Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

2025 THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Fantasy Preview

It’s surely telling that two guys who had combined to play 188 PGA TOUR events without a win as individuals would land their first as a pair. Andrew Novak got close last time out, of course, when losing in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage, while both he and Zurich Classic playing partner Ben Griffin have had close shaves elsewhere.

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But united as a force in New Orleans, they were finally able to take that final step – holding off the fast-finishing Hojgaard brothers, Rasmus and Nicolai, to win by a single shot. It will be interesting to see how they kick on from here. The last pair to make the Zurich Classic their maiden PGA TOUR win, Davis Riley and Nick Hardy, have enjoyed contrasting fortunes since: Riley has won the Charles Schwab Challenge, whereas Hardy is yet to get off the mark as an individual.

Griffin will get a chance to double down on his success at TPC Louisiana as he is, at the time of writing at least, in the field for this week’s switch to Texas for the haplessly-named CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

Last Week’s Fantasy Results

Okay, there is no hiding it — we failed last week.  Despite the Super Sleeper Ramey pick we offered (T8), we had nothing else cooking in New Orleans. 

Sorry, but these parter events are always tough to navigate. Not making excuses, just chalking it up and moving on.  Off to THE CJ CUP…

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THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Field

And what a bizarre field it is. We have the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, but only seven other members of the OWGR top 50 are bothering to tee it up: Sungjae Im, Sam Burns, Tom Kim, Byeong Hun An, Stephan Jaeger, Nico Echavarria, and the defending champion, Taylor Pendrith.

Other than that, it’s a surprisingly low-grade field that will convene in the Lone Star State. Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard will be looking to parlay last week’s success into a victory on their own steam, while Jordan Spieth is always a draw in his home state.

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Si Woo Kim, the runner-up here in 2023, is another that catches the eye, as does Will Zalatoris, while Keith Mitchell, Joel Dahmen, and Alejandro Tosti – who chased Garrick Higgo home at the Corales Puntacana – will be hoping to contend at the top of the leaderboard once more.

This Week’s Course Preview

The CJ Cup and Byron Nelson is an amalgamation of two PGA TOUR events, The CJ Cup and the AT&T Byron Nelson, with the latter moving to TPC Craig Ranch in 2021. That venue has hosted this tournament since, serving up winning scores of -23 (twice), -25, and -26, and that perhaps explains how comfortable this Tom Weiskopf layout is for the pros.

Everything is bigger in Texas, as the old saying goes, and TPC Craig Ranch proves that with mostly wide-open fairways and large, receptive Bentgrass greens. This is something of a parklands track with some tree lines, 80+ bunkers, and a creek that winds its way around 13 holes, but it’s the wind and the length – playing to around 7,500 yards for its Par 71 – that act as the chief defenses.

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Only five of the holes averaged over par here in 2024, and the lengths of them explain all: two Par 4s (12 and 16) just shy of 500 yards were the toughest, alongside a 512-yard Par 4 and a pair of Par 3s weighing in 216 and 232 yards respectively. But otherwise, it’s plain sailing at TPC Craig Ranch, with the three Par 5s – all in the 550-570yard range – as easy as any holes as you’re likely to see on the PGA TOUR. The 330-yard, Par 4 fourteenth can be driven with ease in the right wind too, and is another doozie of a hole at this venue.

Weather Forecast for McKinney, TX

There’s a rather chaotic weather system in place for McKinney this week, and it could be enough to have an impact upon how this event plays out. Rain is likely to be in the offing on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it may fall heavily enough to soften the course – you’ll have to keep your eyes on the daily forecast for the latest on that.

The first two days of golf should be agreeable enough, with the rain expected to ease off and sunny spells pushing the mercury up to 82 degrees. But then the weekend comes, and the early forecast suggests there’s thunderstorms, rain, and wind speeds that could reach 15mph.

MCKINNEY WEATHER

Last Year’s Results from THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Taylor Pendrith has long shaped as a PGA TOUR winner, and he finally got his hands on some silverware to prove it at last year’s CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Rounds of 63 and 64 broke the back of his winning effort, with those turns propelling him into a one-shot lead over Jake Knapp heading into the final round. Scoring was somewhat higher on Sunday, but that mattered little to Pendrith, who birdied the first and sixth holes to settle any nerves he may have had.

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But a quiet back nine let others into it; so much so that the Canadian needed a birdie at the last to win by a single shot from Ben Kohles. He got the ideal drive away, blasted a 236-yard approach to within 40ft, and successfully two-putted his way to a maiden PGA TOUR title.

Where to Play Fantasy Golf for this Week’s THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

The CJ CUP Byron Nelson is a nice little event for DFS gamers, with a clear profile of player that tends to thrive at TPC Craig Ranch.

As such, we can play with confidence this week – however, our advice is to play multi lineup games and try different variations… for the reasons outlined in our analysis of our top tier pick.

• GOLF TOUR $300K Drive the Green: DraftKings have pumped an extra $50k into the prize pool for this flagship $5 entry game, compared to 2024 at least. That manifests itself as a top payout of $50k to the winner, with other sizable rewards available.
• GOLF TOUR $30k Tee-to-Green: A $6 multi-entry game but with a smaller field than the Drive the Green contest, there’s still a handsome $5k to be won… but with fewer than 6,000 teams to beat.

This Week’s Fantasy Notes for THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

When you fire up the list of former winners and second-place finishers in this event at TPC Craig Ranch, it looks to be an eclectic and disparate bunch. But look a bit closer and you see that they each have something in common: they’re very good off the tee.

The likes of Kohles, Austin Eckroat, and Si-Woo Kim – all runners-up at TPC Craig Ranch – can be described as accurate off the peg, while Pendrith, Jason Day, and K.H. Lee can be filed away as long and straight. Sam Burns, solo second here in 2021, is another strong driver when at his best.

So that has to be the focus of our draft this week, with enough evidence gathered since that inaugural 2021 renewal at TPC Craig Ranch to know that good drivers generally have the best of things here. But that’s not the only key that unlocks the door, because solid long-range approach play – from 150 yards to 200+ yards – is vital, as is the ability to make putts… you don’t win birdie fests without doing that.

As far as correlating events are concerned, there aren’t many that immediately spring to mind. Perhaps the Farmers Insurance Open, won twice by Day, offers the best clues – it requires solid driving and long-range approach play, often in windy conditions. 

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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson   

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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson  

Top Tier Pick # 1

Scottie Scheffler (Odds: 3/1, FPPG: 99.6, Salary: $13,300)

In his last three outings, Scottie Scheffler has been beaten by a combined total of eleven players.

Of them, five are major champions and another five are members of the OWGR top 40. And so, the upshot is that you have to be very good to get the better of Scheffler right now – his game is still in excellent shape, despite what the social media experts will have you believe.

This CJ CUP Byron Nelson field is notable for its lack of classy types, and Scottie isn’t the kind of player that often gets in his own way. So he is, by far and away, the most likely champion this week, despite the easy birdie shootout expected.

An alternate roster build, which pairs the likes of Si-Woo Kim and Sungjae Im with players from the middle tier price point, is possible, but there’s some useful types in the $6,000 range too, which suggests that taking Scottie this week is an absolute must. 

Key Stats:

• Scrambling – 1st
• SG: Approach – 4th
• SG: Off-the-Tee – 6th

Top Tier Pick #2

Tom Kim (Odds: 50/1, FPPG: 64.9, Salary: $8,700)

The price often makes the bet in any sport, and Tom Kim at 50/1 in a field of this low quality certainly fits the bill.

He was priced at 30/1 here 12 months ago, and while his form has been inconsistent since, you’d argue that at his best he would be even shorter than that in this field.

But there’s certainly been glimpses to give Kim and his fans hope this week. He gained a massive +2.67 on approach at the PLAYERS, before finding some form on the Bentgrass greens of Augusta National – both useful primers for TPC Craig Ranch.

Don’t forget that the Korean went toe-to-toe with Scheffler and stood up to be counted at the Travelers Championship last summer… he’d love a repeat of that head-to-head contest.

Key Stats:

• Proximity to Hole – 8th
• SG: Approach – 13th
• Total Driving – 50th

Mid-Tier Pick #1

Kevin Yu (Odds: 80/1, FPPG: 65.4, Salary: $7,800)

He had a bit of a horror show at The Masters, but Kevin Yu isn’t the first to wilt at Augusta National… and he won’t be the last.

Otherwise, his game has been in good order lately, with four top-20 finishes in his prior six starts. Two of those came at Torrey Pines, one of our correlating venues, and Memorial Park, which shows that Yu can compete at long, wind-impacted layouts in Texas.

Blessed with remarkable ball-striking ability, Yu is only ever a good week away in his short game from contending – as he showed when winning the Sanderson Farms Championship back in October.

Key Stats:

• SG: Off-the-Tee – 8th
• SG: Approach – 21st
• Total Birdies – 46th

Mid-Tier Pick #2

Alejandro Tosti (Odds: 90/1, FPPG: 58.8, Salary: $7,300)

Fire up the best PGA TOUR performances of his career, and the four finest moments of Alejandro Tosti’s outings so far are all relevant – three of them have come in Texas, and the other came last time out in his T2 at the Corales Puntacana.

The Argentine is knocking on the door alright, and the formbook would suggest his maiden PGA TOUR win is incoming… and will likely come in the Lone Star State.

TPC Craig Ranch is a good venue for Tosti, given that he can free his arms and let his driving power shine, while the improvement in his approach play since February has been nothing short of miraculous – he has so much going for him this week.

Key Stats:

• Approaches from 175-200 Yards – 1st
• Par 4 Birdie or Better Leaders – 29th
• SG: Off-the-Tee – 30th

Low-Tier Pick

Joel Dahmen (Odds: 90/1, FPPG: 60.0, Salary: $7,300)

Joel Dahmen was wonderfully honest after the Corales Puntacana; he should have won it, but he choked.

It takes a big character to bounce back from such things, but if Dahmen can take the positives from his showing there, there’s no reason why he can’t dive back into contention this week.

He’s a sublime driver of a golf ball, for starters, who isn’t perturbed when it comes to long range approaches – his record at the correlating Torrey Pines is testament to that.

Dahmen’s game isn’t in question, and so as long as his mentality is right after his Puntacana disappointment, he could prove to be a fantastic asset to have on side at $7,300.

Key Stats:

• Scrambling – 25th
• SG: Off-the-Tee – 35th
• SG: Approach – 37th

Sleeper Pick for THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Emiliano Grillo (Odds: 150/1, FPPG: 57.4, Salary: $6,800)

The Florida Swing heralded an improvement in Emiliano Grillo’s game.

The Argentine started to drive the ball better, keeping it in play more, and his approach play benefitted in kind from shooting out of the short grass more often.

Results have also started to show an uptick accordingly, with Grillo posting T18 at the Texas Open and T22 at the Valspar Championship.

He’s a way away from his best, but Grillo is striking the ball nicely and continues to putt well… which, as something of a Bentgrass specialist, bodes well.

Key Stats:

• Driving Accuracy – 24th
• SG: Putting – 30th
• Total Birdies – 85th

Alternative Sleeper Pick for THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Kris Ventura (Odds: 300/1, FPPG: 67.0, Salary: $6,600)

Any $6,600 pick comes with caveats.

But many of those are allayed about Kris Ventura at TPC Craig Ranch, where he’ll be able to free his arms and make the most of the best aspect of his game: that long, straight driving.

His long-range approach play is pretty good too, so when you put those two elements together, it can lead to a strong showing at TPC Craig Ranch – it certainly did at the correlating Torrey Pines earlier this season, where Ventura finished T4.

He and partner Antoine Rozner shot 61 in the opening round of the Zurich Classic, so while Ventura was expectedly poor in the less-than-driver Florida Swing, he can roar back to his best in more agreeable conditions this week.

Key Stats:

• Total Driving – 13th
• Approaches from 200+ Yards – 34th
• SG: Putting – 61st

This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup

Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only.  Be sure to mix-and-match to best fit individual contests.

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Fantasy Golf Predictions – This Season 

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