Top DFS Picks for the 2021 Fortinet Championship

Some sites have Jon Rahm listed at +300 to win in Napa. It’s the shortest odds I can remember seeing for a professional golfer outside of the TOUR Championship. Following suit, DraftKings installed Rahm at $12,100 – the highest-salaried player I can recall seeing (outside the TOUR Championship).

Having said that, you can make a case that the Spaniard is underpriced.

Jon’s been on absolute fire lately, boasting a 66.9 scoring average since winning the US Open. I could go on raving about his four-month-long string of top-10 finishes, but this post isn’t about the #1 player in the world. We already know Rahm is poised to play great golf this week. This page is about the other top DFS picks for the Fortinet Championship.

I’ll toss out six names to consider rostering across all GPP formats. 

The recently-awarded PGA Tour ROY finally has official status. And he’s finally armed with a putter that’s not dented in the face (more on that story here). Will Zalatoris is positioned to make a bunch of money in the upcoming year – it all starts this week at Napa.

The North Course at Silverado Resort is a haven for prominent ball-strikers. Already entrenched as one of the game’s best iron players (9^th in SG: Tee-to-Green last season), Zalatoris is eager to resume competing after being left out of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Adding to the good vibes, Will was born in San Francisco and said the Bay Area is his favorite place to visit.

Could a celebration dinner at The French Laundry be in store?

Despite his steady play, Sebastian Munoz remains underrated. The 28-year-old Colombian has racked up a couple of top-5s since July; he arrives having finished 29^th or better in each of his last four starts.

Munoz wasn’t in Napa this time last year, although he began the final round of the 2019 Safeway Open tied for second place. I like his chances of being in contention on Sunday. 

Looking for a Korn Ferry Tour newcomer to plug in as one of your Fortinet Championship DFS picks? Look no further than the KFT’s most consistent player this past season, Stephan Jaeger.

On the heels of two wins and four seconds among his 13 top-10 finishes, Jaeger isn’t one of the newbies who’s just happy to be at Silverado Resort. The 32-year-old German has his eye on the prize thanks to sparkling recent form and a tremendous track record in Northern California.

Stephan’s exquisite short game translated into 4.57 birdies per round (2^nd on the KFT) in 2020-21.

Don’t panic about the thought of rostering “Chucky Three Sticks” just because he’s coming off his worst season as a professional. Charles actually did a lot of things well last year – he ranked 18^th in SG: Off-the-Tee, 12^th in par-4 scoring average, and 3^rd in scrambling.

After spending the past month-in-a-half getting his approach game dialed in, look for Howell III to perform favorably at a layout he’s comfortable at. Charles finished T4 during his last trip to wine country (2019) and has been a walking ATM on the West Coast throughout his entire career.

Two of the most fundamental golf betting strategies to follow are recent form and course history. If a golfer is playing well and has historically performed well at a particular venue, there’s a high likelihood that the trends converge.

Enter Brian Stuard.

The soft-spoken 38-year-old closed out the PGA Tour regular season with top-15s in four of his final five starts. And he’s played wonderfully at Silverado Resort the last two times he was here.

At just $7,600, Stuard profiles as one of the best DFS picks for the Fortinet Championship.

J.J. Spaun had a forgettable season on the links; he collected just one top-10 in 26 starts on the PGA Tour. The caveat?

Spaun’s lone top-10 came right here at Silverado Resort.

Almost exactly one year ago, J.J. played his final 29 holes of this golf tournament bogey-free. He carded just three bogeys all week long, ultimately finishing T9.

Rejuvenated after regaining his PGA Tour status through KFT Finals, this California native should be fired up to kick the new season off on the right foot.

These are my favorite Fortinet Championship DFS picks. Kevin Na, Cameron Tringale, and Maverick McNealy are a few other guys I like in the top/middle tier. Among the cheaper options worth a look, Patrick Rodgers, Joshua Creel, and David Lipsky come to mind.

If you’re looking to capitalize in the more traditional betting arena, i.e., bet on somebody winning the tournament, take a harder look at Zalatoris and Jaeger. Both are among my best bets for the Fortinet Championship.