The greatest four days in golf are upon us. The Masters is here! Jim Nantz calls it “a tradition like no other” for a reason. At the historic Augusta National Golf Club, we see the best of the best competing for the legendary green jacket. Will we see a 1st time winner? Can Rory McIlroy repeat for the first time since Tiger in 2002? Let's not waste any time and find out!

Don't forget, when looking to build your lineups, make sure to take advantage of our PGA DFS Projections, PGA DFS Ownership, and PGA DFS Lineup Optimizer to get every advantage you can. Let's dive in!

 

 

The Masters 2026: Daily Fantasy Golf Picks & Projections

Long considered the pinnacle of the PGA Tour, the first major of the year is upon us. The Masters is a legendary event, having been held on tour since 1934 only taking breaks during World War 2, when cattle and turkeys were raised on property to assist in the war effort. 

It has grown exponentially since its inception, as its initial purse of $1,500 was less than was seen at other tournaments, even other local smaller events, such as the Calcutta event held at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina which was just 30ish minutes away.

Probably most known for the legendary Green Jacket that's awarded to the winner of the event, this tradition started in 1949. Once you win this jacket, you keep it for a year, then it is returned to the club, where it is then worn by the recipient anytime they are on property (as they are now honorary members of the prestigious club). 

The previous years winner will present the jacket to the winner, unless the winner had won the previous year in which it will be presented by the chairman of Augusta National. Winning at Augusta is one of the best things that can happen for a players career. Winning the Masters are automatically invited to play in all Major Championships for the next 5 years, and earn a lifetime invitation to the event.

 

 

Augusta National Golf Club: Course Breakdown This Week

The legendary Augusta National has changed quite a bit in recent years. Augusta always find a way to change the course in a seemingly minor way that makes it play more difficult while maintaining the history of the venue. Playing at Par 72 and 7,565 yards, the course is playing slightly longer than recent years.

When taking a look at Augusta, one thing is abundantly clear. This is the single most predictive course on tour by a large margin. To help explain this, I think the clearest way to show that is how important course history is. The next closest course provides roughly half the strokes gained adjustment when accounting for course history. 

Obviously, first timers can perform well here, and others can find a hot streak at the right time (Sergio’s win in 2017 is a great example of the latter), but course history is one of the strongest indicators of success we will see this season. The top 5 contenders in the field in terms of course history (minimum 8 rounds played) are: Ludvig Aberg, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, and Collin Morikawa.

When researching the previous winners of the Masters, there is a clear trend that stands out. Each of the last 8 winners of the Masters had finished T15 in one or both of the 2 prior majors, had a previous major top 5 finish, had a top 5 finish on the season prior to the Masters, had a previous T25th or better at the Masters, and were top 25 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and Top 50 in Strokes Gained: Approach and Around-The-Green. 

Only 2 players in the field meet these criteria if this streak is to continue: Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick. Given some of the statistical data for this does not include players on LIV, LIV players who meet most of this criteria include: Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, and Jon Rahm. With that said, Sergio Garcia was the last Masters champion to have won without a win prior in the same season. If this also holds true, Matt Fitzpatrick is the most likely PGA Tour player to win this event, though Bryson and Jon Rahm have both won on LIV.

The stats are very clear for Augusta. Carry Distance off the tee is key, while also needing to be elite around the greens. Surprisingly, putting has not been any more important than a usual tour event since ShotLink data was introduced at Augusta in 2021. 

That said, with the green complexes of AGNC, one must avoid 3 putts at all costs. Approach has been roughly right around tour average here as well, so this gives us a clearer group to target this week. Looking at some of these key stats, here are our top contenders this week.

  • Carry Distance: Aldrich Potgeiter, Rasmus Hojgaard, Michael Brennan, Nicolai Hojgaard, Gary Woodland, Jake Knapp, Min Woo Lee, Marco Penge, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau
     
  • Strokes Gained: Around-The-Green: Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler, Jason Day, Nick Taylor, Harry Hall, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Hideki Mastsuyama, Ludvig Aberg
     
  • 3 Putt Avoidance (Bentgrass Greens): Bubba Watson, Sepp Straka, Sam Burns, Harry Hall, Danny Willett, Harris English, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Michael Brennan, Scottie Scheffler

 

 

 

The Masters 2026 Field: Golf DFS

The Masters, as expected, is the single strongest field we’ve seen in 2025. The top 53 players by OWGR are all in attendance amongst the 91 players in this weeks field. Some notable absences include Tiger Woods, who has entered a rehabilitation facility after his recent arrest, and Phil Mickelson, who is missing this week's event due to family reasons.

Plenty of former Masters champions are in attendance as well, with Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Danny Willett, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson, and Mike Weir all in the field. Each PGA Tour Winner is in the field this week, and they are joined by 10 players from LIV, 6 amateurs, 6 senior past champions, 2 players from the DP World Tour, and 1 from Japan GT.

 

 

This Week’s PGA DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator

To enhance your daily fantasy golf selections and secure optimal PGA DFS values, it's advisable to utilize our PGA DFS optimizer and lineup generator. This optimizer serves as a valuable resource for daily fantasy golf enthusiasts aiming to develop effective lineups!

It provides projections, updates on player injuries, and a range of analytical insights to facilitate the lineup-building process. Essentially, it functions as a strategic advantage for participants in daily fantasy golf and makes their own PGA DFS picks!

 

 

 

GOLF DFS PICKS THIS WEEK: Top Tier

Rory McIlroy ($12,500 FanDuel/$11,600 DraftKings)

Rory is the defending champion and is cheaper this year? Sign me up. I know many may be concerned about his performance since his return to injury, but most of his ball and swing speed metrics are identical, his issue since his return has been his putting. Given the lack of overall importance of putting at Augusta, I have zero concerns about Rory being my favorite high priced option in the field, especially with the weaker value tier.

Jon Rahm ($11,900 FanDuel/$10,000 DraftKings)

The run that Jon Rahm is on cannot be ignored, even if it's on LIV. He's record 5 straight finishes of 5th or better, including a win and 3 runner up finishes in that span. He's a previous winner here at Augusta, who has 4 other top 10 finishes, and a T14th last year coming in with worse form overall. He makes a ton of sense at this price.

Ludvig Aberg ($11,600 FanDuel/$9,800 DraftKings)

This might be his time to shine. He's recorded a runner up finish, as well as a 7th place finish in his two starts at Augusta, and despite his blowup at The Players, he's still rattled off 4 straight top 20 finishes, and 3 straight finishes of T5 or better. He's one of the best long iron approach players in the field, and one of the better scorers on long par 4's. He also ranks above field average in all major statistical categories this week. I wouldn't be shocked to see him with the Green Jacket on Sunday.

 

 

 

GOLF DFS PICKS THIS WEEK: MID-TIER

Cameron Young ($10,800 FanDuel/$9,200 DraftKings)

Cam Young is poised for his moment as well. Can he be the third straight winner of The Players to win at Augusta the same year? It's certainly possible. He ranks above field average in all statistical categories, and is a top 10 bogey avoider in this field. If his game stays in it's recent form which includes two top 10 finishes prior to his win, he's going to contend.

Patrick Reed ($10,100 FanDuel/$9,000 DraftKings)

Reed might surprise you here, but there's something about him this year that just makes sense. He's free from LIV, and that freedom has paid dividends for his results thus far. As a member of the DP World Tour, he's won two events, has a runner up finish, and is coming off a top 10 at the Joburg Open. His course history here is impressive as well, as he's recorded T12 or better finishes in 5 of his last 6 starts, and as a previous winner at Augusta, he knows what it takes to finish here.

Matt Fitzpatrick ($10,900 FanDuel/$8,700 DraftKings)

I said it above, if the last 8 years tell us anything, either Fitz or Rory is going to win this week. Fitzpatrick is arguably playing the best golf of his career. After a near win at The Players, he followed it up by taking home the crown at the Valspar, and has 5 top 25 finishes this season in 7 starts. He's top 15 in half of our stats this week, and the only thing holding him back is Carry Distance, or else we may see him higher than 6th in my model this week. 

 

 

 

GOLF DFS PICKS THIS WEEK: VALUE TIER

Jake Knapp ($9,100 FanDuel/$7,400 DraftKings)

If this isn't your first time reading the article this year, you know how in I've been on Knapp thus far. I'm going to keep riding this train, especially at this price. He's one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet, is third in this field on approach from 200+ yards and 3 putt avoidance, and leads this field in bogey avoidance. That'll play at this version of Augusta National. If the irons cooperate, watch out.

Carlos Ortiz ($7,500 FanDuel/$6,600 DraftKings)

We have an incomplete profile with Ortiz being on LIV, but what we do have is promising. He finished T4 at last years U.S. Open, has two top 10 on LIV this year, and a T25th and T8 finish on the DP World Tour this year. His profile shows great long iron approach numbers, and solid scoring numbers in difficult fields. He's worth a flyer, especially if we're paying the $14,000/$13,800 for Scottie.

Nicolai Hojgaard ($9,200 FanDuel/$7,500 DraftKings)

Hojgaard has elite ball-striking numbers, and is one of the carry distance leaders in this field as well. That's enough for me to be excited for him in the right build. His short game is what has historically held him back, but he has a top 20 finish at the Masters under his belt already, and I see no reason he can't return to that form this week based on his 2026 results.

 

 

PGA DFS Picks This Week (Cheat Sheet)

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