John Hasselbauer is optimistic about Tommy Fleetwood finally breaking through for his first PGA Tour victory at the prestigious Players Championship, highlighting Fleetwood's elite recent form and skillset that fits ideally at TPC Sawgrass. Fleetwood ranks No. 4 in total strokes gained at Sawgrass over his career, with two top-10 finishes and just one missed cut across seven prior appearances. He's been remarkably consistent, gaining strokes both off the tee and on approach for 12 straight events across PGA and DP World Tours. The highly positional Sawgrass setup favors reliable ball-strikers with strong scrambling abilities in difficult conditions, elements distinctly within Fleetwood's strengths. Hasselbauer also emphasizes Fleetwood's strong track record under pressure, including seven major top-5 finishes, bolstering his confidence that Fleetwood could finally seal the victory this week.

John Hasselbauer's model identifies Hideki Matsuyama as the number-one overall play at The Players Championship due to a balanced and suitable skillset combined with elite course history at TPC Sawgrass. Matsuyama currently ranks number one for course history in the field, having multiple top-10 finishes and consistently placing without missing cuts in recent visits. Hasselbauer notes Matsuyama has improved significantly with putting and overall health early this season, evidenced by his record-setting triumph at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, making him a prime betting and DFS target despite current odds offering value for potential returns.

John Hasselbauer highlights an intriguing historical trend linking success between The Players Championship and Sony Open, noting four of the last seven Sony Open winners also captured wins at TPC Sawgrass. Despite significant differences in the events, the shared characteristics of Bermuda grass greens, gusty winds, and a strong emphasis on positional tee shots present strong crossover indicators. Based on this pattern, Hasselbauer identifies Hideki Matsuyama as a prime value bet at The Players this week, given his previous success winning the Sony Open.

John Hasselbauer identifies Scottie Scheffler as one of only five players (alongside Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Andrew Putnam, and JT Poston) meeting all critical statistical criteria needed to succeed at TPC Sawgrass. It includes ranking elite in both SG Approach, SG Around the Green, and excelling in positional tee-to-green categories, comp course track record, and above-average weighted driving and par-5 scoring. Given Scheffler's proven course history with two recent wins at Sawgrass, Hasselbauer marks him clearly as a strong betting and DFS choice once again this year, despite the inherent volatility within the event.

Nick Borrman suggested considering Keith Mitchell for THE PLAYERS Championship due to his exceptional performance on Bermuda greens. Mitchell expressed his confidence and love for this time of year, stating he's aiming to win THE PLAYERS because he's so good on Bermuda surfaces. Borrman highlighted Mitchell's familiarity and success on these greens, making him a potentially valuable betting option for the tournament.