The PGA Tour's best will face peril all over TPC Sawgrass at the 2023 Players Championship this week, and that could spell trouble for your fantasy golf lineups. If you're making 2023 Players Championship fantasy picks, you need to consider course history – and for many of the top players it isn't good. But recent form also comes into play, and players like Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy come in on extended hot streaks. Add in players like Max Homa, who has two victories this season, and former Players winners including Justin Thomas and Jason Day, and you have a lot to consider for your Players Championship 2023 fantasy lineups.
Rahm, Scheffler and McIlroy are the world's top three players but have combined for three finishes inside the top 30 over the past five years at TPC Sawgrass. Still, Rahm and McIlroy are 17-2 co-favorites, with Scheffler the 10-1 third choice, in Caesars Sportsbook's 2023 Players Championship odds. Which one is the most worthy for your 2023 Players Championship fantasy picks? Before setting your fantasy golf rankings or making any 2023 Players Championship picks, you need to see the fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine fantasy expert Jim Holliman.
Holliman has been a writer and editor for nearly 25 years and has been playing and following the game closely for more than three decades. The Florida-based writer knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour and how the players' games fit the courses. Holliman has been on a roll on his picks since last season, and last week, 11 of his picks finished in the top 15 and only one missed the cut. Three of his top seven picks posted top-five finishes. The golf expert also was behind Chris Kirk as winner at the Honda Classic, backing the 25-1 longshot to get his first victory since 2015. Holliman also crushed the Genesis Invitational, backing Rahm as five of his top 12 picks finished in the top six.
Last season, he nailed the Tour Championship, saying Rory McIlroy was the only player capable of making up a six-stroke deficit to get past Scheffler. "He has a lot of ground to make up," Holliman said, "but he is the most well-rounded player in this field, so if anyone can do it, he can." The Northern Irishman was actually down by 10 through two holes Sunday but stormed back to claim the title. Anyone who has followed Holliman's predictions is way up on their golf picks.
Now, Holliman has ranked his top golfers from the 2023 Players Championship field. You can only see his fantasy golf rankings and Players Championship picks at SportsLine.
2023 Players Championship fantasy golf picks
Rahm cooled off at Bay Hill, but Holliman expects him to heat right back up and is backing him this week. The Spaniard tied for 39th despite a first-round 65. He struggled the rest of the week and finished 1-over par. Still, Holliman knows Rahm has been the best player in the game over the past six months, and he has five victories to show for it. Three of those were part of his six consecutive top-10 finishes to start his PGA Tour season. The 28-year-old leads the PGA Tour in scoring average and strokes gained total and is third in strokes gained tee to green.
On the other hand, Schauffele comes in among the favorites at 25-1, but Holliman is fading him this week. The 29-year-old is one of the most talented players on tour and is sixth in the Official World Golf Ranking. The expert just doesn't see the consistency from the Olympic gold medalist to back him on a tough course like TPC Sawgrass. The only time Schauffele has made the cut at the Players Championship was when he was runner-up in his debut in 2018. He is 11-over par in his six rounds since. He also comes in off consecutive finishes outside the top 20, including T-39 last week. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.
How to set your 2023 Players Championship golf rankings
For the Players Championship 2023, Holliman is backing several longshots, including three golfers in his top 10 who are priced higher than 30-1. One of these golfers has a recent top-10 finish at TPC Sawgrass and could thrive if weather causes problems this weekend. You can find out who it is, and check out all of Holliman's PGA picks, only at SportsLine.
Who wins the 2023 Players Championship? Who are the top PGA Tour players to target for your Players Championship fantasy picks? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Jim Holliman's Fantasy golf rankings for the 2023 Players Championship, all from the fantasy expert with his finger on the pulse of the game, and find out.
