Top DFS Picks for the 2021 Genesis Invitational

There is A TON of value on DraftKings this week. Just look at Daniel Berger’s price tag.

Berger cost $10.1k at Pebble Beach and wound up winning the golf tournament. Nevertheless, Daniel’s price has been slashed $700 down to $9.4k. Xander Schauffele is ranked 4th in the world, and yet he’s the 6th-most expensive golfer on this week’s slate.

Because the field is so strong at Riviera, certain players are a lot cheaper than they would be during a typical week. It’s up to you to take advantage.

I’ll assist by detailing my top Genesis Invitational DFS picks.

Why are seven other golfers priced ahead of Patrick Cantlay? The UCLA product won the last time he competed in Los Angeles (Zozo Championship @ Sherwood), and he’s landed inside the top-3 in three of his last five starts. The FedEx Cup leader in points hit over 80% of the greens at Pebble (T1 in GIR) and ranked 3rd in the field in SG: Off-the-Tee.

If Cantlay heats up with the flat-stick, he’s capable of running away with this golf tournament.

In fact, I’m hoping that’s exactly what pans out over the weekend.

Forget about his suddenly bloated price tag and what’ll probably be inflated ownership. I’ve seen enough from Jordan Spieth over the last two weeks to ignore it all.

The bottom line is something clicked in Jordan’s golf swing that has allowed him to flourish from tee to green.

An enormous positive to take from Jordan Spieth's last 2 weeks – his iron play

This season entering Phoenix
59.4% greens in regulation, -0.60 SG approach per round

Last 2 weeks
75.7% greens in regulation, +1.70 SG approach per round

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) February 15, 2021

Given the way Spieth rolls his rock, I’d rather not miss out if he puts it all together at Riv.

Those a bit wary who think $9,200 is too pricey for his services, remember this man had the 54-hole lead in each of the last two weeks.

$8,700 is too cheap for Viktor Hovland. The winner of the Mayakoba Golf Classic has posted five top-15s in seven starts this season, plus he’s fresh off finishing 6th at the Saudi International.

Some might be deterred knowing he’s a first-timer at this event; I’m instead focusing on the way he stripes it off the tee and flushes his irons into the greens.

Firmly inside the top-15 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Hovland was the first guy I penciled in when it came time to reveal my DFS picks for the Genesis Invitational.

Leishman’s 4th-place finish at the 2019 Genesis Invitational was his second top-5 at Riviera CC since 2016. As for his recent form, the 37-year-old Aussie has quietly opened up the 2021 calendar season with three straight top-25s. He hasn’t shot over par in a competitive round since December 4th.

Why has Marc been so reliable over the last several weeks? Leishman points to having a better attitude on the links.

Before you look past Chez Reavie for missing four of his last six cuts, here’s some food for thought. Chez missed three cuts in a row in 2020 before landing 25th at Pebble Beach. The ASU alum parlayed that finish into a top-10 the following week at Riviera.

Fast forward to today, and Reavie is coming off a T16 at Pebble. More importantly, Chez led the field last week in SG: Approach and clocked in 5th in SG: Total.

Plug Reavie in now as one of your Genesis Invitational DFS picks – wait until Sunday to reap the rewards.

Most people will have trouble trusting a guy at $6,900 when they see he’s never played in this tournament before. That’s where diligent research kicks in.

Ghim has played at Riviera; at the 2017 U.S. Amateur. And he did more than just play.

Doug shot 67 in his stroke-play round at Riv and finished runner-up in the Championship, stamping his ticket to the 2018 Masters in the process. That’s some good mojo to fall back on, especially considering Doug has posted six top-25s in 10 starts this season.

Which of these DFS picks for the Genesis Invitational are you locking in?

If you’re hoping to roster Patrick Cantlay but also want to squeeze in some of the top dogs above $10k, you’ll have to do some maneuvering. Charles Howell III at $6,800 affords you that opportunity.

Joel Dahmen and Harold Varner III are a couple of other sub-$7k plays that could be worthwhile. As for guys a little more expensive but are still underpriced, Kevin Na and Abraham Ancer each come to mind. Both are priced at $7,900 on DraftKings. Both are genuine sleepers picks for the Genesis Invitational.