PGA DFS Playbook Farmers Insurance Open: Top DraftKings & FanDuel PGA DFS Picks

I’m going to make this short and sweet. I know he’s super expensive but how can you not try to fit this guy in?  He’s won both of the tournaments he’s played in 2023 and he won the U.S. Open on this same course in 2021. You will have to take some risks to fit him in but it will be worth it in the long run.

The only thing he hasn’t done in his last four completed tournaments is win. He has four straight top-10 finishes including last week’s third place at the American Express. Schauffele has made the cut in three of his last four starts at the Farmers Insurance with a runner up finish in 2021. He also finished top-10 at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Schauffele has only played in two events this new season but he finished last year ranked fifth in Scoring Average, seventh in Approach, ninth in Birdie Average, 11th in Greens in Regulation, 32nd in Putting, and 34th in Off the Tee. If I’m not going to start my lineup with Rahm, I’ll be starting with him for sure.

Zalatoris returned from injury at the Sentry and finished 11th. He followed that up with a 36th place at last week’s American Express. I believe the injury is behind him but it has to be in the back of your mind. He’ll tee it up at the Farmers Insurance this weekend where he has finished seventh and second in his two previous trips. The 26-year-old ranks second in Greens in Regulation, fourth in Birdie Average, sixth in Off the Tee, and 37th in Putting.  He finished last season ranked in the top-15 in Driving Distance, his profile fits this course perfectly.

The man just keeps producing for DFS PGA players. He is basically course proof at this point until he shows me otherwise. Montgomery added a top-five finish to his early season resume at last week’s American Express. Going into that event, he had finished third, ninth, 15th, 13th, 10th, 57th, 15th, and 12th to start the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season. It took a little while for this kid to figure it out but at age-27, he’s got it going. He ranks fifth in Scoring Average, seventh in Putting, ninth in Eagles, 12th in Total, 15th in Birdie Average, 39th in Driving Distance, and 41st in Off the Tee. Just keep plugging this kid into your lineups and enjoy the ride.  

It is always a roller coaster ride when you roster Si Woo Kim in DFS. He is an aggressive player and you need a player who is willing to take risks on this course. I’m rostering him because he’s made 10 straight cuts coming into this event including a win at the Sony Open just a few weeks back. Kim has made the cut in four of his five trips to the Farmers Insurance including his 11th place finish last year. He also made the cut at the U.S. Open at this course in 2021. He has started the season ranking seventh in Driving Accuracy, ninth in Approach, 10th in Scoring Average, 12th in Tee to Green, and 20th in Greens in Regulation. When he gets going, he can be a birdie making machine and that’s what we need when he tees up on the north course. 

It’s good to see Jason Day getting his game back on track. This former number one player in the world has dropped to 103rd, but has five cuts made in his last six starts with no finish below 21st. He currently ranks 10th in Approach, 11th in Scoring Average, 22nd in Tee to Green, 22nd in Driving Accuracy, 23rd in Greens in Regulation, and 64th in Putting. He will be a chalky play this weekend because of his recent play and his course history. Day has owned this event with two wins and another three top-five finishes (one of those came in 2022). Day has world class talent when firing on all cylinders. This price tag is more than reasonable which is why I’m willing to eat the chalk this weekend.  

Another golfer who is starting to hit his stride at the right time. McNealy has made the cut in six straight starts with three top-10 finishes including his last start at the Sony Open. He’s also made the cut in three of his four starts at the Farmers with three top 30 finishes. McNealy ranks 2nd in Scoring Average and 3rd in Putting. I think the value is really nice on him this weekend, especially sitting under 9K.

Davis missed just his second cut in his last 16 starts at the American Express last weekend. I didn’t put him in my playbook because he isn’t a great fit in that format but this week is a different story. He has never missed the cut at this event in four previous appearances. I love him because he’s a bomber ranking sixth in Driving Distance, 23rd in Off the Tee, 26th in Eagles, 51st in Tee to Green, and 57th in Scoring Average. We have been looking for him to take that next step in his career after winning his first event during the 2020-2021 season. He’s played more consistent golf but we’d like to see more leaderboard appearances.

At this point in Rose’s career, it is a risk rostering him but the reward can be pretty sweet. Rose isn’t looked at as one of the premier players in the world anymore but he can still get it done from time to time. The 42-year-old shot a final round 65 at the American Express to climb into a tie for 26th. He is not a bomber by any means but he has more success than most anyone else in this field. Rose has four top-10 finishes in his last five starts at the Farmers including a win in 2019. I think you’ll get good ownership numbers on him.

I talked about the talent of Pendrith at the end of the 2021-2022 season and it shined through. He finished top-15 in five of his last six starts of the season including a runner up at the Rocket Mortgage. In his debut at the Farmers last year he finished 16th. The distance off the tee is what makes him intriguing this weekend. He ranks top-15 on the PGA Tour in Off the Tee and Driving Distance and also 30th in Greens in Regulation. We have already seen his game translate on this course nicely.

I told you that Thompson had impressed early in his career and he went toe-to-toe with Jon Rahm down the stretch of the American Express last weekend. He won a lot of people a lot of money. He has missed just one cut in his seven starts in his first full season on the PGA Tour. The 23-year-old sits 10th in Eagles, 15th in Driving Distance, 25th in Off the Tee, 38th in Tee to Green, 41st in Scoring Average, and 47th in Greens in Regulation on the young season. This former Georgia Bulldog is a raw talent that can only go up from here. The cost and ownership both go up this weekend but I’m still going to roster him.

This guy’s name has not graced my PGA Playbook very often but I’ve got a feeling that’s going to change in 2023. Since July of 2022, he has made the cut in seven of his nine starts including two runner up finishes at the Scottish Open and CJ Cup. This 30-year-old is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory but I think he gets to the mountain top this year. The California native ranks 12th in Scoring Average, 20th in Tee to Green, 22nd in Driving Distance, 25th in Around the Green, 32nd in Approach, 43rd in Greens in Regulation and 50th in Eagles. While he missed the cut in his first trip to the Farmers, I think he’ll perform better the second time around.

We were all distracted by the performance of Davis Thompson but Detry just keeps plugging along scoring a 26th place at the American Express. Yeah, it’s not as flashy but he got the job done for his cost. He has three top-15 finishes in his last five PGA Tour starts. Detry ranks fifth in Driving Distance, 10th in Birdie Average, 24th in Scoring Average, 44th in Tee to Green, 50th in Around the Green and 54th in Off the Tee. The Belgian Detry has never played at the Farmers Insurance but knows the course from his participation in the 2021 U.S. Open on this course.

Gordon has rebounded from a terrible 2021-2022 PGA Tour season by making the cut in eight straight events to start the new season including a third place at the Mayakoba. He did end his cuts made streak last week at the American Express, which that entices me even more because his ownership will be depressed. Gordon made the cut in his one and only appearance at this event in 2021. He ranks 19th in Off the Tee, 27th in Driving Distance, 28th in Scoring Average, 34th in Greens in Regulation, 37th in Tee to Green, and 45th in Birdie Average. These are all things I like to see when heading into Torrey Pines.   

Shelton is making his name on the PGA Tour coming out of the University of Alabama. He turned pro in 2016 and has been looking for that breakout season. He is one of the few players in this playbook that is not a bomber but I have confidence because he makes it on and around the greens. He currently ranks 27th in Around the Green, and 37th in Approach. Shelton has made the cut in six of his seven starts this season and top-10 finishes in two of his last three.  This will be his third time at the Farmers, he has made the cut in both trips with a Top 20 finish in 2021.

Another golfer teeing it up in his home state of California, Bramlett is still looking for that elusive first victory on the PGA Tour since turning pro in 2010. He has been playing quality golf this season making five straight cuts including a top-10 at the Houston Open. This will be his fourth trip to the Farmers Insurance and he has made the cut in all three of his previous trips including a top-20 finish in 2021. He has the tools to compete on this course ranking 28th in Driving Distance, 35th in Tee to Green, and 59th in Around the Green.

This has been a terrific run for Higgs over his last four starts. He finished 32nd at the Mayakoba, 21st at the RSM, and 18th last weekend at the American Express. The 31-year-old hasn’t had a lot of success since turning pro in 2014 but he’s got his swing in a good spot right now.  He has been to the Farmers three times and he finished Top 10 in 2020. I’ll take a shot on the hot hand at this price tag.

He missed his first six cuts of his professional career but this former number one amateur in the world has made three straight since including a fifth place at the RSM Classic. He doesn’t have enough starts to officially qualify for the rankings but Hammer can absolutely mash the ball off the tee, but the accuracy needs to be better. That could cause problems on this course but I’m playing the upside with Hammer and only using him in tournaments.