While navigating every Segment of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore, there are going to be moments when you wish you’d have managed your roster better over time. The good news is that it’s always avoidable.

We can drift into the phenomenon when a field like the one at this week’s Valspar Championship is presented. There are many fantasy-worthy fixtures in it, all of which must be considered as options as always, but it’s imperative to keep the bigger picture in mind before cementing the roster ahead of Thursday’s opening round.

With the first two majors and the next three Signature Events still to come in Segment 2, the Valspar slots as a starts saver. This means that you can leverage it in favor of stronger options later. The variables support it.

For one, the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort does not promote impactful fantasy scoring. As I noted in Monday’s Power Rankings, Copperhead was the hardest course in relation to par of all four stops on the Florida Swing in both 2023 and 2024. And while Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge isn’t far behind, it hosts a Signature Event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, so we’re going to lean into the FedExCup bonus points waiting at that finish line. This week doesn’t extend the same bump.

Another headwind literally is a headwind. Strong breezes are promised on Thursday, and could linger into Friday. So, as of midday Tuesday, the early-late draw projects to have the edge. Of course, that’s tagged with the automatic disclaimer that a delay in the action could hurl a wrench into the well-intended plans to stack. In fact, a threat of inclement weather later on Thursday has bubbled up into the forecast. (I’ll revisit on X later on Wednesday.) Whatever happens, retreating into secondary options softens the potential blow to more valuable pieces.

Lastly, as obvious as it is, it’s still good to remember that no one will win a fantasy league this week. Even if your league leader is the only one who rostered the winner and had him designated as the Captain, there’s ample time to eliminate your deficit when you go hard with haymakers in the premier competitions. By rationing starts at Valspar – which is begging you to do exactly that – you’ve first-guessed your way into stronger position in the tournaments that are more welcoming for our objective.

Focus on the basics at Copperhead. Target talent in form with course experience (even if uninspiring) and in whom you have the confidence will make the cut. Everything on top of that is a bonus. Your future self will thank you for your patience now.

Captain

Tommy Fleetwood … We’ll see about this.

As I noted in the comment beside my roster in Expert Picks, neither the Captain nor the entire crew are locks. This is in respect to the weather pre-cut that might require evasive action. It’s still likely that the Englishman will remain on my roster, but I’m going to want my Captain to be on the favorable side of the draw if there projects to be one.

Other considerations

• Shane Lowry … He’s atop my Power Rankings, so I’d have zero issue in pivoting to him. In a test for us like this week’s, confidence in cashing is paramount. His form is so solid that it merits the nod as a stand-alone driver.
• Jordan Spieth … All things considered, I love how he has responded from having wrist surgery. The cloud that previously hung over has been lifted and he’s much closer to his familiar self in contention than perhaps even the most demanding would have expected. And if he’s going to pop – which his play very much suggests that he will sooner than later – then we want to be on board at Copperhead where he has a win, a T3, a T7 and another two top 20s.

Rounding out the roster

Despite my general advice at the top, as the Fantasy Insider against whom many gamers play, I tend to build a roster with a high percentage of chalk when it’s available. My working lineup reflects it, but there’s a lot more that goes into the calculus, such as where I may be reserving future starts in the Segment, how I operate during a tournament and motivations unique to the situation in my little league of Experts.

My starters

• Corey Conners
• Tommy Fleetwood (C)
• Lucas Glover
• Jordan Spieth

My bench

• Shane Lowry (1)
• Justin Thomas (2)

Careful

For almost every tournament, a usually impressive subset of the field warrants avoiding, and it might be represented in my Power Rankings which is not written in the context of any fantasy golf format. In this section, I single out who demands pause and why.

Sam Burns ... No. 8 in my Power Rankings. This word of caution is intended for gamers defaulting to him as the Captain. Yes, he’s a two-time winner with a solo sixth and a T12 among five paydays at Copperhead, and he’s the tournament’s all-time earnings leader, but he profiles as a top-10 machine no matter the site, and he has only one of those this season. What’s more, he’s gone six consecutive starts without a top 20. He missed the cut here last year, too, so another substandard experience at Copperhead wouldn’t be unprecedented.

Xander Schauffele ... Positioned at No. 14 in the Power Rankings in part out of respect (and expectation) that he’ll turn it around quickly. This is to say that his inclusion in this section surprises no one. If anything, there’s a strong argument to invest in him as a contrarian who’s capable of the best kind of damage. And just in case you forgot, he’s cashed in 59 consecutive starts.

Sahith Theegala ... Like Schauffele, it’s expected that Theegala will snap out of his funk sooner than later, but Schauffele has years and receipts over Theegala’s still-building career. He really hasn’t slumped since splashing as a rookie in 2021-22, and he finished T7 at Copperhead in his only prior trip that same season, but he arrives this week with one top-35 finish in eight starts in 2025.

Tom Kim ... One of the new questions I’ve fielded this year is if there’s been a correlation to performance in TGL and the PGA TOUR. I don’t think much of it (for lots of simple reasons), but as with most sample sizes, this inquiry yields a scattered pattern of results, so it can’t be ruled out that he’s struggling to balance his PGA TOUR schedule while moonlighting as a member of Jupiter Links GC. Only one top-40 finish in seven starts this season.

Returning to competition

Victor Perez ... The Frenchman was the last to opt out of THE PLAYERS due to an injured back. It may have been temporary but it certainly was untimely. Meanwhile, although he’s 133rd in the FedExCup, it’s too early in the season to worry that he’s feeling the heat to push only one week later so as not to fall further behind, but it can’t be ruled out, either. If there’s reason to exhale, and using last season as a comp for his scheduling, he didn’t return to the DP World Tour until after the FedExCup Playoffs.

Notable WDs

Akshay Bhatia ... Made noise en route to a T3 at THE PLAYERS and sits 16th in the FedExCup. With starts promised in all of the Signature Events and majors, and with his title defense at the Valero Texas Open in two weeks, which immediately precedes the Masters, it makes sense to reset and recharge.

Daniel Berger ... It wasn’t that long ago when bells would have sounded for an early withdrawal, but the 31-year-old is reborn post-back injury. Currently 24th in the FedExCup with an active streak of five top 25s. Also eighth in the Aon Next 10 (for a spot in the RBC Heritage). With only one cut made in four appearances at Copperhead (T11, 2016), this is a calculated break.

Aaron Rai ... Also withdrew early from this tournament in 2023. Keeps on keeping on elsewhere, though. A T14 at TPC Sawgrass lifted him to 35th in the FedExCup.

Erik van Rooyen ... Went 1-for-2 on the Florida Swing with a T9 at PGA National. Sits 93rd in the FedExCup.

Trey Mullinax ... This is his first early withdrawal since returning to competition last year from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. He’s fared just OK with three top 25s in 13 starts on the PGA TOUR since. Still has 14 starts remaining on his Major Medical Extension, so he still deserves attention in full-season formats as a midseason pickup.

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