Arnold Palmer Invitational DraftKings picks 2023: Best PGA DFS golf lineup

Taking the PGA DFS talk to Bay Hill with Arnold Palmer Invitational DraftKings picks with top plays and fades for each price tier along with a lineup build.

We’re off to Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational and another loaded field for a designated event. We have 44 of the Top 50 players in the world playing this week in Orlando and that makes the DraftKings PGA DFS slate even more difficult to navigate — but it also offers value.

It was a solid but unspectacular week at the Genesis and then the Honda (the latter top plays were given out on Twitter). We cashed for both, so no complaints there but we need to be able to find the right value while also hitting our top, high-priced plays for the Arnold Palmer Invitational with the way this field sets up.

With an emphasis on ball striking and course history, though, we have a nice blueprint. As such, let’s get into our Arnold Palmer Invitational DraftKings golf picks to try and cash again on the PGA DFS slate.

DraftKings picks for Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA DFS lineups: Top Plays

$10,000: Rory McIlroy ($10,600) – I heavily considered Jon Rahm here because I think his price might scare some people away. However, I picked Rory to win this week, so I’m riding that. He’s not finished worse than T13 in the last five years at Arnie’s place and loves playing Bay Hill. Moreover, his ball-striking has been than everyone in the field tee-to-green over the last 20 rounds. I think he gets it done. Also Consider: Jon Rahm ($11,500), Scottie Scheffler ($10,900)

$9,000: Viktor Hovland ($9,000) – Not that it’s stopped me from playing him before this, but this feels like the perfect spot for Hovland. He finished T2 at the API last year and has been trending up in each of his past three starts with his ball striking, which is what his DNA as a top-level golfer is made up of. As long as the short game, which is improved overall, doesn’t bite him too badly, he should finish extremely well this week. And getting him at the bottom of the tier doesn’t hurt. Also Consider: Max Homa ($9,700), Collin Morikawa ($9,500), Will Zalatoris ($9,400), Xander Schauffele ($9,200)

$8,000: Tyrrell Hatton ($8,300) – I’ve never put a guy in my lineup than Tyrrell Hatton at this price. What am I missing? He’s a past winner in the past three years and finished T2 last year. Moreover, he’s been playing well this season to with a T6 at Genesis and gaining 1.39 strokes tee-to-green over his last 20 rounds. Love that fit and value here and will not be having many lineups without him. Also Consider: Cameron Young ($8,700), Jason Day ($8,500), Keith Mitchell ($8,000)

$7,000: Chris Kirk ($7,700) – My normal advice is fade the previous week’s winner, but I can’t get over Chris Kirk. His ball-striking pedigree has long been a favorite of mine but he’s been in top form, which he showed winning the Honda. When you then factor that he’s finished Top 10 at Bay Hill in each of the past two years, I love this play at an extremely agreeable price for a player with his recent performance and past history in this event. Also Consider: Shane Lowry ($7,900), Rickie Fowler ($7,700), Keegan Bradley ($7,600), Tommy Fleetwood ($7,500), Min Woo Lee ($7,300), Christiaan Bezuidenhout ($7,100), Ryan Fox ($7,000)

$6,000: Eric Cole ($6,900) – At the risk of being a parody, Cole earned his spot in the API with the second-place finish at the Honda. But that’s now a T15 and outright second in his last two starts. The 34-year-old rookie is gaining 0.81 strokes on approach in the last 20 rounds and, while the driver hasn’t been great, I think he has some juice right now flowing. For a cheap $6K play, I like the hungry newcomer to keep playing decently well. Also Consider: Joel Dahmen ($6,800), Alex Smalley ($6,700), Ben Griffin ($6,700), Hayden Buckley ($6,500), Ben Taylor ($6,500), Charley Hoffman ($6,300), Piercson Coody ($6,100)

DraftKings golf picks for Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA DFS lineups: Top Fades

$10,000: None – Is this a coward’s move? Probably. But I’m not comfortable fading any of the three guys in the $10K range. They are the Top 3 ranked players in the world and are all in terrific form. There’s no smart fade when it comes to that type of setup.

$9,000: Justin Thomas ($9,600) – In the golf betting world, people are getting enamored with Justin Thomas at 30/1. Those are great odds for a Top 10 player in the world — the problem is that Thomas isn’t playing like that right now. JT’s ball-striking has been problematic recently, which is why he’s only finished better than T20 once in his last four starts. Moreover, he’s avoided the API on his schedule, which you have to believe is due to it not feeling like a good fit. End of the day, I won’t have stock in him this week.

$8,000: Sungjae Im ($8,900) – I’m sticking my neck out here slightly, especially because I don’t love the $8K range as a whole. But I don’t buy Sungjae Im right now. The ball-striking has been sub-standard over the past two weeks and the finishes reflect that. He’s played well at the API previously but I just can’t get behind the form right now.

$7,000: Billy Horschel ($7,800) – Only the name has to be putting Billy Horschel at this price. He’s losing -0.71 strokes tee-to-green over his last 20 rounds and hasn’t finished inside the Top 30 in his last four starts, a run that includes two missed cuts. I’m not buying in on Billy Ho with that type of form and, frankly, you shouldn’t either.

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Best DraftKings golf lineup

• Rory McIlroy ($10,600)
• Viktor Hovland ($9,000)
• Tyrrell Hatton ($8,300)
• Chris Kirk ($7,700)
• Min Woo Lee ($7,300)
• Ryan Fox ($7,000)

To be honest, I don’t want to have to dip into the $6K range this week. So to be able to get my top plays in each of the top four pricing ranges and still not have to do that with this DraftKings lineup is exactly what I want.

Min Woo Lee went from a red-hot DP World Tour run to finish T26 at the Honda last week — but he came on strong on the weekend. So I love for him to get more comfortable and show up well this week. Ryan Fox is a bit of a wild card but he’s been striking the ball beautifully on the DP World Tour with a lot of solid finishes. All I’m really asking for there is a made cut.

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