Constructing DFS lineups at The Masters is a different experience than normal PGA Tour events. Not only are we getting the top-tier players to choose from, but Tiger Woods and several prominent LIV golfers will also be available to tap into during the 2023 Masters. Augusta National rewards long drives, precise irons, and elite putting performances. These are the metrics to consider when targeting prospects during lineup construction.
We don’t need to shy away from players who tend to bogey, especially on a difficult course like Augusta National. DFS weighs birdies 6x compared to par and only dock -0.5 or -1 point for a bogey, depending on whether you’re playing DraftKings or FanDuel. Salaries differ drastically on these platforms, which forms another big piece of solving the puzzle.
Understanding which players succeed at Augusta in past appearances, versus newcomers with the requisite skillset, will go a long way toward determining whether or not lineups cash in DFS contests. Birdies are the currency of PGA DFS, along with logging T25 finishes or higher. Red on the scorecards may be difficult to obtain for most players, so don’t fret when a bogey or two find their way onto a rostered player’s scorecard. Bouncing back and resiliency are the name of the game.
I’ve identified six of my favorite prospects who can help us cash our DraftKings and FanDuel lineups once Sunday’s final round at The Masters concludes. Let’s find out why each player should be prioritized in DFS lineups ahead of Thursday’s opening tee times from Augusta National Golf Club.
DraftKings - $50,000 Maximum Salary (6 players)
Rory McIlroy ($10,600)
33-year-old Northern Ireland superstar, Rory McIlroy, will be out for blood at Augusta National. Figuratively speaking, of course. McIlroy has never recorded an outright win to don the Green Jacket at The Masters’ winning podium, but he came close with a runner-up performance in 2022, going eight-under-par in the final round to surge up the leaderboard. McIlroy has one of the strongest drivers on the PGA Tour and has spent a month preparing for Augusta following a missed cut at The Players Championship. He’s averaging 90.4 FPPG on DraftKings and is discounted at $10.6K compared to Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, which makes me favor McIlroy’s price and upside entering Thursday’s opening round.
Patrick Cantlay ($9,500)
Patrick Cantlay has looked sharp in his previous three events, logging 3, T4, and T19 finishes in loaded fields like the one he’ll compete against at Augusta this week. The 31-year-old California native is ranked sixth in total strokes gained, ranking inside the top ten for strokes gained tee-to-green and off-the-tee, while also ranking second in total driving. He’s got a consistently good putting stroke too, which is what the Bentgrass greens at Augusta tend to reward. If you still aren’t sold on Cantlay, he’s hitting over 71 percent of greens in regulation, which is fifth-best on the PGA Tour right now. He’s another blue-chip prospect available at a discounted value of $9.5K on DraftKings, so despite only one T10 finish at The Masters in six previous appearances, I like Cantlay’s form and salary enough to justify inserting him into DFS lineups.
Jason Day ($8,700)
Jason Day has found a resurgence with his production on the golf course in 2023. The 35-year-old Aussie has 12 outright wins and one of the most decorated careers of any active player on the PGA Tour, so he knows how to perform in pressure-packed moments against the best players in the world. Day has consistently delivered 71 to 92 DK fantasy points in each of his previous five events, so we’re landing a huge floor at this discounted salary. Factor in Day’s previous finishes of T10, T22, T20, and T5 at Augusta, and he quickly becomes a priority addition to your lineups.
FanDuel - $60,000 Maximum Salary (6 players)
Jordan Spieth ($11,600)
Another player who started their career on a tear and looks to be rounding back into that elite form is Jordan Spieth. The 29-year-old Texas native has experienced a ton of success at Augusta in the past, starting his career with a T2 finish in 2014 and following it up with an outright win in 2015. Since donning the coveted Green Jacket, Spieth has gone on to log three more T3 finishes as recently as 2021. However, he did miss the cut by going +6 in 2022, which was the first time Spieth didn’t compete in the final two rounds of The Masters. We’re being forced to pay up for his production but it’ll be worth the investment. Spieth has produced at least 85 FD points in four of his previous five events played, leaning on his irons and putter to bail him out of bad lies. He’s 16/1 to win outright for the second time here, so hop onboard now and get Spieth into FanDuel lineups.
Sungjae Im ($9,900)
Sungjae Im has experienced a tremendous amount of success in his career. Despite being just 24 years old, the South Korean native has logged two T10 finishes at Augusta in three previous appearances, missing the cut in 2021 but following that disappointing outing up with a T8 finish in 2022. Im has only missed the cut once in 13 events played in 2023 and just logged a T6 finish worth 95.4 FD points in his last outing at TPC Sawgrass. At under $10K on FanDuel, consider Im a value play with a high floor and the ability to deliver a high ceiling with his pure ball-striking ability.
Justin Rose ($9,300)
I couldn’t resist recommending one of the savviest veterans, who is currently playing good golf on the PGA Tour. 42-year-old Justin Rose has competed in 17 Masters tournaments, logging six T10 finishes or better. He recorded an outright win at Pebble Beach in February and added another T6 finish at TPC Sawgrass. Rose is a volatile play in DFS, ranging wildly from 133 points during his win at Pebble Beach, down to 16.8 FD points during a missed cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, before bouncing back with 85.4 FD points at The PLAYERS Championship, before finally settling with a T36 (51 FD points) outing during his last event played at Valspar. The Englishman’s iron play is his best skill, but he’s also ranked 28th in strokes gained putting, which will go a long way when navigating the slick Bentgrass greens at Augusta National. Equipped with an accurate driver and talented enough to scramble and save par out of errant lies in sand bunkers, Rose is experienced here and is resilient enough to be a high-value addition to FanDuel lineups this weekend.
