PGA DFS Optimizer Guide: Golf Lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel

This guide shows how to build golf lineups with the free PGA lineup optimizer. It covers DraftKings and FanDuel, for full tournaments and single rounds. If you are new to the optimizer, read the lineup optimizer guide for every sport first.

PGA Roster Rules

Golf has no positions. Any six golfers that fit the cap make a legal lineup.

Set Up the Build

"Site - Game Type" has four options: "DraftKings - Classic", "DraftKings - Showdown", "FanDuel - Classic" and "FanDuel - Single Round". Classic covers all four rounds. Showdown and Single Round cover one round.

The PGA optimizer opens in "Cash" mode. Click "GPP" for tournaments.

The Cut Is the Big Risk

In a classic contest, about half of the field misses the cut after two rounds. A golfer who misses the cut scores no points for the weekend. Two missed cuts usually end a lineup.

On classic slates, the "Cut %≥" filter hides golfers with a low chance to make the cut. The default is 30. Raise it for cash games.

Advanced Settings

Open "Advanced Settings" in the sidebar. These are the controls:

• "Score Mode" has "Mean", "Ceil" and "Value". Use "Mean" for cash and "Ceil" for tournaments.
• "Max Exposure %" caps the share of lineups for one golfer. The default is 65.
• "Min Unique" sets how many golfers must differ between two lineups. The default is 2.
• "Noise σ" adds randomness to the projections. The default is 0.06.
• "Make-Cut Safety" lowers the value of golfers who are likely to miss the cut. The default is 25. A value of 0 turns it off.

No Stacks in Golf

Golfers do not play with or against each other in a way that links their scores. The PGA optimizer has no stacking. Your edge comes from exposure and ownership. Pick the golfers you want more of than the field, and cap the rest.

Build and Review

On DraftKings, lock or exclude two golfers first. Then click "Optimize". Each card shows total ownership, points and salary.

Click "Export DK CSV" to download the lineups. The PGA optimizer has no Late Swap. Make your changes before the first tee time.

What Our Data Shows

A golfer who makes the cut scores about three times as much as a golfer who misses. So the cut is the main event in classic golf DFS. A lineup needs all six golfers to make the cut to win a large tournament.

Golfers do not score together like teammates in other sports. The one shared factor is weather. Golfers in the same tee time wave play in the same wind and rain. In calm weeks, the wave made almost no difference in our data. In a windy week, it can make a large difference.

PGA Strategy by Contest Type

Cash games

• Stay in "Cash" mode with "Score Mode" set to "Mean".
• Raise "Make-Cut Safety" and the "Cut %≥" filter. In cash, six golfers through the cut matters more than upside.

Tournaments

• Click "GPP" and set "Score Mode" to "Ceil".
• Lower "Max Exposure %" to 30 to 50 for large multi-lineup builds. Golf has no positions, so lineups look alike fast.
• Raise "Min Unique" to 2 or 3 and "Noise σ" a little so that your lineups use more golfers.
• Spread your lineups across both waves unless the forecast shows a clear weather edge.
• Check the total ownership of each lineup. A lineup of only popular golfers is likely to be a duplicate.

Showdown and single round

• One round has no cut, so upside matters more. Use "Ceil" in tournaments.
• Check the tee times and the wind forecast for that round.

A Simple PGA Plan

1. For cash games, stay in "Cash" mode with "Score Mode" set to "Mean". Raise "Make-Cut Safety".
2. For tournaments, click "GPP" and set "Score Mode" to "Ceil".
3. Lower "Max Exposure %" for large multi-lineup builds.
4. Check withdrawals before the first tee time.

See this week's numbers on the PGA DFS projections page. Then go back to the lineup optimizer guide hub for the other sports.

DFS contests use real money. Only play what you can afford to lose. 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.