Players Championship 2022: Daily Fantasy Picks, Strategy and Tips

This year's Players Championship marks the 40th anniversary of the tournament's move to TPC Sawgrass. Since then, there's been plenty of excitement and surprises at the event.

Only five golfers have won the Players Championship multiple times, and the only one to capture the title three times is Jack Nicklaus (1974, 1976 and 1978), and the tournament has featured 16 first-time winners in the past 17 editions of the event.

The 2022 Players Championship is set to begin Thursday, and it's hard to predict who will fare well. But that's what daily fantasy players will be trying to do when they set their lineups throughout the four-day tournament.

As the start of the event nears, here's some early daily fantasy advice to consider when you get to setting your lineups. All prices via Golf" target="_blank">DraftKings.

Bet on Cantlay to Fare Better Than in Past Years

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Patrick Cantlay is one of the best golfers on the PGA Tour, and he's ranked at No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking. However, the 29-year-old hasn't fared well at the Players Championship in his career, having never finished better than 22nd, which he did in his debut at the event in 2017.

At the past two Players Championships, Cantlay has missed the cut. But there are reasons to believe that he can have a much better showing in 2022, and he should be considered for daily fantasy lineups at a fair price of $9,900 for the opening round.

Cantlay is off to a strong start in 2022, finishing in the top nine at each of his first three tournaments. That included a second-place showing at the WM Phoenix Open in February. He's shot a 68 better in 15 of his 20 rounds over his past five events.

So even though Cantlay hasn't enjoyed success at TPC Sawgrass, he's played consistently well of late and has experience at this course. That should set him up for a much better finish than he's had in his previous Players Championship appearances.

Scott Provides High Value and Should Be a Safe Play

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It's been 18 years since Adam Scott notched his lone victory at the Players Championship. He won the 2004 edition of the tournament by finishing 12 under par, and even though the 41-year-old hasn't captured the title since, he's had plenty of solid showings at TPC Sawgrass in the intervening years.

From 2016 to 2019, Scott placed 12th or better in each of his four Players Championship appearances. Last year, he ended up 48th, but he was still one under par and didn't shoot higher than a 73 in any of his four rounds.

Scott is a great value DFS play this week, with his price at $8,200 for the first round. He's shot a 73 or better in the opening round of eight of his past nine Players Championship appearances, so it's a safe bet that he will at least get off to a solid start Thursday.

If you are taking a chance on some high-risk golfers in your DFS lineup, then it may be wise to balance them out with Scott. He may not be atop the leaderboard at any point, but he will likely be solid throughout the tournament.

Consider Bradley as a Strong Sleeper Option

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A strong sleeper to consider for DFS lineups this week is Keegan Bradley, who has a price of $6,900 for the opening round. That could be a steal if the 35-year-old builds off his past performances at TPC Sawgrass and puts together an impressive showing in this year's Players Championship.

Bradley never finished better than 35th over seven appearances at this tournament from 2011 to 2017, but he's fared much better in recent years. He was seventh in 2018, 16th in 2019 and 29th last year, shooting a 69 or better in six of his 12 rounds over that stretch.

He is also heading into the Players Championship with some momentum, as he tied for 11th at the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational, his best finish in five PGA Tour events in 2022. He's made the cut at each of those tournaments and has been playing consistently well.

Don't be surprised if Bradley stays fairly close to the top of the leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass. He may even come away with his second career top-10 finish at the Players Championship, making him a solid DFS option.

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