Find Value With These Arnold Palmer Invitational DFS Picks and Targets

The PGA Tour just provided a sudden-death playoff matchup at the Honda Classic, and now we’re getting a star-studded field in Orlando, Florida, during the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Located at the challenging Bay Hill Club & Lodge, constructed and designed by the late golfer Arnold Palmer, players will have to deal with lengthy, narrow fairways and numerous water hazards. It’s a different layout than PGA National, where Chris Kirk outdueled rookie Eric Cole on the 18th hole twice in a row last weekend. However, there are still a lot of strategically placed sand bunkers, doglegged fairways, and water hazards to remind players that they’re competing in the Sunshine State.

It’s always a blast setting DFS lineups in bigger PGA Tour events, as we can land huge value with proven players. Of course, paying up for a couple of blue chip prospects is often a necessity, but playing contrarian in a talented field of 120 players that includes Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, and others becomes much easier to execute. There is an added layer of difficulty on tough courses like Bay Hill, which will see heavy winds throughout the four-day forecast. Ball-striking power and precision will be even more important when it comes to staying atop the leaderboard and grinding out birdies. After all, birdies and eagles are the premium currency when playing PGA DFS. Cashing contests rely heavily upon a player’s ability to log red scores, outweighing the occasional bogey by 3X the point value. Don’t be afraid to roster players who go for it and wind up with a decorated scorecard. 

I’ve identified six of my favorite prospects who will help us cash our DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Let’s find out why each of these players should be prioritized ahead of Thursday’s opening tee times. 

DraftKings - $50,000 Maximum Salary (6 players)

Max Homa ($9.7K)

One of the best players on the PGA Tour at this moment, Max Homa has two outright wins in seven events played, including a runner-up against Jon Rahm in his most recent event at Genesis. There are very few weaknesses that the 32-year-old California native possesses, ranking 12th in strokes gained tee-to-green and fifth in strokes gained putting while ranking 18th in total driving. He’s a complete player and has three events with at least 116.5 FPPG on DraftKings, so we’re landing a slight discount at $9.7K compared to paying over $10.6K for Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, or Jon Rahm. 

Jason Day ($8.5K)

It’s been seven years since Jason Day won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he’s been rounding into form lately. The 35-year-old has been a professional on the PGA Tour circuit for 17 years, and he’s enjoyed 12 outright wins, but he’s been delivering T10 finishes in each of his previous three events. The New Zealand native has at least 85.5 FPPG on DraftKings during this stretch. His game is built for a difficult Florida course such as Bay Hill, as Day ranks first scrambling from 10-20 yards and first in putting from 15-20 feet with a 37.25 percent conversion rate, which will come in handy on the speedy Bermudagrass greens. Consider Day a massive discount and a must-add salary saver.

Sahith Theegala ($7.9K)

Sahith Theegala is still searching for his first outright win since becoming a full-time PGA Tour member last season. He’s only missed one cut and has finished with over 90 FPPG in two of his previous three events, bouncing back from a lackluster outing at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The 25-year-old missed the cut at Bay Hill in 2022, so he has plenty of motivation to avenge his poor performance. At this price, it’s hard to say no to rostering Theegala in multiple DraftKings lineups. 

 FanDuel - $60,000 Maximum Salary (6 players)

Scottie Scheffler (11.8K)

My favorite blue chip prospect worth a steep salary in DFS this weekend is none other than the defending Arnold Palmer Invitational champion, Scottie Scheffler. We’ve already seen Scheffler defend his title at the WMPO a couple of weeks ago. While he didn’t produce at the dizzying rate we’ve grown accustomed to during the Genesis Invitational during his most recent event, he never strayed above -1-under-par in any round. Prior to Genesis, Scheffler had four consecutive events with at least 123 FPPG on FanDuel, relying on a powerful driver and sharp irons to compete in any field at any course. 

Seamus Power ($9.2K)

As I mentioned earlier in this article, finding high value in the cheaper salary range becomes an easy task on big slates like the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Seamus Power fits the billing for this type of player. The 35-year-old Irishman has been quietly stringing together four T25 finishes since January, only producing one round over par in his past 16 rounds played. Power is ranked seventh in strokes gained putting, which is a massive asset to acquire in DFS, plus he is ranked fourth in par 3 scorings. At just $9.2K on FanDuel, which gives users an additional $5K salary to use compared to DraftKings, Power is a safe floor addition to your lineups. 

Si Woo Kim ($8.8K)

There were a few years where Si Woo Kim disappeared from being an outright winner after notching a win at The Players Championship in 2017, but the 27-year-old South Korean native has regained his rhythm this season. Kim won the Sony Open in Hawaii back in January and has stayed inside of the top 25 in three of his past four events, missing the cut at Genesis. With a week to rest and prepare for Bay Hill, where Kim logged a T26 finish in 2022, he should be able to rely on his driver accuracy and approach shots to set himself up for birdie opportunities throughout the weekend. He’s a high-risk, high-reward prospect but at $8.8K on FanDuel, Kim is good enough to cash lineups with other featured studs.