DraftKings picks for the Masters

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

DraftKings Picks for the week

Please join our fantasy game of the week on DraftKings
Want to thank the 199 of you that participated in our fifth GOLFstats.com fantasy game on DraftKings on the Shell Houston Open. This week it’s the first major of the year, The Masters and since it’s a major the cost of the game goes up to $10 for this week. We are looking for a grand total of 200 players. The game will pay off the top-20, with the winner getting $270, 2nd getting $216, 3rd getting $162 and 16th to 20th getting $36. Here is the invite and a link to get into the game, hope you join us.

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Hit this link to join our DraftKings game

As for last week, congratulations to h3budda for winning with the picks of Russell Henley (Win), Rickie Fowler (T-3rd), Bernd Wiesberger & Stewart Cink (T-23rd), Charles Howell III (T-39th) and Phil Mickelson (T-55th). He did pick the winner and 3rd place, but again all six of his guys made the cut and contributing points for all for days. My picks finished 10th, nice cashing a check in our own game.

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So how did last week go for me?
Had a very nice week, spent $62 and won $434 with the picks Russell Henley (Win), Rickie Fowler (T-3rd), Jason Dufner (T-12th), Peter Uihlein (T-23rd), Phil Mickelson (T-55th) and my pick of Rafael Cabrera-Bello. Because he missed the cut it really cost me a chance at some series cash, but a win is a win.
Picks for the Masters
We are at the first major of the year and frankly this week is going to be tough. With very poor weather coming in on Wednesday and with most players losing a half a day due to storms on Monday, preparation for the Masters is probably limited to players. Those that get hurt the most are the 19 rookies in this event, they won’t have much time to really learn about Augusta National. In my first draft I picked two rookies Adam Hadwin and Tommy Fleetwood, and with the fear that Hadwin is fresh off of getting married, figured that he may not play as well. But lets look at the top dollar guys. DraftKings gives that honor to Jordan Spieth at $11,500, next up is Dustin Johnson at $11,300, then Rory McIlroy at $10,600, Jason Day at $10,200 and Hideki Matsuyama at $9,900. Now with all of the weather issues including cold and windy on Thursday and Friday, I wanted Johnson, McIlroy, Matsuyama and Justin Rose at $9,200. Unfortunately this can’t happen and I have to pick two, so my first pick is Dustin Johnson at $11,300 and then Justin Rose at $9,200. Disappointed at not getting the McIlroy and Matsuyama, but have to stick with Johnson, we know a lot of folks will pick him and since I figure he will be in the top-ten, think he is the best course of action. I like the way Rose is playing right now, along with being able to play in windy conditions but most of all his track record at Augusta National. In 11 starts, he has made the cut 11 times and finished in the top-ten, four times. Last year he was T-10th and in 2015 he was T-2nd. I also like him because in several Masters he has shot low in round one and led. I have always thought he could one day win the Masters, could be this week. After that I went to the bottom and worked my way up. Be careful because there are a lot of folks, including seniors that won’t make the cut so from amateur Toto Gana at $6,000 to about Angel Cabrera at $6,700 you want no part of the 25 players listed. At the $6,900 mark I find a lot of really good choices, Adam Hadwin, Ross Fisher and Tommy Fleetwood. As I said above I had Hadwin and Fleetwood first but they are both rookies and Hadwin just got married, so I replaced Hadwin with Ross Fisher. Both Fisher and Fleetwood have played great golf in the last month so I as sure they will at least make the cut. My next pick is Lee Westwood at $7,200, he may not be playing great now but in looking at other years, he wasn’t play well going into the Masters but played well at Augusta. Last year he was T-2nd, in 2014 7th, 2013 T-8th, 2012 T-3rd, 2011 T-11th and in 2010 he was runner-up. So he has a record of some really good finishes at the Masters. So I am left with one player left and going up the list to find my man, Jon Rahm at $8,600. Only one problem, I only have $8,500 left. So I went through different scenario’s, all with the thought of picking Rahm and frankly nothing worked. So I settled on Paul Casey at $7,800. I shouldn’t make it sound like I am committing a crime because Casey was T-4th last year and T-6th in 2015. So good luck to you, if this is the first time playing DraftKings in a major it’s very competitive, the bigger the purse the more people involved. In the million dollar payout game, expect that you should have all six guys in the top-ten, hopefully with them placing first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth to have a chance. So good luck to you. Hopefully I haven’t confused you so here are my six picks for this week:
Dustin Johnson at $11,300
Justin Rose at $9,200
Paul Casey at $7,800
Lee Westwood at $7,200
Tommy Fleetwood at $6,900
Ross Fisher at $6,900

Comments

  1. For everyone l am at a dinner and finding out about Dustin Johnson’s fall down some stairs and could be in trouble for playing on Thursday. I am in the process of changing all of my DraftKings picks to Rory

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