2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 2
The 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson is officially underway, and it’s picked up right where last year left off. Despite a $22M renovation, TPC Craig Ranch remains defenseless against the PGA Tour’s best. Taylor Moore leads the way at 9 under par through the first round, with 15 players posting an opening round of -6 or better.
Looking ahead, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 2 gets underway on Friday. Conditions have been wet and rainy thus far, and that should continue as the week goes on. Ahead, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 2 breakout.
Take a look at some of the best pillar players for PGA Championship DFS contests and live betting opportunities.
DraftKings Showdown Golf Strategy
DraftKings Golf Showdown Golf is a one-round Daily Fantasy format in which players aim to construct the best-scoring one-round lineup while staying within the allotted salary cap. To identify value in Golf Showdown, it’s typically best to focus on buy-low opportunities on players who’ve shown uncharacteristically poor putting in the prior round. There is also an opportunity to find leverage by identifying favorable weather splits and players who are more likely to card birdies-or-better.
Round 2 PGA Championship Showdown Pillar Plays
At the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the opening round helped answer some open questions about how the new-look TPC Craig Ranch would look post-renovation. The answer? Exactly the same as the old one. In soft conditions, TPC Craig Ranch’s wide Zoysia fairways continue to be an easy target for the field at large, creating a birdie-fest for the best approach players with the hottest putters.
Identifying value players who check each of these boxes can provide valuable bonus points in the DraftKings Showdown format. The three players below will be foundational plays in my Round 2 Showdown lineups for these reasons.
Michael Thorbjornsen ($9,200)
After a couple of rocky performances at the Cadillac Championship and PGA Championship, docile conditions seem to be exactly what Thorbjornsen needed to get back on track. The 24-year-old is right in the mix to contend in this tournament, sitting T4 after an opening 7-under-par showing.
I was skeptical whether the new-look TPC Craig Ranch would remain a bomber’s paradise after the latest renovation removed nearly 200 yards of length and added more penal Bermuda rough. The opening round, however, has shown a strong advantage for those with distance. Six of the top-8 players on the leaderboard rank top-30 in Driving Distance, including Thorbjornsen. Most encouraging for him, though, is his approach play. Thorbjornsen ranks 10th in SG: APP, and is positioned well to continue his charge in round 2.
Austin Eckroat ($7,700)
Eckroat was just starting to percolate leading up to this week, and that hot form has continued through the opening round. He’s finished top-20 in each of his last three starts, including a T10 at the Valero Texas Open the last time he visited the Lone Star State.
The Oklahoma native may have gotten a boost from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory last night, and has credited his upbringing in Oklahoma to his success on windy venues like PGA National and El Cardonal at Diamante where he picked up his first two PGA Tour victories. Eckroat is T11 through the first round at 6 under par, and ranks 5th in SG: APP, an encouraging sign as we head into round 2.
Emiliano Grillo ($6,900)
Grillo’s form was much less obvious leading into this week, entering on the heels of three consecutive missed cuts. It was my estimation that TPC Craig Ranch may play most like an easy version of Colonial Country Club following its extensive renovation, and the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge champion seems to see it that way as well.
Grillo is T4 through the opening round after an impressive -7 start, a credit to his elite approach play (2nd SG: APP) and hot putter (16th SG: P). Irons and putting are the key to success in this birdiefest, so if he can continue to uphold that form, Grillo is a prime target for me in round 2 Showdown.
Live Bets To Consider Entering Round 2
Leader After Round 2: Stephan Jaeger
Best Available odds: +1500 (DraftKings)
There will be parity at this event, with so many birdie opportunities surrendered at TPC Craig Ranch in the opening. This market is a great spot to find a chaser capable of stacking birdies.
Jaeger is riding the hot hand after a solid showing at Aronimink last week, and heads into round two positioned T4 and just two strokes off of Taylor Moore’s lead. Jaeger was exceptional in round one, ranking 2nd in SG: OTT and 3rd in SG: T2G. Jaeger is a winner at Texas’ driver-heavy Texas Children’s Houston Open, and looks comfortable on this new layout at TPC Craig Ranch.
Top 20 Finisher: Blades Brown
Best Available odds: +126 (DraftKings)
Blades Brown continues to feast on the easiest of course setups; he’s T16 after an opening round of 5 under par. Splitting his time between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, Brown has already posted three top-20s over six PGA Tour starts.
He has some extra motivation to remain inside the top-20 this week, as a solo 21st finish or better will secure him temporary membership and unlimited sponsors’ invitations through the end of the year. While raw at 18 years old, he’s given us every reason to believe he can hand with the PGA Tour’s best in easy conditions.
Best of luck with your CJ Cup Byron Nelson DFS lineups and bets!
Photo Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert
