Valero Texas Open Dark Horses: Can Wallace go back to back?
By Derek Helm
Each week I will provide my favorite chalk and Dark Horse plays for the upcoming PGA DFS slate.
This week I will highlight my favorite DraftKings plays for the 2023 Valero Texas Open.
A value play is determined by a golfer being underpriced or coming in at lower ownership. I’ll also establish who will be the most rostered on the slate; also known as the “chalk”.
We always want to play the best plays but need leverage as well. Determining the difference between good “chalk” (highly owned) and bad “chalk” is essential.
I’ll list which of the high-owned golfers I like the most this week. Pairing those plays with lower-owned golfers (Dark Horses) is the optimal way to build and gives us the best route to winning a DraftKings contest.
*Ownership projections are estimates and will vary from contest to contest. The percentage provided is in regard to guaranteed prize pools on DraftKings.
2023 Valero Texas Open: Favorite Chalk Plays
Corey Conners ($10,100)
DK Ownership: 19-22% – Conners missed his first cut of 2023 at the PLAYERS Championship but otherwise has looked good. He has three top-25 place finishes in six tournaments this year, including a 12th-place finish at the Sony Open.
He’s also been good historically at the Valero Texas Open including winning this event back in 2019. He finished 14th, 26th, and 35th in his three other appearances at TPC San Antonio.
Conners is 1st in strokes gained ball striking, 1st in strokes gained approach, 4th off the tee, and 1st in opportunities gained over the last 50 rounds.
Si Woo Kim ($9,700)
DK Ownership: 22-24% – Si Woo has only missed one cut since July of last year. He has four top-25 finishes in seven tournaments this year.
Si Woo has made five straight cuts at the Valero Texas Open with his best finish being a 4th place here in 2019. He came 14th last year and has come top 25 in four of his six appearances.
He’s 7th in strokes gained approach, 2nd in opportunities gained, 5th in bogey avoidance, and 1st from 175-200 yards over the last 50 rounds.
2023 Valero Texas Open: Favorite Dark Horse Plays
Matt Wallace ($8,500)
DK Ownership: 12-14% – Wallace won the Corales Puntacana last week shooting a 66 on Sunday. He came 7th two weeks ago at the Valspar gaining over nine strokes tee to green.
He’s 6th in birdies or better gained, 7th on approach, 3rd around the green, and 10th in par 5 scoring over the last 24 rounds.
Wallace came 3rd at the Valero in 2021 and gained over nine strokes on approach for the tournament.
Cam Davis ($8,300)
DK Ownership: 9-12% – Davis had a rough start to 2023 partially due to an illness. He had five straight missed cuts to start the year but came 6th at the PLAYERS.
Davis is 6th in strokes gained ball striking, 4th in opportunities gained, 4th in par 5 scoring, and 12th from 175-200 yards over the last 50 rounds.
Alex Smalley ($7,600)
DK Ownership: 7-9% – Smalley has been good from tee to green gaining strokes in four straight tournaments. He came 27th at the Valspar Championship two weeks ago.
He’s 1st in bogey avoidance, and 14th in par 5 scoring over the last 50 rounds. He’s also 10th in strokes gained off the tee over the last 24 rounds.
Next. 2023 Valero Texas Open Fantasy Golf Selections. dark
Byeong Hun An ($7,400)
DK Ownership: 8-10% – An hasn’t missed a cut so far in 2023 and has gained strokes on approach in six of seven tournaments this year.
He finished 7th at the Valero in 2019 gaining 7.6 strokes on approach which is the most of his career.
An has been great on approach recently but the greens are difficult to hit at the Oaks Course. Luckily, An is 1st in strokes gained around the green over the last 50 rounds.