Weekly Fantasy Golf Preview: John Deere Classic

John Deere Classic

TPC Deere Run
Silvis, IL

The PGA Tour heads to Illinois for another edition of the John Deere Classic.

Is it just me or does the golf season go by way too fast? Don't get me wrong, the golf season is long, it lasts essentially from January to November, but it's the part of the season on which most fans focus, from the first major to the last major that just flies by.

I bring this up now because we are in the midst of one of the worst stretches all season, between the Opens, where the fields are generally very thin and we're essentially forced to look ahead to bigger and better events. In this case, many of us are peaking ahead to the Open Championship in a couple weeks and before you know it, that event will be done and suddenly it's over. Well, we've still got the FedEx playoffs of course and this year we're lucky enough to get another Ryder Cup, so we've still got something to look forward to, but for fantasy golf players, the end of the season is approaching far too fast.

But I digress, if we get tournaments like we had this past week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, perhaps there's no need to feel sorrow. After all, the field wasn't as thin as it usually is and some of those big names were sticking around late into the weekend. In the end it wasn't the big names, just a fairly new comer in Aldrich Potgieter and Max Greyserman that were battling for the victory, but it was nothing if not entertaining.

If we can get something like that every week, then there's no reason to lament the end of the major season, but there are no guarantees in this game. I guess the moral of the story here is, be grateful for every exciting finish you get during the season and especially between majors.

As we look at this week's event, the field is weak, there's no getting around it. It's not as bad as it's been in year's past, but it's very thin. That doesn't prevent us from getting some drama on Sunday however, so let's keep our hopes up until then and if we don't get any drama come Sunday, then we're just a few days closer to the Open Championship, so that should brighten your day.   

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LAST YEAR

Davis Thompson shot a final round 64 on his way to a four-stroke victory over Michael Thorbjornsen and Luke Clanton. 

FAVORITES

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Tuesday.

Ben Griffin (1461) 

As my colleague Len Hochberg pointed out in a tweet earlier this week, what exactly is Griffin doing playing so much? He's not setting up his schedule for a strong finish because he's barely taken any time off over the past few months. He's essentially on the Ryder Cup team right now, but if he gets run down over the next few weeks, I think he could play his way off the team. He'd be better off keeping his position where it is and taking some time to get ready for the majors/FedEx. As for this week, yeah, he's the favorite and he played well here this past year, but he's never been "the guy" at a PGA Tour event, so we have no idea how he'll handle that. I'd pass on him at this price.   

Denny McCarthy (25-1)

One of the nice things about fields like this is that you do get value on some good players. McCarthy is clearly one of the better players in the field this week, yet he's still getting 25-1, which is really good for the second-favorite. McCarthy is trying to play his way onto the Ryder Cup team, and he's got some work to do, but a win this week would go a long way to securing a spot. His track record here is pretty good, especially over the past three years where he's finished in the top-7 each time.    

Jason Day (25-1)

Day is not playing to improve his status on the Ryder Cup list this week because he's not American nor European, but he is trying to, presumably, improve his place on the FedEx list. Not only do we have players trying to move up the Ryder Cup list, but we also have plenty of guys trying to secure a spot in the Tour Championship. Day probably sees this as a spot to grab some easy points if he plays well. He's played here six times, but only once in the past decade. He placed 4th at the Travelers in his most recent start, so his game appears ready to make a run this week.

Visit our golf betting section for the latest PGA odds and finishing props from multiple sportsbooks.

THE NEXT TIER

Michael Thorbjornsen (30-1)    

Thorbjornsen was in the mix until late in the day on Sunday, but he didn't have quite enough in the end. He finished strong however, which should bode well for him this week. He does have a strong, if limited track record here. Thorbjornsen has played here twice, finishing in the top-20 both times. His most recent start here resulted in a runner-up showing to Thompson a year ago.    

Davis Thompson (33-1)

Thompson has failed to back up his career-best season in 2024 this year, but there's still time. Thompson posted solid numbers in 2024, which were buoyed by his win at the JD Classic, but he's struggled to find that form in 2025, carding just one top-10 to this point in the season. While it's tough to defend a championship, perhaps a return to the JDC will get him back on track. 

Jake Knapp (35-1)

Just about everyone in the field is missing something this week, be it current form, a solid track record at this event, or a winning pedigree, so finding the perfect pick this week is going to be nearly impossible. With that in mind, it's best to make sure any plays you are considering have at least one this going for them in a big way and for Knapp, that's current form. Knapp was in the mix almost to the end this past week in Detroit and if he carries that form over, he should again be a factor again.    

Looking to place a bet for this week's PGA Tour event? Check out the best golf betting sites, featuring comprehensive sportsbook reviews and a summary of new customer bonus offers.

LONG SHOTS

Bud Cauley (40-1)         

Cauley's pace has slowed a bit since late-May, but no matter what he does the rest of the way, this is going to be his best season on the PGA Tour and it's come from out of nowhere. Cauley had a strong rookie season in 2012, but it's been a tough road since then. He's battled his way back this season however and he's locked into the FedEx playoffs with a chance at the Tour Championship if he finishes strong. As for this week, Cauley has played here seven times, missing the cut just once, although most of his starts here came over five years ago.     

Nico Echavarria (55-1) 

This is the type of event that Echavarria has taken advantage of a couple times in his short career. Echavarria posted wins against lesser fields in a couple spots over the past couple years and while he's developed his game beyond that this year, he's still got the pedigree of someone that knows how to win against less than the best. Echavarria is also coming off a good showing this past week in Detroit, so it looks like he's got a lot going for him at the JDC.

ONE-AND-DONE LEAGUES

Highly-Chosen Pick: Ben Griffin – Is he the best player in the field? Griffin was pretty confident a few weeks ago, claiming he was one of the best golfers in the world, but his pace has slowed a little since then. He's still posting top-15s, but against a field like this he's going to need to do more. In a field lacking star power though, Griffin's game does stick out. He looks like a safe option with high upside this week.  

Moderately-Chosen Pick: Jake Knapp – Any chance of Knapp flying under the radar this week went out the door when he shot 61 in the second round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and then proceeded to stay in the hunt all weekend. Knapp will likely draw a lot of interest from the OAD owners this week, but he's a solid counter to Griffin this week is you're looking for high-upside.   

Lightly-Chosen Pick: Nico Echavarria – The purse is small this week, so if you're looking for a spot to take a chance, it's definitely this week as even if you miss out on the winner, it's not going to set you back all that much. On the flip side, if you're looking to gain a little ground, Echavarria should be a good play as he's never one that has garnered a lot of attention from OAD players.   

Buyer Beware: Aldrich Potgieter – For the second week in a row, I'm going to fade the winner from the previous week. Last week I faded Keegan Bradley off a big win, and I'll do the same with Potgieter this week. Potgieter was locked-in this past week, but the odds of that happening again are slim. Not to take away from his game, but he's been hit or miss early in his career, and I have to imagine he'll have trouble getting back into the right mindset this quickly after such a big win. It's tough for vets to get it back the week after a win, let alone a 20-year-old that's never won on the PGA Tour.   

My Pick: Michael Thorbjornsen – I used Griffin this past week, so the obvious choice is out, but there are a handful of guys just outside the favorites, which look like good options. On the top of that list is Thorbjornsen, who has a lot going for him this week, including a good track record here (runner-up in 2024) and solid form entering the week (T4 in Detroit). Thorbjornsen was runner-up against the weak field earlier this year at the Corales Puntacana Championship and while this field is a bit stronger, I think he can manage as he fared well this past week against a stronger field. 

Previous Results

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FANDUEL PICKS

Upper Range: Michael Thorbjornsen ($11,100)
Middle Range:  Bud Cauley ($10,200)
Lower Range: Zach Johnson ($8,300)

SURVIVOR LEAGUES

My Pick: Zach Johnson – It would seem easy to pick a guy to make the cut in a weaker field, but sometimes you get guys that aren't fully focused on the event. This is one of those weeks that you have to worry about focus, but that's not a concern with Johnson as this has always been event at the top of his priority list. He's played here 22 times and missed just three cuts. The most recent MC was over a decade ago.