Daily Fantasy Golf DraftKings Picks (PGA DFS): Ryder Cup (USA Breakdown)

September 20, 2021

Spencer breaks down the DraftKings PGA slate with his Ryder Cup DFS lineup picks, under-owned value plays, and golfers to avoid for daily fantasy lineups.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! As always, please check out my weekly spreadsheet in the link below to get started on your research for the Ryder Cup. You will be able to weigh out the categories however you see fit once you make a copy, and I always love hearing the success you have found while using the model. Thanks again for all the support, and let's have a successful week!

If you have any questions about a particular player from a PGA DFS or PGA betting perspective, please feel free to contact Spencer on Twitter @Teeoffsports.

Many golfers barely miss out on being mentioned here by fractions of a percent, and I am more than happy to discuss my feelings or stance on anyone that may have caught your eye. Like always, the purpose of this piece is to help you put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups for DraftKings, whether that be from a GPP perspective or a cash-game mentality. Be sure to also read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles to help you win big!

PGA DFS Rankings Wizard - Ryder Cup

We have a special treat for all you RotoBallers and golf enthusiasts. In addition to this article, be sure to also check out Spencer's PGA DFS Rankings Wizard - a powerful and interactive data spreadsheet, allowing user inputs to create custom rankings and models for golf. If you want to create your own spreadsheet, you will need to make a copy under "file." We hope you enjoy!

Schedule:

We won't get any indication of what exact roster construction will look like for the opening set of matches until Thursday night, but even still, it will only tell an extremely small picture for the sake of DraftKings.

Friday Schedule: (Four Teams In Each)

Morning Fourballs (Best Ball)
Afternoon Foursome (Alternate Shot)

Saturday Schedule: (Four Teams In Each)

Morning Fourballs (Best Ball)
Afternoon Foursome (Alternate Shot)

Sunday Schedule: (All 12 players)

Singles

Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for DraftKings (PGA DFS)

We have tons of great weekly PGA articles, DFS analysis, tools and DFS advice. Be sure to read our other fantastic articles regarding this week's event.

Whistling Straits

Let's start with what we know about Whistling Straits as a venue. Numerous dunes and some water will give the European team the feel as if this is a home match, but don't be confused. The American squad couldn't have picked a better venue to try and take back the Ryder Cup. At its max, the course can stretch out to over 7,800 yards, and the numerous bunkers and impeding rough will add to the length because of all the doom looming. While nobody knows for sure how many sand traps are at the venue (I might have hand-counted them if I were Dustin Johnson after his 2010 mishap where he mistakenly mistook a bunker for being a waste area) the easy answer to appease everyone is well over 1,000. I am going to keep my model pretty simple this week of looking at proximity from over 200 yards to account for the length, total driving to handicap both distance and accuracy, sand save percentage from fairway bunkers and greenside sand traps, par-five birdie or better percentage, SG total at Pete Dye venues and SG total tee to green.

• SG Total: Tee to Green 15%
• SG Total: Pete Dye 15%
• Par-Five Birdie or Better 15%
• GIR From Bunker 10%
• Sand Save Percentage 10%
• Total Driving 15%
• Proximity 200+ 20%

Note: For an exclusive in-depth look at this week's course, check out RotoBaller's Premium Course Breakdown written by Josh Bennett.

What I Would Do:

Fourball (Best Ball)

I don't mind if Steve Stricker steals this idea, as long as he gives me credit for the eventual winning roster construction!

#1 Justin Thomas/Bryson DeChambeau

It isn't a surprise as to why Europe has held a recent edge over the United States. We can chalk it up to Europe seeming to care more, which does contain some value, but this idea that certain players won't work together because of relationship issues - or somehow even worse - this concept that golfers will only play together because of friendships already built, has set the team back in recent iterations of the event. I am okay with the notion that it doesn't make sense from a roster construction standpoint to pair known situation issues with one another (and frankly, we have enough depth where we aren't forced to do such a thing), but I actually think specific pairings being penciled in from the start could be causing more harm than anything else. Europe has done a great job in the past of analytically building rosters and being able to adjust on the fly, and it continues to stifle the Americans, who are more concerned about playing with a buddy than taking home the title. While Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have proven to be a respectable tandem in the past, you don't have to look any further than chemistry being disrupted when Spieth forced his way out of partnering with Reed during the 2018 Ryder Cup.

When I ran my model this week, Bryson DeChambeau graded out as the top player in this entire field. Not using him for all five matches is a potentially devastating decision, and a partner like Justin Thomas not only opens up what can be put together beneath them but also starts the United States off with two of their biggest firecrackers.

What I think we actually get: Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth

#2 Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele

Talking about penciled-in pairings, Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele is a duo that I can get behind. I think they work together in all variations, and it is hard to argue against the two being the best tandem for one another.

What I think we actually get: Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele

#3 Jordan Spieth/Scottie Scheffler

Yes, we take Justin Thomas away from Jordan Spieth, but partnering him with Scottie Scheffler gives him a fellow Texas native. Spieth's ability to make birdies in bunches pairs nicely with Scheffler's firepower to do the same and the two could form an explosive duo that is difficult to tackle in this particular setting.

What I think we actually get: Dustin Johnson/Collin Morikawa

#4 Brooks Koepka/Harris English

Let me start by saying that despite ranking fourth in my DFS model, I do believe Brooks Koepka is best deployed in fourball only. We know Koepka has a difficult time getting along with others, and the fact that he is bringing an injury into the week won't help the situation. I'd say this is almost 100% going to be Koepka/Finau because the two were solid together during the last Ryder Cup + even Koepka can get along with Finau, but a Harris English pairing might actually be more conducive for the Americans to find success when you dig into English's ability to make birdies in bunches for a format like this. I assume Stricker will hide English and Berger together in foursomes, but I prefer the explosiveness that these two bring to the table.

What I think we actually get: Brooks Koepka/Tony Finau

Foursomes (Alternate Shot)

#1 Dustin Johnson/Collin Morikawa

I like the approach of Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa teaming up, but I prefer placing them together in alternate-shot. DJ's length and Morikawa's iron prowess would form a deadly combination to beat, and I am not 100% sure either deserves to get a full arsenal of five matches, given their current forms.

What I think we actually get: Bryson DeChambeau/Scottie Scheffler

#2 Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay

As I mentioned previously, I am fine with these two being together the entire time.

What I think we actually get: Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay

#3 Daniel Berger/Tony Finau

I think Steve Stricker will eventually use Daniel Berger and Harris English because he doesn't know what else to do, but splitting the pod of Koepka, English, Berger and Finau into the combination I have is likely a better route than having Koepka force his way with Finau for the week. English and Berger's lack of length would worry me at a venue like Whistling Straits, and I believe Finau makes for a better teammate in this kind of format.

What I think we actually get: Daniel Berger/Harris English

#4 Justin Thomas/Bryson DeChambeau

I'm sold on the concept that Bryson DeChambeau should be playing every match this week. While he does have other potential partners, Thomas/DeChambeau form the ultimate cheat code.

What I think we actually get: Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth

Recap:

Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay (Both sets on Friday)
Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Harris English (Best Ball)
Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Daniel Berger, Tony Finau (Alternate Shot)

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