investors both leverage and a path to a top-15 finish if the wedges stay hot.

Kenny Kim pushed his chips a little further on Bud Cauley, firing a fresh 55-to-1 outright with eight places while taping the show. Kim already liked Cauley for DFS because of his top-25 approach play, top-15 proximity from 150-175 yards, and top-30 fairway percentage – the three pillars of his Wyndham model. The new wager is a pure price play: Cauley owns finishes of 22nd and 15th in two healthy trips to Sedgefield and is finally stringing together four-round tee-to-green performances that mirror his pre-injury peak. Kim expects the number to shorten once sharper books key in on Cauley’s iron surge, so he grabbed the 55-1 before the market corrects.

Kenny Kim said Victor Perez is popping so hard in his numbers that he may still squeeze him onto the betting card despite already being heavy on outrights. Perez sits 12th in strokes-gained approach over the last 24 rounds, 15th in putting, and fifth in par-4 efficiency from 400-450 yards – the exact distance cluster that makes or breaks a scorecard at Sedgefield. Kim added that Perez is actually fourth in total strokes gained on par-4s during that same window, a sign the Frenchman keeps the floor clean even when birdies are scarce. Because the Wyndham is routinely won by precise iron play and a warm Bermuda putter, Kim believes the statistical cocktail points to top-20 safety with true win equity at a sub-7K DFS salary and an outright number he expects to drift once data-driven bettors notice the same flags.