US Open DraftKings picks with top plays and fades for Los Angeles Country Club and building the best PGA DFS lineup for the week.
The US Open is always a fascinating venture with how difficult the hosting USGA always tends to make the setup. But for the 2023 tournament at Los Angeles Country Club offers even more intrigue as it's a course that has not been played competitively at the major championship level before. That also makes our 2023 US Open DraftKings picks a little tricky to weed through.
We've been on a bit of a surge with our recent PGA DFS lineups, going back-to-back with 6-for-6 showings and cashing pretty comfortably as a result. Now that we're going to LACC, though, we are looking for a combination of major pedigree, great tee-to-green play, recent form, and all of these factors to determine who could show up well at the 2023 US Open.
So with that in mind, let's delve into our 2023 US Open DraftKings picks as we try to identify a winning PGA DFS lineup by sorting through our plays and fades from each pricing tier and then constructing the roster from there.
US Open DraftKings picks for PGA DFS lineups: Top Plays
$10,000: Viktor Hovland ($10,000) – The ownership on Hovland is expected to be the second highest in the $10K range behind Scottie Scheffler, but it makes complete sense why. One of the few things we know about LACC is the empahsis on tee-to-green and few in the world are better than Hovland. Coming off his win at the Memorial and with back-to-back Top 10s in majors, he's trending in the biggest events. At the bottom of this tier, I can't pass him up. Also Consider: Jon Rahm ($11,100), Brooks Koepka ($10,800)
$9,000: Jordan Spieth ($9,200) – PGA DFS players are going to flock to Rory McIlroy at what should be a good course fit and after him flashing real signs in his recent events. I'm also a fan of Rory this week, but not as much so as I am with Jordan Spieth. He's been driving the ball greatly recently and his ball striking has remained good too. When you then combine his all-world short game at a place that could demand it, I think he's live to win at LACC this week. Also Consider: Rory McIlroy ($9,900), Xander Schauffele ($9,600), Matt Fitzpatrick ($9,100)
$8,000: Tyrrell Hatton ($8,900) – Full disclosure, there's a good chance I skip the $8K range at the 2023 US Open. With immense value in the $7Ks and a thin-ish group in this tier, it seems like the prudent move. But if you need someone here, Tyrrell Hatton is the best play. He's T15 or better in each of his last five starts and checks all the boxes as an all-around golfer who can contend with this type of test. Also Consider: Tony Finau ($8,800), Shane Lowry ($8,500), Sungjae Im ($8,400)
$7,000: Denny McCarthy ($7,200) – I'm all over Denny McCarthy this week. His last start was losing in a playoff at the Memorial, but he's also been proving that he thrives in the big-boy events this year. This has been the result of much-improved ball striking. As an accurate driver who has now become an above-average approach player combined with his elite-level putting, McCarthy is a true sleeper this week at LACC. Also Consider: Tommy Fleetwood ($7,900), Corey Conners ($7,800), Justin Rose ($7,700), Rickie Fowler ($7,500), Nick Taylor ($7,300), Si Woo Kim ($7,300), Gary Woodland ($7,200), Russell Henley ($7,100), Eric Cole ($7,000).
$6,000: Carson Young ($6,900) – If it ain't broke, don't fix it — and going with Carson Young hasn't been broke. Though a T43 was only fine last week, he still has four finishes of T21 or better in his last six starts while making the cut in five of those. He dominated US Open qualifying to get in this week and I'm not jumping off the boat for a player who's ball striking should play well in Los Angeles. Also Consider: Patrick Rodgers ($6,900), Andrew Putnam ($6,800), JT Poston ($6,700), Sam Bennett ($6,500)
US Open DraftKings picks for PGA DFS lineups: Top Fades
$10,000: Scottie Scheffler ($11,400) – The only thing fading Scottie Scheffler has to do with his game is the concerns about his putting. Even if he was only slightly losing strokes on the green, this would be an easy play. But when you combine that with the fact that he projects to be the highest-owned golfer in the field while also being the highest-priced, that's enough to take me off of him and not have any exposure to him at the US Open.
$9,000: Cameron Smith ($9,000) – Collin Morikawa deserves a mention here as he's just not been producing the finishes you'd expect and has now been dealing with back spasms. But I'm going with Cameron Smith here as the full fade. We know that LACC is a positional golf course and, while Smith can spike on approach and offers elite around the green play, his driver can be squirrely to say the least. That will put him in immense danger at this course, and I'm steering clear of that.
$8,000: Cameron Young ($8,000) – With the way that we've seen relatively recent US Open winners bully the course into submission, you might be intrigued by Cameron Young. Instead, we're fading another Cameron because the game just isn't there. Outside of the driver, Young has been pedestrian at best recently and, in this stacked field at LACC, that's not enough to move me to play him.
$7,000: Sahith Theegale ($7,600) – Fading Sahith Theegala is basically for the same reasons that we're looking past Cam Smith this week. There are aspects of Theegala's game that should perfectly fit LACC this week but the driver isn't one of them. He can be erratic with that club, which is going to result in a ton of problems around this place. Because of that, I just can't get there.
US Open: Best DraftKings golf PGA DFS lineup
- Viktor Hovland ($10,000)
- Xander Schauffele ($9,600)
- Jordan Spieth ($9,200)
- Denny McCarthy ($7,200)
- Eric Cole ($7,000)
- Carson Young ($6,900)
We're going full-blown stars and scrubs for the 2023 US Open and couldn't feel better about it. Hovland, Spieth, McCarthy and Young have already been discussed, but there are two new additions to the mix that require some elaboration.
Though Schauffele hasn't been able to break through for a major win, he's often been in the mix and his all-around game combined with California roots should serve him well. As for Eric Cole, he has one of the better around the green records leading into LACC and has been striking the ball solidly combined with accurate driving. That's a winning formula that really rounds out this lineup well.
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