Will Zalatoris Set to Make Tournament Debut at Cognizant Classic
Will Zalatoris has made just two starts to begin 2026, finishing T18 at The American Express and missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. He looks to build some momentum as he makes his tournament debut at the Cognizant Classic this week. Through those two events, he ranks 12th in total strokes gained (+1.388 per round), 29th off the tee (+0.508), and 25th on approach (+0.602). Accuracy is likely to play a major role at PGA National, and he sits 72nd in driving and 17th in proximity from 150-175 yards (23'5"), a range that accounted for the most approach shots here last season. His putting has teetered early in the year, gaining over 2.1 strokes at the AMEX, but losing more than 2.2 at Torrey. Even with a small sample size, Zalatoris looks like a solid fantasy option at $8,400 on DraftKings if he has a decent week with the flat stick.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Rasmus Hojgaard Trending Up at the Cognizant Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard is off to a solid start to 2026, with progressively better finishes of T44, T30, and most recently, T24 at the WM Phoenix Open. He'll look to continue that trend at the Cognizant Classic, where he missed the cut in his only appearance in 2024. Hojgaard ranks 23rd in total strokes gained (+1.234 per round), including 23rd off the tee (+0.564) and 21st in putting (+0.776). The only issue comes with precision, as he sits just 160th in driving accuracy and 152nd in proximity from 150-175 yards (33'3"), a range that accounted for 21.7% of approach shots here last year. Despite the precision concerns, Hojgaard still profiles as a strong fantasy option in a weaker field than we've seen recently.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Max McGreevy Will Need to Improve on the Greens to Compete
Max McGreevy missed the cut at last week's The Genesis Invitational following a tied-for-29th finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. McGreevy has had a solid start to 2026, but has lost strokes, putting in four of his six appearances. If he can improve his putting, he could give himself a chance to be near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday at this week's Cognizant Classic. McGreevy finished tied for fourth at last year's Cognizant Classic. Over the past 12 months, McGreevy ranks in the 17th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth mentioning because at last year's Cognizant Classic over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Rico Hoey Returns to Cognizant Classic
Rico Hoey missed the cut at last week's The Genesis Invitational following a tied-for-67th finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. This was Hoey's first missed cut in six starts this season. His best finish came at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he finished tied for 24th. Hoey will need to improve almost every facet of his game to have a chance to compete this week. He lost strokes across the board last week, except on the putting green, gaining 0.98 strokes there. Hoey finished tied for 25th at last year's Cognizant Classic. Over the past 12 months, Hoey ranks in the 69th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth pointing out because at last year's Cognizant Classic over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Austin Eckroat Looks to Bounce Back at Cognizant Classic
Austin Eckroat returns to action this week after missing the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago. Eckroat has had a rough start to the 2026 season, missing the cut in three of his four starts. His best finish was tied for 49th at the Farmers Insurance Open. Eckroat has had mixed results at the Cognizant Classic, missing the cut in 2025 but winning the tournament in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Eckroat ranks in the 79th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because at last year's Cognizant Classic over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Aaron Rai Bounces Back After Rough Start to 2026 Season
Aaron Rai finished tied for 28th at last week's The Genesis Invitational, followed by a tied for 73rd finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. This was a welcome sign for Rai as he gained strokes across the board except off the tee. Rai gained over 0.50 strokes on approach and 0.39 strokes putting last week. He'll need to continue to flash his strong approach play to have a chance to compete this week. Over the past 12 months, Rai ranks in the 99th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because at last year's Cognizant Classic over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Shane Lowry Continues Playing Well Heading to Cognizant Classic
Shane Lowry finished tied for 24th at last week's The Genesis Invitational, and this was followed by a tied for eighth finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Lowry has three top-25 finishes in four starts so far this season. Lowry has played well at the Cognizant Classic, finishing tied for 11th in 2025 and tied for fourth in 2024. Over the past 12 months, Lowry ranks in the 93rd percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth mentioning because at last year's Cognizant Classic over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Max Homa Has Opportunity to Continue Building Momentum at the Cognizant Classic
Max Homa finished tied for 37th at last week's The Genesis Invitational and is set to play in this week's Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. This will mark Homa's first appearance at the Cognizant Classic. Homa has started strongly this season but has yet to crack a top-25 finish. Over the past 12 months, Homa ranks in the 29th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because at last year's Cognizant Classic over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Ryan Gerard's Strong Approach Play Behind his Hot Start in 2026
Ryan Gerard finished tied for 28th at last week's Genesis Invitational, and that was followed by a T45 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Gerard has gained strokes on approach in four of his five starts this season and gained over 1.50 strokes at The Genesis Invitational. This week will mark Gerard's second appearance at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, and he finished tied for 25th last year. Over the past 12 months, Gerard ranks in the 49th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth pointing out, because at last year's Cognizant Classic, over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Luke Clanton Making Fourth Start of 2026 at Cognizant Classic
Luke Clanton is set to make his fourth start of the 2026 season at this week's Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Clanton has endured a tough start to the 2026 season, missing the cut twice and withdrawing once. At last year's Cognizant Classic, Clanton finished tied for 18th and hopes to best that this year. The only bright spot of Clanton's play so far this season has been his approach play, gaining strokes on approach in both tournaments where he ultimately missed the cut. Over the past 12 months, Clanton ranks in the 55th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth mentioning, because at last year's Cognizant Classic, over 40% of approach shots came from this distance.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Andrew Putnam Looks to Jumpstart His Season at Cognizant Classic
As someone who has failed to play in many Signature Events as of late, Andrew Putnam hasn't had many starts this new season, missing the cut at Torrey Pines and finishing T2 at the American Express. The 37-year-old is making his third start at PGA National, with a T11 finish last year being the only made cut he's had. On a positive note, Putnam is leading the PGA Tour this season in driving accuracy (79.76%) and birdie-or-better percentage (40.48%). Obviously, it's a small sample size, but the bones are there for a successful week. There are plenty of concerns present as well, so the DFS outlook for the former Pepperdine golfer is more volatile than safe. However, he makes a decent GPP choice.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Adam Scott Looks For Continued Success at PGA National
It's been since 2021 that we've seen Adam Scott's name on the field list for this week's Cognizant Classic. The Australian golfer is making his return on Thursday, having just played his best event since 2024 this past week at Riviera, where he finished T4 and gained strokes across the board. The 45-year-old is one of the leading ball strikers to start the new season, ranking third in strokes gained off the tee (+0.843) and 26th in strokes gained on approach (+0.591) through his first four starts. Given the current run of form and his longstanding course history going back to 2001, Scott is a great DFS add this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Ben Griffin Looking to Return to Top Form at Riviera
After a breakout year in 2025, Ben Griffin has taken a slight step back to start 2026, recording just one top-20 finish through his first four events. He now turns to The Genesis Invitational, where he finished T37 the last time it was held at Riviera in 2024. Success here requires a well-rounded game, and Griffin has shown some of that this year. He currently ranks 48th in total strokes gained (+0.761 per round) and 70th in putting (+0.214), though he is only 104th on approach (-0.065) and 103rd off the tee (-0.109). He's also 51st in greens in regulation and 37th in scrambling, helping him make up lost opportunities with his ball-striking. At $8,700 on DraftKings, Griffin profiles as a player with a high floor and upside that has yet to fully show this season.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Keegan Bradley Looking to Build Momentum at Riviera
Keegan Bradley has started to turn things around after a missed cut to open the season, finishing T43 at Torrey Pines and T29 at Pebble Beach. He now looks to build on that momentum at The Genesis Invitational, which returns to Riviera after a temporary move to Torrey Pines in 2025. In 14 career starts at Riviera, Bradley has six missed cuts and just four finishes inside the top 20. His success here has often hinged on putting, and so far this season, he ranks 82nd in strokes gained putting (+0.040 per round). He's also 64th in total strokes gained (+0.457), 27th off the tee (+0.542), but only 145th on approach (-0.721). With one of the lowest greens-in-regulation rates on Tour, approach play is crucial, and so far, Bradley hasn't done enough with his irons or flat stick to inspire strong confidence this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
J.J. Spaun's Putting a Major Concern at Riviera
J.J. Spaun's rough start to the season continued at Pebble Beach, where he lost nearly 3.7 strokes on the greens and finished T45. The putter has clearly been the biggest problem, as he currently ranks 163rd on Tour, losing an average of -1.010 strokes per round. It's a concerning trend heading into The Genesis Invitational, which returns to Riviera after a temporary move to Torrey Pines in 2025. Riviera is known for low greens-in-regulation rates and notoriously difficult Poa annua greens, and Spaun's history here doesn't offer much encouragement. In seven career starts at the course, he has lost 16.11 strokes putting, missed five cuts, and has yet to record a top-30 finish. Even at a $7,500 on DraftKings, he is difficult to trust given both his recent form and ongoing putting struggles. Fantasy managers may want to wait for signs of improvement before considering him for their lineups.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
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