GOLF

Texas Children’s Houston Open: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values, and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

After a four-week stay in Florida, the PGA TOUR is headed to Texas for two weeks of preparation before the Masters at Augusta National just a few short weeks away. The course this week at Memorial Golf Club is designed to mimic Augusta in many ways, and many of the top golfers in the world use the next two weeks as their final ramp-up to the season’s first major. The Texas Children’s Houston Open draws an elite field, and the course has become a regular stop for the past five years. Last year’s results are especially relevant since the event moved from the fall back to the spring in 2024.

This week’s tournament is another full-field event featuring a typical cut, providing plenty of great fantasy golf options to choose from as you get your roster together. For more info on the field, the course, the weather, and some key stats, check out this First Look from RotoGrinders.

The focus of this post is strong GPP options who have lower ownership projections than their potential performance.  Finding high-leverage plays is critical for GPP success, so the picks here go against the grain, looking for under-owned options.

All Strokes Gained metrics referenced are from the Rabbit Hole.

Usually, I rely heavily on the Stroked Gained Model in FantasyLabs, which is very predictive of results. I also tend to lean toward players who excel in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is more sustainable week-to-week than a hot putter.

Since these are GPP picks, we can accept more risk in exchange for getting a higher ceiling. High-risk, high-reward options with low ownership create the “boom-or-bust” style lineups that often lead to large-field success. To find guidance for all contest types, check out our full Daily Fantasy Golf coverage each week.

No matter what type of format you prefer, be sure to use the FantasyLabs PGA Models to help you make the best choices. These models use stats and simulations to highlight different players’ strengths and weaknesses. A few critical new stats for GPP play are Perfect% and SimLeverage, which are further explained here.

As you dig into the numbers, you can enjoy the many tools FantasyLabs offers, including the Lineup Optimizer, which effortlessly creates up to 300 lineups. Alternatively, you can use the Lineup Builder if you prefer a more hands-on approach.

Check out my top picks in each price range listed below.

Editor’s note: SimLeverage and Perfect% numbers may change after this piece is published. Be sure to check the PGA Models for any updates to the sims.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member

High-Priced PGA DFS Picks

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

Scottie Scheffler $12,700

Playing Scottie at this event feels like an easy choice, but since he hasn’t won yet this season and is so expensive, his ownership projection is not too bad at all. Even though he has the highest ownership projection in the field, he has the second-highest SimLeverage since his Perfect% is the highest in the field by such a wide margin.

Scheffler also has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projections in the field and the best chance of winning and of finishing in the top 10, according to his Vegas odds.

While he hasn’t won on the PGA TOUR this year, he has not been bad at all. He placed in the top 25 in each of the five events he has played and ranks second in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green and Total Strokes Gained, while also ranking third in Strokes Gained: Approach. If his putter gets going even just a little bit, he could easily end up on top this week.

The Texas native has been excellent in Houston, finishing in the top 10 in each of his last three appearances at Memorial Park, including a runner-up finish in 2021 and another one last year in 2024, when he narrowly missed a putt that would have forced a playoff with Jaeger.

Putting the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Rankings on your roster shouldn’t need much justification as long as you can make his salary work and his ownership projections don’t make him too chalky. Based on his outlook as of the writing of this post, he’s a great option to build around this week.

Davis Thompson $9,400

The second-highest leverage of the players over $9,000 comes from Davis Thompson, who has the right kind of game for Municipal Golf Club. Typically, players who have fared well rely heavily on driver and driving distance, which is exactly the strength of Thompson’s game.

The 25-year-old has had a relatively quiet start to 2025, making the cut in six of nine events but only posting two top-25 finishes. His best finish came two weeks ago at TPC Sawgrass, where he finished T10. Two of his three missed cuts this season came just before that at the Cognizant and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where his putter led to issues. He turned it around at THE PLAYERS, though, and will look to keep trending in the right direction this week. Over his last 30 rounds, he ranks in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and in the top 20 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

At this course, Thompson has made the cut in both his appearances with a T43 in 2022 and a T21 last year when the event moved to the spring. He has the upside to contend this week, and his low ownership projection due to those two missed cuts makes him a great place to get some leverage in Houston.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

Mid-Priced PGA DFS Picks

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

RBC Canadian Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the Travelers Championship John Deere Classic PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values John Deere Classic Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

After a four-week stay in Florida, the PGA TOUR is headed to Texas for two weeks of preparation before the Masters at Augusta National just a few short weeks away. The course this week at Memorial Golf Club is designed to mimic Augusta in many ways, and many of the top golfers in the world use the next two weeks as their final ramp-up to the season’s first major. The Texas Children’s Houston Open draws an elite field, and the course has become a regular stop for the past five years. Last year’s results are especially relevant since the event moved from the fall back to the spring in 2024.

This week’s tournament is another full-field event featuring a typical cut, providing plenty of great fantasy golf options to choose from as you get your roster together. For more info on the field, the course, the weather, and some key stats, check out this First Look from RotoGrinders.

The focus of this post is strong GPP options who have lower ownership projections than their potential performance.  Finding high-leverage plays is critical for GPP success, so the picks here go against the grain, looking for under-owned options.

All Strokes Gained metrics referenced are from the Rabbit Hole.

Usually, I rely heavily on the Stroked Gained Model in FantasyLabs, which is very predictive of results. I also tend to lean toward players who excel in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is more sustainable week-to-week than a hot putter.

Since these are GPP picks, we can accept more risk in exchange for getting a higher ceiling. High-risk, high-reward options with low ownership create the “boom-or-bust” style lineups that often lead to large-field success. To find guidance for all contest types, check out our full Daily Fantasy Golf coverage each week.

No matter what type of format you prefer, be sure to use the FantasyLabs PGA Models to help you make the best choices. These models use stats and simulations to highlight different players’ strengths and weaknesses. A few critical new stats for GPP play are Perfect% and SimLeverage, which are further explained here.

As you dig into the numbers, you can enjoy the many tools FantasyLabs offers, including the Lineup Optimizer, which effortlessly creates up to 300 lineups. Alternatively, you can use the Lineup Builder if you prefer a more hands-on approach.

Check out my top picks in each price range listed below.

Editor’s note: SimLeverage and Perfect% numbers may change after this piece is published. Be sure to check the PGA Models for any updates to the sims.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member

High-Priced PGA DFS Picks

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.

Scottie Scheffler $12,700

Playing Scottie at this event feels like an easy choice, but since he hasn’t won yet this season and is so expensive, his ownership projection is not too bad at all. Even though he has the highest ownership projection in the field, he has the second-highest SimLeverage since his Perfect% is the highest in the field by such a wide margin.

Scheffler also has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projections in the field and the best chance of winning and of finishing in the top 10, according to his Vegas odds.

While he hasn’t won on the PGA TOUR this year, he has not been bad at all. He placed in the top 25 in each of the five events he has played and ranks second in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green and Total Strokes Gained, while also ranking third in Strokes Gained: Approach. If his putter gets going even just a little bit, he could easily end up on top this week.

The Texas native has been excellent in Houston, finishing in the top 10 in each of his last three appearances at Memorial Park, including a runner-up finish in 2021 and another one last year in 2024, when he narrowly missed a putt that would have forced a playoff with Jaeger.

Putting the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Rankings on your roster shouldn’t need much justification as long as you can make his salary work and his ownership projections don’t make him too chalky. Based on his outlook as of the writing of this post, he’s a great option to build around this week.

Davis Thompson $9,400

The second-highest leverage of the players over $9,000 comes from Davis Thompson, who has the right kind of game for Municipal Golf Club. Typically, players who have fared well rely heavily on driver and driving distance, which is exactly the strength of Thompson’s game.

The 25-year-old has had a relatively quiet start to 2025, making the cut in six of nine events but only posting two top-25 finishes. His best finish came two weeks ago at TPC Sawgrass, where he finished T10. Two of his three missed cuts this season came just before that at the Cognizant and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where his putter led to issues. He turned it around at THE PLAYERS, though, and will look to keep trending in the right direction this week. Over his last 30 rounds, he ranks in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and in the top 20 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

At this course, Thompson has made the cut in both his appearances with a T43 in 2022 and a T21 last year when the event moved to the spring. He has the upside to contend this week, and his low ownership projection due to those two missed cuts makes him a great place to get some leverage in Houston.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

Mid-Priced PGA DFS Picks

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

RBC Canadian Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the Travelers Championship John Deere Classic PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values John Deere Classic Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

About the Author

Zach Thompson writes NBA, MLB, NFL, golf and soccer content for Fantasy Labs. Zach's fantasy experience dates all the way back to high school when he would manually tabulate fantasy football scores using Tuesday morning's newspaper. Even though he was raised on the island of Guam on the opposite side of the world, Zach is a hardcore Boston sports fan who loves playing fantasy sports in almost any format. He's always in search of a great bargain play and keeps a close eye out for rising talent that can provide leverage. Zach joined the FantasyLabs team in 2022 and is also a contributor for DraftKings Network.