Daily Fantasy Golf FanDuel Picks (PGA DFS) - The Masters

Joe Nicely breaks down the FanDuel slate, providing information of not only who will come into the week under-owned but also who should be avoided for your lineups.

Hello RotoBaller PGA family! We're not going to spend a lot of time on Carlos Ortiz' victory at the Vivint Houston Open, because we all know what's at stake this week...it's the Masters!

It's the grandaddy of them all in my mind. For the first time in history, we head to Augusta National Golf Club for a November Masters! In this article we'll discuss some of the standout PGA DFS plays available on FanDuel for the Masters. While it's impossible to hit on every player, we'll touch on some different plays across all price ranges, breaking the groups down into "High", "Mid", and "Low" price options.

Like always, the purpose of this piece is to help you put together your optimal daily fantasy golf lineups for FanDuel, 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 and betting articles to help you win big!

The Masters - PGA DFS Overview

Augusta National Golf Club

7,435 Yards - Par 72 - Greens: Bentgrass - Designer: Bobby Jones & Alister Mackenzie

Augusta National is a Par 72 that has been stretched out to 7,435 yards. The legendary layout tests every facet of a player's game. You have to be long and (somewhat) accurate off the tee, precise on approach shots with your irons, creative with your short game, and have nerves of steel on the lightning-fast greens.

Perhaps nearly as important as being able to hit the shots, is knowing what type of shots to hit and where to hit them. Course experience isn't an absolute must to play well at Augusta, but we see time and again how big of an asset course knowledge and experience can be in the Masters. The preferred ball flight is right-to-left (a draw for right-handed players) off the tee and a high cut on approach shots into the greens. While there is obviously more than one way to skin a cat, we've seen players that can hit those shots repeatedly succeed over the years. We're extremely familiar with this Augusta National layout, but in true 2020 fashion, we're being thrown a curveball this year, as the tournament has never been held in November. This forces us to guess as to how differently the layout will play. While I initially imagined cool, firm and fast conditions for this unprecedented November Masters, Augusta is currently unseasonably warm and wet, with showers forecasted throughout the week. If these conditions hold, it will limit rollout and favor those that have longer carry yardages off the tee.

Let's Look At The Stats

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Tee to Green
• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
• Driving Distance
• Par 5: Birdies or Better Gained
• SG: Around The Greens
• Course History
• Bogey Avoidance

Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for FanDuel (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 including DFS lineup picks for DraftKings/FanDuel, betting advice and DFS prop picks.

High-Priced FanDuel DFS Players 

Bryson DeChambeau ($12,100)

We'll kick Masters week off with the player that everyone is talking about...Bryson DeChambeau. Before we dive into Bryson, let me clearly state that basically all of the options at the top of the salary scale are very viable this week and there's not a bad play in the bunch from $11.3k up in my opinion.

I made the mistake of doubting Bryson DeChambeau at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open earlier this year. I'm not going to make that mistake again for the Masters. If anything, Augusta National sets up better for DeChambeau than either of the year's previous major-championship venues. There is no "rough" on this layout and - for all the recent outcry about Bryson's distance with the driver (first in the field in both Driving Distance & SG: Off the Tee) - length off the tee has always been an advantage at Augusta National.

While Bryson will definitely have a leg-up on the field due to his driver, he's by no means a "lock" to win this event, as the subtleties of this legendary golf course will test every area of his game. DeChambeau stands just 57th in the field in SG: Approach and 37th in SG: Around the Green, so while he'll undoubtedly give himself opportunities off the tee, the rest of his game is not always bulletproof.

All in all, Bryson is perhaps the most intriguing play on the slate...because the possibility of total dominance seems realistic with him. I don't expect him to runaway with this tournament, but it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility, which makes his potential upside unmatched.

Dustin Johnson ($11,800)

An argument can be made for a handful of players being the "best" since the restart, but Johnson has to be near the top of the list. He has two wins (three if you wanna count the Tour Championship) and three runner-ups over his 11 post-layoff starts. DJ leads this week's ultra-elite field in all of the following major statistical categories over the last 24 rounds: SG: Total, T2G, Ball Striking, Approach and DraftKings Points Scored.

After initially struggling at Augusta at the start of his career, last year's runner-up finish marked Dustin Johnson's fourth-straight top-10 result at the Masters. The argument for many years was that Augusta wasn't a great natural fit for DJ because of his preference for a cut off the tee, but he's steadily put those thoughts to bed in recent years. He should continue to thrive at ANGC this week, as the expected softer conditions will give a boost to Johnson's already-big advantage off the tee.

Jon Rahm ($11,700)

The Masters has been his "best" major to this point in his young career, as the 26-year-old has posted impressive finishes of T9 and 4th in his last two starts at Augusta National. His ability off the tee (second in SG: OTT & sixth in Driving Distance) will obviously continue to serve him well this week (especially in conditions that are expected to be soft), but it's his improving touch on and around the greens (20th in SG: Short Game) that has me high on his chances in this spot.

His talent is undeniable and major victories are almost inevitable. It's tempting to play the ownership game with Rahm (and the top of the board as a whole) this week...meaning, see who is going to be popular and then make overweight or underweight "stands". Unless his ownership is astronomical, I imagine I'll be going overweight with my exposure to the young Spaniard.

Brooks Koepka ($11,300)

This has basically been a lost year for Koepka, as he's never really appeared to be fully healthy for any solid stretch of time. That said, he can turn this from a horrible year to a great on with a victory this week. We saw him get himself into "major mode" at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude the week prior to the PGA Championship and then play extremely well at Harding Park, entering the weekend with a legitimate chance to win, before ultimately blowing up in the final round in a very un-Koepka-like performance. Will we see a similar scenario play out after his impressive performance in Houston last week? He never seems to care about "regular" Tour events, so it's often tough to gauge his true form, yet he's repeatedly shown the ability to "flip the switch" for major championships. Koepka notched a T2 in last year's Masters and has played well in previous trips to Augusta. Most of the signs point to "no" on him this week, but the possibility that he pulls off something incredible continues to linger around in the back of my mind.

Xander Schauffele ($11,300) 

It's simply impossible to ignore Xander Schauffele in major championships at this point. If you are a believer, continue to fire him up this week. If you aren't a believer...why aren't you a believer?

Patrick Cantlay ($10,700)

Like Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay has suffered through something of a "lost year" in 2020. He certainly improved the tone of the season with a win at the ZOZO Championship a few weeks ago, logging the type of performance that was what many of us expected to see from him consistently this year. Can he keep the momentum going at Augusta? There certainly a strong chance of that...he briefly held the final-round lead here last year. Overall, Cantlay feels a bit more "speculative" to me than most of the other "elite" options in this price range, but he undoubtedly possesses all the tools needed to play well on this golf course.

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Mid-Priced FanDuel DFS Players

Hideki Matsuyama ($10,500)

We're gonna talk about Tony Finau next, but some would argue that Hideki Matsuyama and Tony Finau are the "same guy"...the type of rock-solid players that we love to target on tough courses in majors, but guys that can't close the door on wins. Hideki's resume reflects that it's a fair label. His last win came at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2017 and outside of a T3 at the BMW Championship and last week's outburst in Houston, 'Deki has no top-10s since the restart. However, his game log is dotted with top-25 finishes and his Masters credentials are similarly solid...he's made the cut at Augusta in seven of his eight career starts and last year's T32 was his worst finish since 2014. He doesn't have to win to pay off this price tag, but we're always targeting tournament-winning upside. An overall solid play.

Tony Finau ($10,400)

Like the aforementioned Matsuyama, he's continually posted strong results in major championships - including a T5 and a T10 in his only two Masters starts - but has always failed to close the door on wins. If he isn't the most popular player on the slate I'll be surprised. The obvious worry is if he can actually win this tournament. My heart says "yes", while my head says "probably not". The concerns about his win equity circles us back around to his price tag...we don't really have to have a win at this price. I'll be overweight on Finau.

Adam Scott ($10,100)

We're entering "rock-solid veterans that you can trust in the Masters" territory here. A former Masters champion, the talented Aussie has never truly found his groove this year, as he elected to delay his return to action from the Covid layoff and then tested positive himself before the ZOZO Championship last month. Despite the lack of consistent starts, Scott has been solid when he has teed it up, logging a T22 at the PGA Championship and a T38 at the U.S. Open. He gained 3.9 strokes on Approach last week in Houston, his best iron performance since the restart. Scott has only missed the cut in two of his 18 career Masters starts. The last time he wasn't playing on the weekend in Augusta was 2009.

Bubba Watson ($10,000)

It's almost a perfect storm with Bubba this week...he's been posting great results on the strength of unbelievably-sharp ball striking and he's a two-time Masters champion that loves this golf course. Watson seems to post solid Masters results, even when he's in bad form, as his T12 and T5 finishes of the last two years indicate. At first glance the price tag feels a little steep, but Watson stands second in this field in SG: T2G and SG: Ball Striking over the last 24 rounds, while also grading out inside the top-five in SG: OTT and Approach. The concern is his putting, which has been...bad. However, Bubba has still managed to post strong results as of late in spite of the cold putter.

Jason Day ($9,900)

Just when I think I'm out...they pulllll me back in!

If we throw out the fear of a random WD, Jason Day is an intriguing play this week. His Masters track record is unbelievably good...three top-fives in nine career starts with a T28 being his worst career finish at Augusta National (outside of a, you guessed it, WD in 2012). To further add to the temptation, Day played extremely well in Houston last week, recording a T7 thanks to his best ball striking performance in months. He's just sooo tough to trust...I wouldn't put your life savings on a lineup with him in it, but he's a really intriguing GPP option.

Low-Priced FanDuel DFS Players

Louis Oosthuizen ($9,600)

Louis Oosthuizen's track record at Augusta National can undoubtedly be described as rock solid. Oosty fell short in a playoff at the 2012 Masters and has made the cut in six of his seven starts since with four top-25s among those. The South African has played sneaky-good golf since the restart, making 11 of 12 cuts post-Covid, with a T6 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude and a very impressive T3 at the U.S. Open. Unfortunately, his most recent start was also his poorest performance in several months, as he lost over three strokes on Approach en route to a T48 at the CJ Cup. I'm not overly concerned about one bad outing, because Louis is such a seasoned pro. If anything, maybe we can catch him flying a bit under the radar this week.

Matthew Fitzpatrick ($9,400)

It feels like we're stumbling upon a bit of a bargain here with Matty Fitz. The Englishman has been not only rock-solid in previous trips to Augusta (T7 in 2016 and three made cuts since), but he's been trending in the right direction statistically as of late. Fitzpatrick has gained strokes both T2G and on Approach in each of his last four starts. Of course, the big concern here is his lack of distance off the tee (62nd in the field in Driving Distance), especially if we think the course will be playing longer due to the expected wetter conditions. However, as we go down the salary scale there are no "perfect" plays and we'll find guys with flaws that we must be willing to accept. I'm willing to overlook some of the negatives with Fitz here, due to the many positives that are in his favor.

Ian Poulter ($8,800)

This is an interesting play. Poulter seems to always defy the statistical odds and just continually put himself in the mix throughout the years. Hung around to post a T12 at Augusta National last year, his eighth career top-25 in the Masters and he's only missed one cut at Augusta National in 14 career starts! Posted back-to-back top-10s in Europe before a strong T12 showing at the CJ Cup...so there's a nice blend of form and course history here at a palatable price. He did WD from Houston last week citing a back injury, but I'm leaning towards it really just being a break to recharge before the rigors of the Masters.

Cameron Smith ($8,700)

Perhaps my favorite value play on the board this week, the Aussie is not a player that I roster very often, but I've found myself routinely clicking his name as of late. My change of heart with Smith can be attributed to his solidified iron play over the last three months. Ball striking has historically been the downside of his game, but he heads to Augusta off EIGHT straight plus performances on Approach. That consistency with the irons has resulted in six top-25s in his last seven starts, including a T4 in his most recent outing at the ZOZO Championship. He also has a T5 in the Masters on his resume, which lets us know he can handle AGNC.

Sebastian Munoz ($7,900)

A quick scan of Munoz' game log might have you wondering why he's so cheap. Sorry, I don't know either...other than to guess it's due to his name recognition among casual fans being super low and the fact that he's a Masters rookie. Munoz has gained strokes both T2G and on Approach in four straight outings.  He's posted three top-10 over his last seven starts and grades out 28th in this Masters field in SG: T2G. We're always guessing as to how players will react in their first Masters start, but it feels as though Munoz is worth serious consideration at this price tag.

Lanto Griffin ($7,700)

Another Masters rookie who might not be too familiar to casual golf fans. Like the aforementioned Munoz, Lanto Griffin has been playing at a high level as of late. He's a tremendous Bentgrass putter that's also gained strokes on Approach in each of his last five starts. Griffin has displayed some moxie in big events, posting a top-20 finish at the PGA Championship and making the cut at the U.S. Open.

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