The Cheat Sheet provides DraftKings fantasy golf players with course info, player history, and the most noteworthy trends of the week to help them with their roster selections.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1M Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
The Field
The RBC Heritage is the traditional follow-up event to the Masters. The event takes place on Hilton Head Island, which is just up the road from Augusta and is located on the southeastern coast of the USA in South Carolina. The field often gets watered down, with several top names wanting to take a break after the first major, but with the Heritage now getting signature event status (and a $20M prize purse), many of the top names in golf are again scheduled to attend in 2025. The field is currently set at 70 golfers, although there have been two withdrawals already, with Masters Champion Rory McIlroy deciding to take the week off to celebrate rather than compete for the tartan jacket. Justin Rose also chose to withdraw on Monday, and Michael Thorbjornsen will now get a start in his place.
Scottie Scheffler ($13,500) is in the field, as are both Xander Schauffele ($10,500) and Cameron Young ($9,800). There is always the chance another top name withdraws, so be sure to keep an eye on the DK Live app for updates. Unlike some of the other signature events, the RBC doesn’t have a 50-man cut, so all the players in the field will get in four rounds of play, an important fact to remember when building out PGA DFS lineups this week.
The Course
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, South Carolina
Par 71, 7,099 yards, Greens: TifEagle Bermuda (poa overseed)
Harbour Town Golf Links is one of the more idyllic settings the players visit all year. The course was designed by Pete Dye and has some characteristics that make it quite unique, including some of the smallest Bermuda greens on the PGA TOUR (3,700 sq. ft. average) and narrow fairways that make placement off the tee crucial. Missing on the wrong side of the green or fairway can mean getting blocked out of an approach, or having little to no chance at an up and down.
The average driving distance of the field at Harbour Town is 10-15 yards less than the average stop on the PGA TOUR, however, it is worth noting that strokes gained off the tee is still important this week. Two of the past three winners have gained over 4.0 strokes OTT as being accurate and longer here can really set you up well on approach (and take the difficulty out of parts of this course). Even Matthew Fitzpatrick, the 2023 winner, gained 1.6 strokes off the tee, and he’s generally not the most accurate off-the-tee player.
Last season, Justin Thomas prevailed over Andrew Novak in a playoff with both men getting to -17. Thomas did lose over -1.0 strokes off the tee but made it up by gaining over +3.8 strokes on approach and over +5.0 strokes putting.
The fact the course is set alongside the water also means wind plays a factor. Cooler and more gusty conditions have kept the scoring higher in two of the past three seasons, and three of the past seven winners have now failed to breach the 13-under mark for the week. The weather and small greens also tend to make strokes gained around the greens stats somewhat more important. Top finishers at Harbour Town have gained more strokes against the field in around-the-green stats than off-the-tee during the lifetime of this event, and both Fitzpatrick and Spieth (the 2023 and 2022 winners) gained over 3.5 strokes ATG in the year of their wins. Thomas also outperformed in that area, gaining +2.1 strokes ATG for the week.
As far as setup goes, Harbour Town contains a nice mix of challenging and easier-to-score holes. Two of the par 5s are set up well under 550 yards in length and present excellent birdie and eagle opportunities for the players (again, assuming their drives find the fairway). The par 4s include four that measure between 450-500 yards, with the 18th being one of the toughest of the bunch, as its green has no cover from wind and is set directly alongside the ocean.
Although the par 3s all measure in at a range of just 175-200 yards, a mix of small greens, water hazards, and overhanging trees make them all tough to maneuver. The par 3, 14th is on par with the 17th at Sawgrass in terms of toughness, and how your players navigate these holes will be important in determining whether they can compete this week.
2026 Weather Outlook: Given that we have a seaside venue that is unprotected in spots, and it’s still early April, weather at this event is always going to be a factor. The good news is that it doesn’t look overly dreary or windy for 2026. There is almost no rain expected for this year’s event, although we could see a few drops on Sunday with clouds rolling in and a 25% chance of precipitation. The wind picks up on Thursday afternoon, with gusts expected to reach 15mph+ around 2 PM. Early starters may be able to gain a decent advantage, so it’s worthwhile waiting to see exactly how the draw shakes before making all your big decisions this week. Friday may also give an advantage to early risers, but it looks slightly less windy than Day 1.
Last Five Winners
2025—Justin Thomas -17 (over Andrew Novak playoff)
2024—Scottie Scheffler -19 (over Sahith Theegala -16)
2023—Matthew Fitzpatrick -17 (over Jordan Spieth playoff)
2022—Jordan Spieth -13 (over Patrick Cantlay playoff)
2021—Stewart Cink -19 (over Harold Varner III -15)
Winning Trends
- 10 of the last 14 winners of The RBC Heritage had recorded TWO or more top-five (or better) finishes worldwide in the year of their victory before their win at Hilton Head.
- 11 of the last 14 winners had recorded a T23 or better in a previous season at this event before winning.
- The winner of The RBC Heritage has played in The Masters the week prior AND missed the cut four times over the last 13 seasons.
Winners Stats
Justin Thomas (17-under-par—2025)
2025 lead-in form (T36-2nd-T33-T36-T9)
SG: OTT— –1.0
SG: APP— +3.8
SG: Total— +10.4
SG: ATG— +2.1
SG: PUTT— +5.5
This is very much a second-shot course, so emphasizing approach stats this week is a good idea. 2020 runner-up Abraham Ancer gained an incredible +11.8 strokes on approach here en route to a 21-under par score, while 2021 winner, Stewart Cink, gained +8.5 strokes on approach and led the field in that stat.
In 2022, Jordan Spieth put in another strong tee-to-green performance, which exemplified just how important both ball-striking and around-the-green play can be, given that he won the event while losing multiple strokes putting.
Scottie Scheffler in 2024 had a similar result: He was essentially neutral on the greens but gained 12.3 strokes tee to green
Fitzpatrick’s 2023 performance was very similar to Spieth’s in that he gained almost all his strokes ATG and on Approach — while just being slightly above average off the tee and on the greens.
Thomas’ win last season was more putter weighted but still outperformed on approach and around the greens
Off-the-tee play isn’t about power here, but it is still important. Accuracy is a must, given the tighter fairways and need for solid placement
Players also tend to club down quite a bit to hit fairways so if you can maintain solid length while also being accurate, you can gain quite a bit on the field (both Spieth ’22 and Scheffler ’24 gained over 4.0 strokes OTT)
Finding Values on DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds to win are one factor to consider when picking players, but not the only one, so be careful not to put too much weight on them. This section is going to detail a few of the players who have the best fantasy value compared to their DraftKings Sportsbook odds of winning this week.
Si Woo Kim +2700 and $8,900
Comparables:
- Jake Knapp +3300 and $9,100
- Sam Burns+2900 and $9,000
Jason Day +4500 and $8,000
Comparables:
- Jacob Bridgeman +4500 and $8,200
- Chris Gotterup +5000 and $8,100
- Shane Lowry +4900 and $8,400
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook are subject to change.
Horses For Courses
1. Patrick Cantlay ($9,200; best finishes: 2nd-2022; T3-2024): Cantlay has typically excelled at this second-shot Pete Dye design. In five of his last seven starts at Harbour Town, he’s finished 3rd or better and has a terrific record at Pete Dye venues in general. He had a solid weekend at Augusta, and we should expect a bounce-back this week as he searches for his first Harbour Town win.
2. JT Poston ($7,200; best finishes: T3-2022, T5-2024): Poston has the game to dominate on short, technical tracks. He’s now posted top-10 finishes at Harbour Town in four of the past six seasons. While he has missed the cut at this venue twice, his upside at Harbour Town is undeniable.
3. Brian Harman ($7,000; best finishes: T9-2017, T7-2023): Harman continued his solid play at this event/venue in 2024, making the cut for the sixth time in seven seasons and posting another top 12. The three-time PGA TOUR winner has posted top-30 finishes at Hilton Head in six of the past eight seasons and remains a consistent DFS threat on these shorter setups.
4. Matthew Fitzpatrick ($10,000; best finishes: win-2023, T4-2021): While he doesn’t have a huge sample size of starts at this event Fitzpatrick has now finished first and T4 at Harbour Town in two of the past four seasons. The 2023 champion has expressed his love for this layout in the past as well.
5. Shane Lowry ($8,400; best finishes: T3-2022 and 2019): Lowry is coming off a disappointing Masters Sunday, but he could rebound nicely this week. The Irishman has finished Top 10 at this event on multiple occasions, including 2022 when he finished T3.
Recent Form
1. Xander Schauffele ($10,500; T9-T4-T3): Schauffele battled back after a tough Saturday and managed a T9 finish last week. He’s finished in the top 10 in four of his last five starts and looks ready to step in the winner’s circle again soon.
2. Scottie Scheffler ($14,000; T2-T22): Scheffler looked like the old Scheffler last week after a couple of poor starts in a row. His weekend rounds of 65-68 were best in class, and he comes to a course he won just two years ago.
3. Sam Burns ($9,000; T7-T21-T13): Burns shot himself out of contention on Sunday at Augusta, but the American is starting to heat up. He shot three rounds of 69 or better at Sawgrass and has finished T21 or better in three straight events.
4. Russell Henley ($9,600; T14-T5): Henley could have stolen the Masters if not for a few missed putts down the stretch. He put aside a missed cut in Texas to finish T3 last week and has top-10 finishes in two of his last four starts now.
5. Sam Stevens ($7,200; T24-T5): Stevens held up well on his first go at Augusta, finishing T24. The American has found some rhythm of late and should be a name to keep watch on as we head into spring.
DRAFTKINGS DFS STRATEGY
Big Field Punt plays:
Denny McCarthy ($6,500): McCarthy has been up and down this season, but his putter and approach game are capable of going on a run on shorter courses. At $6,500, he’s the sort of big-field GPP target I would want to be paying this week given the course in play.
Michael Kim ($6,400): Kim missed the cut badly last week but was in contention in Texas the prior week. He’s a smart golfer who gets a bump from the shorter, more technical track at Harbour Town.
Tony Finau ($6,600): This isn’t the best setup necessarily for Finau, but he has won at a seaside venue before in Puerto Rico. This price is altogether too low for the veteran.
Core Plays:
Corey Conners ($7,000) – see below
Viktor Hovland ($8,600): Hovland had a nice finish to his Masters and won’t be stressed from being in contention all weekend. He’s had a few solid results of late, and his price could easily be 9k+ in this field if he had managed a top-10 in Florida.
MY PICK: Sepp Straka ($7,900)
This tournament has been a great bounce-back spot for players who underperform in the Masters the week prior. Justin Thomas scuttled to a T36 last season in Augusta and then won at this venue for the first time the week after, while Jordan Spieth had a rare missed cut at Augusta in 2022, and then promptly won here the following week. Straka sets up as a player who can potentially make a similar run for me in 2026.
The Austrian has had some great weeks already in 2026, finishing T8 at the PLAYERS and T2 at Pebble Beach, and his overall form appears to be intact, despite a missed cut here and there. Augusta is also just a very long course for a more accurate hitter like Straka, who has always thrived on pure ball-striking venues where repetitive short iron play is more important than overall length. His record at Hilton Head showcases this preference with two top-five finishes and a T13 here from last season.
I’d rate him as one of the best values in the high 7k range for DFS and a player I’d be happy to be overweight on this week, even if he ends up as a popular pick. His overall win equity just makes him a great upside play and more appealing than anyone else at that level for larger GPPs. For betting, anything over +5000 also makes him an intriguing outright player in this reduced field at a venue that plays almost exclusively to his strengths.
MY SLEEPER: Corey Conners ($7,000)
We’ve seen Conners perform well on these sorts of technical tracks before. He’s a two-time winner at the heavily dog-legged TPC San Antonio and also has top-five finishes at other classical setups, including Harbour Town, where he finished T4 back in 2021. The Canadian hasn’t been able to get himself into contention yet this season, but his year hasn’t been a disaster by any stretch. He’s 16th in strokes gained approach stats and finished T13 at Sawgrass and T14 at Copperhead in back-to-back weeks, before scuttling to a T49 at the Masters last week.
While his putting has been atrocious for the most part, Harbour Town offers a massive change in greens off Augusta, given the smaller, mostly flat surfaces in play that often tend to favor poor putters. While he may not win, I do expect we’ll see Conners bounce back considerably at this more favorable venue and potentially find some of those putts that have not been dropping for him this year. With his DFS price close to his floor at just 7k, there is little reason to avoid him this week for daily fantasy, and if you want more exposure to his upside, his top-10 and ties odds of +510 are also super appealing for such a supreme iron player.
While this is a strong field, his +400 top 20 odds also make him a ripe placement target on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
