As the last of the eight Signature Events and with no cut, the Travelers Championship is a timely and lucrative free play in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore. While it benefits all, the advantage lies with chasers who can leverage current positioning in the FedExCup well in advance of the Playoffs.

Front-runners who have been able to sustain their lead have done so via a combination of factors, one of which is thoughtful roster management in Segment 2. As chronicled in this space recently, the emphasis on end-loading Segment 3 with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy for the FedExCup Playoffs isn’t lost on the targets of your opposition, but with no one else worthy of such rigid planning, damage can be done now with familiar charges deeper in the ranks.

In previous years, the likes of Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele also would warrant consideration to holster all three starts for the postseason. Worst case, you’d save only one for the TOUR Championship, but that can paint you into a corner earlier in the FedExCup Playoffs, so my advice is to enter the series with no less than two and remain flexible.

The erratic Thomas is fourth in the FedExCup, so assume that he’ll be at East Lake Golf Club for the finale. Cantlay is 19th, so he’s inside the bubble but still has work to do to solidify a spot to claim his second FedExCup. (Remember, FedExCup Starting Strokes has been eliminated, so all 30 to qualify for the TOUR Championship have an equal chance to win.)

That brings us to Schauffele. His fantastic Playoffs record includes a pair of low-aggregate performances at East Lake, neither of which rewarded him with the FedExCup. Although he’s a horse for that course, he’s currently 50th in points, so he needs to make considerable noise at least once in the interim to give himself a shot at the title.

Focusing on this sample size, Schauffele is exactly the weapon worth wielding at the Travelers, where he prevailed in 2022 and has been a force in five of six starts. If he doesn’t contend, you still get four rounds and probably an elevated floor based on course history alone. But if he does do damage, you’re on board where FedExCup bonus points are beefier, and likely when league leaders are playing it conservatively (read: not invested) because of his success in the FedExCup Playoffs, where defense is their friend. A potential perk is that he’d throw his visor into the ring to be a captain in the final three events for which you’ve saved at least one start. It could be the slingshot play that you need when we get there.

Others in this lane right now include Collin Morikawa (15th in the FedExCup), Viktor Hovland (20th), Keegan Bradley (30th) and Jordan Spieth (37th). Front-runners can’t defend against all of them.

Captain

Brian Harman … He’s “only” No. 7 in my Power Rankings, but he’s on the short list of the question that I occasionally field (for one-and-ones), asking to pick any golfer who plays really well in a tournament and still might be flying under the radar. Well, in the last seven editions of the Travelers, he’s hung up a T2, a T5, a T6, two T8s and a T9. He also placed third in 2015.

Contributing to my calculus is that fantasy scoring will be high this week, so there’s likely to be more churn on the leaderboard thanks to unforeseen hot putters and stupid-low rounds (like Harman’s closing 62 last year). And with no cut, gamers needing to make a dent are encouraged to shop around for a guy like this who’s proven to pack so much punch in this tournament.

Other considerations

• Scottie Scheffler ... This recommendation is geared only toward bottom-feeders in leagues that play every week. It’s time to start swinging for the fence. This is your last short porch to clear. You’ll also need to get lucky in the Playoffs, but that might not matter unless the tournament favorite successfully defends his title this week.
• Patrick Cantlay … No. 3 in the Power Rankings, but it sure would be nice if he had a little momentum upon arrival. His placement is due in large part to a phenomenal record at TPC River Highlands. Because it’s fun and impressive to see it strung out, since 2018, he’s gone T15-T15-T11-T13-T13-T4-T5. His scoring average in his last eight rounds here is 65.38.

Rounding out the roster

If the entire field were segregated into buckets of value, this lineup reflects six different classifications, and that’s OK. In fact, it’s a cocktail mixed with all kinds of possibilities. The biggest component going in is accepting that I might be compelled to burn a start for potentially both of my opening benchwarmers if they’re in contention entering the final round. This very decision is baked into the thinking laid out at the top of the page.

My starters

• Patrick Cantlay
• Harry Hall
• Brian Harman (C)
• Cameron Young

My bench

• Collin Morikawa (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 those who demand a pause and why.

Viktor Hovland ... No. 8 in my Power Rankings and the most-owned golfer at 46.7 percent at last check. Not that he hasn’t gone low to win, but his profile as a guy who keeps himself out of trouble more than he leans on the putter plays higher when par is a better score. He showcased that en route to a third-place finish at Oakmont and throughout his victory at the Valspar Championship three months ago. It’s fair to expect it for at least two and maybe three rounds this week, but pump the brakes on him keeping pace with other pedals on the floor.

Ben Griffin ... He’s No. 5 in the Power Rankings and third-most popular at 38.8 percent, but despite ridiculous form of late, he’s also a trap because it relies too much on hope. He’s done nothing to suggest that he’s even on fumes, but it won’t last forever. And now he’s up against a boatload of talent with much more experience than his six rounds at TPC River Highlands.

Russell Henley ... Way up there at fifth-most owned at 32.6 percent and fresh off a T5 (Memorial) and a T10 (U.S. Open) in his last two starts, but as seemingly obvious that he should be consistently strong at TPC River Highlands, his record isn’t as glossy as you’d think. Overall, he’s 6-for-7 with one top 10 (T6) among just four top 20s. The upshot is that he’s a surrogate in form for the haymakers for whom you’re saving starts.

Ludvig Åberg ... Well, that deescalated quickly. After consecutive top 20s ahead of the U.S. Open, he missed the cut on the number to make it consecutive MCs in the majors. Early in the year, and even as I had considered recently, it was reasonable to think that he lost some mojo after having surgery on his left knee last September and due to an illness that took him a minute to shake early this year. Now it seems that a lack of focus can’t be ruled out. He’s given back strokes from tee to green and with the putter as compared to last season. The moral of the matter is that he’s Kryptonite in weekly formats until he figures it out. (He’d be a contrarian in DFS, but there’s no chance that his value will be low enough to warrant that angle.)

DNPs

Corey Conners ... He suffered an injury to his right wrist during the opening round of the U.S. Open and then withdrew before the final round after aggravating it in the third round. At 10th in the FedExCup and with The Open Championship and FedExCup Playoffs on the horizon, he will survive opting out of his tee time Thursday at TPC River Highlands.

Justin Rose ... Sits 27th in the FedExCup on the strength of a trio of strong performances through his playoff loss at the Masters, but the Brit is just 2-for-6 and without a top 40 finish since. If history is a guide, we might not see him again inside the ropes until the Genesis Scottish Open in three weeks.

Billy Horschel ... Out indefinitely to recover from surgery on his right hip five weeks ago.

Will Zalatoris ... Also sidelined for a while after having back surgery on May 23.

Sahith Theegala ... Taking time to address an injured neck. As always, when a serious talent scuffles as a result of an extended malady, he presents as a fantastic investment in salary leagues the following season. His current price tag is just $832K, and with every passing week that he sits out, his relative value rises. And because he’s fully exempt through 2026, there’s no rush to return to competition.

Chris Kirk ... This is the second Signature Event this season for which he didn’t commit (The Genesis Invitational), but we won’t miss him as he’s just 2-for-4 and without a top-55 finish at TPC River Highlands. The good news is his T12 at the U.S. Open is a season-best outcome. Currently 100th in the FedExCup and fully exempt as a winner through next season.

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