Tackling the PGA DFS slate for The American Express with our best DraftKings golf picks for each pricing tier and an ideal lineup for this week.
We’re heading to The American Express this week for the next stop on the PGA Tour after the Hawaii Swing. Subsequently, we’re going to get heavy into the PGA DFS slate with our DraftKings golf picks for the week.
This is an event that can be difficult to decipher given that it’s played across three courses and the fact that we’re also looking at a 54-hole cut as opposed to the more customary 36-hole cut. Subsequently, we’re really just looking for overall good players in solid form right now.
So as we dive into this PGA DFS slate on DraftKings for The American Express, we’re going to look at our top plays from the five pricing tiers of players in addition to who we’re fading in each range before building a lineup.
Let’s get into the plays (which, again, are the best plays — not an indictment on anyone who isn’t picked if you like them for your lineup).
DraftKings Golf PGA DFS picks for The American Express: Top Plays in Each Pricing Tier
$10,000: Jon Rahm ($11,300) – Look, Rahm is the best player in the world and kills it in every strokes gained category. While he’s the most expensive player on the slate, I just like him that much more than the other three players in this range.
$9,000: Corey Conners ($9,400) – Conners is another ball-striker that flushes it and struggles with the putter. That last part has improved a bit, though, and he fits the way you should need to play to contend at The American Express. Also intrigued by Matthew Wolff for $100 less.
$8,000: Luke List ($8,000) – List was one of the outright winner picks for Iain MacMillan at BetSided, who noted that his tee-to-green game is perfect to compete in this event. At the bottom of this price range, the upside here is just enormous.
$7,000: Michael Thompson ($7,500) – If nothing else, Thompson has been a cut-maker with 6-of-7 so far this year. But he’s also coming off of a top-five finish at the Sony and the beard might give him mystical powers. In all seriousness, the form looks good for a budget-priced player.
$6,000: James Hart du Preez ($6,000) – I get it. This is a guy making his PGA Tour debut, which isn’t exactly comforting. But the South African is titanic off the tee to a point that could make Bryson DeChambeau blush. At the minimum price, I love the possible returns with the obvious baked-in risk.
DraftKings Golf PGA DFS picks for The American Express: Top Fades in Each Pricing Tier
$10,000: Tony Finau ($10,200) – If you just look at Finau’s last two finishes of T7 and T19, that looks great — until you think that was in fields of 20 and 38 players. Finau’s form just hasn’t been that good of late and I’d much rather pay up for the other three players in the top tier.
$9,000: Sungjae Im ($9,900) – Kind of the same logic as with other guys, but Im’s M.O. has often been you see his good form coming. A missed cut at the Sony doesn’t indicate that for me and, as such, I’m not paying for the most expensive player in this price range with the lack of upside that might be there.
$8,000: Justin Rose ($8,600) – After being a bit in the wilderness, Rose has played better as of late. With that said, the ceiling seems a bit defined on him in a field that’s pretty solid this week and that’s less so the case with other players in this range.
$7,000: Cameron Champ ($7,800) – Not only is Champ coming off of a positive COVID-19 test that kept him out of playing in Hawaii, but the big-hitter is just far too erratic outside of hitting off the tee. He can pop, but I’m not banking my lineup on that.
Best DraftKings Golf PGA DFS lineup for The American Express
- Jon Rahm ($11,300)
- Corey Conners ($9,400)
- Luke List ($8,000)
- Michael Thompson ($7,500)
- Adam Svensson ($7,000)
- Sahith Theegala ($6,700)
We got our three plays from the four pricing ranges before we get to the bottom. While I love the upside of du Preez as a bare minimum play, Svensson’s form last week and what he showed on the Korn Ferry combined with Theegala ultimately makes for a lineup with a safer floor and arguably just as much upside.