Round 3 PGA DFS Showdown Picks - 2025 RBC Heritage

Hello, Rotoballers! I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for another exciting year of PGA DFS. Showdown has returned for another season on DraftKings alongside the PGA Tour, and we’re here to help guide you, whether you’re looking to continue your journey from where you left off in 2024 or are new to this particular DFS format. Justin Thomas has grabbed control of the lead heading into the weekend after tying the course record with a 10-under 61 in Round 1.

He followed that up with a 2-under 69 in Round 2 but still holds a two-shot lead over Si Woo Kim and Russell Henley as we head into the weekend. Andrew Novak shot up the leaderboard with a 6-under 65 and he's tied with Tommy Fleetwood after he posted a 5-under 66 in Round 2. We have a tight leaderboard and should be in for an exciting finish this weekend.

Unlike standard golf DFS, which covers the entire tournament, Showdown focuses on each round as an individual event. It's crucial to find players who excel on approach shots, but it’s also important to make roster decisions that provide ownership leverage by selecting riskier players who may not have been performing their best recently but could have a strong bounce-back round. In other words, this is a sprint, not a marathon.

Weather, Course Conditions, and Tee Times

The conditions predicted for tomorrow have followed a similar pattern to what we've seen in the first two rounds. Calmer conditions in the morning, followed by windier conditions in the afternoon. The morning wave has played easier than the afternoon wave in both Round 1 and Round 2 so I'll be targeting golfers that go off early tomorrow.

Round 3 Strategy

The key to success in showdowns is to look for ball strikers who can have a standout putting performance. Having two exceptional putting days in a row is quite challenging, so we should focus on golfers who have been consistent with their approach shots and created birdie opportunities but fell short in converting them.

It’s also beneficial to target players who need to improve their position on the leaderboard, as they often push harder on moving day. Additionally, golfers who have shown some positive form in the first two rounds are great candidates to consider.

Keep in mind that ownership levels tend to decrease as the morning's first tee time approaches, so identifying players who are likely to bounce back is crucial for achieving significant wins.

$10,000+

Favorite Play:  Scottie Scheffler played one of his worst rounds this year and still managed to make three birdies, including a bogey-free back nine. Scheffler gained 4.55 strokes on approach in Round 1 and LOST 1.03 strokes on approach in Round 2.

When was the last time we saw Scottie Scheffler lose strokes on approach in any round in the last two years?? Scheffler also gained 0.81 strokes, putting in Round 1, but lost 0.45 strokes, putting in Round 2. He's the perfect bounce-back candidate for Round 3.

Ball in the water? No problem for Scottie.

Scheffler’s crazy par save propelled him to victory at last year’s @RBC_Heritage.

(Presented by @CDWCorp) pic.twitter.com/3ePfC4JGHU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2025

$9,000+

Favorite Play:   Russell Henley was nothing short of terrible in his first round at the Masters, but he came back fighting in Round 2 and followed that up with two exceptional rounds in Hilton Head.

Henley shot a 7-under 64 in Round 1, and he did that while losing 0.35 strokes on approach in Round 1. In Round 2, he gained 1.26 strokes on approach, and he's shown that his abysmal first round at the Masters was a fluke.
Other Options: Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry

$8,000+

Favorite Play:   Wyndham Clark has gained strokes on approach in both rounds and got the job done on the greens. He gained 2.04 strokes on approach in Round 1 and 1.06 strokes on approach in Round 2.

He also gained 2.53 strokes putting in Round 1 and 0.04 strokes putting in Round 2, but he couldn't execute on approach later in his round today like he did in Round 1 because he constantly found himself out of position off the tee. In Round 1, he gained 0.22 strokes off the tee, but in Round 2, he lost 1.86 strokes off the tee. If he can put himself in a position to be aggressive off the tee and attack the pin, he'll have a chance to go low.

Other Options: Daniel Berger, Sungjae Im, Maverick McNealy

$7,000+

Favorite Play:   J.J. Spaun was all-around solid in Round 1. He gained 1.35 strokes on approach, 1.02 strokes putting, and 2.27 strokes tee to green, but he was absolutely abysmal on approach in Round 2.

Spaun lost 3.61 strokes on approach and 2.17 strokes putting in Round 2. As far as a bounce-back candidate goes, he may be the best we've seen this year. He'll go off early tomorrow, and that should give him an even better opportunity to repeat the performance we saw from him in Round 1.

Other Options: JT Poston, Justin Rose, Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard

$6,000+

Favorite Play: Billy Horschel has lost strokes on approach in both rounds, but he's made nine birdies through the first two rounds. Yes, he lost 1.13 strokes on approach and lost 1.47 strokes putting in Round 1, but he was marginally better on approach in Round 2, losing 0.69 strokes on approach but gained 3.34 strokes putting.

Do I think he putts like he did in Round 2? No. However, if he's slightly better on approach and can get the flat stick working like he did today, then I'll take my chances on him, especially in this salary range.

Other Options: Ryo Hisatsune, Patrick Rodgers, Adam Scott

Precision meets power. 🏌️‍♂️

Friday’s image of the day is brought to you by #TeamRBC’s @ntaylorgolf59. pic.twitter.com/eyCTbatxl7

— RBC Heritage (@RBC_Heritage) April 19, 2025

Guy I'm Playing That You Shouldn't

This will be an every-week addition to my article where I'll pick a golfer who I believe has shown he can go nuclear but has every chance he could dud and should generally be reserved for the largest field GPP tournaments.

Cameron Young has dropped nine birdies over the first two rounds, and he's carded a double bogey in both rounds. He also lost 2.45 strokes on approach in Round 1 and 4.16 strokes on approach in Round 2.

I don't think he can his approach game can get any worse than what we've seen in the first two rounds, BUUUUUUT he still managed to sink nine birdies. In this section of the article that's the exact kind of volatility we are looking for.

Justin Thomas holds his first 36-hole lead since the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open over 3 years ago 👀

The leaderboard heading into the weekend @RBC_Heritage. pic.twitter.com/qEunkw9nlB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 18, 2025

This lineup is for demonstration purposes only.

Showdown Optimizer

The optimizer works nicely with the projected ownership from the model. If you are unsure how to use it, there is a video at the top of the "PGA Lineup Optimizer" page on how to get my projected ownership and/or projected points into your optimizer.

Good luck, and may the odds ever be in your favor.

If you read my articles @RotoBaller or listen to @TheTurnGolfPod I’ve been telling y’all it was #WinningSeason when golf came back! Shoutout to the entire @RotoBallerPGA squad and all you guys that support my work for all the ❤️ pic.twitter.com/07a4ynvbSU

— Joe Nicely (@JoeNicely) June 28, 2020

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— RotoBaller PGA (@RotoBallerPGA) August 10, 2020

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