Top DFS plays for Round 2 of the Workday Charity Open

The second round of the PGA's maiden Workday Charity Open tees off Friday morning, and that means DFS players are going to get in on the Friday action as well. We'll want to focus on the early wave of golfers due to the weather forecast, which calls for increasingly windy conditions as the day progresses. I'll look to highlight options at all price points, and also note a couple of options at the top of the leaderboard that you need to fade. Let's dig in.

Top-tier plays

After missing the cut at the Travelers and skipping last week's Rocket Mortgage, Justin Thomas ($10,600) is back in form and looked dialed in on Thursday, gaining nearly three shots on approach and four tee-to-green, but his 1:10 p.m. tee time doesn't fit with our a.m.-only approach for Round 2. Patrick Cantlay ($10,200) does tee off in the early wave, and I'm happy to anchor my lineup with him. Cantlay didn't have his best stuff Thursday but still managed to card a -2 (70) while gaining strokes tee-to-green. Cantlay's approach game wasn't great Thursday (-0.12), but he ranks fifth in strokes gained on approach on the season, so I'm comfortable speculating on a return to form for Round 2.

• Brooks Koepka ($9,600) didn't have it Thursday, and I'll be avoiding him Friday as well. He's without his primary caddie, Ricky Elliott, this week, and weekend golf might not be in his future.
• Xander Schauffele ($9,800) ended the first round with a -3 (69) but all his damage was done on the green. I'm fading him in Round 2.

Middle-tier plays

Putting stats aren't nearly as sticky as the other key strokes-gained stats, so I'm often on the hunt for golfers who fared well on the week's key stats like approach and tee-to-green but struggled with the flat stick compared to their normal baseline. Hello, Patrick Reed ($8,900). Reed played fantastic golf on Thursday, but the fourth-ranked golfer in strokes gained on putting lost nearly a stroke on the greens. If he continues to strike it as well as he did Thursday, he could go low Friday morning. Muirfield Village slayer Marc Leishman ($8,200) leads the PGA Tour in strikes gained on approach, and he got off to a hot start Thursday only to sputter out on the back nine. I'm going back to the well on Leishman Friday.

• Collin Morikawa ($9,100) was dialed in Thursday, but he's a Round 2 fade for me after his +2.09 SG: Putting performance.
• Joaquin Niemann ($8,500) has been cooking since coming back from the extended break, gaining strokes in 10 of his last 11 rounds. He's been exceptional with his approach all season, but his upside lies with his putter. He was even with the field in Round 1, leaving upside to roll in more birdies Friday morning.

Discount plays

A lot of my favorite guys in the “$7,900 and below” range tee off in the afternoon, making them betting marks more than Showdown targets. Guys like Louis Oosthuizen ($7,700), Nick Taylor ($6,900), Matt NeSmith ($6,900) and Corey Conners ($7,500). The cheap guy who opens up a lot of options for your roster here is Peter Malnati ($6,100). Malnati appears to have outkicked his coverage in Round 1, but when he can get hot with his irons he can score. That's because he's consistently one of the best putters on tour, but his opening-round 68 has him tied for seventh despite losing -0.16 strokes on the greens. Look for a return to form Friday for the pizza king, and at $6,100 he allows you to do whatever you want with the rest of your roster.