2018 Masters expert picks, rankings, fantasy golf and betting tips
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2018 Masters expert picks, rankings, fantasy golf and betting tips

A photo of a pin flag at the Masters Tournament
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Looking for 2018 Masters picks, either for betting or fantasy golf games like DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, Golf Channel or the PGA Tour?

We have your 2018 Masters rankings and expert picks, as we do each week of the PGA Tour season.

This is it. The first men's major of the year is here! The Masters promises to be one of the best in the event's history as pretty much every notable golfer of modern record is playing well. All of them, basically. It's going to be amazing, and last year was pretty darn special.

Now we go through the tough process of trying to figure out the best available players for your fantasy games, pick 'em pools, office pools, One and Done leagues, Calcuttas and daily fantasy games. Generally, we're thinking the best players. However, particularly for salary-cap games, we want values. Those will be in our GNN Plus members piece looking at DraftKings games.

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2018 Masters rankings: Top 15 picks

1. Justin Thomas -- Thomas is the best player on the planet right now, and he's in it pretty much every time he plays. My lone concern is his overthinking of what could be possible winning two majors in a row and getting to No. 1 in the world.

2. Justin Rose -- Rose has been playing some of the world's best golf since last fall. He absolutely loves this golf course and is a top-15 machine in this event. He has finished outside the top 15 once since 2010.

3. Paul Casey -- So why not slot someone like Spieth or DJ here? Because Paul Casey is playing that well. Casey has three-consecutive top-six finishes in this event, and he's just so consistent anywhere he plays.

4. Dustin Johnson -- Johnson's best chance to win a Masters may have gotten away from him last year down a short flight of steps, but DJ still has the game to win here, for sure.

5. Rory McIlroy -- If Rory McIlroy's putter shows up anywhere near like it did at Bay Hill, he'll win. If it doesn't, or it looks more like a slightly improved putter, McIlroy probably won't win. But he'll finish highly.

6. Bubba Watson -- Bubba might want to downplay that he's a Masters favorite, but he's a Masters favorite. A win at Riviera usually means good things for the Masters, and Watson is proving he's very comfortable putting on the speedy Augusta surfaces.

7. Phil Mickelson -- Mickelson loves Augusta. He won this year. He's been playing great. The biggest thing holding me back from ranking Mickelson higher is wondering if he peaked too soon.

8. Jordan Spieth -- Spieth hasn't seemed the same this year. It's because he's losing a third of a stroke per round putting. Compared to gaining a third last year. That's at least 2.5 strokes per tournament, and that's the difference. That's a problem at Augusta.

9. Jason Day -- When Day has played, been solid. But he's basically skipped most of the first half of the season for health reasons and to be ready for a big push. Does that gamble pay off?

10. Alex Noren -- He has no high finishes in the Masters, but Alex Noren has a great chance to win this one. He putts so well. He's striking the ball beautifully. He's OK with playing on the PGA Tour.

11. Tommy Fleetwood -- Fleetwood is just soooo good. He's underappreciated for what he's accomplished to get to this point in his career. But he's not a great putter. That could hurt him in crunch time. His tee-to-green game is brilliant, however.

12. Sergio Garcia -- New dad Sergio is juggling a big life change right now, but Garcia seems ready to handle it. He's shown good game of late.

13. Tiger Woods -- Yup, I'm slotting Tiger Woods in the top 15, and I didn't think I would be doing that in January. He's been brilliant in his last three starts. If he drives the ball on the planet at Augusta, he can win. Really.

14. Patrick Cantlay -- Cantlay is a beautiful tee-to-green player, and he's pretty solid putting-wise. Not horrible. He's not hot of late, but his Riviera run has me thinking he could do something special.

15. Jon Rahm -- Rahm has looked ordinary of late, at least relative to the guy who was threatening to become No. 1 in the world. Something's amiss, but his talent is undeniable. He just can't lose his temper.

My primary DraftKings lineup

  1. Justin Rose - $9,200
  2. Paul Casey - $8,800
  3. Bubba Watson - $8,700
  4. Alex Noren - $8,100
  5. Patrick Cantlay - $7,600
  6. Brian Harman - $7,500

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About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is a scratch golfer...sometimes.

Ballengee can be reached by email at ryan[at]thegolfnewsnet.com

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