The top players on the PGA TOUR are headed to Memphis this week for the first of three tournaments in the FedExCup Playoffs. This week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship is a no-cut, limited-field event that will give players a chance to claim their status in the top 50 in the FedExCup Standings to earn a spot in next week’s BMW Championship and all of next year’s Signature Events. Throughout its history at TPC Southwind, the event has had plenty of drama, and if you’re looking to build your bankroll in the postseason, DraftKings has a wide range of contests available, including some excellent cash game opportunities. My three top fantasy golf cash plays to consider this week are Hideki Matsuyama ($9,000), Patrick Cantlay ($8,800) and Rickie Fowler ($7,500).
Make sure to also check out my top-three pivot plays for tournament lineups for the FedEx St. Jude Championship if you’re looking for some less popular, under-the-radar picks. 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 lying back and playing a par 5 as it was designed, taking three shots before reaching the green, searching for 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.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR Single Entry $10 Double Up
Hideki Matsuyama ($9,000)
TPC Southwind is a shotmaker’s course with an emphasis on accuracy and approach play. Matsuyama’s game is a great course fit, and the veteran has a good track record at this venue, where he won in 2024.
In his career, Matsuyama has played TPC Southwind in six tournaments, and he has finished in the top 25 in each of his last five appearances. He finished runner-up in 2021 before his win in 2024 and added another strong finish with a T17 last season.
This year, he returns to Memphis after posting five straight top-15 finishes. He started that run with a T14 at The Open Championship and followed that up with a T3 at the 3M Open, a T5 at the Rocket Classic, and a T7 last week at the Wyndham. That hot streak has him ranked third in the field in Total Strokes Gained and fourth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over the last 20 rounds. During that time frame, he also leads the field in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green.
With his short game dialed in and plenty of familiarity with the track, Matsuyama brings both a high floor and a high ceiling. He only has the 10th-highest salary of all the players in this stacked field, so he also brings good value and can be a key part of a balanced build as one of this week’s best fantasy golf cash plays.
Patrick Cantlay ($8,800)
Cantlay is another veteran player in good form with plenty of past success at TPC Southwind. While he hasn’t won in a while on the PGA TOUR, he has nine top-25 finishes in his 17 events, including four top-10 finishes. He has one of those top-10 finishes in his most recent event, closing with a 68 two weeks ago at the Rocket Classic to finish T8.
Cantlay missed the cut at the Scottish Open and the U.S. Open, but he has played very well aside from those two down weeks. He sat out last week’s Wyndham and starts the week at No. 42 in the FedExCup Standings, looking to stay in the top 50 and move on to next week.
Over the last six months, he ranks 10th in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and 13th in Strokes Gained: Approach. He was third in the field at the Rocket Classic in Strokes Gained: Approach, and his iron play could lead to more success this week.
Like Matsuyama’s, Cantlay’s game is a great course fit for TPC Southwind. He finished runner-up at this week’s venue in 2023, when he lost in a playoff to Lucas Glover. He finished T12 in 2024 and T9 last year, gaining over two strokes per round on the field in each of those three events.
Even though the 34-year-old hasn’t hoisted a trophy lately, his steady play and great course fit make him a great option in fantasy golf cash picks this week. He and Matsuyama can anchor the top of a balanced approach that leaves an average of just over $8,000 for the rest of the slots on your roster.
Rickie Fowler ($7,500)
Another strong option to fill a spot in your fantasy golf cash picks this week is Rickie Fowler, who has had a steady productive season even though he hasn’t won. He’s already sitting at No. 28 in the FedExCup Standings, which sets him up well to advance to next week and possibly even to the TOUR Championship.
Fowler’s last win was in 2023 at the Rocket Classic, but he has strung together 10 top-25 finishes and five top-10 finishes in his 19 events this year. His best stretch during the season included three straight top-10 finishes in Signature Events, with a runner-up finish at the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow behind Kristoffer Reitan ($7,100), who is another solid play to consider this week.
After that near-miss, Fowler scuffled for a few weeks but got back in form with a T15 at the John Deere Classic, a T18 at The Open Championship, and a T8 at the Rocket Classic two weeks ago.
In 2024, Fowler missed the FedExCup Playoffs and didn’t play this event, but he returned last year with a T6. He has a trio of top-15 finishes in his six career appearances at this week’s venue, and that success, in addition to his recent form, makes him a strong option at this salary.
