2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic DraftKings Picks

We are trying to make it 3 straight winners picked this week as we are headed to Detroit Golf Club for the 3rd annual Rocket Mortgage Classic. Last week we saw Harris English take down a well-contested Travelers after an eight-hole playoff over Kramer Hickok. The week prior we were all over Jon Rahm to take his first major at the US Open. Looking ahead to the Rocket Mortgage Classic DraftKings slate it is a great slate.

This week it’s onto Detroit and the 7370-yard par 72 classic Donald Ross design of the Detroit Golf Club. Last year we watched Bryson and Matt Wolff control this course with distance off the tee. In 2019 Nate Lashley edged out Redman and Sabatini for the victory. Distance definitely helps, with the shortest Par 5 still being 560 yards. While the Par 4’s average out around 430 yards. Players will see bentgrass greens, overseeded with poa and rolling around 12 on the stimpmeter. We are expecting a birdie fest once again, so target players who can go low. Keep an eye out for guys with success on Donald Ross courses, he tends to make fairly similar courses (Pinehurst #2, Sedgefield). Our key stats for the week will be strokes gained tee to green, driving distance, birdies gained, proximity 100-125, and strokes gained putting.

2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic DraftKings Picks

Will Zalatoris – $10,000

Will Zalatoris is ready for his first PGA victory this weekend in Detroit. He missed the cut at the US Open, only his 3rd missed cut on tour. He did however gain two strokes both off the tee and on approach shots. We think he is going to bounce right back and come out ready to prove his name belongs with those at the top of the game. He was 2nd at the Masters, 8th at the PGA, 7th at the Farmers, and 6th at last year’s US Open as an amateur. Much like last year at the Rocket when Wolff and Bryson had their welcome back tour, we expect this weekend to be the come-out party for Willy Z.

Jason Kokrak – $9,300

Jason Kokrak notched his second PGA victory just 4 weeks ago at the Charles Schwab. Much like Bryson did last year, Jason has the length to power this course. He is 8th in the field in strokes gained off the tee, and 14th in driving distance. He is gaining over 2 strokes off the tee and on approach shots in his last five rounds. Jason was 29th here last year and has two top-15 finishes at the Wyndham. He checks all the boxes in our model, earning him the 3rd ranking. He is 1st in putting, 2nd in Par 5 scoring, 6th in birdies gained, and 14th in driving distance. Lock Kokrak into your lineups at this price and let him mash. Kokrak has some top-end value for your DraftKings lineup at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this weekend.

Cameron Tringale – $8,100

Cameron Tringale is one of the hottest names on tour right now, and deservedly so, he ranks out 1st in our model for the Rocket. He has posted six top-20 finishes over the last 6 months and continues to gain momentum and experience. His off the tee game has not been particularly strong as of late, but he is still gaining over 2 strokes tee to green over his last 5 events. Where he pops in the model is Par 5 scoring, proximity 100-125, birdies gained and bogeys avoided. All a good recipe for the Rocket, probably helped him to his 30th here last year and 5th in 2019. Let Tringale tee it up for your lineups this weekend.

Doc Redman – $7,900

I feel Doc Redman will be one of the higher owned players in the field this week, but it won’t matter if he cashes in. He was 21st here last year and followed it up 4 weeks later with a 3rd at the Wyndham. In 2019 he finished 2nd here in only his 8th PGA event. Safe to say Doc likes Ross courses. Also safe to say he likes to play in the heat of the Summer. This weekend he will be looking to make it 3 top-10 finishes in his last 6 events. He is not a long hitter, but he is an accurate one, making up for it with his approach shots. In his last 5 events, he is gaining 3 strokes on approaches and 2 strokes putting. That can continue and carry him to a top-5 finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and carry your DraftKings lineup as well.

Sepp Straka – $7,700

Sepp Straka was impressive last weekend finishing 10th at the Travelers after gaining 8 strokes tee to green and almost nothing four sub 70 rounds. He called that mark mainly with his approach shots, we expect that to come back to Earth slightly, but his form and confidence should be peaking. Straka typically plays well here, finishing 11th and 9th the last two years, respectively. He is 28th in the field in driving distance and 29th in Par 5 scoring. The key for him is to keep the bogeys off the card. He ranks 88th in bogeys avoided, but he was able to make four rounds under par last weekend, including a pair of 66’s. This all points to Sepp being in rhythm and contending for a win this weekend.

Adam Schenk – $6,500

Adam Schenk missed the cut at the Travelers thanks to losing 3.1 strokes putting. That should bounce right back as he is a fairly consistent putter. What impressed us was gaining 3.1 strokes tee to green, his highest since back-to-back top-25s at the RBC and Valspar 6 weeks ago. He has good course history here, finishing 42nd and 30th in 2019 and 2020. Let’s bet on him using that confidence to roll the rock better than he did last week. In this field, he can build on last year and has another top-25 written all over him.