The Masters needs no introduction. Golf’s most iconic event returns for its 89th edition, with 95 players set to take on Augusta National. This Par 72 layout stretches to a massive 7,555 yards, and with great weather in the forecast, we’re set for a pristine, championship-level test to kick off major season. Let’s dive into my PGA DFS picks and core plays for The Masters.
Course Preview
As always, Augusta will demand every shot in the bag. Approach play is crucial into firm, fast bentgrass greens, and the four risk-reward par-5s are where players must capitalize to stay in contention. The long par-4s — most over 440 yards — punish any mistakes, while the undulating terrain and tricky greens reward creativity and course experience.
Key stats this week include Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, Approach, and Around the Green, plus Driving Distance, Par 4 and Par 5 Scoring, and Proximity from over 200 yards — but above all, course experience is king at Augusta.
Using the Stokastic PGA Sims Tool, I’ve locked in the top plays for this week. Our hole-by-hole simulations project each golfer’s potential and, combined with PGA DFS projections, allow us to run tens of thousands of lineup builds. This helps us zero in on the best plays — the ones showing up most often in the highest-ROI lineups. The Sims Tool is a big part of my weekly DFS process, and I highly recommend it if you’re looking to level up your lineups.
Let’s dive into The Masters picks that I will be building my lineups around this week on DraftKings.
PGA DFS Picks: The Masters DFS Picks & Core Plays
PGA DFS Picks: The Masters DFS Picks & Core Plays: Jon Rahm – $10,400
If there’s one thing we know about The Masters, it’s that chalk often rises to the top. Jon Rahm fits that profile perfectly. He currently leads the field with a 17.5% optimal percentage — the rate at which he appears in optimal lineups according to our simulations.
The LIV standout has logged 32 career rounds at Augusta, highlighted by a win in 2023 and three top-10 finishes. His True Strokes Gained at this course is an impressive +2.50, ranking 5th in the field.
Rahm has been dominant on the LIV Tour this season, finishing 9th or better in all five starts. Among the Masters field, throughout his past 40 rounds, he ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Total, 2nd in SG: Tee to Green, and 5th in both SG: Around the Green and Driving Distance.
Rahm, as a LIV player with something to prove against the PGA Tour stars, will be extra motivated to seize these Major opportunities — especially at Augusta, where he’s already proven he can win. If you’re looking to pivot off the heavy chalk of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, Rahm looks like the next-best option.
Russell Henley – $8,400
The 35-year-old Georgia native is always fired up to compete in his home state. He’s logged 30 career rounds at Augusta, highlighted by a T-4 finish, six top-40s, and just one missed cut back in 2013.
Henley brings the kind of experience and data you want when selecting players for The Masters, and his True Strokes Gained mark of +1.45 backs it up.
He’s also in peak form right now, playing some of the best golf of his career. Henley captured the title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, finished T-5 at Pebble Beach, T-6 at the Cognizant Classic, and T-10 at the Sony Open. Outside of that, he hasn’t finished worse than T-39 all season.
Statistically, he’s been sharp across the board in his last 40 rounds: 8th in Strokes Gained: Total, 7th Around the Green, and 22nd Tee to Green. He’s also tied for 2nd in Par 4 Scoring, ranks 5th in Birdie or Better Percentage, and 8th in Greens in Regulation from 200+ yards.
Henley has all the tools and momentum to make a serious run this week — don’t be surprised if he delivers.
PGA DFS Picks; The Masters DFS Picks & Core Plays: Adam Scott – $7,200
When it comes to experience, Adam Scott is the go-to guy. He’s played 80 career rounds at Augusta National — the most of anyone in this year’s field. Over that span, he’s posted a True Strokes Gained mark of +1.22 and has made the cut in 15 straight Masters appearances. That stretch includes his iconic playoff victory over Angel Cabrera in 2013, when he became the first Australian to win the tournament.
While he hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in five years, Scott has remained competitive. The 44-year-old posted two runner-up finishes and five top-10s last season, and recorded a T-15 at The Sentry earlier this year. He’s the type of player who can capitalize on eagle and birdie opportunities on the Par 5s, ranking 22nd in Par 5 scoring and T-9 in approach shots from over 200 yards.
It’s certainly not the sexiest pick, but our Top Golfers Tool, gives Scott a 6.2% leverage score and an 11.3% optimal rate, showcasing potential value with the veteran.
GPP Flier: Phil Mickelson – $6,700
And finally, another veteran with deep history at Augusta that our simulations love: the lefty, Phil Mickelson. After several recent runs of the model, Mickelson consistently pops with the highest exposure of any golfer — likely thanks to his affordable salary and continued success at The Masters.
He’s played 76 career rounds at Augusta and carries a True Strokes Gained mark of +2.21. And let’s not forget, he finished T-2 here in 2023. So far in 2025, he’s teed it up in four LIV events, posting a 3rd-place finish in Hong Kong, 6th in Miami, along with T-19 and T-23 results.
I’m not necessarily suggesting we bet Mickelson to win or even lock him in for a top-20 finish — but our tools are infatuated with his value, and it’s easy to see why.
