March 17, 2026
Matt Fitzpatrick finished second at last week's PLAYERS Championship after making a strong push up the leaderboard on Saturday and Sunday. He followed this up with a tied for 41st finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago. This week will mark Fitzpatrick's first appearance at the Valspar Championship since 2023, when he missed the cut. Over the past 12 months, Fitzpatrick ranks in the 40th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because over 41% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Valspar Championship.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
March 17, 2026
Pierceson Coody missed the cut at The PLAYERS Championship last week, following a missed cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago. The missed cut at the PLAYERS Championship marked only the second time Coody has missed the cut in 2026. He has had a stellar start to the season with five top-25 finishes in eight starts. Coody missed the 2025 Valspar Championship but was forced to withdraw in 2024 and missed the cut in 2023. Over the past 12 months, Coody ranks in the 29th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth pointing out because over 41% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Valspar Championship.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
March 17, 2026
Wyndham Clark continued his middle-of-the-pack run at THE PLAYERS, finishing T42 for his fifth straight result of T35 or worse. He now looks to find some momentum at the Valspar Championship, where he finished fifth in his last appearance in 2023. Innisbrook rewards strong ball-striking, with short game often separating those at the top of the leaderboard. Clark ranks 84th in total strokes gained (-0.058 per round), though he has been solid on approach, ranking 38th (+0.413) and 26th around the green (+0.329). The biggest concern so far has been his putting, where he ranks just 150th, losing -0.639 strokes per round. On a more positive note, Clark sits in the 75th percentile in proximity from 150-200 yards, and ranks 62nd on tour from 200+ yards, ranges that accounted for 72.1% of all approach shots here last year. At $8,000 on DraftKings, Clark's ball-striking gives him upside if the putter shows any improvement.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
March 17, 2026
After the rustbucket of a golf game that was on display at Bay Hill, Justin Thomas looked a few weeks away--if not a few months--from being able to really become a factor again inside the ropes. Cut to a short few days later, and he was one of the promising names looking to win at TPC Sawgrass last week. This fickle game works on its own clock. Now it's a matter of which one to believe going forward. He looked to be in total control of his golf ball at The Players, gaining over four strokes putting and over five and a half strokes on approach. He also has an incredible history around the Copperhead Course. The driver will be the biggest concern come Thursday, but his affinity for this course should help him visualize tee shots better than the last two venues. It's too early to say if he's officially back, but last week's performance has certainly given him a more optimistic outlook than he had before. Stay on the JT train at Valspar.
--Todd McGillSource: Data Golf
March 17, 2026
As an event that experiences a ton of churn in the field from year to year, Jordan Spieth is on the short list of names that have made it a priority spot on the schedule for many seasons. He won this event in 2015 and has compiled several quality finishes on top of that, but recent struggles in his golf game have weakened his ability around this property. His recent form suggests a return to glory on the Copperhead Course is in the cards for the former Texas Longhorn. He is averaging 0.98 strokes gained on approach over his last three events, and while his putter is still a bit streaky, it has been a real weapon for most of the season. Play the 32-year-old with full confidence.
--Todd McGillSource: Data Golf
March 17, 2026
After a slow start in his return to the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka has now posted finishes of T9 and T13 over his last two starts. His most recent tournament was last week's Players Championship, where he ranked fourth in the field in strokes gained on approach (1.69). The putter has let him down in all four of his starts this season, and even with it calming down since the putter switch, he isn't doing anything exciting or helpful to lower his scores much. He's back in action this week at Innesbrook, where the 35-year-old last competed in a stroke-play event before the start of his LIV Golf stint. He finished T12 that week in 2022, and given the way his game has come back to him, it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in the mix like old times.
--Todd McGillSource: Data Golf
March 17, 2026
It is a title defense for Viktor Hovland this week at the Valspar Championship. He won a clutch event last season after holding off several good players, and is in great form ahead of Thursday's opening round. The 28-year-old is coming off back-to-back T13 finishes at The Players and the API, which are both approach-heavy tests similar to what it takes to win at the Copperhead Course. Ranking 16th in strokes gained on approach (0.648) and averaging a career-best 0.314 strokes gained around the green, it's perhaps the most well-rounded form that we've ever seen the Norwegian in. It wouldn't be surprising to see him put up a valiant defense, if not win again. And this event has been notorious in recent memory for having repeat champions.
--Todd McGillSource: PGA Tour
March 17, 2026
It has been a rough two weeks for Rasmus Hojgaard, who has been unable to put two rounds together to make the cut in his last two starts. As the guys out there know, it only takes one hole to ruin your week. One round of poor scoring is certainly enough to send you home early. In terms of metrics, the 25-year-old has performed well in most areas. He ranks 19th in total strokes gained average (1.110) and seventh in driving distance. Accuracy is a slight issue given the tightness around the Copperhead Course, but his length should allow him to take less than driver some if it isn't cooperating. If the ownership percentage takes an understandable step back because of recent form, Hojgaard should be a steal.
--Todd McGillSource: PGA Tour
March 17, 2026
Things have been off for Tony Finau and have shown few signs of changing. The 36-year-old finished T70, shooting a combined eight over par over the last three rounds after posting a 69 on Thursday. It was another event on the growing list of forgettable performances since the beginning of last season. He's been wildly inaccurate off the tee, which has created a trickle-down effect for other parts of his game. Through his first seven starts this season, Finau ranks 124th in strokes gained off the tee (-0.282) and 100th in strokes gained on approach (-0.146). When it comes to this week's event at Innisbrook, he has only made the cut once in five tries. It resulted in a top-5 finish, but the Utah native is currently playing nowhere near the same level. Continue fading him until he shows some signs of life.
--Todd McGillSource: PGA Tour
March 17, 2026
This week at Innisbrook is another Blades Brown attempt at proving himself among the tour's best players. We last saw him in Puerto Rico, where he again contended for a tournament title after rounds of 69-67-69-69 got him in a solo third. A much better performance than the last time he was in a similar position earlier this year. Stats are limited due to his limited starts and mainstay on the Korn Ferry circuit, but what can be gathered is a real ability on the greens. His small sample size ranks him 31st in strokes gained putting (0.502). The 18-year-old, despite ranking poorly in strokes gained metrics for ball striking, has shown elite accuracy. He's still a flyer DFS option, but if you've taken a chance in his first three starts, it's been a pleasant return in two of them.
--Todd McGillSource: PGA Tour
March 17, 2026
It was another great week for Jacob Bridgeman, who was a major part of the conversation last week at TPC Sawgrass. He finished in a tie for fifth after posting rounds of 71-70 over the weekend. It was another strong performance on the greens, averaging 2.56 strokes gained putting. However, this was his first outing of the season losing strokes on approach (-0.62 average). He'll now go to the Valspar Championship, where he finished third in 2025. He'll certainly need to sure up his ball striking, but everything else in his game is still trending in the right direction. The downside is that ownership will be fairly high. If that is a concern, there are plenty of pivot options to choose from, but Bridgeman will be a key DFS asset for many.
--Todd McGillSource: Data Golf
March 17, 2026
Akshay Bhatia added to his impressive start to 2026 with a T13 finish at THE PLAYERS, marking his fifth straight finish of T16 or better this season. He now looks to keep the ball rolling at the Valspar Championship, where he has competed three times, recording a T17 finish here in 2024 along with two missed cuts in prior years. Success at Innisbrook requires precise iron play, and those in contention are often separated by elite putting. Bhatia ranks fifth in total strokes gained (+1.646 per round), ninth on approach (+0.792), and 10th in putting (+0.730). He also sits in the 87th percentile in proximity from 150-200 yards, a range that accounted for 41.2% of all approach shots here last year. Bhatia is in excellent form and showed no signs of slowing down after his victory at the API two weeks ago. He is a very solid play, even at his higher-than-usual price of $10,000 on DraftKings.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
March 16, 2026
Patrick Cantlay finished tied for 32nd at last week's PLAYERS Championship and will now prepare for this week's Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida. Cantlay has had mixed results so far this season, missing the cut twice in six starts. However, he also has two top-15 finishes. Cantlay is playing in the Valspar Championship for the first time since 2017, when he finished second. Over the past 12 months, Cantlay ranks in the 97th percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is worth mentioning because over 41% of approach shots came from this distance at last year's Valspar Championship.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
March 16, 2026
Keegan Bradley finished tied for 50th at last week's PLAYERS Championship, and that was followed by a missed cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago. Bradley gained strokes for only the second time in 2026 last week and has lost strokes on approach in four of his six starts. Bradley has had inconsistent performances to start the year and has missed the cut in three of his six starts. Over the past 12 months, Bradley ranks in the 41st percentile in greens in regulation percentage on approach shots from 150-200 yards in the fairway. This is important because, last year at the Valspar Championship, over 41% of approach shots came from this distance.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: Data Golf
March 16, 2026
Matt McCarty would like to toss last week away. The American golfer missed the cut at THE PLAYERS Championship after a 75-72 opening. He did play much better golf on Friday but some putts just did not fall. McCarty did gain 0.85 strokes to putting but it was not enough. Around the green was more of an issue as he lost 0.79 strokes. Sand scrambling has been an issue at 48.89% (113th). Greens in regulation have been worst at 65.08% (130th). The key for McCarty is avoiding bunkers and getting on greens easier. His putts per round rank 21st at 28. His worst rounds are on Fridays at 28.5. Getting his irons and woods closer could make McCarty a sneaky DFS choice because of his putting ability this week.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
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