the Memorial Tournament: Top PGA DFS Picks, Values, and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

With the PGA Championship two weeks ago and the U.S. Open two weeks away, the PGA TOUR is in Ohio this week for the sixth of the seven signature events that are on the schedule for this season. The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday will once again take place at “Jack’s Place” at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Since it’s a signature event, it draws an outstanding field to an iconic venue to compete for an elevated purse. Scottie Scheffler will defend as champion, and the only major name not teeing it up this week is Rory McIlroy, who will play next week’s RBC Canadian Open instead. There is a 36-hole cut this week to the top 50 and ties or anyone within 10 shots of the lead, which will keep the Friday cut sweat alive, even though the cut is not as deep as usual. For more details on the field, the course, the weather, and some key stats to track, check out this First Look from RotoGrinders.

Especially in large-field GPP tournaments, you’ll want to make sure to target players who have lower ownership projections than their potential performance. Finding high-leverage plays is critical for GPP success, so the picks here go against the grain, looking for under-owned options.

All Strokes Gained metrics referenced are from the Rabbit Hole.

Usually, I rely heavily on the Strokes Gained Model in FantasyLabs, which is very predictive of results. I also tend to lean toward players who excel in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is more sustainable week-to-week than a hot putter.

Since these are GPP picks, we can accept more risk in exchange for getting a higher ceiling. High-risk, high-reward options with low ownership create the “boom-or-bust” style lineups that often lead to large-field success. To find guidance for all contest types, check out our full Daily Fantasy Golf coverage each week.

No matter what type of format you prefer, be sure to use the FantasyLabs PGA Models to help you make the best choices. These models use stats and simulations to highlight different players’ strengths and weaknesses. A few critical new stats for GPP play are Perfect% and SimLeverage, which are further explained here.

As you dig into the numbers, you can enjoy the many tools FantasyLabs offers, including the Lineup Optimizer, which effortlessly creates up to 300 lineups. Alternatively, you can use the Lineup Builder if you prefer a more hands-on approach.

Check out my top picks in each price range listed below.

Editor’s note: SimLeverage and Perfect% numbers may change after this piece is published. Be sure to check the PGA Models for any updates to the sims.

High-Priced PGA DFS Picks

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Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

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Justin Thomas, $10,200

As the defending champ and No. 1 golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler is no surprise at the top of the median, ceiling, and floor projections this week. He also has the highest ownership projection, though, and actually has a negative SimLeverage this week after leading the field in SimLeverage for his last few events.

While he hasn’t been quite as hot as Scheffler, Thomas has also had an outstanding season so far. He has the second-highest median, ceiling, and floor projection this week, along with the second-highest Perfect%. JT is a solid pivot and has the sixth-highest SimLeverage in the field.

In his career, Thomas has played the Memorial 10 times. While he missed the cut four times, he also has three top-25 finishes, highlighted by a T4 in 2017. He also played in the Workday Charity Open on this course just after the COVID-19 break. He finished runner-up in that tournament, losing in a playoff to Collin Morikawa.

This year, Thomas finally got back into the winners’ circle with his triumph at the RBC Heritage in a Signature Event like this one. He finished T2 at the Truist a few weeks later but then missed the cut at the PGA Championship. That was his first missed cut in 12 events with six top-10 finishes and three runner-up finishes to go with his victory.

Over the last 36 rounds, Thomas is second in the field in Total Strokes Gained and seventh in Strokes Gained: Approach. He also has the short game to contend at Muirfield Village and has putted the ball very well all season long.

He isn’t as sure a pick as Scheffler, but he’s a great alternative at about half the ownership projection and a salary that saves over $3,000, making it easier to stock the rest of your roster with strong options.

Viktor Hovland $8,900

Hovland has the second-highest SimLeverage in the field, sandwiched between two players with plenty of pedigree but almost no recent form, Ludvig Aberg and Hideki Matsuyama. Hovland has better recent form and also has a great course history on this track, so he makes an excellent pivot play at just under $9,000. He can be mixed in with whatever star option you choose or form the core of a balanced lineup.

At the beginning of the season, Hovland had all kinds of issues, but he suddenly put it together after three missed cuts and won the Valspar Championship in late March. Since then, the 27-year-old has made four straight cuts, including a pair of top-30 finishes at the two majors this season and a T13 at the RBC Heritage, another Signature Event.

He ranks fourth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last 24 rounds and 23rd in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

Vik has clicked at Muirfield Village in the past. He finished third in the Workday Charity Open in 2020 and has made the cut in all five of his career appearances at the Memorial Tournament, with a win in 2023 and a T15 last year when he was right in the mix until a 77 in Round 3.

Coming to a course where he has had so much success with an ownership projection under 10% and good recent form makes Hovland one of my top high-priced options for GPP builds.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

Mid-Priced PGA DFS Picks

All Strokes Gained metrics referenced are from the Rabbit Hole.

Check out my top picks in each price range listed below.

Editor’s note: SimLeverage and Perfect% numbers may change after this piece is published. Be sure to check the PGA Models for any updates to the sims.