This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
The Masters
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta National Golf Club - Par 72 - 7,545 yards
Field - 88 entrants
Purse - $15M
The Preview
For what feels like the first time in forever despite the PGA Tour's rather successful introduction of their designated events, the best players in the world are truly back "under one roof" and finally reunited on golf's most hallowed grounds, painted by Augusta's famous azaleas. Eighteen LIV Golf members bolster this week's field of 88 entrants at the 87th edition of the Masters Tournament, where Tiger Woods' participation still moves the needle more than a media-shunned contingent of household names attempting to prove they're still competitive in a meaningful setting. If you've decided to begin your Masters drinking game early, this short paragraph alone was probably worth a few sips.
Transitioning to the course layout, Augusta National has been lengthened to 7,545 yards, most notably adding distance and a potentially forced layup to the par-5 13th. Additionally, precipitation is expected to soften conditions throughout the tournament, placing even more of an emphasis on the bombers' advantages. Despite all the rain, these sloping bentgrass greens should still remain capable of retaining slick speeds, however, as putting embodies half the battle when it comes to scrambling and converting par-breaker opportunities. Per usual, SG: Approach reigns supreme as nine of Augusta's 10 par-4s measure between 440 and 520 yards, while it's the par-5s that invite scoring chances and back-nine drama. Nonetheless, the heightened difficulty level at the year's first major championship allows the grinders to flash their short-game skills as well. We're just hoping weather delays don't steal the show.
Recent Champions
2022 - Scottie Scheffler
2021 - Hideki Matsuyama
2020 - Dustin Johnson
2019 - Tiger Woods
2018 - Patrick Reed
2017 - Sergio Garcia
2016 - Danny Willett
2015 - Jordan Spieth
2014 - Bubba Watson
2013 - Adam Scott
Key Stats to Victory
SG: Approach
Driving Distance
Par-4: 450-500 and Par-5 Efficiency
Scrambling
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Scottie Scheffler - $50
Looking to join Jack Nicklaus ('65-'66), Nick Faldo ('89-'90) and Woods ('01-'02) on the exclusive list of back-to-back champions at the Masters, Scheffler returns to Augusta National as the No. 1 player in the world with victories at the elevated WM Phoenix Open and THE PLAYERS Championship already under his belt since the turn of the calendar year. Per usual, Yahoo's softer pricing structure doesn't force you to overpay for the hottest golfer on the planet, so it's entirely feasible to begin lineups with Scheffler AND another one of the super-elites in Jon Rahm or Rory McIlroy, which spices things up. Scheffler's metrics certainly validate his results, as he resides second to none in SG: Tee-to-Green and bogey avoidance over his past 24 rounds. He's gained strokes both off the tee and approaching the green in 10 consecutive measured events dating back to the BMW Championship, and he's coming off a run to the semifinals at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Rory McIlroy - $47
McIlroy's quest for the Career Grand Slam continues after backdooring runner-up honors here last year when he fired a final-round 64. He ultimately paced the field in driving distance on the way to a seventh top-10 throughout his last nine trips to Augusta. His ability to launch high draws off the tee is rewarded on the many right-to-left avenues along this difficult setup, while that legendary driving prowess also translates to par-5 scoring and therefore DFS upside. Over his past 36 measured rounds, McIlroy comes in at No. 2 in SG: T2G, second in Par-5 Efficiency, second in Prox: 175-200, third in Birdies or Better Gained and fourth in P4: 450-500 Efficiency.
Jordan Spieth - $40
Spieth has let a couple chances to add another green jacket slip away since his dominant four-shot Masters victory back in 2015, and he burned gamers with a missed cut here last year, but he might've found something with the putter over the last month as he gained a collective 6.8 strokes on the greens across three starts from the Arnold Palmer Invitational to the Valspar Championship. He's notched three top-6 finishes in five stroke-play tournament appearances dating to the WM Phoenix Open, gaining 4.1 strokes per event on his approach shots alone during this stretch. Spieth ranks third in both Par-5 Efficiency and SG: Around-the-Green over his last 12 rounds, and Augusta's ultra-wide fairways should help mask his biggest question mark, which has been driving accuracy.
Glue Guys
Shane Lowry - $33
Despite posting a career-best T3 at Augusta National in 2022 when he hit a tournament-leading 46 fairways in regulation, Lowry didn't seem to be drawing too much interest at his current market price. However, this extremely lousy weather forecast has Lowry -- the 2019 Open champion -- picking up steam late in the week. Although he's recorded just one top-10 finish in 2023, Lowry quietly gained a whopping 26.7 strokes from tee to green across three outings at the Genesis Invitational, the Honda Classic and THE PLAYERS, but his putter simply ran cold. If positive regression on the greens pairs with the arrival of nasty conditions, this Irishman could thrive.
Jason Day - $32
With a spell of six straight top-20s since the American Express preceding a quarterfinals appearance at the WGC-Dell Technologies Championship, a red-hot resurgent Day is probably going to be one of the chalkiest plays on the slate this week at just $32. The Aussie's short game has been stellar as he ranks No. 1 in SG: Putting, fourth in SG: Around-the-Green and second in bogey avoidance over his last 24 rounds, but he's also sixth in P4: 450-500 Efficiency and 11th in Birdies or Better Gained within this frame. You could possibly point to somewhat pedestrian approach play as a reason to fade Day in this spot, but he was fine from 150-plus in his most recent stroke-play showing at TPC Sawgrass.
Corey Conners - $26
Conners' admirable run of T6-T8-T10 in the past three editions of the Masters was already going to make him an attractive option in the mid-$20s, so his win at this past week's Valero Texas Open did no favors in terms of him potentially flying under the radar on the casual streets. The Canadian's 14.6 strokes gained from tee to green last week at TPC San Antonio marked the best T2G performance of his entire career, securing his second victory there despite gaining only 0.4 strokes with the putter. If Conners manages to putt even just field average again this week, his ball striking is typically sound enough to carry him.
Bargain Bin
Dustin Johnson - $21
You're not alone if you had to refresh the lineup page until your mouse broke into a million pieces after seeing DJ listed at just $21, because this might be the wildest salary vs. market value discrepancy in the history of Yahoo DFS Golf, as he appears below names like Harris English and Talor Gooch. Johnson, who won the unusual November version of the Masters in 2020, can be found as short as 22-1 as an outright click to emerge victorious this time around, and he's one of the top 15 most expensive selections on several other daily fantasy outlets. There's some incentive for Yahoo to deflate the price tags on LIV golfers to help boost their rostership for competitive balance purposes, but Johnson doesn't belong all the way down here, which could force him into free-square territory.
Brooks Koepka - $21
Another criminally mispriced stud with past major success, Koepka became LIV Golf's first two-time winner back home in Florida this past week when he held off Sebastian Munoz by one shot with a 54-hole score of 15-under-par. Koepka would still foster attention if his salary were $10-$15 higher where it should be, and his health is no longer a concern, so this unfortunately isn't one of the LIV players that which you'll be able to enjoy a rostership discount, especially since he and Johnson now hilariously fit into the scrub end of the "stars and scrubs" spectrum.
Min Woo Lee - $20
It didn't take long for Lee to become comfortable on these tricky greens en route to a T14 finish in his Masters debut last year, ranking second in putting average behind only Justin Thomas at Augusta National. Lee also was one of only 17 players to record an eagle, and he ultimately finished the week ranked top-10 in driving distance. The 24-year-old Aussie's power of the tee remains a massive plus as he sits fifth in driving distance over his last 24 measured rounds, but he's also a few weeks removed from an impressive T6 at THE Players Championship where he gained 7.7 strokes with the flat stick. Reducing the sample to his past 12 rounds, Lee ranks fourth in Birdies or Better Gained and fifth in proximity from 200-plus yards.
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