Making our John Deere Classic DraftKings picks as we slice through the PGA DFS slate with our plays and fade into each pricing tier before creating a lineup.
After watching the US Open and then the loaded Travellers Championship, it’s a little weird to look at this week’s John Deere Classic as we head to Silvis, IL and TPC Deere Run. It’s a pretty weak field by most metrics, but this provides opportunities for us to make some big moves with our DraftKings picks and the PGA DFS lineup as we mine for value among a patchwork of golfers.
Last week there was no DFS Traveler Preview (my apologies) but I put up my Twitter picks for the best plays and it was an instant rating. I feel good about the board of directors and I think we have a good strategy for John Deere where we try not to pay if we don’t have to and look for people who are underestimated in middle class pricing ranges.
With that in mind, we go through our biggest plays, biggest fades, and then build the DFS DFS lineup for DraftKings PGA’s for John Deere Classic.
DraftKings picks John Deere Classic PGA DFS sets: Top Plays
$10,000: Webb Simpson ($10,600) – Full disclosure, I’m probably going to fade out the $10K range this week just because, while there are guys I like, this is the type of tournament that targets the middle classes more heavily. With that said, if I’m looking for the top guys of the bunch, Simpson stands out. He looked good in T13 at the Travelers and his game, especially his short approaches, fit the track well. I love Simpson and it might be worth the price if you want to pay. Also considered: Adam Hadwin ($10,400)
$9,000: Denny McCarthy ($9,900) – McCarthy appears to be divisive this week, especially after he missed the opportunity to be on the Travelers’ side. However, he did find some consistency from the tee to the green, finishing four of his best 27 matches in five starts before last week, including T5 at Memorial and T7 at the US Open. When combined with his elite status, I love that he shows up in a big way, which is why he’s my pick to win this week. However, there’s also a chance to dodge the $9k range as well and get super bold this week. Also considered: Charles Howell III ($9,300)
$8,000: Nick Hardy ($8,700) – Hardy, a youngster in his hometown this week, was quietly feeling the heat. After T2 finished on Korn Ferry, he’s been to T35, T14 and T8 for the past three weeks. Now he’s at a place where his situation has to play well, where he’s familiar with the area, and where he should play close to his top 25 from 50 to 125 yards. I love his looks at the moment and I think he can hit it big this week in a rich group. Also considered: Scott Stallings ($8,900), Patrick Rodgers ($8,800), Cam Davis ($8,400), Lucas Glover ($8,300),
$7,000: Chez Reavie ($7,900) – Another guy starting his level, we see Reavie thrive on shorter courses where he can use his accuracy off the tee and strong overall game. He’s finished 15th three times in the last five starts and had a T27 in that period as well. He showed well and finished T18 at John Deere last year and I love that he keeps fit in a place that fits him well. Also considered: John Huh ($7,800), Adam Schenk ($7,700), Adam Svenson ($7,700), Mark Hubbard ($7,400), Hank Leboda ($7,300), Sam Ryder ($7,100)
$6000: Hayden Buckley ($6900) – My hope is not to get caught up in the $6k range because, woah, it’s a rough range. If you have to, Buckley is the guy I really like in decent form after T14 at the US Open and then T43 at the Travelers. He hits the ball well and accurately from a tee, which should suit him as he gains a bit of confidence. Also considered: Joseph Bramlett ($6,800), Kelly Craft ($6,700)
DraftKings picks the John Deere Classic PGA DFS lineup: Top Fades
$10,000: Sahith Theegala ($10,100) – That’s my bold call for this week, but I don’t like Theegala despite his great recent form and the must-play well in John Deere. For me, I worry about the scar tissue caused by the way he let travelers slip through his fingers last week. The last time he happened at the WM Phoenix Open, he finished outside the top 50 on his next start. As one of four guys in the $10,000 range, I’m going to be moving on to it this week.
$9,000: Maverick McNealy ($9,500) – The fact that McNealy is in its current form at this price is a borderline criminal. He finished T75 in the PGA Championship then missed his last two pieces while losing 0.29 hits per round from the tee to the green during his last 20 rounds. He’s not in great shape, and despite his decent record in TPC Deere Run, there’s no way to pay his price this week.
$8000: Cameron Champ ($8000) – Champ did well at John Deere a year ago, but I wouldn’t expect one of the most inconsistent talents on the PGA Tour to repeat it. He’s missed four cuts in a row and the fact that he made it here in 2021 might be strange given that he doesn’t really fit in with what he does well. He’s at the bottom of that category, which is true, but until then I can’t support him this week.
$7,000: Dylan Fritelli ($7,600) – Yes, I realize Fritelli was a former champion in this event, but his late form terrifies me. His best result in his last six starts was the T35 and he missed the cut last week at the Travelers. I think it would be decent, but what they’ve been showing off on the golf course lately suggests to me that their cap is very underwhelming now at a range where there are some good options.
John Deere Classic: The Best DraftKings Golf Lineup
- Patrick Rodgers ($8,800)
- Nick Hardy ($8,700)
- Cam Davis ($8,400)
- Lucas Glover ($8,300)
- Chez Reavie ($7900)
- Jun Huh ($7,800)
This might be the first DraftKings PGA’s DFS lineup I’ve ever made with every player in the $1000 range. But still, I like what we have in this kit. We touched on Hardy and Reeve, but the other guys fit right in.
Rodgers has been rocking a hot racket and has continued to hit the ball hard and has a T2 and last 25 in his last three games at the John Deere Classic. Davis has proven that he can play so well on those short courses that he may not suit him, as evidenced by Charles Schwab’s T7. Glover wasn’t at his best but he won here last year and he has a great track record in this course.
That leaves us with Huh, who shouldn’t be that pricey in this area based on his play. He is a top 50 of the season at 50-125 yards on approach and has been hot with T12, T25 and T13 in his final three starts. Earning 0.94 hits per round from the tee to the green over the last 20 points, it’s a great play to finish this lineup.
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