The good times keep on rolling on the PGA TOUR, as a fantastic stretch of Designated events in three of the last four weeks will now culminate into the biggest event of the year so far, the 2023 PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Ahead, we’ll get to our PLAYERS Championship sleepers and longshots for DFS lineups and betting cards.
Most casual sports sports fans find TPC Sawgrass to be the most recognizable golf venue outside of Augusta National. As such, this event has become one of the most popular tournaments all year. Always full of surprises, THE PLAYERS is one of the best events all year to take some chances on longshots, as the favorites have been prone to miss the cut here more often than any other high stakes event on the calendar.
Course History has not proven very repeatable at this event, as Shane Lowry is the only player in the field to have finished top-25 in each of the last two PLAYERS Championships. With that in mind, there’s opportunity to buy low on low-priced players who suit a positional risk-reward course well.
This article typically highlights my four favorite unheralded values, but in order to keep pace with the hype and excitement around THE PLAYERS, we’ll bump that up to five this week for the 2023 PLAYERS Championship. Click on odds anywhere below to bet now on the best available prices in your state.
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COURSE INTRODUCTION
TPC Sawgrass stands at 7,256 yards as a par-72 with the standard mix four par-3s, 10 par-4s, and four par-5s. That’s not a ton of length for the best players on the PGA TOUR to face, especially when following last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, one of the longest venues on the PGA TOUR. The shorter yardage will spell more forced layups off the tee and remove any advantage the longer hitters may bring to a longer layout.
As Pete Dye’s signature design, TPC Sawgrass rewards precise ball striking and crafty touch around the greens, as players will be tasked to avoid threatening water hazards of 17 holes, quirky bunkering, and tight undulated runoffs around the green. Elite approach players with reliable touch around the greens and seasoned veterans with some proven past results are the most common profile of player to find success at TPC Sawgrass over the years.
For a deeper dive into the course, read my PLAYERS Championship preview. Without any further delay, let’s get to our PLAYERS Championship picks, with a focus on longshots and sleepers for your DFS lineups.
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP SLEEPERS
From a golf betting perspective, this is not a week you typically want to go all in on a favorite, as four of the last nine winners have opened at 66-1 odds or longer. That’s unusual at a challenging venue that features all of the game’s best in one place, but the constant threat of water and intervention of gusting winds lends itself to a longer outright betting card to combat some expected randomness.
In terms of DFS, this is not a week to chase the highest owned players, given the aforementioned volatility. There are plenty of discounted options this week who fit the profile of approach precision and reliable short game needed to navigate TPC Sawgrass.
Below, find my favorite value DFS options and longshots for the 2023 PLAYERS Championship. Stats pulled across Last 36 Rounds unless otherwise noted.
Keegan Bradley (, $7,600)
At last week’s challenging, Designated, Florida Bermuda set up, Keegan Bradley was touted in this article on the merit of his proven course history, top-tier ball striking, and comfortability on familiar Bermuda greens. A week later, all the same factors still remain, and Bradley’s price really has not drifted much in both his odds and DFS pricing, despite an impressive T10 showing. So, why not rinse and repeat?
Keegan was on my outright card in 2022 and gave the top of the leaderboard a scare in the concluding Monday round. In addition to his T5 finish last year, Keegan is the only player in this field to have finished top-30 in each of the last four years at THE PLAYERS. His form continues to trend up in 2023 with a win and six top-20 finishes over his first nine starts. He’ll be on my outright card and a staple DFS play despite expected high ownership.
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Sahith Theegala (, $7,600)
The raucous stage, the constant risk-reward propositions, and the need for imaginative short game all paint the picture of Sahith Theegala contending for a PLAYERS Championship. Unfortunately for him, his debut in 2022 fell flat with an early exit, but in such severe weather, it wouldn’t be fair to write him off from contending after one poor 2022 showing. All the peripheral signs point in favor of Theegala’s first career win coming right here at TPC Scottsdale. The three best finishes of his young career thus far have come on a short Bermuda layout (T2 at the RSM Classic), a positional Pete Dye course (T2 at The Travelers), and a high octane risk-reward TPC design (T3 at the WM Phoenix Open).
Heading into this week, Theegala remains hot on a streak of 10 consecutive made cuts and five top-15 finishes over that span. He’s shown an ability to consistently gain on approach and short game, and a less-than-driver layout in TPC Sawgrass should mitigate some of the driver issues that have held him back early into his career.
Seamus Power (, $7,400)
Over the last 36 rounds, Seamus Power ranks top-20 in this loaded field in terms of SG: TOT. Of that list of 20, he joins Jon Rahm and Will Zalatoris as the only three players to avoid missing the cut over the last three years at this event, placing T35 and T33 in his first two appearances. Despite that combination of recent form and event consistency, Power is still priced beyond 100-1 odds and far down the Draft Kings pricing list, making him one of my favorite value plays this week.
Power has demonstrated impressive consistency with his short game, gaining in both SG: ARG and SG: P in 10 of his last 11 starts. That’s an invaluable skillset to bring to TPC Sawgrass, where players like Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Cameron Smith, and Si Woo Kim have leaned primarily on their short game to separate from the field. The approach inconsistency is something to be wary of, but Power has typically delivered his best ball striking performances when winds are up, as shown by his three consecutive top-5 finishes earlier this season across the coastal stretch of the Bermuda Championship, Mayakoba Championship, and RSM Classic. Entering on a streak of nine consecutive made cuts, Power is an appealing top-20 and top-40 placement consideration for me this week.
Justin Suh (, $6,600)
Speaking of impressive cut streaks, the junior phenom and PGA TOUR rookie looks to be scratching the surface of his highly anticipated potential. Suh carries a streak of 10 consecutive made cuts into this week, with back-to-back impressive showings to kick off the Florida swing between his T4 at the Honda Classic and T24 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Irons and putting have been the formula for Suh over the last 12 rounds, as he ranks No. 6 in SG: APP and No. 19 in SG: P, joining Jon Rahm as the only two players to rank top-20 in both categories over that span.
Although a rookie, Suh plays with the conservative and strategic approach of a veteran, growing increasingly skilled at avoiding danger. He’s No. 1 in the field in Good Drives Gained, and No. 6 in GIRs Gained over the last 36 rounds. He’s a longshot ahead of his PLAYERS debut, but appears to be gaining confidence week over week, making him an appealing placement bet and high upside DFS play.
Kramer Hickok (, $6,000)
There are few weeks more volatile than PLAYERS week, which means that in DFS, the chalk will bust and 6/6 percentages will likely be low. So, if we assume there will be carnage, then taking a chance on a minimum salary player may not be as risky as it sounds. Hickok is not a pure punt either, as he brings plenty of signals between his recent form, course fit, and past results at TPC Sawgrass.
Known for his accuracy off the tee (No. 27 Driving Accuracy, No. 31 SG: Ball Striking on <7,200 Yard Courses), Hickok’s best results have come on positional courses like TPC River Highlands where he lost in a playoff at the 2021 Travelers Championship. Leading up to this event, h’s gained momentum with finishes of T29 and T14 in his last two starts at the Genesis Invitational and Honda Classic. Having made the cut in each of his first two PLAYERS appearances, Hickok’s floor is much higher than what you’d expect to find most weeks at the bare minimum price on Draft Kings.
Best of luck if you choose to bet these PLAYERS Championship sleepers!
THE PLAYERS ODDS
Shop the best odds for PLAYERS Championship sleepers and more highly-touted players across sportsbooks here, including for top 10, top 20, etc.
