The 2015 Masters DraftKings Picks

The Masters is the most prestigious golf tournament in the world. For fantasy golf fans the Masters is the most lucrative tournament as DraftKings is offering one million dollars to the winner. That is a good lump of change right there.

More from Golf News

As you probably know, the way the game works is you draft six golfers within a $50,000 dollar salary cap and hope that the six golfers you drafted finish near the top of the leaderboard.

If you want to win this week, you’ll definitely have to draft six of the top ten — including the winner — if you want to have one million bucks in your account.

Like we did with the WGC-Cadillac Championship, we won’t be making a team, but we’ll just go over the salary cap structure and make the best pick in that designated area.

We have a lot to get to, so let’s go over the salary cap for the golfers and make some Masters DraftKings picks.

10,100+

This range features seven golfers. The cheapest being Henrik Stenson ($10,100) and the most expensive being Rory McIlroy ($14,900). Ideally, you’d like to take four or five of these golfers in your lineup. But unfortunately, that’s impossible with the salary cap restrictions and all.

There are three golfers I have my eye on that I’m going to try and fit in my lineup, but if I had to take just one — and when you factor in value — I believe Dustin Johnson at $10,500 is the best pick.

Aside from a couple of blips at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Honda Classic, Johnson has been locked in all year long. The most telling tournament to me was at the Valero Texas Open.

Johnson was caught up in the Thursday morning wave that was hit with 50 MPH winds all day long. Johnson shot a 78, but instead of withdrawing or mentally shutting down, he battled back. Johnson shot a 72 to just get inside the cut line and shot a 68-68 on the weekend to finish in a tie for 6th.

That performance showed me that he is now, finally, mentally ready to win himself a major and I think he has a great shot at winning himself a green jacket this weekend.

$9,000-$9,900

Two names stick out to me in this group and they both wear red & black on Sunday. Just how many folks will own Tiger Woods ($9,400) and/or Patrick Reed ($9,300)?

Woods is a mystery as he still has that name value, but with how bad he played will people take a chance on him with one million bucks on the line? I don’t now, but it will be interesting to find out.

On the flip side, I do believe a lot of people will see Reed as a value play and he will be heavily owned. I would say the number one golfer owned, but that distinction will belong to someone else that we will get to in a little while.

Phil Mickelson ($9,900) is also a really intriguing option. Heading into the Shell Houston Open he was one of my players to watch and if he played well I would strongly consider him on my team.

History tells us that if he plays well leading up to the Masters, he usually plays at the Masters. Well, he’s playing well leading up to the Masters. It looks like Mickelson is peaking at the right time and I would think that you would have to strongly consider it.

This is a really tricky group, Rickie Fowler ($9,800) has quietly had an efficient year, nothing spectacular, but just solid.

Brandt Snedeker ($9,500) really loves Augusta, he really wants this one and if he is dropping bombs with his putter he’s someone who could really shoot up the leaderboard.

Then you have Sergio Garcia ($9,100) who is the cheapest of this group. Will this finally be Garcia’s year? I’ll tell you what, the ones who have the stones to actually field Garcia on their team will probably win it all. Garcia is your ultimate boom-or-bust candidate. Garcia has the chance to propel your team to earning some money or he can sink your team. Tough call.

In this designated group, I think I’ve gotta go with Matt Kuchar ($9,600). Kuchar really hasn’t hit that Kuchar-like stride since his runner-up finish at the Humana Challenge. But Augusta is the kind of course where it really helps to have experience and Kuchar has that in spades.

Apr 13, 2014; Augusta, GA, USA; Jim Furyk (left) shakes hands with Lee Westwood after completing the final round of the 2014 The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

$8,000-$8,900

There isn’t much to choose from in this group as only five golfers are bracketed in the $8,000 to $8,900 dollar range.

While there are only five this is still a tough group to pick as you have Jimmy Walker ($8,900) who is coming off a win at the Valero Texas Open, two potential superstars of the future in Brooks Kopeka ($8,600 ) and Hideki Matsuyama ($8,100).

You have Martin Kaymer ($8,400) who has gotten better each time he plays at Augusta National. And then you have the veteran who is quietly having a productive year in Lee Westwood ($8,200).

I’ve been touting Westwood all week and so, of course, I’ll be picking him here. Westwood’s quietly been solid all year long and Westwood arguably has the best course history here at Augusta National and I’m banking he has one more run left in him.

For all of Westwood’s struggles last year, he still finished 7th here last year. Now, this year, he’s in better form heading into Augusta National. To me, Westwood is a no brainer and I truly believe he has a chance at winning this week.

$7,000-$7,900

This is a real tricky group as well. There are a lot of interesting golfers that have the potential to go low. If you believe in patterns, you might want to give Angel Cabrera ($7,500) a look.

In 2009, Cabrera won it, 2011 he finished 7th, and in 2013 he lost in a playoff to Adam Scott. Plus, you can throw in the fact that he won the U.S. Open in 2007. Cabrera seems to thrive when it’s an odd year.

What a story J.B. Holmes ($7,200) is. In 2014, after missing the cut at the Honda Classic, Holmes fell to the 509th in the world. Later that year, after winning the Wells Fargo Championship, Holmes moved to 68th in the world and now he is 12th. That’s just fantastic.

More from Pro Golf Now

Holmes has the game to compete at Augusta and in his only start at Augusta he did finish T-25 in 2008. Holmes’ game has never been better and looks like a really sweet deal if you want roll the dice on him.

Another golfer who has the game to compete at Augusta is Gary Woodland ($7,300). I mentioned him in my sleepers post as Woodland as a potential golfer to sneak up on folks. Woodland bombs it a long way and has had success here making the cut in three-of-three tries.

Another golfer I mentioned in the sleepers post is Bill Haas ($7,200) and that’s who I’m going with. Haas is a safe, consistent golfer who has the experience and is a value pick in this spot.

Jim Furyk ($7,800) looks like a pretty decent pick as I’m sure Furyk will make the cut and finish in the top 25. However, his ceiling isn’t too high and considering the fact that I can get Haas at $600 dollars cheaper, I may as well take him instead.

Apr 6, 2015; Augusta, GA, USA; Miguel Angel Jimenez from Spain smokes a cigar on the driving range as he prepares for The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

$6,000-$6,900

Earlier I talked about Patrick Reed about his potential ownership. I figure he’ll be in the top five (wink wink) of most owned golfers. But, number one, hands down, has to be “Boom Boom.” How can you not take Fred Couples?

Couples is easily the most valuable golfer on the list at $6,400 bucks. I went over this in the fantasy sleepers post, but it’s worth repeating again: Somehow Padraig Harrington ($6,700), Steve Stricker ($6,800), Alexander Levy ($6,800) and Harris English ($7,100) are ahead of Couples.

The kicker is Levy and English aren’t even playing this week. That’s pretty amazing.

Again, as I went over in the sleepers post, Couples is still playing well and has that valuable experience at Augusta National that has paid off the last five years.

Couples has competed and been near the top of the leaderboard the last five years. I don’t see any reason why he won’t make the cut and be in the mix heading into the weekend.

I love Miguel Angel Jimenez ($6,600) as well, but if I had to take one, I would take Couples considering he’s $200 bucks cheaper. But just look at that picture, how can you not love Jimenez?

As a bonus, Bernhard Langer ($5,900) and Thongchai Jaidee ($5,900) are the only golfers I would consider taking on my team under $6,000.

Next: Favorite Masters Moments

Home/Golf News