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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the Memorial Tournament on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR travels from Canada to Ohio this week for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. This event will be played at Muirfield Village (par 72, 7,569 yards, bentgrass greens) in Dublin, which has been the lone home of the Memorial since it was added to the PGA TOUR schedule in 1976. For this year, the Memorial is one of the PGA TOUR’s eight signature events, with the tournament featuring a purse of $20 million and a limited field of 73 golfers. Despite the smaller field, there will still be a cut, with the top-50 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the lead advancing after the first two rounds. Viktor Hovland (-7) is the defending champion of the Memorial, after defeating Denny McCarthy in a playoff a year ago.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The cliff notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today
 

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
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PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($12,500) – Scheffler’s salary has dropped $800 since his last start, and he is well worth this slate-high price tag. Scheffler is coming off a runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and he has incredibly either won or finished runner-up in six of his last seven starts. The world No.1 ranked player has finished T3rd in each of his last two appearances at Muirfield Village and is heavily favored to win this week, with +360 outright odds on the DraftKings Sportsbook. As always, his DFS salary simply isn’t high enough for Scheffler’s chances of winning this week, and he should provide no fewer than 100 DraftKings points. This season, Scheffler is averaging a ridiculous 112.8 DraftKings points per start, and he has eclipsed 100 DraftKings points in nine of his 12 starts.

Viktor Hovland ($10,200) – Hovland is the best starting piece if electing to fade Scheffler. After some lackluster results by his standards, Hovland reunited with his old swing coach Joe Mayo ahead of the PGA Championship and then went onto finish T3rd at the major. By wide margins, Hovland set season highs in every major strokes gained category at Valhalla Golf Club, which notably like Muirfield Village, was designed by Jack Nicklaus. Hovland will now look to build off this impressive performance at Muirfield Village, where he came out victorious last season, and with his confidence back, Hovland should contend for his second straight Memorial title.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Collin Morikawa ($9,800) – Morikawa has posted a top-10 finish in three of his past four starts and has been very successful at Muirfield Village. The 27-year-old won the Workday Charity Open at Jack’s Place in 2020 and he finished runner-up at the 2021 Memorial. Outside of Scheffler, no player in the field has gained more total strokes than Morikawa over his last two starts, and he should have been priced over $10,000 considering his current form.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,400) – Returning to Muirfield Village, Cantlay should have one of his best showings of the season. The 32-year-old has won twice at this par 72, and when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at Nicklaus’ designs, Cantlay ranks first in total strokes gained, via the Betsperts Rabbit Hole Tool. Additionally, he ranks first in total strokes gained when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at courses that are home to bentgrass greens. A top-10 finish is on the table for Cantlay this weekend, and he shouldn’t be overly popular considering he has a had a subpar season by his standards.

Now in beta testing: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Russell Henley ($8,000) – Henley is without question one of the best values available for the Memorial. The veteran has finished T16th or better in two of his last three starts at Muirfield Village, and he has finished inside the top 25 in seven of his 12 starts this season. Furthermore, Henley ranks 35th in SG: Approach and 19th in SG: Around-the-Green this season, setting him up perfectly for his return to Jack’s Place, where three of the past four winners have finished the event top 12 in both categories. For some evidence on how underpriced Henley is, he carries +4000 odds to win the Memorial on the DraftKings Sportsbook, which are better odds than Wyndham Clark, who is notably more expensive for DFS purposes at $8,900

Sungjae Im ($8,000) – You can’t go wrong with Im at this price point, which is the lowest he has ever been priced for a Memorial Tournament. The 26-year-old is in convincing form, with three top-12 finishes in his last four starts, and he finished T10th at the Memorial two years ago. Im has produced a top-20 finish at four of the six signature events so far this season and is a strong bet to add another top 20 to his resume this year.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Shane Lowry ($7,900) – Lowry has finished T16th or better in three of his past six starts at the Memorial, and he just shined at another Nicklaus creation in Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship two weeks ago, recording a T6 finish. When comparing this field’s last 50 rounds at Nicklaus-designed courses, Lowry impressively ranks second only to Cantlay in total strokes gained, according to the Rabbit Hole. Lowry has tallied four top-six finishes in 12 starts this season, and he is a sensational bargain at this sub-$8,000 salary.

Sepp Straka ($7,500) – Straka continues to be vastly underpriced for his upside and must be rostered at this affordable price tag. The veteran is on the heels of a T5 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, which is his third top-eight finish in his last four starts. Plus, two of these high finishes came at signature events that feature the PGA TOUR’s best players, which is the same case this week at the Memorial. Straka finished T16th at last year’s edition of this event and absolutely has the potential to outdo himself with an even higher finish this week. Currently, Straka is the No.21 ranked golfer in the world, which is 13 spots higher than when he visited Jack’s Place last season.

Billy Horschel ($7,400) – Most notably with a four-shot victory two years ago, Horschel has carded five top-15 finishes in 10 starts at the Memorial. Plus, the veteran is having an awesome season, producing a top-25 finish in seven of his 14 starts, with his two-stroke win at the Corales Puntacana Championship being the obvious highlight. Horschel ranks ninth in total strokes gained when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds on Nicklaus designs via the Rabbit Hole, and he is a cash game staple at this soft salary.

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Justin Rose ($6,900) – Rose is another player who thrives at Nicklaus-designed tracks. The former world No.1 ranked golfer has finished inside the top 15 in nine of his 14 appearances at the Memorial, including a three-shot victory in 2010. Rose was also in the mix for a win at Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship two weeks ago, finishing T6th, which is his best major finish in five years. Overall, Rose ranks sixth in total strokes gained when we analyze this field’s 50 rounds at courses designed by Nicklaus via the Rabbit Hole. The 43-year-old has made four straight cuts entering this week and is the best sub-$7,000 target on the board. Notably, Rose’s $6,900 is the cheapest he has ever been priced for an event at Muirfield Village.

Lee Hodges ($6,500) – Hodges finished T12th in his first try at Muirfield Village a year ago and returns to Dublin in great form. The 28-year-old has advanced to the weekend at four straight tournaments, with the latter two finishes of this streak being a T12 at the PGA Championship and a T12 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. During both of these finishes, Hodges impressively gained at least 4.5 strokes with his irons, and when we analyze this world-class field’s last eight rounds using the Rabbit Hole, Hodges ranks fourth in SG: Approach. In this type of form as a ball striker, Hodges should easily outperform this low salary, possibly with a top-20 finish.  

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Rocket Mortgage Classic Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings Genesis Scottish Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings 3M Open PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values FedEx St. Jude Championship Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR travels from Canada to Ohio this week for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. This event will be played at Muirfield Village (par 72, 7,569 yards, bentgrass greens) in Dublin, which has been the lone home of the Memorial since it was added to the PGA TOUR schedule in 1976. For this year, the Memorial is one of the PGA TOUR’s eight signature events, with the tournament featuring a purse of $20 million and a limited field of 73 golfers. Despite the smaller field, there will still be a cut, with the top-50 and ties and any player within 10 shots of the lead advancing after the first two rounds. Viktor Hovland (-7) is the defending champion of the Memorial, after defeating Denny McCarthy in a playoff a year ago.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The cliff notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today
 

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler ($12,500) – Scheffler’s salary has dropped $800 since his last start, and he is well worth this slate-high price tag. Scheffler is coming off a runner-up finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, and he has incredibly either won or finished runner-up in six of his last seven starts. The world No.1 ranked player has finished T3rd in each of his last two appearances at Muirfield Village and is heavily favored to win this week, with +360 outright odds on the DraftKings Sportsbook. As always, his DFS salary simply isn’t high enough for Scheffler’s chances of winning this week, and he should provide no fewer than 100 DraftKings points. This season, Scheffler is averaging a ridiculous 112.8 DraftKings points per start, and he has eclipsed 100 DraftKings points in nine of his 12 starts.

Viktor Hovland ($10,200) – Hovland is the best starting piece if electing to fade Scheffler. After some lackluster results by his standards, Hovland reunited with his old swing coach Joe Mayo ahead of the PGA Championship and then went onto finish T3rd at the major. By wide margins, Hovland set season highs in every major strokes gained category at Valhalla Golf Club, which notably like Muirfield Village, was designed by Jack Nicklaus. Hovland will now look to build off this impressive performance at Muirfield Village, where he came out victorious last season, and with his confidence back, Hovland should contend for his second straight Memorial title.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Collin Morikawa ($9,800) – Morikawa has posted a top-10 finish in three of his past four starts and has been very successful at Muirfield Village. The 27-year-old won the Workday Charity Open at Jack’s Place in 2020 and he finished runner-up at the 2021 Memorial. Outside of Scheffler, no player in the field has gained more total strokes than Morikawa over his last two starts, and he should have been priced over $10,000 considering his current form.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,400) – Returning to Muirfield Village, Cantlay should have one of his best showings of the season. The 32-year-old has won twice at this par 72, and when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at Nicklaus’ designs, Cantlay ranks first in total strokes gained, via the Betsperts Rabbit Hole Tool. Additionally, he ranks first in total strokes gained when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at courses that are home to bentgrass greens. A top-10 finish is on the table for Cantlay this weekend, and he shouldn’t be overly popular considering he has a had a subpar season by his standards.

Now in beta testing: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Russell Henley ($8,000) – Henley is without question one of the best values available for the Memorial. The veteran has finished T16th or better in two of his last three starts at Muirfield Village, and he has finished inside the top 25 in seven of his 12 starts this season. Furthermore, Henley ranks 35th in SG: Approach and 19th in SG: Around-the-Green this season, setting him up perfectly for his return to Jack’s Place, where three of the past four winners have finished the event top 12 in both categories. For some evidence on how underpriced Henley is, he carries +4000 odds to win the Memorial on the DraftKings Sportsbook, which are better odds than Wyndham Clark, who is notably more expensive for DFS purposes at $8,900

Sungjae Im ($8,000) – You can’t go wrong with Im at this price point, which is the lowest he has ever been priced for a Memorial Tournament. The 26-year-old is in convincing form, with three top-12 finishes in his last four starts, and he finished T10th at the Memorial two years ago. Im has produced a top-20 finish at four of the six signature events so far this season and is a strong bet to add another top 20 to his resume this year.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Shane Lowry ($7,900) – Lowry has finished T16th or better in three of his past six starts at the Memorial, and he just shined at another Nicklaus creation in Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship two weeks ago, recording a T6 finish. When comparing this field’s last 50 rounds at Nicklaus-designed courses, Lowry impressively ranks second only to Cantlay in total strokes gained, according to the Rabbit Hole. Lowry has tallied four top-six finishes in 12 starts this season, and he is a sensational bargain at this sub-$8,000 salary.

Sepp Straka ($7,500) – Straka continues to be vastly underpriced for his upside and must be rostered at this affordable price tag. The veteran is on the heels of a T5 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, which is his third top-eight finish in his last four starts. Plus, two of these high finishes came at signature events that feature the PGA TOUR’s best players, which is the same case this week at the Memorial. Straka finished T16th at last year’s edition of this event and absolutely has the potential to outdo himself with an even higher finish this week. Currently, Straka is the No.21 ranked golfer in the world, which is 13 spots higher than when he visited Jack’s Place last season.

Billy Horschel ($7,400) – Most notably with a four-shot victory two years ago, Horschel has carded five top-15 finishes in 10 starts at the Memorial. Plus, the veteran is having an awesome season, producing a top-25 finish in seven of his 14 starts, with his two-stroke win at the Corales Puntacana Championship being the obvious highlight. Horschel ranks ninth in total strokes gained when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds on Nicklaus designs via the Rabbit Hole, and he is a cash game staple at this soft salary.

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Justin Rose ($6,900) – Rose is another player who thrives at Nicklaus-designed tracks. The former world No.1 ranked golfer has finished inside the top 15 in nine of his 14 appearances at the Memorial, including a three-shot victory in 2010. Rose was also in the mix for a win at Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship two weeks ago, finishing T6th, which is his best major finish in five years. Overall, Rose ranks sixth in total strokes gained when we analyze this field’s 50 rounds at courses designed by Nicklaus via the Rabbit Hole. The 43-year-old has made four straight cuts entering this week and is the best sub-$7,000 target on the board. Notably, Rose’s $6,900 is the cheapest he has ever been priced for an event at Muirfield Village.

Lee Hodges ($6,500) – Hodges finished T12th in his first try at Muirfield Village a year ago and returns to Dublin in great form. The 28-year-old has advanced to the weekend at four straight tournaments, with the latter two finishes of this streak being a T12 at the PGA Championship and a T12 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. During both of these finishes, Hodges impressively gained at least 4.5 strokes with his irons, and when we analyze this world-class field’s last eight rounds using the Rabbit Hole, Hodges ranks fourth in SG: Approach. In this type of form as a ball striker, Hodges should easily outperform this low salary, possibly with a top-20 finish.  

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Rocket Mortgage Classic Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings Genesis Scottish Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings 3M Open PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values FedEx St. Jude Championship Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

About the Author

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player who produces NFL and NBA content for FantasyLabs. He has been playing DFS for nearly a decade, dating back to the DraftStreet days and has been in the fantasy/betting content business for over eight years. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has contributed content for some of the biggest outlets in the industry, such as DraftKings Network, Stokastic (formerly Awesemo) and RotoWire, covering NBA, NFL and PGA. Alex is a data-driven analyst that has multiple wins and high finishes in GPPs on his DFS resume, as well as years of being a successful cash-game player. If you have any questions or need any lineup advice, Alex can be found @Hunta512 on Twitter.