RADIO
Jens Christenson Round 3 PGA DFS showdown slate picks for the 2025 Travelers Championship. His top in-tournament DFS lineup picks and top plays for DraftKings and FanDuel.
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 jumped to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a 6-under 64 in the second round today.
He is currently tied for first place with Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood. Jason Day follows in fourth at 8-under, while Denny McCarthy and Austin Eckroat are tied for fifth at 7-under. There have already been two withdrawals from the tournament, Jordan Spieth and Si Woo Kim. We've seen a mix of low scores along with higher-than-expected ones, setting the stage for an exciting weekend, with nine golfers all within four strokes of the lead.
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
Tomorrow's forecast indicates calmer conditions compared to today. The course played 1.08 strokes under par in the first round; however, due to today's windier conditions, it played 0.77 strokes over par.
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: Rory McIlroy had a fantastic start, playing a bogey-free first round and dropping six birdies. He had the flat stick working, gaining 2.872 strokes putting in Round 1. However, Round 2 was a different story. He only gained 0.330 strokes on the putting, and more critically, he lost 0.650 strokes on approach and 0.137 strokes off the tee.
Typically, Rory's off the tee play has been his strength this season. I'm taking my chances on him bouncing back tomorrow, especially since he played in windier conditions today, and the weather will be more favorable for him.
$9,000+
Favorite Play: Keegan Bradley struggled with the windier conditions in Round 2. However, in Round 1, he dropped seven birdies and gained 0.383 strokes on approach, 1.251 strokes around the green, and 2.689 strokes putting.
Over the first two rounds, he has hit 69.44% of greens in regulation and gained 1.463 strokes on approach. Given the calmer conditions, he is a strong candidate for a bounce back, and he's someone I'll have in my lineups tomorrow.
Other Options: Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay
Tommy Fleetwood goes 66-65 through rounds one and two. He joins JT and Scottie at -9 heading into the weekend. pic.twitter.com/g416QZfdgZ
— TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 20, 2025
$8,000+
Favorite Play: Robert MacIntyre played much better today compared to Round 1. In Round 1, he lost 2.158 strokes on approach and 0.463 strokes off the tee. However, he bounced back in Round 2 by gaining 2.097 strokes on approach and 0.727 strokes putting.
While he still lost 0.439 strokes off the tee, as we’ve seen in the past few weeks, MacIntyre tends to find his game over the weekend. I think today was a better indication of what we can expect from him tomorrow, and if that holds, we'll want him in our lineups.
Other Options: Russell Henley, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young
$7,000+
Favorite Play: Stephan Jaeger has put on somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde performance in the first two rounds. In Round 1, he gained 1.623 strokes on approach but lost 1.020 strokes putting, hitting 72.22% of greens in regulation. However, in Round 2, he lost 0.835 strokes on approach but gained 2.180 strokes putting, hitting only 50.00% of greens in regulation.
I'm going to lean into the windy conditions affecting his approach play today. I'm willing to take a chance on a player who is likely to be lower owned but has shown he can have the kind of spike putting day that we're looking for.
Other Options: Jason Day, Brian Harman, Harris English, Nick Taylor
The pros are getting First Tee members dialed in on the iconic Umbrella at 15 1/2.
(Sponsored by @TravelersChamp) pic.twitter.com/63GwXOnLRP
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 20, 2025
$6,000+
Favorite Play: Benny An has played consistent golf in the first two rounds. In Round 1, he posted a 1-under 69, followed by a 2-under 68 in Round 2. He has hit 75% of the greens in regulation and made nine birdies across the two rounds.
In Round 1, he gained 1.599 strokes on approach but lost 1.119 strokes putting. In Round 2, he gained 0.455 strokes on approach and 0.367 strokes putting. I want someone in my lineup who can execute on approach and hit greens.
Other Options: Alex Noren, Adam Hadwin, Lucas Glover, Eric Cole
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.
Davis Riley was nothing short of terrible in Round 2. He lost 1.843 strokes on approach and lost 3.129 strokes putting. BUUUUUUUT in the first round, he posted a 4-under 66 by dropping five birdies and gaining 0.415 strokes on approach. He also gained 2.634 strokes putting and this is exactly the type of spike putting day we're looking for from a lower-owned player in this section of the article.
It's getting tight at the top. #TravelersChamp pic.twitter.com/BN8uG1MWrO
— TravelersChamp (@TravelersChamp) June 20, 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.
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