DraftKings LIV Golf DFS Picks: Houston Cash and GPP Strategy

This article is part of our DFS Golf series.

LIV Golf Houston

Purse: $20M individual, $5 million team
Winner's share: $4M individual, $3M team
Location: Humble, Texas
Course: Golf Club at Houston 
Yardage: 7,403
Par: 72

For more information, check out RotoWire's LIV Golf Optimizer.

Tournament Preview

After a five-week break, LIV Golf season enters the second half of its season. Returning to the United States, Houston becomes the 11th state to host an event for the league. After winning Singapore by two strokes over Australians Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, Brooks Koepka led 16 golfers into Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship, the second major of the season. It saw Bryson DeChambeau almost capture his second major championship of his career, but the Crushers GC captain finished one stroke back of winner Xander Schauffle. Dean Burmester earned a spot to next year's PGA Championship with a T12 finish at Valhalla, while Koepka had a solid defense of his 2023 win, finishing T26. With the U.S. Open taking place in two weeks, 12 LIV Golfers will use Houston to sharpen their blades and play heading into the third major of the season.

Not much has changed near the top of the LIV Golf individual season standings over the last couple of league tournaments. Joaquin Niemann continues to sit at the top due to his victories in Mayakoba and Jeddah, followed by Jon Rahm, Burmester and Oosthuizen. Thanks to his victory in Singapore, Koepka supplanted Abraham Ancer in the top-five, while both DeChambeau and Paul Casey dropped out of the top-10 after failing to earn points in each of the last two LIV Golf tournaments.

Individual Standings

1. Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC) - 134.40 points
2. Jon Rahm (Legion XIII) - 98.17 points
3. Dean Burmester (Stinger GC) - 92.24 points
4. Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC) - 83.10 points 
5. Brooks Koepka (Smash GC) - 75.23 points
6. Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC) - 71.85 points
7. Cameron Smith (Ripper GC) - 70.66 points
8. Talor Gooch (Smash GC) - 68.80 points
9. Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC) - 67.23 points
10. Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC) - 65.82 points
11. Tyrrell Hatton (Legion XIII) - 53.99 points
12. Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC) - 53.66 points
13. Paul Casey (Crushers GC) - 52.83 points
14. Marc Leishman (Ripper GC) - 46.80 points
15. Charl Schwartzel (Stinger GC) - 44 points

Ripper GC cracked into the top-three of the LIV Golf team standings after winning in Singapore for the Australian's second-straight team trophy. Despite leading the league with a -182 score over the first seven tournaments of the season, Torque GC fell to fourth in the standings after their T6 finish in Singapore, which was the first time the Niemann-led team has finished outside the top-five this season. Crushers GC continue to sit at the top of the standings, but after finishes of 6-T7-11 over the last three LIV Golf tournaments, the gap between DeChambeau's team and the rest of the field has slimmed down.

Team Standings

1. Crushers GC - 105.5 points
2. Legion XIII - 94 points
3. Ripper GC - 90 points
4. Torque GC - 83 points
5. Stinger GC - 74 points
6. Smash GC - 65.50 points

12 players will represent LIV Golf at the U.S. Open, which makes its return to Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. The last time the major was held at Course No. 2 was in 2014, when Martin Kaymer won by eight strokes to capture his second major championship of his career. Jon Rahm won the U.S. Open in 2021 at Torrey Pines, defeating Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke. Kaymer and Rahm be joined by previous winners DeChambeau (2020), Koepka (2017, 2018) and Dustin Johnson (2016). Phil Mickelson will look to complete the grand slam by capturing his first U.S. Open championship. Rounding out the LIV Golf representation at Pinehurst are Burmester, Smith, David Puig, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk and Eugenio Chacarra.

LIV Golf Houston will provide a good tune up for those participating in the U.S. Open, and for others, an opportunity for a strong start to the business end of the season. The par-72 course at Golf Club of Houston measures out at 7,403 yards, which seems like a hitter's paradise if not for the deceptive bunkers littered around each fairway. The 335-yard par-four 12th hole is the most drivable of the tournament, though the field must be cautious of the looming body of water on the right-hand side. Those who can hit -- and stay -- on the greens and avoid the hazards should have the best chance at taking home the title. Previous winners at the course include Paul Casey (2009), Anthony Kim (2010), Mickelson (2011), Matt Jones (2014) and Ian Poulter (2018).

DraftKings Value Picks

Based on a Standard $50k Salary Cap

Tier 1 Values

Jon Rahm (Captain, Legion XIII) - $11,500 (Winning odds at the DraftKings Sportsbook: +700)

You're probably sick of seeing the Legion XIII captain in every DFS column at this point. But given that Rahm is the only player in the league to finish in the top-10 in every tournament, he will continue to be highlighted in these columns until further notice. His salary for LIV Golf Houston is his lowest of the year, perhaps due to his disappointing performance on the PGA Championship when he missed the cut. But Rahm should use this week's tournament to get his swing right before the U.S. Open. He ranks first in the field in birdies per round (5.24) and ranks in the top-10 in scrambling, putting, driving distance and GIR.

Bryson DeChambeau (Captain, Crushers GC) - $10,900 (+800)

After finishes of T26 and T27 at LIV Golf Adelaide and Singapore, respectively, we wondered whether DeChambeau had cooled off since his T6 finish at the Masters in April. He bounced back spectacularly at the PGA Championship, carding a bogey-free seven-under 64 in the final round to finish in sole possession of second place, one shot behind Xander Schauffele. DeChambeau leads the LIV Golf field in average driving distance (318.9 yards) and ninth in GIR (73.28 percent) heading into Houston.

Brooks Koepka (Captain, Smash GC) - $10,400 (+1600)

Koepka looked to use his momentum from his victory at LIV Golf Singapore toward a successful defense of the PGA Championship. His aspirations at back-to-back victories evaporated after a three-over 74 in the third round, but the Smash GC captain ended his time at Valhalla strong with a five-under 66 in the final round to finish T26. Koepka has finished T12 or better in five of seven LIV Golf tournaments this season, and he ranks sixth and eighth in GIR (74.34 percent) and birdies per round (4.62), respectively.

Tier 2 Values

Dean Burmester (Stinger GC) - $9,300 (+1600)

Burmester might just be one of the hottest golfers not just in LIV, but in the world, after qualifying to two of next year's majors in a span of two weeks. After finishing T12 at the PGA Championship -- which earned him a spot for next year's tournament -- the South African qualified for the U.S. Open following his two-round performance on Golf's Longest Day in Jupiter, Florida. Burmester has finished T15 or better in each of the last four LIV Golf tournaments, and he enters Houston ranked fourth in both driving distance (313.4 yards) and GIR (74.87 percent), and eighth in scrambling (68.42 percent).

Dustin Johnson (Captain, 4Aces GC) - $9,200 (+2200)

The 4Aces captain looked to be in a slump after failing to crack the top-20 in four-straight LIV Golf tournaments, as well as failing to make the cut at the Masters. Johnson's play could be turning the corner, however, after he followed up a T7 finish at LIV Golf Singapore with a T43 at the PGA Championship, and his five-under 66 in the final round at Valhalla marked his best round of any major this season. Johnson ranks sixth in the league in birdies per round (4.71) and ninth in both driving distance (307.7 yards) and GIR (73.28 percent).

Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC) - $9,100 (+1600)

Ancer may have fallen out of the top-five in the LIV Golf individual season standings, but the Spaniard is playing some of his best golf yet. He's finished T10 or better in four consecutive LIV Golf tournaments, which started with his victory over Cameron Smith and Paul Casey in Hong Kong. Ancer is the most accurate hitter off the tee in LIV Golf tournaments this year (67.01 percent), and he ranks fourth in birdies (4.81), eighth in putting average (1.57) and 11th in GIR (73.02 percent).

Tier 3 Values

Thomas Pieters (RangeGoats GC) - $8,500 (+5000)

Pieters is in the best form of his career right now. He's finished in the top-15 in each of the last three LIV Golf tournaments, including his T5 finish in Singapore. Pieters followed that up with a T2 showing at the DP World Tour Soudal Open in his home nation of Belgium. He ranks eighth in driving distance (309.4 yards) and 13th in scrambling (66.1 percent) heading into LIV Golf Houston.

Carlos Ortiz (Torque GC) - $8,400 (+3000)

Ortiz has finished T19 or better in four of the last five LIV Golf tournaments, and he finished Singapore strong with a seven-under final round. He's provided Torque GC and captain Niemann a steady presence over this last stretch of tournaments, and Ortiz enters Houston ranked ninth in birdies per round (4.57) and 11th in GIR (73.02 percent).

Paul Casey (Crushers GC) - $8,200 (+4000)

After four top-15 placements over the first five LIV Golf tournaments of the season, Casey has failed to crack the top-30 in each of the last two events. Despite falling to 13th in the individual season standings behind teammate and captain DeChambeau, Casey still leads the field in GIR (76.19 percent), while also ranking third in scrambling (71.11 percent) and seventh in driving accuracy (61.22 percent). He won at the Golf Club at Houston in 2009 at the Shell Houston Open, defeating J.B. Holmes on the first playoff hole.

Tier 4 Values

David Puig (Fireballs GC) - $7,400 (+8000)

Puig earned a spot in the U.S. open after finishing in the top four at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California. The Spaniard should approach LIV Golf Houston as his opportunity to shock the world at the third major of the year. The 22-year-old Puig ranks fifth in driving distance (313.0 yards) and top-20 in putting average and birdies this season. 

Eugenio Chacarra (Fireballs GC) - $6,800 (+10000)

Like Burmester and Puig, Chacarra qualified for the U.S. Open through the two-round tournament at Dallas Athletic Club in May. Chacarra will make his major championship debut in two weeks, and LIV Golf Houston is a chance for the 24-year-old to get into form. His T10 finish in Singapore was his best of the year, and he led the field in that event averaging six birdies per round.

Martin Kaymer (Captain, Cleeks GC) - $6,500 (+20000)

Perhaps the Cleeks GC captain can capture his 2014 form when he won the U.S. Open by a whopping eight strokes over runner-ups Erik Compton and Rickie Fowler. Although Kaymer ranks 42nd in the LIV Golf individual season standings -- second worst among captains ahead of RangeGoats GC's Bubba Watson -- the German golfer has finished T21 or better in three of the last four tournaments.

Take a spin through the Sportsbook Promo Codes before wagering on LIV Golf Houston.