It’s a great week for golf fans, especially if you like watching the best players in the world tangle with one of the hardest courses set up to be one of the toughest tracks in the country. The U.S. Open is always played on a tough course, but this week’s stop at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club could be even tougher than normal, especially if the wind is blowing. DraftKings has a wide range of contests available, including some excellent cash game contests. Last week, one of my top picks in this post was Bud Cauley, who won the RBC Canadian Open, and this week, we’ll try to keep it rolling with three more plays for conservative lineups set up for cash games. My three top fantasy golf cash plays to consider are Cameron Young ($10,500), Patrick Cantlay ($7,300) and Maverick McNealy ($6,800).

Make sure to also check out my top-three pivot plays for tournament lineups for the U.S. Open if you’re looking for some less popular, under-the-radar picks. Pivot plays for tournament lineups are usually more aggressive, while fantasy golf cash game picks are safer with higher floors and lower risk. The picks in this post generally have higher ownership than my pivot plays, but they are good selections for contests where the uniqueness of your lineup is less important. Think of cash game picks as lying back and playing a par 5 as it was designed, taking three shots before reaching the green, searching for a solid birdie. Tournament picks are like going driver off the deck to try to reach the green in two — more reward if it works, but much more risk, as well.

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Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR Single Entry $25 Double Up

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Cameron Young ($10,500)

For cash games, it makes sense to build around a strong play like this even if it is a little obvious. Young is from New York and will be a fan favorite if he’s in contention down the stretch, and he has had an outstanding season so far. He also comes with a much lower salary than Scottie Scheffler ($14,900) and Rory McIlroy ($12,200).

After so many near misses over the past several years, Young has proven he can win in tough conditions against elite fields over the last year. Since the last U.S. Open, he broke through for his first PGA TOUR career win at the Wynhdam Championship before running off a streak of five straight top-12 finishes to end 2025. In 2026, he won THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass and the Cadillac Championship at The Blue Monster, where he dominated the elite field for a runaway win.

He has finished in the top 10 in half of his 12 events this year, and he made the cut at both of the majors. He finished T3 at Augusta and T26 at Aronimink. Young has also made the cut in each of the last three U.S. Open Championships, finishing a career-best T4 last year at Oakmont.

He ranks second in the field in Total Strokes Gained over the last three months and fifth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. He did slip up at the Memorial, where he only finished T46 after a weird week with his putter, but as long as he has that resolved, he should be ready to roll as he looks to add a major championship to his already impressive resume for the season.

Patrick Cantlay ($7,300)

Another steady producer with a chance to claim his first career major this week is veteran Patrick Cantlay. He has a nice combination of history and recent form at his low price point and his veteran saavy should make him a good fit for this venue.

Cantlay has eight PGA TOUR career wins, although he hasn’t added to that total since the 2022 BMW Championship. He has been trending up, though, and ranks in the top 10 in this field in Total Strokes Gained and Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over the last three months. He has turned that form into five top-25 finishes in his last six events, and he has gained strokes on approach in each of those six tournaments.

His sharp iron game will serve him well this week at the U.S. Open. He finished a career-best T3 at the event two years ago at Pinehurst No. 2 behind only Bryson DeChambeau ($11K) and Rory. That T3 was at the end of a run of four straight top-15 finishes at the U.S. Open, before missing the cut at Oakmont last year. With better form coming into the U.S. Open this year, though, I think Cantlay has both a high floor and a high celing as a sleeper this season.

He also has the advantage of having played the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he made the cut and finished T45. He is the kind of steady performer that makes sense in cash game picks and also excels at difficult venues like Shinnecock.

Maverick McNealy ($6,800)

If you need a value play under $7,000 to stretch your cash game lineup to include the stars you want, Maverick McNealy has been very steady this season and makes lots of sense at this very affordable salary.

McNealy actually leads the entire field in Strokes Gained: Putting over the last three months and ranks 10th in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green. With his success in those areas, he also ranks in the top 20 in Total Strokes Gained.

While he hasn’t claimed a win this season, he has made the cut in 13 of his 14 events, with nine top-25 finishes. He finished with a pair of T18 finishes at the Masters and the PGA Championship in the first two majors of the season. In his most recent event, he added a T10 at the Memorial against a strong field in that Signature Event.

The 30-year-old McNealy got his first PGA TOUR win at the 2024 RSM Classic, and he has made the cut in each of the last six majors dating back to that breakthrough victory. He doesn’t have the extended track record of Cantlay or the high points of Cameron Young, but his steady production makes him a great value this week for your fantasy golf cash game picks.