Zach Thompson gets you set for the Cadillac Championship this week with his top fantasy golf cash game picks on DraftKings.
The PGA TOUR has back-to-back Signature Events in the next two weeks before the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. This week, the limited field will be returning to The Blue Monster Course at Trump National Doral for the first time since 2016. The course hosted a big PGA TOUR event for many years, but for the last few years, it hosted the LIV Golf Miami tournament instead. For the PGA TOUR’s return to Doral, DraftKings has a wide variety of contests and formats available, and if you’re teeing it up with some conservative lineups designed for cash games, my three top fantasy golf cash plays to consider are Scottie Scheffler ($13,600), Justin Rose ($8,700) and Gary Woodland ($7,400).
Make sure to also check out my top-three pivot plays for tournament lineups for the Cadillac if you’re looking for some less popular, under-the-radar picks. Pivot plays for tournament lineups are usually more aggressive, while fantasy golf cash game picks are safer with higher floors and lower risk. The picks in this post generally have higher ownership than my pivot plays, but they are good selections for contests where the uniqueness of your lineup is less important. Think of cash game picks as lying back and playing a par 5 as it was designed, taking three shots before reaching the green, searching for a solid birdie. Tournament picks are like going driver off the deck to try to reach the green in two — more reward if it works, but much more risk, as well.
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Scottie Scheffler ($13,600)
Without Rory McIlroy in the field this week, Scottie Scheffler is the heavy favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook at +315. Other than Scottie, Cameron Young (+1275) is the only player with odds shorter than +2000. With such a high chance that he’ll win this week, it makes sense to consider Scheffler for your cash game picks, even though he stretches the rest of your salary cap space thin.
Scheffler still hasn’t won since his first tournament of the season, The American Express. However, in each of his seven events since then, he has finished in the top 25, including runner-up finishes at the Masters and the RBC Heritage. Those two starts came after missing almost a month for the birth of his second child, but he seems to be back and near top form once again.
While his impressive overall game plays well on any track, this course that emphasizes driving distance and accuracy, along with strong shotmaking with long irons, should lean into his strengths. Over the last three months, even though he hasn’t won, Scottie ranks second in the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, second in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, and first in Total Strokes Gained.
Scottie is the clear favorite and isn’t going to sneak up on anyone, but for cash games, if you can find the right value plays around him he can be a strong anchor for your roster.
Justin Rose ($8,700)
Rose is the No. 5 player in the Official World Golf Rankings, and the 45-year-old is one of the few players with an extensive course history at The Blue Monster. Twelve players have higher salaries than Rose this week, but he has a good chance to outperform many of them.
He finished T13 at THE PLAYERS and a T3 at the Masters in his last two events and earlier this year he ran away with a seven-stroke victory at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South Course. Torrey Pines is the only course on the PGA TOUR schedule this year that is longer than The Blue Monster, so the length shouldn’t be an issue for Rose this week.
Rose won on this track in 2012 at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, and he posted five top-25 finishes in his 10 career appearances in Doral. He finished T17 in 2016, the last time the PGA TOUR teed it up at this venue.
On the year, the veteran leads the PGA TOUR in greens in regulation, and he ranks second in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and fifth in Total Strokes Gained over the last three months. His excellent tee-to-green game makes him a threat to get another win at The Blue Monster, even though he missed two cuts in Signature Events earlier this year. Since there’s no cut this week, he’ll play four rounds (barring disqualification or withdrawal), and he’s a very solid option for your cash game picks from under $9,000.
Gary Woodland ($7,400)
The PGA TOUR has had plenty of excitement and drama this season with late leads evaporating and players battling down the stretch. One of the most heart-warming stories of the season, though, was the win by Woodland at the Texas Children’s Houston Open after coming back from brain surgery.
Woodland’s win isn’t just a one-week blip either since the 41-year-old followed that victory with a T33 at the Masters and a T8 at the RBC Heritage in his two most recent tournaments.
His current statistical profile matches the course demands this week since he ranks second in the field in Driving Distance over the last three months and fifth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. Two weeks ago at the RBC Heritage, he was also excellent with his irons, ranking fifth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.
Woodland can contend on difficult courses in strong fields, and he played this course three times with two top-25 finishes in 2014 and 2015. The 2019 U.S. Open champion is strong from tee to green and has shown the potential to claim another victory in his incredible comeback season. Woodland is an easy story to cheer for, but he’s showing he can be more than just a feel-good story and remains a legitimate contender under $7,500.