PGA DFS Picks for the John Deere Classic: Top Studs and Value Plays on FanDuel

Building a PGA DFS lineup requires plentiful considerations: course fit, cut rules, current form, and much more.

After weighing all those factors, which golfers stand out on FanDuel this week for the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run?

Let's dig into the field, using FanDuel Sportsbook's golf betting odds as a guide for our lineups.

Top Golfers for PGA DFS at the John Deere Classic

PGA DFS Studs

Ben Griffin ($12,200)

There's no doubt that the best golfer in the field this week is Ben Griffin.

Sunglasses have apparently morphed Griffin into arguably the best golfer in the world not named Scheffler. He enters off six straight top-15 finishes at a variety of venues. Other than losing strokes around the green (SG: ARG) at the Travelers, Griffin has gained strokes per round in every category at every event in this time.

TPC Deere Run shouldn't be an issue. Griffin is 35th in strokes gained: putting per round (0.255 SG: PUTT), and he ranks 49th in birdie-or-better rate (22.5%).

At only $200 more in salary than anyone else, it's an easy choice to get the clear outright favorite in FanDuel's John Deere Classic odds (+1600).

Denny McCarthy ($11,800)

This was a brutal choice between Denny McCarthy and Jason Day ($12,000) as the other members of this weekend's "big three". Day is a much better proximity player within 150 yards, but everything else slants McCarthy's way.

There's a reason Denny Mac has three straight top-six finishes at this event. It largely becomes a putting contest with such easy fairways and approach shots, and he's a regular in the top 10 of SG: PUTT per round every year. In 2025, McCarthy ranks ninth (+0.604).

Neutral or better with approach shots in 11 of his last 13 events, Denny also has been a solid iron player this year. It was a surprise to see him on the leaderboards at longer courses like Muirfield Village and Oakmont, but a T12 at the Travelers wasn't a shocker.

By the smallest of margins, McCarthy's flat stick and John Deere history are a tiebreaker for second to Benny Griff.

Michael Thorbjornsen ($11,100)

"Son of Thunder Bear" is surging.

That's the literal Norse translation of Michael Thorbjornsen's last name, but that's not the only reason to roster him this weekend. The American has three top-five finishes in his last six starts heading to a track he plays well. Thorbjornsen's John Deere Classic course history shows him as fifth in the field in strokes gained per round in the last five years here (+2.73) with a T2 and T17 in the last two seasons.

Birdies will be on the menu, and he's third in the field in birdie-or-better rate (24.8%) with massive driving distance (316.7 average yards) to overpower courses.

There are a lot of different paths to success at this venue, and Thorbjornsen's is much more "bomb and gouge" than "wedge and putt". I just don't want to ignore his intersection of rising form and course history in an underwhelming range around $11K.

PGA DFS Mid-Range Picks

Bud Cauley ($10,200)

I'm willing to overlook Bud Cauley's poor effort here last year (T61) when he's in substantially better form.

Cauley has made 9 of his last 10 cuts, scoring 4 top-six finishes in this time. The exception, a missed cut at Oakmont, doesn't bear much weight this weekend. His game seems to translate exceptionally well to this course, too.

Ranked 34th in the world in approach between 100 and 150 yards (+0.037 SG per shot), he's got the wedges to convert on these short holes. Cauley also ranks 43rd in SG: PUTT per round (+0.213) and a passable 79th in birdie-or-better rate (21.9%) for a weaker field.

With above-average distance (302.5) off the tee, he's just a rock-solid golfer for this salary in such a weak field.

Keith Mitchell ($9,800)

It was a nightmare week in Detroit for "Cashmere" Keith Mitchell. I nearly wrote him up as a seemingly perfect fit for the Rocket Classic, but he just didn't have it.

Mitchell gained 1.02 strokes on approach per round (SG: APP), but that was the lone highlight. It was surprising when he's 17th in strokes gained: off the tee (SG: OTT) and an above-average putter (+0.091 SG: PUTT per round) normally.

FanDuel's salary-makers have wildly overreacted to bury him in this field. Cashmere still leads this weak field in birdie-or-better rate (25.4%) and has seven top-40 finishes in his last nine starts.

Mitchell has gained 0.97 strokes per round at TPC Deere Run historically and has two straight top-45 finishes. He's still in the best long-term form of his career and a good bet to make some birdies and forget about Detroit GC.

Emiliano Grillo ($9,200)

Emiliano Grillo is a fan of TPC Deere Run and seems to be finding his game at the right time.

He's posted a top 20 in five of his last eight starts, presenting some of his best form in the last 18 months. The Argentinian was a runner-up in 2022 at this event, which does seem to play to his strengths.

Grillo excels in proximity within 150 yards, and he ranks 56th in SG: PUTT per round (+0.166). It's kind of surprising he's just 104th in birdie-or-better rate (21.4%), but his schedule has slanted toward tougher, longer courses on tour. The JDC definitely doesn't qualify.

At just 299.5-yard average distance off the tee, I wasn't shocked to see him out of contention at the Rocket Classic. This week's birdiefest is far more receptive to shorter hitters, which is likely among the many reasons he's datagolf's 12th-ranked golfer on a per-dollar basis in their PGA DFS projections.

PGA DFS Value Plays

Lee Hodges ($9,000)

Lee Hodges might finally exit this helper with a good showing in the Quad Cities because his salary will be beyond my $9,000 "value" cutoff.

An ice-cold stretch with the putter saw Hodges miss five straight cuts between April and the middle of May, but it's normalized to return him to leaderboards. He was T9 at the RBC Canadian Open and T34 at last week's Rocket Classic.

Hodges has gained on approach in a larger sample of 11 of his last 13 events, and he's 48th on tour in birdie-or-better rate (22.6%). At +0.155 SG: PUTT per round, he's generally a good putter, as well.

At this salary, I just can't exclude him from consideration. He's had four top-12 finishes this season and could have had another last week save a disappointing 72-70 as his final two rounds in Motown.

Matt McCarty ($8,700)

Watch out for crafty left-handed rookie Matt McCarty in this lower-profile event where players often make a name for themselves.

McCarty overcame below-average distance off the tee overall (295.2) to still post a T19 at the Rocket Classic. The John Deere should be much more his tempo with reduced emphasis on length.

I, frankly, see his profile similar to Denny McCarthy's. He's 16th on the PGA Tour in SG: PUTT per round (+0.421) and 37th in birdie-or-better rate (22.9%).

The irons can come and go, leading to a 10-start stretch of 6 top 20s with 4 missed cuts recently. However, I think this defacto putting contest should suit him for years to come. At 75-to-1, he's also one of my favorite longshot bets to win this weekend.

Sami Valimaki ($8,500)

We've seen Sami Valimaki moonlight on leaderboards for the better part of two seasons, and these weak fields present him the opportunity to truly contend.

Valimaki is a shorter hitter off the tee (298.3), but that didn't stop him from a T19 at the Rocket Classic. He just has the game to abuse these birdiefests, ranking 39th on tour in birdie-or-better rate (22.9%) with positive approach marks inside of 150 yards.

I can't really ignore the Finn's putter, either. He's eighth on tour in SG: PUTT per round (+0.637). That strong part of his kit is why he was able to manage a T12 at -20 in last year's John Deere.

Joe Highsmith ($8,200) is also a great putter and scorer, but his irons aren't quite in as good of form as Valimaki's. The latter has gained on approach in 8 of his last 11 starts.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.