PGA DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Golf: RBC Heritage

Following the Masters, the tour continues up to Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. This is a staple of the PGA Tour season, and although it is not even close to the stature of a major, it still is a quality event each year. Harbour Town is one of the more unique layouts and presents a different challenge than usual. The field is weaker for PGA DFS, but there many more options than the 88-player pool from last week’s Masters.

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The Course

Harbour Town is a par 71 measuring 7,100 yards, so it is on the short side compared to most PGA courses. Players are unable to overpower this track, and world-class players constantly struggle to handle this unique layout. This is one of the most technical layouts on tour, so be aware of that when building this week. It also can be a challenging test for the players, as this course has very small greens and the wind usually plays a major factor, making hitting greens in regulation that much harder. This is something to consider when determining how much weight to put on approach versus around the green, as the harder the course plays the more scrambling becomes important.

Gamers are most likely going to target precise, accurate ball strikers, as landing the ball in the right spots is as important as distance around a smaller course like this. Similar to last week, the bombers will have to pick their spots carefully since they will be punished for erratic shots, leading to most players choosing to club down to put the ball in the correct positions. If the wind is up — which it usually is — there will be plenty of scrambling opportunities to be had, so getting those golfers who can get up and down from off the green is a big plus.

The RBC Heritage Field

One of the many things about The Masters that is unique is the field size, which changed how teams were constructed last week. Heading to RBC Heritage, the field is closer to full size with 135 players teeing it up. This also means that the standard top 65 and ties is back for cut rules.

This field isn’t major-caliber, but that is not to say there are not elite players making the trip. RBC-Sponsored Dustin Johnson kicks things off, followed by Patrick Cantlay and defending champion Webb Simpson. From there the talent starts to drop off, but there are still a ton of PGA Tour regulars and a lot of guys who weren’t in the field last week at The Masters. This is a pretty typical PGA field strength, but coming off a major it is always a little tough to gauge where players mindsets are.

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What To Do With Webb Simpson?

When one thinks of Harbour Town and this tournament, one of the golfers that immediately comes to mind is Simpson. This is the exact layout that one would envision fitting his game, and Simpson was able to grab the victory at this tournament last year. He comes off a respectable 12th-place finish at Augusta and looks to once again be amongst the favorites this week at a much better course fit.

Ownership is going to be the biggest red flag with Simpson, as his game checks out and there are not many question marks. It is very possible Simpson will be the highest-owned player on the slate, and gamers are paying a lofty $10,700 tag. The question of what to do with him this week will be one of the key decisions, as he is going to command some significant ownership. In cash he makes sense, and he is not worth a full fade by any stretch in tournaments, but the field strength is something to consider.

There are a handful of reasonable pivots directly next to Simpson, and all of those guys are top tier. Someone like Cantlay, who also fits this course, is coming off a horrendous showing at The Masters and is projected for just a third the ownership of Simpson. That sets up an interesting scenario, and if that ownership holds, it will move to some of these guys at lower ownership despite how well Simpson fits the course. In large-field GPPs especially, the appeal of getting one-third or one-fourth the ownership on guys like Cantlay or Collin Morikawa as opposed to Simpson is a situation to monitor and could make the difference if one of them has a ceiling week.

PGA DFS Picks: RBC Heritage

Top Priced: Patrick Cantlay — $10,900 DraftKings, $11,600 FanDuel

This is an extension of the previous paragraph, as Cantlay comes in with his stock plummeting off the showing at Augusta. Of all the disappointments last week, no result was as confusing as Cantlay’s. He was never in the tournament and really had no chance to make the cut on Friday, which is extremely atypical for a guy who is one of the most consistent on tour. If Cantlay’s recent struggles are a sign of a larger issue, then it is worth staying away and going more conservative up top. But if not, then this is a buy spot.

Cantlay seems to love this course, with three appearances and finishes of third, seventh and third from 2017 to 2019. The tee-to-green stats were dominant, and he seems to have the ability to work the ball around the tight, tree-lined course layout. With the recent form masking what is a fantastic course fit, buying low on Cantlay and betting that his recent struggles are more an outlier is a prudent move. For reference, Awesemo is projecting Cantlay to be the No. 6 scorer on DraftKings this week.

Also considering – Webb Simpson (Cash)

Mid-Range: Russell Henley — $7,900 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel

This is a great price tag on Henley, who has the exact skillset worth targeting at RBC Heritage. He is a pure ball striker, particularly with the irons, and has gained strokes putting in every single event in 2021. Henley leads the tour in par-4 scoring and has plenty of experience at Harbour Town, even if the results have been all over the map. Coming off a third-place finish at the Honda — which has some similarities — only furthers the interest, and Henley fits a ton of different builds this week. If he continues to putt as well as he has all season, there is no reason why he wouldn’t find the weekend and return value.

Also considering – Kevin Kisner

Lower Priced: Stewart Cink — $6,700 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel

It has been a while since Cink made this article. However, Cink’s recent form cannot go unknown, and combining that with a sub-$7,000 price tag puts him firmly in play this week. He comes in off a 19th-place finish at the Honda where he gained 7.1 strokes with his irons and then followed that up with a 12th-place finish last week at The Masters. His game is in tip-top shape, and not much should change heading into Harbour Town.

Cink’s results here do not have a ton jumping off the page, but playing the course each year is a positive at the very least. Cink seemed to figure out the layout tee to green last year, gaining 2.9 strokes, but he was ice cold on the greens, losing a massive 5.1. That type of split is going to mask what could have been a much better showing. With a handful of top-end players in this field, the benefit of paying down is even more important, so this price tag is one to really explore.

Also Considering – Doug Ghim, Matthew NeSmith

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Author

Ben Rasa

*Ben Rasa (aka Jazzraz)* has been involved with sports and numbers for quite some time dabbling in the poker world , sports wagering and of course finding a home in the DFS world. While he enjoys playing NFL, NCAAF and NBA he has found his best advantage on the links with PGA and the Euro Tour. Jazzraz focuses on GPPs and uses a analytical approach to try and find pricing inefficiencies as well as trying to go against the grain to find those under owned lesser know players that can make the difference in giant field tournaments. You can contact Ben by emailing [email protected].