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Hello RotoBaller PGA crew! It's great to be back with you guys and I appreciate you joining us here at RotoBaller for your PGA DFS research. We stay in the Lonestar State this week for the Valero Texas Open, the final event before the year's first major championship.
In this article, we'll discuss some of the standout PGA DFS plays available on FanDuel for the Valero. While it's impossible to hit on every player, we'll touch on some different plays across all price ranges, breaking the groups down into "High", "Mid", and "Low" price options that are worth considering.
Like always, the purpose of this piece is to help you put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups for FanDuel, whether that be from a GPP perspective or a cash-game mentality. Be sure to also read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS and betting articles to help you win big!
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Valero Texas Open - PGA DFS Overview
The Course: TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course)
Par 72 - 7,494 Yards, Greens: Champion Bermuda w/ Poa overseed, Designed By: Pete Dye & Greg Norman
Opened in 2010, this Pete Dye/Greg Norman design (with an assist from Sergio Garcia) immediately found its way into the PGA Tour rotation and has hosted this event since it opened. Norman incorporated the natural terrain to create a layout that's long and tough. Its length definitely gives a bump to the bombers, though we have seen precise ball-strikers thrive here in recent years due to course conditions. The Par-5's are no picnic, as all four play almost 600 yards and don't yield the number of birdies and eagles that we normally see on the Tour.
The wind is always a huge factor at TPC San Antonio, as intended with the design. It's somewhat of a fool's errand trying to predict the weather, especially wind, but it's worth keeping an eye on the forecast for any possible tee-time draw advantage, as the recent situation at The Players Championship proved. The big takeaway this week is: ball striking, ball striking, and more ball striking.
For an in-depth breakdown of this week's course, check out RotoBaller's PGA Premium Course Breakdown by Josh Bennett!
Let's Look At The Stats
| Stat | Oaks Course | Tour Average |
| Driving Distance | 284 | 282 |
| Driving Accuracy | 53% | 62% |
| GIR Percentage | 58% | 65% |
| Scrambling Percentage | 55% | 57% |
| Average Three-Putts Per Round | 0.55 | 0.55 |
Key Stats
- SG: Approach
- Proximity
- Total Driving
- SG: Par-5s
- SG: Ball Striking
- Bogey Avoidance
- Wind Performance
Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for FanDuel (PGA DFS)
We have tons of great weekly PGA articles, DFS analysis, tools and DFS advice. Be sure to read our other fantastic articles regarding this week's event including DFS lineup picks for DraftKings/FanDuel, betting advice and DFS prop picks.
High-Priced FanDuel DFS Plays
Jordan Spieth ($11,900)
While the slate's highest-priced option, Rory McIlroy, can certainly win at any time on any course, it's tough for me to peg exactly where he'll be mentally this week, with his own personal Mt. Everest looming ahead. Jordan Spieth, on the other hand, has consistently shown throughout his career that he's more than capable of playing well in the lead-up to a major championship, with the most recent example being a victory in this very event last year. Outside of a runner-up at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, 2022 has been a quiet year for Speith, but this portion of the schedule has historically been when he finds another gear. In addition to last year's win, the Texan also has a T3 and a runner-up finish in events the week before the Masters since 2015.
Corey Conners ($11,600)
After a bit of a sluggish start to the year, Corey Conners' game has resumed firing on all cylinders. An impressive semi-final run last week at the Dell Match Play was just the latest in a string of noteworthy outings by the Canadian. He's now gained a combined 15.9 strokes T2G over his last two stroke-play events (API & The Players) and brings that trending form to a golf course on which he scored his first career PGA Tour victory in 2019 and logged a T14 last year. The ball-striking savant will be a popular DFS option this week, but it's with good reason.
Gary Woodland ($10,800)
I've had very little interest in rostering Gary Woodland over the past couple of years, but have to admit that I'm pretty intrigued this week. After an extended battle with injuries, the 2019 U.S. Open champion looks truly healthy for the first time in a long time and that fact has been reflected in his results, which includes a pair of top-fives during the Florida Swing (Honda & API). The comeback tour rolls into San Antonio this week and we find a golf course that suits Woody's game. He posted a T6 in last year's Valero and his trending iron play (second in the field SG: Approach L12) should once again be a huge asset on this Oaks Course layout.
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Mid-Priced FanDuel DFS Plays
Adam Hadwin ($10,700)
Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin are my "Canadian Connection" this week. Like Conners, Hadwin is one of my favorite plays on the board for Valero. Always a streaky player, Hadwin is coming into Valero on a heater after posting back-to-back top-10s in his last two starts (Players & Valspar). We can chalk his success up to noticeable recent improvements both with the irons and the putter. Hadwin has gained a combined 7.5 strokes on Approach over his last two, as well as 7.2 strokes with the flat stick over the same events. He's also been rock-solid off the tee as of late, grading out 17th in this week's field in Good Drives Gained over his last 12 rounds.
Chris Kirk ($10,500)
A "Team J-Nice" favorite, Chris Kirk has been very profitable for us this year, but his price tag has noticeably increased to reflect his recent performances. Kirk impressed throughout the Florida Swing, posting impeccable outings at both the Honda (T7) and the API (T5). As if the recent form weren't enough, the UGA alum also happens to have an eye-opening track record in the Valero. He's scored top-eight results in two of his last three trips to TPC San Antonio. Kirk's game is firing in all facets at the moment and he leads this week's field in SG: Total over the last 12 measured rounds.
Kevin Streelman ($10,300)
Another proven Valero performer that heads into this year's edition flashing some form. Kevin Streelman arrives in San Antonio on the heels of his best tee-to-green performance since last June, as he gained over seven strokes T2G en route to a T7 in the Valspar Championship. That outing backed up some good play during the Florida Swing, with Streels managing top-25 results at both the Honda and The Players Championship. His Valero record is surely notable, as the vet has gone 6th-T8 over his last two appearances in this event and he's never missed a cut across seven career starts on the Oaks Course.
Low-Priced FanDuel DFS Players
Brendan Steele ($9,800)
As is to be expected in a tournament such as this, the reliability of our options takes a noticeable dip as we move below the $10k benchmark. Brendan Steele stands out at $9.8k. A player with extensive TPC San Antonio experience and a track record of success, Steele won the Valero in his 2011 tournament debut and has gone on to make the cut in eight of his nine subsequent starts at TPC San Antonio with a pair of additional top-10 showings across them. He's an undeniably streaky player that's prone to playing really well (or really badly) in spurts. It feels like his arrow his pointing up at the moment though, as he grades out second in this week's field in Good Drives Gained over his last 12 rounds and exits the Florida Swing with a pair of very nice finishes (T26 API & T13 The Players). Steele has gained a combined 19.6 strokes T2G over his last two and this isn't a bad spot to ride the hot hand.
Richard Bland ($8,800)
This guy is so easy to pull for...at the tender young age of 49, Richard Bland has played the best golf of his career over the past year or so. His magical run to the Sweet 16 of last week's WGC-Dell Match Play was just the latest in a long line of impressive feats for the well-traveled Englishman. Despite his gritty performance last week in Austin, Bland fell short in his quest of qualifying for his first-ever Masters' start, but the good folks at the Valero Open have kept the dream alive by extending him a Sponsor's Invite for this week's event. Obviously, this is the type of Cinderella story that we love to root for as sports fans, but make no mistake, this gentleman has got game, and this TPC San Antonio layout actually profiles as a really nice fit for what Bland does well, which is hit tons of fairways and greens.
J.J. Spaun ($7,600)
Spaun is quietly putting together a very solid campaign. Stretching back to the fall start of the new PGA Tour season, he's made the cut in 12 of his last 16 starts, with a top-10 and three top-25s over that time. The catalyst for his improved play has been his stability from tee-to-green. Over his last 24 measured rounds, Spaun grades out 16th in this week's Valero field in SG: Ball Striking. He comes into the week off a fabulous ball-striking display in his most recent start at the Valspar, an event where he gained 5.9 strokes on Approach and 7.1 strokes T2G en route to a T27. His course history at TPC San Antonio is mixed (made cuts in two of four career starts), but this dirt-cheap $7.6k price tag is simply too cheap for a player that's displayed his type of recent proficiency from T2G.
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