PGA DFS: FedEx St. Jude Championship Predictions & Picks (DraftKings)

The FedEx Cup Playoffs tee off tomorrow at the newly-renovated TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, as the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings compete in the St. Jude Championship. Only the top 50 will move on to next week’s BMW Championship at Caves Valley in Owings Mills, Maryland, so the pressure is on from the start.

This week’s field is stacked with star power, including Scottie Scheffler, Sepp Straka, Russell Henley, Justin Thomas, and plenty of other elite names. Notably absent is Rory McIlroy, who has opted to rest with his spot in the next round all but secured—a decision that’s drawn some criticism given his lighter playing schedule. Still, with so much talent on display, expect plenty of drama and fireworks as the postseason race heats up.

Course Breakdown:

TPC Southwind has undergone extensive renovations in the past year. They have taken to players feedback and decided to modernize the course setup. I project this will make this event to be even more entertaining and challenging, similar to a Major setup.

TPC Southwind is a tree lined, parkland style course. The weather this weekend projects to be very hot, thus making it very firm and fast. All green complexes have been renovated to modernize and uphold course quality and combining this with the weather should make for a difficult weekend around the greens.

The grass has also been updated. TPC Southwind now adds zoysiagrass to their fairways, different from their old and very common Bermudagrass. As a whole, the course will still have a variety of grass types between the various course surfaces. In simpler terms, you will need a versatile, smart game to manage your way through TPC Southwind.

The most important metrics at TPC Southwind for the FedEx St. Jude Championship compared to the average Tour course.
⛳️12 doglegs combined with the 6th narrowest fairways and five drives with water danger keep TPC Southwind a challenge OTT
⛳️Penal bermuda rough, along with tiny… pic.twitter.com/4X2WXueohR
— Ron Klos (@PGASplits101) August 5, 2025

This course is going to be demanding in some key areas. It is of the hardest golf courses for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. With much tree lining, moderate fairway bunkers, and dogleg shaping, tee shots will demand accuracy and versatility in your bag of shots (draws, fades, low bullets).

Given this hurdle, players will also find themselves around the green, but not on it. Saving par will be vital and thus making Strokes Gained: Around the Green another key aspect.

No course can ever compare to Augusta National, but this layout will require a lot of similar strengths in a players arsenal to succeed. The Masters is known for demanding shot-shaping, chipping, and clutch putting. The top players always win in Augusta, so I expect the same here in Memphis. A top player will win.

I am most exciting to watch the back nine this weekend. It leaves for much opportunity and penalty. Players will be rewarded for their good shots.

The 14th at TPC Southwind is going to have a wide range of scores at a pivotal time during the round.

cc: @Golfbet x @FedExChamp pic.twitter.com/XJkOoCRiJw
— Rick Gehman (@RickRunGood) August 6, 2025

Event History

TPC Southwind has played host to the FedEx Cup Playoffs its 4th year now. Prior, it has hosted the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational and the FedEx St. Jude Classic before that. The most experienced players have competed here a multitude of times. Each year of the event as a Playoff venue has seen the score between -15 and -17. Given my course analysis and weather breakdown:

My Winning Score Prediction: -14

Top DFS Picks (DraftKings)

Scottie Scheffler $13,000

The new layout at TPC Southwind is going to play to the best golfers in the world. You must shot shape and go tee-to-green in very diverse ways. To win, you must have every shot in your bag. This has been very notable at Augusta National. Scottie Scheffler is one of very few players that has that skill. I think this places him well above others and if he is on his best game, it will be hard to beat him this week. Price aside, he is a must-play.

Tommy Fleetwood $9,900

Fleetwood has been playing some amazing golf. He is one of the most well-rounded golfers in the game, and that benefits him at TPC Southwind. 9 of his last 10 events showed Fleetwood at, or better than average in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. He is also an elite iron players with nearly every event this season seeing Fleetwood with positive Strokes Gained: Approach. Yes, Fleetwood is still winless on tour, but that is going to end eventually, I am confident about that.

Between TPC Southwind and Augusta National, Fleetwood has finished in the Top 33 in each of his last 6 appearances, including two Top-3 finishes. This is the type of place where he would win. Fleetwood commands an advantage as he is simply just better in a lower-variance venue.

Hideki Matsuyama $8,800

Matsuyama is the defending champion here in Memphis. He is also in as good a form as he was last year. Hideki has six straight rounds above average in strokes gained and seven of his last eight. Matsuyama also finished top-20 in his last three events all of which were on notably different golf courses. He has what it takes to win and comes at a big discount as compared to others.

Nick Taylor $6,900

Among the hottest players on the PGA tour is Nick Taylor. Prior to the Open Championship, Taylor recorded five consecutive events with Total Strokes Gained 1.49 or higher. Any tournament with 1.0 or better is considered very good. Nick Taylor also ranks 24th in SG: Off the Tee this season and he is a very good shot-shaper and putter. I expect Taylor to put himself in many birdie opportunities this week and put together a very good performance for his price.

Akshay Bhatia $7,000

Akshay Bhatia is another pure golfer in the game. He is not overpowering like Rory or Bryson, but he hits a golf ball the way you should. Look back to the pure form of the legends — Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer. Bhatia is a pure player and that favors him this weekend. Not to mention, he is a lefty, and lefties have done well in these setups (Mickelson, Bubba Watson).

Akshay Bhatia has most shots in his bag, and it shows. He has three combined starts at TPC Southwind and Augusta National, all of which he finished Top-42. If you do not command the game to play these venues, you miss the cut, and he has not missed the cut. If Bhatia plays well off of the tee, he will find many birdie opportunites. His game commands it. For $7,000, I absolutely would take a shot on a deeper-cut player that posses winning-ability.