Up next is the Rocket Classic, which will be played at Detroit Golf Club (par 72, 7,370 yards, bentgrass/POA annua greens). This is the only course to host the Rocket Classic since this tournament’s inception in 2019. Last year, Cam Davis (-18) won the Rocket Classic for the second time. There will be 156 golfers competing this week and a standard top-65 and ties cut after the second round.
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 Cliffs 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.
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.
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- Download anything you want to your computer with the click of a button.
- See expert models each week.
DraftKings $10,000+ Range
Patrick Cantlay ($10,200)
With Collin Morikawa coming off a questionable T42nd finish at the Travelers Championship last week, in which he nearly lost strokes in every major category, saving $700 and starting your cash game lineup with Cantlay is a smart move for the Rocket Classic. The 33-year-old finished T12th at the Travelers Championship last week, marking Cantlay’s eighth top-15 finish in 14 starts this season. The eight-time PGA TOUR winner ranks ninth in SG: Tee-to-Green this season and Cantlay finished runner-up in his lone start at Detroit Golf Club in 2022. Relative to his last two tournaments, the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship, Cantlay is facing a very weak field this week and he should contend at Detroit Golf Club for the second time.
Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
DraftKings $9,000 Range
Ben Griffin ($9,800)
While Griffin has been solid at Detroit Golf Club, finishing T33rd and T31st in his two appearances at the track, he should outdo himself with a much better result this week. Griffin is on fire right now, finishing T8th, first, runner-up, T10th and T14th in his last five starts. Griffin gained strokes in every major category at all but one of these events and he ranks third in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. Griffin ranks third in par five performance this season, setting him up perfectly for Detroit Golf Club. Of the last five winners at this par 72, four have finished the event in the top five in par-5 efficiency.
Cameron Young ($9,300)
Young has been close to winning in his two starts at Detroit Golf Club, finishing runner-up in 2022 and T6th last year. Young ranks first in Strokes Gained per round among the players in this field that have competed at Detroit Golf Club more than once and he has finished inside the top seven in three of his last seven starts entering this week. As you can see, Young’s elite driving and putting make him a great match for the susceptible Detroit Golf Club, and he is a terrific target at this price point.
DraftKings $8,000 Range
Davis Thompson ($8,100)
Thompson has carded five top-25 finishes in his last 10 starts, including a T25 at the Travelers Championship last week, in which he ranked third in SG: Tee-to-Green at the Signature Event. Thompson will now look to carry this momentum over to Detroit Golf Club, where he finished runner-up last season. This venue was designed by Donald Ross and Thompson has a true knack for Ross courses. Thompson has finished inside the top 12 in his last three starts at a Ross design and he ranks eighth among this field in Strokes Gained per round at Ross venues. Thompson’s putting has held him back lately, but if he can find some rhythm with his flat stick on these greens at Detroit Golf Club that he knows very well, Thompson could be in store for a season-best finish.
DraftKings $7,000 Range
Alex Noren ($7,800)
Noren has carded two top-10 finishes in four starts at Detroit Golf Club and he has advanced to the weekend in 10 of his last 11 starts. During this span, Noren has produced eight top-30 finishes, including a T30 at the Travelers Championship last week. The Swede deserved an $8,000 salary in this weak field and Noren is a safe option for cash games. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the veteran carries -225 odds to make the cut at the Rocket Classic, which are the same odds as Min Woo Lee, who is far more expensive at $8,500.
Matt Wallace ($7,500)
Wallace is in great form right now, with five top-30 finishes in his last six solo starts, when excluding his first-round withdrawal at THE CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Wallace leads the PGA TOUR in SG: Around-the-Green this season, which bodes well for Detroit Golf Club, as each of the last four victors here have finished inside the top 15 in SG: Around-the-Green for the week. Wallace has made 3 of 4 cuts at Detroit Golf Club with two top-12 finishes and he is an awesome bargain at this low salary.
Emiliano Grillo ($7,400)
While Grillo has only finished T39th and MC in his two starts at Detroit Golf Club, we can expect a much better result from the veteran this week. Grillo’s game is ascending right now, as he has only missed one cut in his past 10 starts, and he has recorded a top-25 finish in four of his five most recent starts. Most notably, Grillo is on the heels of a T19 at the U.S. Open and he was one of only 11 players to gain strokes across the board at the demanding Oakmont Country Club that week. Ranking first in SG: Approach when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, Grillo’s irons have been incredible and he should provide a high finish in this type of form. For four years running, the winner at Detroit Golf Club has finished the tournament in the top 12 in SG: Approach. Furthermore, Grillo ranks sixth in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 50-125 yards out, setting him up perfectly for Detroit Golf Club. Over the last five years, 30.9% of approach shots at this Ross design have come from this distance.
Ryo Hisatsune ($7,200)
Hisatsune finished T31st in his Rocket Classic debut last season and he has been excellent as of late. Hisatsune has only missed one cut in his last nine solo starts and three of these finishes have come inside the top six. Hisatsune ranks 15th in Total Strokes Gained when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds and his best career finish on the PGA TOUR came at another Ross design, with a T3 at Sedgefield Country Club for last year’s Wyndham Championship. Hisatsune is criminally underpriced at this low price tag and is one of the best values available for the Rocket Classic.
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DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range
Matt Kuchar ($6,900)
Kuchar is the best sub-$7,000target for this week. The veteran finished T25th at last year’s Rocket Classic and he has only missed one cut in 10 starts this season. Kuchar has tallied three top-25 finishes, most recently with a T25 at the Memorial in his last start and he ranks 26th in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 50-125 yards out, which, as noted above, is a key distance at Detroit Golf Club.
Steven Fisk ($6,900)
While Fisk has never competed at Detroit Golf Club before, he is too cheap for his form, and he should have a solid Rocket Classic debut this week. Fisk has made six of his last eight solo cuts and four of these finishes have been top-30 results. This season, the 28-year-old ranks 18th in SG: Tee-to-Green and 26th in proximity to the hole on approach shots from 50-125 yards out. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Fisk carries +12000 odds to win the Rocket Classic, which are tied for the best among all the players priced under $7,000 this week.
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Pictured: Patrick Cantlay
Photo credit: Getty Images
