DraftKings Preview: U.S. Open

It’s officially U.S. Open week! The third major championship of the year will be held at Los Angeles Country Club, which measures as a monster 7,421-yard par 70 with Bentgrass greens. As is the norm with U.S. Opens, the rough is going to be absurdly difficult this week being Bermuda, while scoring conditions should be as tough as we’ll see all season.

Below I have outlined three of my favorite DraftKings plays for the week.

Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $3M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry]

GOLFERS TO CONSIDER

Rory McIlroy ($9,900)

I’m sorry, but Rory McIlroy should not be priced under $10,000 on DraftKings ever, regardless of field. He’s been “bad” of late and has still posted finishes of T9, T7 and T7 across his past three starts. Many will have a sour taste in their mouth regarding the Northern Irishman after a poor final round at the RBC Canadian Open, but the problem was primarily putter-related, as he lost 2.16 strokes on the greens. He happened to gain 2.1 strokes off-the-tee as well during that final round, which unironically led the field.

Over this mini three-start run, McIlroy ranks third in this field in SG: Tee-to-Green, third in SG: Ball-Striking and third in SG: Total. His game is locked in right now despite all the drama surrounding him off the course.

I buried the lede as well, which is that McIlroy has posted four straight top-nine finishes at the U.S. Open, and five since 2015, making him virtually automatic to finish T10 or better. Priced at just $9,900, you save a whopping $1,500 from Scottie Scheffler and $1,200 from Jon Rahm by dropping down to the four-time major champion.

It honestly feels like the pressure is not as high on McIlroy to win one of these as it has been in years past, and it would not shock me in the slightest to see him holding the trophy come Sunday evening.

Hideki Matsuyama ($8,600)

Matsuyama has a sterling track record at the U.S. Open, having made the cut nine times in his 10 starts at this event since 2013. He’s posted three top-10 finishes in that stretch, with five additional top-26 finishes as well. This should not come as a surprise, as Matsuyama is a grinder that has always done great work in majors over the years. His long-iron play and around-the-green game are both tailor-made for major championship golf.

His play of late has not been too shabby, either, with four top-16 finishes over his past five starts, including a T5 at THE PLAYERS. Additionally, Matsuyama has made six consecutive cuts and ranks 13th in SG: Ball-Striking, 15th in SG: Around-the-Green and 18th in SG: Total during this run.

If you’re going to ask me for one player in the field below $9,000 on DraftKings to make the cut this week, it’s going to be Matsuyama. His $8,600 price tag is more than reasonable considering his history and recent form, and he fits almost any roster construction.

Russell Henley ($7,100)

Henley was a disappointment at the PGA Championship, but that’s been his only hiccup since the beginning of March. Since THE PLAYERS Championship, Henley has five top-20 finishes in six starts, which includes a T4 at the Masters. During this recent stretch, he ranks 22nd in SG: Tee-to-Green, fifth in SG: Approach and 21st in SG: Total.

Henley’s bugaboo of late has been his off-the-tee play, but the fairways at Los Angeles Country Club are wider than normal U.S. Open setups, so it should mask his lone weakness, while subsequently letting his elite iron play shine.

Henley has a decent U.S. Open record as well, making three of his past four cuts, with each finish being T27 or better. He is simply playing too well right now to be only $7,100, especially when you look at some of the guys he’s priced around. Rostering Henley allows you to basically do anything you want at the top of the board.

Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: $3M Fantasy Golf Millionaire [$1M to 1st + ToC Semifinal Entry]

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is Lan1228) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.