GOLF

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Golf Helper: The Memorial Tournament

Rory McIlroy gets a break from being the most expensive golfer on DraftKings this week, which makes him an immediate value. Who else stand out this week for DFS lineups?

Daily fantasy golf requires a new approach for each and every event.

The course and field change week after week, making no two contests alike. That means you need to refine your approach for each PGA Tour event to try to find golfers who are primed to excel for your daily fantasy golf lineups.

Each week, we have a course primer, and our daily fantasy golf projections and lineup builder can help you get started, but these golfers stand out specifically on DraftKings for the Memorial Tournament.

Key Stats

Key Stats for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village GC
Strokes Gained: Approach
Greens in Regulation Gained
Strokes Gained: Around the Green
Strokes Gained: Par 5s
Birdies or Better Gained


Let's get to the picks. For details on why these stats stand out this week, check out the course primer.

Stats are from Fantasy National Golf Club and are for golfers in the field over the last 50 rounds.

High-Priced Studs

Justin Thomas (DraftKings Price: $10,900 | FanDuel Sportsbook Win Odds: +1200) - Thomas is offered at nearly the same win odds as last week despite a stronger field, but fortunately gets a slight haircut on his price on DraftKings to immediately jump out as a strong value at the top of the pricing. He is 2nd in strokes gained: approach, 3rd in birdies or better gained, 3rd on par 5s, and 15th around the green. He was terrific in all facets at the Workday and ought to have locked it up multiple times, but such is golf. He has had enough success that a gutting loss won't linger too long, and he will be eager to come back out and contend again.

Rory McIlroy ($10,700 | +1400) - For all the hubbub around Bryson DeChambeau ($11,100 | +1000), McIlroy is still the top dog for the moment. He missed the cut here last year but had finishes of T8, T4, and T15 the three years prior, and he has made the weekend every time out since except at Royal Portrush. He actually lost strokes with his irons at the Travelers, having last done so close to a year ago. He still finished T11 thanks to some quality short game, but he should be back to his pin-seeking ways at Muirfield. He is 1st in birdies or better gained, strokes gained: par 5s, and strokes gained: tee-to-green, 4th in strokes gained: around the green, X in greens in regulation (GIR) gained, and21st in strokes gained: approach, and X in greens in regulation (GIR) gained.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,800 | +1500) - The defending Memorial champion stormed up the leaderboard on Sunday with a 65 to finish T7 after making the cut on the number and treading water on moving day. His tee-to-green prowess is among the best in the world, and he gained in all facets for the second tournament in a row (having done so at the correlated TPC River Highlands). He is 4th in birdies or better gained, 7th on par 5s, 9th in strokes gained: tee-to-green, and 13th in strokes gained: approach.

Mid-Priced Options

Hideki Matsuyama ($9,400 | +2500) - Matsuyama got off to a hot start at the Workday Charity Open before fading on Sunday in pretty friendly scoring conditions. He was one of only four golfers to finish in the top 40 but shoot over par in the final round. His putter failing him is predictable -- he ultimately lost 4.1 strokes putting over the weekend -- but more surprising was that he lost 1.4 strokes with his approaches, the third worst individual round since last year's FedEx Cup Playoffs. He should be able to bounce back for a strong finish if he gets just a couple putts to roll in. He fits this course perfectly, ranking third in strokes gained: tee-to-green and specifically around the green, fifth in birdies or better gained and GIRs gained, sixth on par 5s, and seventh in approach.

Xander Schauffele ($9,200 | +3100) - A Friday 73 made it very difficult for Schauffele to make a weekend charge, but he still managed to grind his way to T14 at the Workday. He is 2nd in GIRs gained, 5th on par 5s, 10th in birdies or better gained, and 14th in strokes gained: approach. He was also T14 at last year's Memorial, and he has knocked on the door a few times this season without breaking through for a win, most notably at the WGC-HSBC Champions, the Tournament of Champions, and the Charles Schwab Challenge. Now a year and a half years since he last won, Schauffele is bound to get back into the winner's circle. With Jon Rahm ($9,300 | +2200) getting a big price discount and Tiger Woods ($9,000 | +2700) right below him with better win odds, Schauffele will not be quite as owned as he normally would at this price.

Daniel Berger ($8,700 | +4000) - The course form is not particularly attractive with just a 67th and a missed cut back in 2016 and 2015, but Berger has arguably been the hottest non-DeChambeau player in the world between the few events before and after the COVID-19 layoff. Five straight top 10s will do just fine, and his win at Colonial against most of the top players in the wold was a huge statement. Over the last 50 rounds, he is 11th in birdies or better gained, 15th in strokes gained: tee-to-green, and 40th in strokes gained: approach. Narrowing the sample to just the last 24 rounds, those ranks are 4th, 8th, and 10th.

Abraham Ancer ($8,500 | +4500) - Ancer has been lights out tee-to-green since the layoff ended, with finishes of T14, 2nd, and T11 in his first three events and those massive performances were driven largely by his approach play. He gained in all facets last time out at the Travelers Championship, finishing T11 at one of this week's correlated courses. He has yet to win on the PGA Tour but he is undeniably ascendant since the Presidents Cup, and he is peaking heading into Muirfield.

Low-Priced Options

Paul Casey ($7,900 | +7500) - Casey has played here just twice in the past decade with a T13 in 2014 and a missed cut in 2016, but the course should suit him perfectly. He is 6th in strokes gained: approach, 7th in strokes gained: tee to green and GIRs gained, and 19th on par 5s. Always a high floor option in DFS given his strong approach play and cut-making ability, Casey's meager recent record at Muirfield is more than made up by his dominance at our companion tracks. He is a two-time winner at Innisbrook Resort and has multiple top 10s at Augusta National, TPC River Highlands, and Quail Hollow over the past few years.

Kevin Streelman ($7,600 | +7500) - We are not just riding a strong week with Streelman, as he has both solid long term form and a great history at Muirfield. He is 2nd in strokes gained on par 5s, 27th in birdies or better gained, 29th in strokes gained: approach, and 32nd in both strokes gained: tee-to-green and GIRs gained. In addition to his T7 finish at the Workday, Streelman has four top 20s the past five years at the Memorial. He is a former winner at the correlated TPC River Highlands and was runner up a few weeks back at the Travelers.

Doc Redman ($7,600 | +15000) - Redman is a major talent with a lot to prove coming off three straight top 25s post-layoff. Even in this loaded field, he ranks 12th in strokes gained: approach, and whether he can hang on with the putter, like many of the golfers priced in this range, remains to be seen. He has just two missed cuts in 2020, and he will yield considerable ownership to Streelman at the same price point.

Corey Conners ($7,400 | +15000) - A T39 finish last week thanks almost entirely to his iron play makes Conners attractive once again this week as a #TeamNoPutt candidate whose approach play can carry him week in and week out. He ranks first in GIRs gained and ninth in strokes gained: approach. Conners won on Tour last year somewhat shockingly, but once the summer hit he was a top 30 machine through the Playoffs and swing season, even making a legitimate case for the Presidents Cup team. A string of poor finishes out West and in Florida dimmed his star a bit, but back now from layoff, with finishes of T19, T21, MC, and T39 -- he's much more in the form we saw last year around this time. At this price, a good shot at a top 30 with upside is a great filler in any lineup constructions.

Harris English ($7,300 | +15000) - English was hot on Berger's heels before the layoff as former top 50 players ready to return to form, and while Berger is certainly peaking English is hardly a dud, with finishes of MC and T17 post-COVID. That gives him four top 20s in his last five events, and he can absolutely compete if the driver cooperates. If the rough is grown out and English is off-target, it could be a short week.

Bargain Basement

Emiliano Grillo ($6,700 | +15000) - If tee-to-green and approach is all that matters, chalk Grillo up for another top 25 finish here, as he's done three of the last four years. If that pesky putter has any say, though, it will be another disappointing turn for the Argentine. In his last 11 events, he has a T3 in Puerto Rico to go along with two feckless finishes, a DQ at Bay Hill, and seven missed cuts. But he can't be ignored ranking 4th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and 12th in approach.

Sung Kang ($6,200 | +45000) - Unafraid and prone to spike finishes, Kang ranks between 35th and 50th in strokes gained: approach, birdies or better gained, GIRs gained, and strokes gained on par 5s. With top 10s at Riviera and Bay Hill this year already, he can pop up on leaderboards even with the world's best in the field.


Mike Rodden is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Rodden also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mike_rodden. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.