2026 Masters: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 2

The action has officially kicked off at the 2026 Masters. With Round 1 in the books, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 2 gets underway on Friday. Conditions have been perfect thus far, but we should expect the course to get firmer and more difficult as the week continues.

With a similar forecast in store for Friday, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 2 breakout.

Take a look at some of the best pillar players for Masters DFS contests and live betting opportunities.

DraftKings Showdown Golf Strategy

DraftKings Golf Showdown Golf is a one-round Daily Fantasy format in which players aim to construct the best-scoring one-round lineup while staying within the allotted salary cap. To identify value in Golf Showdown, it’s typically best to focus on buy-low opportunities on players who’ve shown uncharacteristically poor putting in the prior round. There is also an opportunity to find leverage by identifying favorable weather splits and players who are more likely to card birdies-or-better.

Round 2 Masters Showdown Pillar Plays

At the 2026 Masters, there is a particular focus on players who have proven history on these grounds, with many proven veterans littering the top of the leaderboard through round one. From a statistical standpoint, Par-5 Scoring, Scrambling, and performance in recent Major Championships continue to be of premium importance. Identifying value players who check each of these boxes can provide valuable bonus points in the DraftKings Showdown format. The three players below will be foundational plays in my Round 2 Showdown lineups for these reasons.

Cameron Young ($9,500)

History has shown a player needs to be within 5 strokes of the lead after Round 1 in order to have a chance to win. Young is one shot shy of that mark, but still remains in the conversation to win this golf tournament at +1 (T34).

Perhaps it was the rust of a 4-week layoff showing, but after a lousy +4 start through his first seven holes, Young rebounded nicely with three birdies and zero bogeys thereafter. Young’s demise came from his wedges, with untidy approaches from within scoring range and some lengthy leaves on some very gettable chip shots. He continues to do the hard part well, however, ranking 10th in the field in SG: OTT.

With plenty of momentum on his side after a strong closing back-9 finish, Young is in a position where he does not need to play unnecessarily aggressively to remain in contention. Assuming he rebounds to the approach and around-the-green we expect from him in round 2, he is in a great position to make a charge up the leaderboard.

Brooks Koepka ($8,300)

It has been a whack-a-mole type of season for Koepka this season, as he continues to show he is capable of the elite off-the-tee, approach, around-the-green, and putting form we expect for the 5-time major champion, but simply has not been able to piece all four areas of the game together consistently over a four-round tournament.

Brooks continues to trend in that direction, however, ranking 9th in the field in SG: T2G after the first round. If we’ve learned anything about Brooks in majors by now, we should expect the putts to start falling once he gets within arm’s length of the leaders, and he can achieve just that with another solid tee-to-green showing in round 2. Brooks ranks T17 after the first round at even par for the tournament thus far.

Sam Stevens ($6,800)

One of the many beautiful things about The Masters is that we have a video library of every single shot each player in the field takes to understand exactly what drove the strokes gained outliers in a player’s round. My expectations are tempered for most up-and-coming debutants at The Masters, but it was still head-scratching to see Stevens – who ranked 9th in SG: OTT leading into this event – drive so poorly in round 1 (79th in SG: OTT).

A closer look shows that Stevens lost nearly two full strokes off the tee on holes 10 and 11, having to punch out from the trees laterally on each. Otherwise, he looked his normal self from the tee box, so with time, I expect that part of his game to improve. Stevens’s Even-par first round also included 3-putt from 10 feet on the 7th hole, so he has room to rise up the leaderboard on Friday by simply learning from his experience and demonstrating more discipline.

Live Bets To Consider After Round 1

Jacob Bridgeman Top 10 Finish

Best Available odds: +310 (DraftKings)

The leader of the 2026 FedEx Cup standings and winner of the Genesis Invitational continues to prove this is more than just an early-season heater. Bridgeman was not your ordinary debutant coming into this tournament, having competed twice at Augusta National during his collegiate days at Clemson. The result so far? 5th in SG: T2G, and T10 for the tournament through round 1.

The reason I believe Bridgeman can sustain his position inside the top-10 the rest of the way lies in the untapped potential of his putter. Bridgeman ranked No. 1 in the field in SG: Putting leading into this week, but is just 52nd in the category after the first round. If he gets anything more out of his putter over the next three days, he’ll quickly earn the respect of golf fans around the world as top talent who is here to stay.

Round 2 Head-to-Head Matchup: Sam Burns over Kurt Kitayama

Best Available odds: -120 (DraftKings)

There is a compounding benefit to leading the Masters after the first round. Pars are accessible for players who commit to a disciplined approach and allow themselves to avoid playing out of position. At 5-under par, Burns can play his own game and choose to be aggressive when he wants to be.

Kitayama led the field in SG: APP through the first round, continuing a run of hot form with his irons that has persisted for a full calendar year now. My concern with Kitayama’s ability to sustain his position at the top of this leaderboard lies in the deficiencies of his short game. Kitayama reached the green in regulation on all but 4 holes Thursday, and still managed to rank 87th in SG: ARG. As the tournament goes on and the pressure mounts in round 2, I’m not confident in Kitayama’s ability to avoid bogeys when he needs to scramble.

Best of luck with your Masters DFS lineups and bets!

Photo Credit: AP/David J. Phillip