PGA DraftKings and FanDuel DFS Primer: Charles Schwab Challenge (2023)

The 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge is set to get underway from Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas this week. It will be the last time Colonial is played in its current state, as Gil Hanse is set to lead an extensive restoration project to wrap up just in time for this event in 2024. Colonial is among the oldest courses on the PGA Tour with tons of history, most notably, only one player who has ever successfully defended his title in back-to-back years. Sam Burns will have a tall task in front of him as the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge winner, especially with such a loaded field.

Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth are among the outright betting favorites at this event, with Scheffler taking a sizable lead at 4/1 odds versus Spieth, who is currently valued at 14/1 alongside the likes of Tony Finau and Viktor Hovland. Scheffler and Spieth are both native to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so expect a lot of fanfare and support from the crowd for both of these star golfers at every tee box this week. Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy highlight the notable names absent from this non-elevated event, which creates quite a bit of value to obtain when constructing DFS lineups.

I’ve keyed in on six of my favorite prospects to target and insert into DraftKings and FanDuel lineups at the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge. Before we find out why each golfer deserves a spot in our lineups, let’s first check out previous winners, relevant betting stats, and a course overview of Colonial Country Club. Best of luck and let’s cash a few contests this weekend!

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Previous Winners

2022 – Sam Burns (-9)
2021 – Jason Kokrak (-14)
2020 – Daniel Berger (-15)
2019 – Kevin Na (-13)
2018 – Justin Rose (-20)

Relevant Betting Stats

Strokes Gained Approaching the Green
Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green
Total Driving
Greens in Regulation percentage
Scrambling
Birdie Average

Course Overview

Colonial Country Club was built in 1936 by John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell and has hosted the Charles Schwab Challenge for several decades. Its a par 70 that runs just north of 7,200 yards, so it’s not as lengthy as Oak Hill like we saw last week, but there are plenty of challenging par 4s that will be distance and accuracy tests off of the tee. Colonial opens with a par 5, while the other par 5 is located on the 11th hole, stretching all the way up to 635 yards. Plenty of sand bunkers and water hazards abound, especially on the back-nine, forcing players to be strategic with their tee shots and approach shots alike.

An area of the course labeled as the “Horrible Horseshoe” occurs from holes 3-5, which includes two lengthy par 4s that have doglegged fairways, while the fourth hole is the first par 3 of the course that runs 247 yards and is on an elevated green. Speaking of greens, they are comprised of Bentgrass, which runs up to 13 feet via the Stimpmeter. Bermudagrass fairways and tee boxes form an interesting contrast, while overseeded area around the Bentgrass greens will allow for some quality scrambling as long as the weather stays dry and warm, which is expected. Bentgrass has been the putting surface for the past two majors, so players in attendance from last week’s PGA Championship should be able to adapt fairly quickly. It’s a course that ultimately demands precision with irons, as the greens are roughly 5.000 square feet on average, so we’re once again locking in on players with quality irons this week.

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Scottie Scheffler: $11,500
I tried to think of any potential scenario where I wouldn’t want to roster Scottie Scheffler at this event but I could not think of anything excluding his $11,500 salary. Yes, he’s the most expensive prospect on DraftKings, but he’s a lock for a T10 finish. The Texas native and World No. 2 ranked golfer is ranked first in strokes gained off-the-tee and tee-to-green, while ranking second in total driving. Last year, Scheffler finished runner-up, losing in a playoff to Sam Burns after they both hit -9-under-par. Scheffler has drawn two T5 finishes in each of his previous events, so he’s primed for his third outright win of the season. Even if he doesn’t secure the outright win, Scheffler is worth every penny in DFS, pouring in 18-23 birdies in three of his past five events.

Sungjae Im: $9,500
A terrible outing at the PGA Championship last week has dropped Sungjae Im’s salary dramatically on DraftKings. The 25-year-old South Korean is rock solid in most events, but he travelled across the globe to win an event on the KPGA Tour prior to Oak Hill, so expect Im to come with a lot more production with a quieter week of preparation. Im logged a T15 finish at Colonial in 2022, never straying below par, plus he’s ranked inside the top 20 for total strokes gained, including tee-to-green and off-the-tee. Im is equipped with a quality driver too, so at $9,500, let’s acquire him and take advantage of the temporary skepticism.

Joseph Bramlett: $7,100
Joseph Bramlett is going for only $7,100 on DraftKings, which feels like a steal. The 35-year-old Californian has three T10 finishes this season, ranks 15th for finding the green in regulation at 69.5 percent, 30th in tee-to-green, and 38th approaching the green. It’s a solid skill set to possess for Colonial, where Bramlett did not compete in 2022, so he’s a potentially high-riser at hardly any cost at all to your bankroll. Previous finishes of T10, T40, and T19 entering the Charles Schwab Challenge, which makes Bramlett a fantastic salary-saving prospect to acquire in your DraftKings lineups.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $60,000

Viktor Hovland: $11,500
We’ve seen Viktor Hovland come close to an outright win on numerous occasions, including at the PGA Championship last weekend, unable to keep pace with Brooks Koepka on Sunday with a poor bunker shot on the 16th hole. Hovland has some of the best irons on the PGA Tour, averages 92 FD fantasy points this season, and ranks 15th in total strokes gained. His putting has been the glaring weakness, but he ranks inside of the top-12 for strokes gained tee-to-green, off-the-tee, and approaching the green. Plus, Hovland won here as an amateur, so we’re getting solid current form with historical success by rostering Hovland. He’s delivered 80 fantasy points or more in four of his last six events played, so don’t hesitate to pay up for a quality blue-chip player.

Chris Kirk: $10,200
Chris Kirk hasn’t been great but his game hasn’t been bad either, logging recent finishes of T10, T23, T41, T56, and T29 in his past five events entering the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge. Kirk wound up with a T15 finish at -3-under-par at Colonial last year and he’s equipped with a strong putter, great wedge, and ranks 18th in total strokes gained. He’s not great at finding the greens in regulation, but ranks 57th in scrambling, plus he only attempts 28.1 putts per round, which is 17th best on the PGA Tour. Kirk is an intriguing prospect at an event he’s performed well at in past years, so at $10,200, I’m willing to pay up a bit to get him into my FanDuel lineups.

Akshay Bhatia: $8,300
Akshay Bhatia hasn’t been competing since a T43 at the Wells Fargo Championship, so a couple weeks to rest and practice for the Charles Schwab Challenge could prove a significant difference-maker. The 21-year-old Californian is ranked 11th in strokes gained approaching the green and 45th tee-to-green. In addition, Bhatia is ranked 19th in total driving and eighth for greens in regulation, finding them on over 70 percent of attempts. At a cheap $8,300 salary on FanDuel, I’m willing to take on a bit of risk with a newcomer who has some great skills that align with the rigors of Colonial this week.

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Whether you’re new to daily fantasy golf or a seasoned professional, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Golf Glossary. You can get started with The Stats That Matter Most or head to a more advanced strategy – like How To Use Vegas Odds To Generate Your Lineup – to learn more.

Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.