2026 Masters: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 3

By John Haslbauer | Apr 10, 2026, 9:23pm

The 2026 Masters continues on to the weekend, with defending champion Rory McIlroy holding the largest 36-hole lead (6) in tournament history. With Round 2 in the books, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 3 gets underway on Saturday. 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 Saturday, 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 3 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 3 Showdown lineups for these reasons.

Ludvig Aberg ($9,900)

It’s been a frustrating opening 36 holes for Aberg and his backers, as he’s had the answers for the hardest questions Augusta National asks, but has made a mess on and around the greens. Aberg leads the field in SG: APP through the first two rounds, and was 8th in SG: T2G on Friday.

The putter has been ice cold in each of the first two rounds, but I expect it’s only a matter of time before those putts begin to drop. He’s gained a total of 12 strokes putting in his first two Masters appearances, and with a top-10 finish still in the card, he’ll be motivated to finish strong this weekend.

Shane Lowry ($8,000)

Freedom continues to be the theme of the 2026 Masters. Rory McIlory, playing as freely as he ever has at Augusta National since slaying this beast in 2025, has unlocked a new gear and leads by 6 strokes at the halfway point. Lowry has played near-perfect golf through his first 36 holes, and still finds himself 7 strokes off the lead heading into the weekend. Shane Lowry has been his own worst enemy when it comes to holding leads (look no further than the Cognizant Classic), so an in-form Lowry with nothing to lose feels like the perfect combination.

If freedom is the primary theme at the 2026 Masters, Fairway-to-green excellence is the secondary one. We’ve seen many players opt to layup on the par-5s this week, which has helped some of the shorter hitters hold their ground with the bombers by effectively getting up-and-down from inside 100 yards. Lowry ranks 2nd in the first in SG: APP at the halfway point, and has historically leaned on his soft touch around the greens to score at The Masters.

Wyndham Clark ($7,000)

There is no way to sugarcoat it. Wyndham Clark’s putting has been absolutely dreadful in 2026. That’s a bit of a shock for a player who first burst onto the PGA Tour scene as a driving distance and putting specialist.

In spite of the putting woes (56th SG: P), Clark is currently sitting T7 on the leaderboard at -4. He ranks top-12 in SG: OTT, SG: APP, and SG: ARG, second only to Rory McIlroy in terms of SG: T2G. Putting metrics can turn in an instant, and if Clark can get anything going on the greens on Saturday, he’s positioned very well to make a charge up this leaderboard.

Live Bets To Consider After Round 2

Justin Rose To Win Outright

Best Available odds:

I am guilty of being too cynical about Rory McIlroy’s chances to win this week. He is in a prime position to do what has not been done since 2002 and win in successive years.

But not so fast, my friends! Rory McIlroy may be -240 odds to win The Masters with 36 holes to go, but we’ve seen players surrender large leads at Augusta National plenty of times before. Rory himself was guilty of such a collapse in 2011, when he squandered a 4-stroke lead with 9 holes to play on Sunday.

If anyone is going to catch Rory, I believe they’re going to need to catch fire with the putter, as Augusta does not breed legitimate birdie opportunities in bunches. That is how Rose caught McIlroy on Sunday, and his T4 position at the halfway point has come despite a rather cool putter. If Rose continues to generate birdie looks at his current rate, and those putts begin to drop more often over the weekend, I believe he has the highest ceiling of the chasers within striking distance of McIlroy’s massive lead.

Round 2 Head-to-Head Matchup: Max Homa over Ben Griffin

Best Available odds: +100 (DraftKings)

Yesterday’s top matchup play (Burns over Kitayama) cleared by 8 strokes, so we’ll look to keep that momentum going into Round 3.

This time, I’m loving the +100 number available on Max Homa over Ben Griffin. Homa has the course history edge at The Masters, finishing T12 and T3 in his last two appearances here. Griffin on the other hand, has never faced the pressure of a weekend at Augusta National before.

Looking at how the two have performed thus far, Homa’s route has been far more sustainable. He ranks 25th in SG: T2G and 22nd in SG: Putting, ahowing a very well-rounded approach thus far. Griffin, however, has been bailed out by a very hot putter. He ranks 2nd in SG: Putting, and outside the top-40 in SG: T2G. As regression starts to settle in, there’s much more to like about Homa’s outlook going int to the weekend.

Best of luck with your Masters DFS lineups and bets!

Photo Credit: AP/Ashley Landis

John Haslbauer

John Haslbauer writes about golf betting and DFS strategy for Lineups. He is a passionate golf fan, golf writer, and (casual) golfer. A graduate of Syracuse University, John works full-time in Social Influencer Marketing Strategy and is based out of Long Island, N.Y. He created thepgatout.com at the start of 2021 and co-hosts the Preferred Lines weekly podcast.