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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for The Genesis Invitational on DraftKings

By Landon Silinsky @landonjake24
Feb 14, 2024

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 cliff 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.

The PGA TOUR heads back to California for one more week as Riviera Country Club hosts The Genesis Invitational. Riv measures as a 7,322-yard par 71 with poa greens. We have another Signature Event this week, but unlike most, there will be a cut, even in the 70-man field. The top 50 and ties, plus anyone within the 10 strokes of the lead, will all make the weekend.

PGA DFS Cash/GPP Thoughts

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Scottie Scheffler is yet again the obvious pay-up option this week. I figured he would be over $12,000 in what’s essentially a no-cut event, but DraftKings elected to keep him the same price as last week. Scheffler is coming off what would be considered another ridiculous performance for mere mortals, but it is a standard week for him. The World No. 1 finished T3 at the Waste Management, where he gained 13.8 strokes ball-striking, including 9.24 on approach alone.

He didn’t win because he lost 1.77 strokes putting on Sunday. However, he actually gained strokes on the greens for the week, which is a pretty scary thought. He’s so far and away the best player in the world, and he’s most likely going to finish inside the top five again this week at Riviera. It just comes down to how you like the rest of your lineup alongside him.

Player Pool: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele

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DraftKings $9,000 Range

Collin Morikawa gets us started in the $9,000 range this week. He’s coming off a nice bounce-back performance at Pebble Beach in his last start, where he finished T14. Riviera has treated the two-time major champion well in the past, as Morikawa has yet to miss a cut here in four starts while posting finishes of T6 and T2 each of the past two years. Among all players in this field with at least two career starts at Riv, Morikawa ranks No. 2 in SG: Tee-to-Green per round. If you prefer to go balanced this week, Morikawa is a great starting point at $9,500.

Patrick Cantlay is up next and is probably the most underpriced player on the board this week at $9,300. It almost feels silly to see him that cheap, considering that he’s the seventh-ranked golfer on the planet right now. His history at Riviera, to no one’s surprise, is also elite, as Cantlay is a perfect six-for-six in making cuts while finishing T17 or better in five of those starts, including a pair of top-four finishes. No need to overthink this one.

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

People continue to sleep on Ludvig Aberg, and all he does is churn out top-10 finishes. The Swedish phenom finished T2 at Pebble Beach in his last start and was probably unlucky to do so, as there’s a more than likely chance he would have chased down Wyndham Clark to claim the trophy, finishing just one stroke back. Aberg is playing all these courses for the first time in his career, and people love course history, causing him to go criminally under-owned on a weekly basis.

Aberg sits sixth in this field in both SG: Tee-to-Green and Total Strokes Gained over the past 48 rounds. He’s an absolute monster and a massive value this week at just $9,200.

Finally, we have Justin Thomas, who, much like each of the three names above, is egregiously underpriced at just $9,100. He’s likely to carry the highest ownership of the week, but he’s really an impossible fade right now. He posted a T12 finish last week at the WMPO, which, like Aberg, could have been higher if they played a fourth round. JT also has an elite history at Riviera, posting three top-10 finishes over his past six starts here, including a runner-up in 2019. He’s now gained five or more strokes from tee to green in each of his past five PGA TOUR starts, and there’s zero reason to think that stops this week.

Player Pool: Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Thomas

DraftKings $8,000 Range

There are two plays that stand out like a sore thumb in the $8,000 range, the first of which is Cameron Young at $8,500. Young certainly has his warts, but anytime we get to a long, tough track where hitting the driver is paramount, he’s immediately in play.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see that in two career starts at Riviera, he’s finished T20 and T2 while ranking No. 1 in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green per round. Young is coming off a T8 last week in Scottsdale, where he gained 3.98 strokes off-the-tee and 1.47 on approach. We are getting an incredibly fair price on him this week.

Next is Mr. Riviera himself, Adam Scott. The Aussie won this event back in 2020 while posting four additional top-11 finishes since 2016, all without missing a cut. This will be his 16th career start at this event, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about what’s needed to succeed here.

If that wasn’t enough, Scott is coming into play scorching hot after finishing T8 last week at the WMPO. That marked his fourth top-eight finish across his past eight worldwide starts. So far, in six measured rounds on the PGA TOUR in 2024, Scott has gained 10.9 strokes from tee to green. This $8,200 salary is actually a $100 decrease from last week, making him an even better play this week.

Player Pool: Cameron Young, Adam Scott

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Will Zalatoris appears to be close to his former self after his T13 finish at Torrey Pines in his last start. He gained strokes in every area at Torrey while doing the same in his one measured round at the American Express. So far, in three starts at Riviera, Zalatoris has finished fourth, T26, and T15. If he’s going to keep playing like this, it very well might be the final time we can roster him at under $8,000. I definitely like being early here.

Si Woo Kim does not have a strong history at Riviera, having missed five cuts in eight starts, but he did post a solo third back in 2019. I bring this up because he’s playing some incredible golf right now, and it costs just $7,600. He’s gained 5.7 strokes from tee to green in three of his past four starts while finishing T13 or better in each of his past two. With only 15 or so guys missing the cut this week, I see zero downside on taking a swing here on a four-time PGA TOUR winner.

Hideki Matsuyama’s price is flat-out disrespectful, especially on a course that accentuates his best traits as Riviera does. Very few have the combination of elite iron play and an elite short game, but Matsuyama is certainly on that list. He’s posted four top-11 finishes here since 2015 and is coming off a very respectable T22 at the WMPO last week. He fits in any lineup construction as well.

Beau Hossler is also too cheap for the way he’s been playing, though he did come back to down earth a little last week with a T41 finish. However, it was surprising because his putter failed him, which we know is an anomaly, considering Hossler ranks 14th in the field in SG: Putting over the past 36 rounds. He was coming off finishes of T14 and T6 prior to last week, so I’m willing to go right back to him at just $7,000 here. Hossler has played Riviera four times, with his best finish coming in 2019 (T15).

Player Pool: Will Zalatoris, Si Woo Kim, Denny McCarthy, Hideki Matsuyama, Corey Conners, Beau Hossler

DraftKings $6,000 Range

Luke List stands out the most in the $6,000 range, as he’s finished T30 or better in five of eight starts at Riviera. His putting woes always get muted a bit at this course while his elite ball striking takes center stage. List ranks 15th in the field in SG: Ball-Striking over the past 24 rounds, and that’s more than enough for me to roster him at just $6,600. Everyone is going to have to drop to a $6,000 player or two, but List clearly stands out for me above the rest.

Player Pool: Luke List, Kevin Yu, Sam Ryder