The PGA Tour returns to its standard stroke-play format ahead of Thursday’s opening round at the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson. 156 golfers will tee it up at TPC Craig Ranch, which is a par 71 that runs over 7,500 yards. We’ll dive into the course layout and hazards momentarily.

I took off writing this article during the Zurich Classic due to its unique team format, so let’s quickly recap my 2025 RBC Heritage DFS Primer. All four of my prospects at the latest Signature Event played well. Brian Harman was the best return on investment with his T3 finish at $7.6K on DraftKings. Patrick Cantlay (T13) and Tom Hoge (T18) carded top 20 finishes, albeit at much different salaries, while Aaron Rai had the worst outing at T38.

I’ve got four prospects worth inserting into DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups for the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more PGA DFS recommendations. Get analysis and free picks throughout the 2025 PGA Tour season.

2025 The CJ CUP Byron Nelson DFS Primer

Previous Winners

• 2024 – Taylor Pendrith (-23)
• 2023 – Jason Day (-23)
• 2022 – K.H. Lee (-26)
• 2021 – K.H. Lee (-25)
• 2019 – Sung Kang (-23)

Relevant Betting Stats

• Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
• Driving Distance
• Strokes Gained: Approach
• Strokes Gained: Putting

Course Overview

TPC Craig Ranch is a Tom Weiskopf design that is a par 71, measuring 7,569 yards. It’s a lengthy track with Zoysiagrass fairways, Bermudagrass rough that stands four inches, along with Bentgrass greens that run 11.5 feet via Stimpmeter.

Fairways at TPC Craig Ranch are wide, offering soft targets off-the-tee. Distance is key, with many par 4s exceeding 450 yards and three of four par 3s running north of 200 yards.

There are minimal water hazards but numerous sprawling sand bunkers are located along fairways and the relatively small Bentgrass greens. Winds are forecast to pick up as this event heads into the weekend, which will create another hazard.

Ultimately, golfers with power off-the-tee, the ability to hit greens in regulation with consistency, and finish birdie putts on these Bentgrass greens will be rewarded with low scorecards. Scrambling is less of a factor here this week, while accuracy off-the-tee is also mitigated in favor of distance.

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Rasmus Hojgaard: $8,900

Rasmus Hojgaard has no shortage of power off-the-tee. The Denmark native ranks ninth in driving distance, which is a focal point this week at TPC Craig Ranch.

Hojgaard is also 26th on approach shots from 200+ yards and is 46th in birdie average. At under $9,000 on DraftKings, we’re not overpaying for Hojgaard’s power and finishing ability. He’s a solid first addition to DraftKings lineups this week.

Jake Knapp: $8,400

Another bomber off-the-tee, Jake Knapp had a lot of success playing at this course in 2024. Knapp turned in a solo eighth finish a year ago and ranks 21st SG: Putting, 34th in driving distance and 12th for birdie average.

Knapp is averaging 68.3 fantasy points per game. He’s logged 15-23 birdies in three of his past five solo events played. A couple of missed cuts is the only reason we’re getting Knapp at under an $8,500 salary, so let’s take advantage of this discounted rate.

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Victor Perez: $8,400

Victor Perez has played well in 2025 but he did miss the cut in his last solo outing at the Valero Texas Open. Now, we’re getting him at $8,400 salary on FanDuel.

Perez ranks 48th SG: Off-the-Tee, including 57th in total strokes gained. He’s 10th in total driving, blending power and accuracy. The French native is also 43rd at finding greens in regulation at 67 percent.

Ranking 48th on par 4s and 26th in scoring average adds more incentive to invest in Perez for a bounce-back effort at TPC Craig Ranch this week. Let’s grab Perez at $8.4K on FanDuel.

Sam Ryder: $8,400

Sam Ryder is still searching for his first top 10 finish this season but I’m bullish on him this week. Ryder ranks 35th total strokes gained, which includes third SG: Putting. This will be a huge advantage at a course like TPC Craig Ranch.

Ryder logged a T14 and T16 in back-to-back events at The Players Championship and Valspar Championship last month. He’s capable of getting hot with his flat stick as we’ve seen throughout his PGA Tour career. He’s 36th on approach shots from 200+ yards, 24th scrambling, 19th in scoring average and 20th in one-putt percentage.

Off-the-Tee is where Ryder has struggled the most this season, ranked 153rd, including 110th in distance. We’ll need him to lean on his irons and short game, which I believe he’ll be able to do with consistency.

He hasn’t missed a cut this season and ranks 29th in total birdies (159). Ryder is a sneaky play at $8,400 on FanDuel, so let’s prioritize him as a value add to DFS lineups at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

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