Fantasy Tennis Picks: Top DraftKings DFS U.S. Open Targets for August 31

The U.S. Open will finally begin on Monday after weeks of uncertainty around the scheduling. A total of 42 matches constitute the slate on DraftKings for the first day of the second slam of the year. We take a look at high-priced and value options from both draws for your tennis roster.

Set your DraftKings lineups here: TEN $100K Major Return [$10K to 1st]

Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.

High-priced options

Borna Coric ($10,500)

Coric’s past 12 months have been marred by personal pain, with injuries and fitness concerns inhibiting his ascent up the rankings. He was beaten in the second round in Cincinnati by David Goffin. However, he has at least played some professional tennis. His opponent, Pablo Andujar ($4,400), ranked No. 53 in the world, last played a competitive match more than a month back.

Stefanos Tsitsipas ($11,400)

Tsitsipas hasn’t yet made his mark in this grand slam. He had a second-round exit in his first U.S. Open, back in 2018 and was beaten by Andrey Rublev in the first round last year. Apart from that, he has a lot going for him. He reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters, where he put away three big-serving players in Kevin Anderson, John Isner and Reilly Opelka. He is No. 6 in the world and that should show against an out-of-form Albert Ramos-Vinolas ($3,500).

Denis Shapovalov ($10,300)

There is a discernible difference in rankings between both these players. Shapovalov, ranked No. 17 in the world, beat Marin Cilic before losing to Jan Lennard-Struff in the second round in Cincinnati. His opponent, Sebastian Korda ($4,500) is ranked No. 225 in the world and was given a wild card entry into the main draw. Even though Shapovalov has been inconsistent, he should be too strong for Korda.

Others to consider: Karolina Pliskova ($10,900), Taylor Fritz ($9,500)

Value flex options

Jordan Thompson ($8,400)

Thompson’s biggest liability has been his inability to stay consistent on the bigger ATP stages. He has a strong serve and a reliable baseline game. He should definitely be ranked higher than his current ranking of No. 64 in the world. He played two rounds in Cincinnati and was eventually beaten in straight sets by Salvatore Caruso. His deepest run at the U.S. Open has been the second round in four appearances. He would want to improve on that here.

Daria Kasatkina ($7,200)

Kasatkina has had a tumultuous year so far in which she has lost eight of 12 matches in main draws. She has quickly slipped from No. 10 in the world to her current ranking of 68. She had lost both her matches in the first round in the lead-up to the U.S. Open. Despite this form, she has experience and skill over her 18-year-old opponent, Marta Kostyuk ($7,900).

Dusan Lajovic ($8,000)

Lajovic has had a sensational year so far. He helped his country win the ATP Cup earlier in the year before reaching the third round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the tournament in Buenos Aires. That has seen him climb to No. 23 in the world. He is seeded 18th in this U.S. Open and will be keen to perform on a surface that suits his style of play.

Others to consider: Kyle Edmund ($9,100)

Set your DraftKings lineups here: TEN $100K Major Return [$10K to 1st]

Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.

Nikhil Kalro is the Founder and CEO of Altletics Esports.