Last week was a conservative offering at a birdie fest that didn’t quite go as planned. While most of the contenders were in the player pool, I was underweight on Aaron Rai and some of my most heavily exposed players narrowly missed the cut. It was still an opportunity to take a stab at some new players and give the model a closer examination. This week’s event is yet another chance to do the same thing, with some minor tweaks.
The John Deere Classic is a fan favorite for those who grew up watching golf in the 1980s and 1990s. Where it lacks in big names teeing it up, the John Deere makes up for it with charm and a chance to catch the future stars of professional golf. Set in rural midwest America, tractors mark each teeing area and the lush scenery makes for a lustrous canvas of vibrant greens and yellows. Since there’s nothing quite like it on the PGA Tour, I hold the John Deere Classic close to my heart.
PGA DFS & Picks: John Deere Classic (2024)
(Salary Prices Courtesy of DraftKings)
TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois is our third-consecutive event with very favorable scoring conditions. The par-71 is below the Tour average length at just over 7,200 yards. Where last week’s tournament in Detroit required excellent tee shots and a hot putter, Deere Run is more of a balanced test of the entire golf bag. Hot golfers stay hot this week, while those who are getting dialed in for the next two weeks in Scotland will struggle to make enough birdies to keep pace here. Leverage is of paramount importance every week in DFS. It is a bit easier to come by in events of this nature. Many of the best plays on my board, in terms of value, are not overly chalky. With the harvesters chugging along in perfect rows, let’s dig in.
High-Priced ($9,000 & Above)
- Chalk Plays: Sungjae Im, Aaron Rai, Denny McCarthy, JT Poston
- Chalk Fades: Sepp Straka, Maverick McNealy, Davis Thompson, Keith Mitchell
- Leverage Plays: Jason Day, Sam Stevens
Mid-Priced ($7,600 to $8,900)
- Chalk Plays: Nick Dunlap, Luke Clanton, Ben Griffin, Ryo Hisatsune
- Chalk Fades: Kevin Yu, Lucas Glover, Mark Hubbard, Seamus Power, Adam Svensson
- Leverage Plays: Beau Hossler, Patrick Rodgers, Michael Thorbjornsen
Value-Priced ($7,500 & Below)
- Chalk Plays: Neal Shipley, Justin Lower, Troy Merritt, Ben Kohles
- Chalk Fades: Andrew Novak, Joel Dahmen, Jacob Bridgeman, Jhonattan Vegas
- Leverage Plays: Michael Kim, Jake Knapp, Dylan Wu, Rico Hoey, Bud Cauley, Hayden Springer, Chan Kim, David Skinns, Sam Ryder, Pierceson Coody, Kelly Kraft, Adam Long, Wesley Bryan, Austin Cook
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