X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

PGA DFS: Horse For The Course - John Deere Classic

Hello RotoBallers and welcome back to Horse For The Course! The 3M Open was a new tournament held in Minnesota that actually provided some pretty high drama Sunday afternoon. There was definitely a youth movement in effect at TPC Twin Cities, as the final-round leaderboard was packed with many of golf's most exciting young guns. In the end, 20-year-old Matthew Wolff eagled the 72nd hole to grab his first PGA Tour win, edging out two other young stars in Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau (both of whom were highlighted in this article last week!) by one shot.

Wolff was playing on a sponsor's exemption and making just his third start as a professional. The young man with the crazy swing recently won the NCAA Individual Championship and has definitely announced his presence on the PGA Tour with authority.

In addition to Wolff and Morikawa, some other exciting young players gave us a glimpse of the future at the 3M. Viktor Hovland continues to impress and seems to have all the tools needed to be a star. Guys like Wyndham Clark, Joaquin Niemann, Sam Burns, and Sungjae Im played well in Minnesota and are players that should continue to offer DFS upside in these birdie fest type of events.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

John Deere Classic Overview

The PGA Tour stays in the Midwest for one more week, as we head to the Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic. Though the Tour schedule has been significantly revamped this year, the JD Classic will once again hold its traditional spot on the calendar as the prelude to the Open Championship and serves as a last chance to get into the year's final major for this week's highest finisher that isn't otherwise qualified for Royal Portrush.

Because the Open is next week and many of golf's elite players have already headed over to Europe, this will be one of the weakest fields we've seen since the swing season. I'm not gonna lie to you guys, it's not especially pretty this week. The JDC features four of the top 30 in the current FedEx Cup standings, but you'd probably be hard pressed to name them. The 2018 JDC champion Michael Kim hasn't made much noise since his surprise win here last year, but he's back to defend his title. We will get another look at some of the aforementioned young guns, as Matthew Wolff, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Suh are scheduled to tee it up at TPC Deere Run.

After a couple of weeks of new events with zero course history to work with, we have plenty of results to evaluate from the long-running John Deere. I try to make HFTC more than just a regular 'picks' article (though you can certainly use it that way if you need to) and while I often use course history as a foundation, there are no 'rules' here other than to get you the best PGA DFS info possible. We had a really nice week last week, let's do it again!

You can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week.

 

The Course: TPC Deere Run

Par 71 - 7,268 Yards, Greens: Bent

I hope you guys haven't grown sick of birdies over the last couple of weeks, because we've got plenty more in store this week at TPC Deere Run. This D.A. Weibring design ain't exactly Bethpage Black. The fairways are super easy to hit. The greens are super easy to hit. Paul Goydos shot a 59 here in 2010. You get the idea...there will be birdies.

TPC Deere Run features some dramatic elevation changes throughout the layout with the course being designed to present players with risk/reward options that, more often than not, results in more reward than risk. Though birdies are plentiful, the bombers don't necessarily have a distinct advantage in this tournament, as guys like Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker are some of the biggest all-time money earners at the John Deere Classic.

As I have for the last few weeks, I'll once again be looking for players that can go low by focusing on Birdie or Better Percentage and DK Points Scored. I'll also give weight to Strokes Gained: Approach & Tee to Green while glancing at guys that have success putting on Bentgrass.

 

The Horse

Viktor Hovland (DK - $10,900 & FD - $11,600)

Notable Course History: None Available
Recent Form: T13 (3M Open), T13 (Rocket Mortgage Classic), T54 (Travelers), T12 (U.S. Open)

Viktor Hovland is getting the highlight here, but you can very well consider this the Viktor Hovland / Collin Morikawa / Matthew Wolff section of the article. I wrote up Morikawa here last week, Wolff got the win at the 3M, and Hovland once again caught fire in a final round. In many ways, this week's John Deere Classic (and by default, DFS contests) revolves around this talented trio that is already taking the PGA Tour by storm.

While Wolff and Morikawa received most of the TV time last Sunday, Hovland was quietly logging a final-round 65 to finish in a tie for 13th at the 3M...his second consecutive T13 outing. The kid has been pegged as a superstar for some time now, and his record-breaking outing at the U.S. Open and subsequent performances since turning pro afterwards don't do anything to change that projection.

Over his last 12 measured rounds Hovland leads this John Deere field in both Strokes Gained: Ball Striking & Off The Tee, and grades out second in Opportunities Gained. He's gained strokes tee to green in every start he's made since turning pro, including gaining a massive 9.2 strokes T2G last week. The youngster has logged top-13 finishes in three of his last four starts despite gaining strokes putting in just one of those outings, which leads me to believe that a win is attainable with a decent week on the greens.

I have to admit, there was some sticker shock when I first looked at DK pricing this week. I suppose I was hoping deep down that DraftKings might be a little slow on the uptake with these young guns, but they obviously aren't fooling around in this weak JDC field. Of the three at the top of the board, I prefer Hovland and Morikawa to Wolff, but that's just personal preference. It will be tough to get even one of these guys in your lineup this week, due to the lack of depth in the field, but I look for Hovland to make a big splash in this tournament and will get him in as many GPP lineups as possible.

 

The Ponies

Brian Harman (DK - $9,400 & FD - $11,000)

Notable Course History: T10 (2017), M/C ('16), T24 ('15), Win ('14)
Recent Form: T7 (3M Open), M/C (Rocket Mortgage), T8 (Travelers), T50 (RBC Canadian Open)

Truth be told, 2019 has been a pretty brutal year for Brian Harman. The diminutive lefty has only made 13 of 24 cuts this season, but Harman's game is trending in the right direction at perhaps the perfect time, as he's logged top-10 finishes in two of his last three starts and heads to a TPC Deere Run track where he won in 2014 and has recorded four career top 25s.

Harman has been solid in all facets of the game recently and ranks ninth in the JDC in SG: Total over his last 12 rounds. While he certainly doesn't blow you away with obvious talent like some of the young guns in this week's field, the veteran has been finding fairways and greens at a great clip and has gained strokes T2G in six consecutive starts.

He might not be the most exciting player to roster this week, but Harman brings a really nice blend of trending form and terrific course history to the table. If you want to attempt to take a solid route with lineup builds, Harman is a good place to start roster construction at $9.4k.

 

Scott Brown (DK - $8,300 & FD - $9,900)

Notable Course History: T12 ('18), T25 ('17), T16 ('16), M/C ('15), T5 ('14)
Recent Form:T15 (3M Open), M/C (Rocket Mortgage), T60 (Travelers), T31 (RBC Canadian Open)

You know it's the John Deere Classic when Scott Brown seems like a decent option. While I definitely have some reservations here, Brown does possess a Brian Harman-like combination of strong course history and trending form. We're taking a stab with him on a TPC Deere Run course where he's logged six-career top 25s with four such finishes in his last five JDC starts.

In addition to his strong track record on this layout, Brown heads to the Deere fresh off a T15 at last week's 3M Open, his best outing since April. He had the irons firing in Minnesota, gaining an impressive four strokes on approach at the 3M and 5.7 strokes T2G.

There's not much I can do to make Scott Brown sound exciting guys...this is a true blue collar, salt of the Earth type of golfer. He's a course horse play that is third in the field in Strokes Gained: Total at this tournament, and we are attempting to catch him in hot form.

 

Bronson Burgoon (DK - $7,800 & FD - $9,400)

Notable Course History: T2 ('18), T47 ('16)
Recent Form: T34 (3M Open) T35 (Rocket Mortgage), T60 (Travelers), M/C (Memorial)

This mid-$7k price range has been a real sweet spot for me in recent weeks and I plan on going back to the well again for the JDC. Guys like Mackenzie Hughes, Peter Malnati, and Cameron Tringale have been playing well in these less-than-stellar fields over the past month, but their price hasn't really changed much. While I like all three of those players, for the purposes of this week's article, let's look at Bronson Burgoon for a minute.

There seems to be a common theme with the players I've already highlighted this week of "not had great seasons, but have trending form with a strong history in the Deere". That train of thought continues with Burgoon, who has pretty abysmal this year, but seems to have found something over the past couple weeks. The 32-year-old has logged back-to-back top-35 finishes at the Rocket Mortgage and 3M. He's gained strokes T2G and on Approach in both of those starts, while racking up 39 combined birdies in those two events.

Burgoon has a good pedigree at TPC Deere Run, as he logged a runner-up finish in last year's JDC. He also fits right into the type of roster construction I'm leaning towards this week...one of the young guns up top paired with heavy doses of this mid-to-upper $7k range.

 

Johnson Wagner (DK - $7,200 & FD - $8,200)

Notable Course History: T16 ('18), M/C ('17), T5 ('16), T5 ('15), T7 ('14)
Recent Form: T23 (3M Open), M/C (RBC Canadian), T43 (AT&T Byron Nelson), M/C (Wells Fargo)

I'm rounding out this week's article with Johnson Wagner. Yeah, I know...

Wagner actually has a freakishly-good track record in this tournament, with back to back T5s in 2016-17, a T7 in '14, and a T16 here last year. If there's gonna be a tournament where he shows up, it's the JDC. Wagner rode a hot putter to a T23 last week in Minnesota and gained 5.7 strokes on the greens at TPC Twin Cities. That's his M.O...try to find fairways and greens while making a ton of putts. It's worked well for him at TPC Deere Run, as he trails only Zach Johnson in Strokes Gained: Total (38.31 !) at the John Deere Classic.

You aren't going to find much to love statistically with Wagner, but after writing this article for a year-and-a-half, I can tell you that sometimes this stuff just doesn't make sense. He's a 'course horse' in its truest form and a player that you can gamble on in GPP lineups with this week's very thin field.

More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event