The FedExCup Playoffs just started last week, but by the end of this week, we’ll already have reached the final round. Life comes at you fast out here in these fantasy golf streets. This week, 49 of the 50 top golfers in the FedExCup standings are headed to Caves Valley Golf Club located just outside Baltimore for the BMW Championship, trying to battle their way to the TOUR Championship next week at East Lake. If you’re looking to build your bankroll as the playoffs wind down, one option to consider is playing cash games or double-up contests on DraftKings. If that’s the format you’re looking to attack this week, my top fantasy golf cash game picks for the BMW Championship are Russell Henley ($9,700), Ben Griffin ($9,100) and Kurt Kitayama ($7,600).
Make sure to also check out my top-three pivot plays for tournament lineups at the BMW Championship in a companion piece to this post. Pivot plays for tournament lineups are usually more aggressive, while fantasy golf cash game picks are safer with higher floors and lower risk. The picks in this post generally have higher ownership than my pivot plays, but they are good selections for contests where the uniqueness of your lineup is less important. Think of cash game picks as laying back and playing a par 5 as it was designed, taking three shots before reaching the green in search of a solid birdie. Tournament picks are like going driver off the deck to try to reach the green in two — more reward if it works, but much more risk as well.
These fantasy golf cash game picks are best used in “cash games,” which are contests that pay out to about the top half of entries. Typically, they are in the 50/50s & Double Ups or Head-to-Head sections of the DraftKings lobby.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR Single Entry $25 Double Up!
Russell Henley ($9,700)
Since you probably already know that Scottie Scheffler ($13,400) and Rory McIlroy ($11,400) are good at golf, we’ll look a little further down the salary structure for this week’s fantasy golf cash game picks. Obviously, both Scheffler and Rory are great plays this week. If you’re going with more balance or looking for a high-priced partner for one of those two centerpieces, Henley’s steady production is ideal for your fantasy golf cash game picks.
Henley won the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard against an elite field this spring and has totaled an impressive nine top-10 finishes in his 16 events this season. He finished in the top 10 at the RBC Heritage, the Memorial and the Travelers, which are all Signature Events.
He also added top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. Last week, he started and finished the week with matching rounds of 66 on his way to a T17.
Over his last 20 rounds, Henley ranks second in the field behind only Scottie in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and third in Total Strokes Gained. He is more of an approach shot specialist than a boomer off the tee, but that makes him extremely consistent and should help buoy him to another strong finish this week.
Ben Griffin ($9,100)
Griffin has been one of this year’s breakthrough players, and he has been remarkably consistent throughout the season.
He’s played a grueling schedule with 26 PGA TOUR events on his calendar, and the 29-year-old starts this week in the top 10 of the FedExCup standings with nine top-10s earlier this season, including wins at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in a team event and the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The schedule looked to be catching up to him a little after missed cuts at the John Deere Classic and The Open, but he collected himself and posted impressive finishes with a T11 at the Wyndham and a T9 last week.
Over the last 30 rounds, Griffin is second in the field in Total Strokes Gained, fourth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, and eighth in Strokes Gained: Approach. Like Henley, all that excellent ball-striking helps raise his floor and makes him a great choice for your fantasy golf cash game picks. Any week his putter cooperates, Griffin could claim his third PGA TOUR victory of the season.
Kurt Kitayama ($7,200)
Since Caves Valley has had such a huge overhaul since the last PGA TOUR visit, I’m going with skills that translate to any layout and leaning into another shot-maker with the third of my fantasy golf cash game picks, Kurt Kitayama.
Kitayama has been red hot with top-15 finishes in four of the last five weeks, including a dominant win at the 3M Open three weeks ago. He hasn’t tailed off at all with a T31 at the Wyndham Championship and a T9 last week in Memphis, which was enough to vault him to 37th in the FedExCup standings and secure his spot this week. He’ll look to jump up and advance again with a strong showing at the BMW.
He ranks third in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over the last 20 rounds and fourth in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Approach. Earlier in his career, his driver held him back, but lately, it’s carried him.
He’s a great and affordable play again this week, and his strong all-around game and excellent recent form make him a strong way to save salary and still get a very high floor. He’s too popular for GPP-focused lineups, but works great for cash games.
