Top DFS Picks for THE NORTHERN TRUST in 2021

How good is the field this week at Liberty National? According to the database created by fantasy golf guru Rick Gehman, it’s the strongest field we’ve seen outside of a major or PLAYERS Championship since the strength of field (SOF) metric was introduced. This makes it difficult to narrow it down to just six DFS picks for THE NORTHERN TRUST.

Leaving money on the table and discovering a low-owned gem are keys to standing out in the large-field GPPs. With those thoughts in mind, here are some options from different price points as you look to fill out your lineup.

Before you write off Dustin Johnson for having not won during the calendar year, remember that he was the 36-hole leader the last time THE NORTHERN TRUST was contested at this venue. And don’t forget that DJ went 4-0-1 at Liberty National at the 2019 Presidents Cup.

A perennial FedEx Cup Playoffs contender, Johnson’s form is quietly rounding into tip-top shape as he sits 3^rd in the race for the Vardon Trophy (awarded to the man with the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour). Most recently, Dustin landed 5^th in Putts per GIR and 9^th in SG: Tee-to-Green on his way to a top-10 finish in Memphis.

Don’t ask me why Daniel Berger is the 14^th most expensive golfer on DraftKings this week. Berger clocks in at #3 on pgatour.com’s weekly power rankings and is among my top THE NORTHERN TRUST betting picks.

It was around this time last year that Daniel strung together a remarkable 32 consecutive rounds of par or better on the PGA Tour. Fast forward 12 months, and Berger’s up to his old tricks.

The winner of the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am saunters into Jersey City, having shot 70 or lower in 12 straight rounds, including registering 68 or lower in each of the last seven.

Typically priced above $9k, the top online sportsbooks aren’t the only ones down on Tony Finau this week. DK slotted Finau at a discount as well – now’s the perfect time to invest.

While it’s undoubtedly been a slow summer for Tony with no top-10s since the PGA Championship, recent strides with his flat stick should give backers plenty of hope.

Armed with newfound confidence on the putting surfaces, Tony’s got a good shot at making some noise at Liberty National.

Ian Poulter desperately wants to be on the European Ryder Cup team at Whistling Straits. As things currently stand, the 45-year-old Englishman can stop sweating and instead start packing his bags for Sheboygan.

Arriving in Jersey City with eight straight top-40 finishes across the globe, you have to go back to early May to track down the last time Ian missed a cut on any tour. He’s racked up a 3^rd and a 4^th since and most recently finished 10^th at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Solidified with one of the most prestigious short games in the sport, a $7,700 price tag on DK makes Poulter one of the best THE NORTHERN TRUST DFS picks.

Champ’s volatility will have many DFS’ers steering clearing. However, it’s that same unpredictability that makes him so appealing in GPPs where we’re targeting a player’s ceiling.

Consider how many other in this price range have won three times in the past three years (none). Throw in the fact that one of those victories occurred last month following a T11 showing. Now start accounting for the sopping rain that’s in the forecast that’ll make this 7,410-yard par-71 golf course play excruciatingly long.

Are you convinced to roll the dice on Champ as one of your DFS Picks for THE NORTHERN TRUST?

A sneaky-long hitter who ranks 9^th in GIR, Aaron Wise, will go relatively unnoticed as bettors are scrolling through the player pool. He’s 189^th on TOUR in SG: Putting and has zero top-40s in his last four starts. Those who do some digging will see that the 2018 PGA Tour ROY gained 2.880 on the greens at Sedgefield CC (20^th) while carding 18 birdies and three eagles.

Sitting pretty to advance to next week’s BMW Championship (currently 61^st in the FedEx Cup standings), Wise will employ an aggressive game plan that could end up paying huge dividends.

If you are looking to save salary at the top of your lineup, swapping DJ out for Bryson saves you $1,400 while offering much of the same upside. On the other hand, I tabbed Johnson to hoist the trophy on Sunday, so it’s only natural that he’s featured as one of my top THE NORTHERN TRUST DFS picks.

For those looking for more sleeper picks for the opening playoff event, the Roger Sloan ($6,800) well is still open for business. Sloan’s gone T16-T6-T2 in his last three starts thanks to shooting 16-under-par over the final three days in Greensboro.

Also worth noting is that Maverick McNealy ($6,900) shot a course record 58 at TPC Las Vegas last Thursday. Both men are in play as you scour the bottom tier of pricing.