DraftKings PGA DFS Lineup Picks - John Deere Classic (2026)

June 30, 2026

Zach's DraftKings PGA DFS lineup picks for the John Deere Classic (2026). His PGA DFS targets and value plays for daily fantasy golf lineups.

Welcome, everyone, to my DraftKings PGA DFS lineup picks and advice for the 2026 John Deere Classic. I'll be providing DFS picks and analysis to help you set those winning DraftKings lineups. The PGA TOUR is about to head to the United Kingdom for the next two weeks to play the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open Championship as the final major of the season. Before heading across the pond, though, there is one more stateside event at this week's John Deere Classic at the beautiful TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.

The John Deere Classic is a low-scoring birdie fest that has a reputation as a launching pad for players looking to claim a breakthrough victory. Rising stars and seasoned veterans will be looking to get a big win and earn critical FedExCup points with the finishing kick to the FedExCup playoffs just around the corner. With all the changes coming to the schedule and format in the next couple of years, players will need to secure their status with a win or a high finish in the playoffs to make sure they earn one of those spots on the PGA TOUR Championship Series. Last year, Brian Campbell defeated Emiliano Grillo in a playoff to claim his second win of the season at the Deere. Let's dive in and take a look at who should be on your DFS fantasy golf roster for this low-scoring week in the Quad Cities.

The RotoBaller team has you covered with details on the course, the field, the history of the event, and much more throughout the week, so be sure to check out all the coverage available at the PGA hub on RotoBaller. In this post, I'll break down six of my top DFS fantasy golf plays coming into the week.

Big Dogs: Top-Tier PGA DFS Lineup Picks

Ben Griffin ($10.5K)

In this thinner field, Griffin stands out as one of the top options and blends some solid trending form with the ability to go low and win in birdiefests like is expected this week. He has the accuracy demanded by the layout and is a proven finisher. While he wouldn't be a breakthrough winner, like we often see at the John Deere Classic, he has both a high floor and high ceiling coming into this week if you have the salary to spend up on one of the higher-priced players.

Griffin leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green over the last 30 days and ranks second in Total Strokes Gained over that span. He also ranks in the top five in Total Strokes Gained over the last six months, while also ranking third in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green and Strokes Gained: Putting. His short game is in good shape coming into this week, and he has been able to post six top-20 finishes in his last eight events as a result.

He finished T10 last week at the Travelers Championship, gaining strokes across all major categories. He started the week with a bogey-free, six-under 64 in Round 1 and then posted 66-67-67, showing his consistency and ability to go low. He was accurate with his driver and his short game, and that recipe should play well at TPC Deere Run this week.

In 2024, Griffin finished T5 at the John Deere Classic, but he missed the cut last year, mostly due to some struggles on the green. With much better putting form coming into the event this year, he should be lined up for a much better finish. He won three times on the PGA TOUR last season, and he could get back into the win column this week if he can carry over his recent form. Even if he doesn't win, a high finish seems likely based on his strong form and course fit.

Benny Booms 🎯

Ben Griffin knocks it to a foot on the 287-yard drivable par-4 16th @Cadillac_Champ.

📺 Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/K1PGBUYqVV

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 1, 2026

Eric Cole ($9.1K)

Cole is still in search of his first PGA TOUR win after a near-miss just over a month ago at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he lost in a playoff to Russell Henley. Cole also finished in the top 10 at the Memorial the following week, but he missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open and slid to a T38 after starting with the solo lead last week at the Travelers.

Even though he isn't a long hitter, Cole has the short game to make up for it and can definitely contend on more technical layouts that don't demand as much distance. His short game has been excellent over the last few months, and he ranks third in the field in Total Strokes Gained and Strokes Gained: Putting, while also ranking No. 6 in Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green.

"Oh this is brilliant...BRILLIANT...YES!"

What a shot by Eric Cole! pic.twitter.com/RfQwQKuYvO

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) June 6, 2026

His putter tripped him up a bit last week, but it was on fire before that. If he can get the flat stick rolling again this week, he could be back near the top of the leaderboard. He finished T7 at TPC Deere Run in 2024 and has made the cut in three straight appearances over the last three years.

While the 38-year-old Cole isn't really a young star on the rise, he is a proven option that brings lots of upside and can contend in low-scoring events on courses like this when he's at his best.

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Underdogs: Mid-Range PGA DFS Lineup Picks

Tom Kim ($8.7K)

Kim has found some form over the last few weeks and will look to continue to re-establish himself as a weekly fantasy option after a very quiet start to 2026. He had just one top-25 finish in his first 10 events this season, along with two missed cuts. However, he has posted three top-25 finishes in his last five events since then, including a solo-third at the U.S. Open.

Since he turned professional at just 16 and has been on the PGA TOUR for so long, it's easy to forget that Kim is still only 24 years old and qualifies as a rising star. He already has three PGA TOUR wins in his career, claiming the Wyndham Championship in 2022 and the Shriners Children's Open in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023. In each of those three wins, he finished -20 or better, proving he can go low and get a win when he's at his best.

Kim ranks fourth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last three months and ninth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. He also ranks fifth in Total Strokes Gained over the last 30 days.

He missed the cut in his TPC Deere Run debut last season, struggling off the tee but excelling on approach. He is trending in the right direction after his slow start and makes a good fantasy option at this salary this week since he brings good win equity and a solid floor based on his last few strong showings.

Denny McCarthy ($8.2K)

McCarthy has had a consistent but quiet season so far, with a T12 at the Texas Children's Houston Open and a T14 at the Travelers Championship last week as his only top-25 finishes. He has still been solid, though, with only one missed cut in his last 10 tournaments.

He concluded last week with an impressive 66-65 finish over the weekend at TPC River Highlands, and finished the tournament ranked T5 in Scrambling, T6 in GIR%, and 10th in Strokes Gained: Putting.

Denny McCarthy going RIGHT AT IT on 16 at the @TravelersChamp 🎯⛳️ pic.twitter.com/RA75NMVAA0

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 26, 2026

McCarthy has been a consistent factor at the John Deere Classic over the past several seasons, posting four finishes in the top 12 since 2022. He has gone T6-T6-T7-T11 at TPC Deere Run over the last four years, and that recent course history, coupled with his current form, set him up for success this week.

The 33-year-old is still looking for his first PGA TOUR win as well, but he has shown spike potential with high finishes when his putter gets hot in past events. With that spike potential and a solid, proven floor, he is a good play just over $8,000 this week.

Junkyard Dogs: Top PGA DFS Value Picks

Emiliano Grillo ($7.3K)

Grillo lost in the playoff last year to Campbell, which was his second runner-up finish in his career at TPC Deere Run. He missed the cut in 2023 in his only other appearance at the event, but he almost secured his third PGA TOUR career win.

A perfect chip in for Emiliano Grillo pic.twitter.com/CnCapGL6Ii

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) July 5, 2025

Since then, Grillo has posted five top-25 finishes with a T4 at the Procore Championship last fall as his best result. The 33-year-old has shown some trending form in his last few events, though, with a T20 at the RBC Canadian Open and a T23 at the U.S. Open.

His accuracy off the tee and strong short game fit the course well, as evidenced by his history here, and he ranks third in this field in Driving Accuracy over the last 30 days, while also ranking in the top 20 in Total Strokes Gained.

He is still a volatile play but brings enough upside to be a good value play this week.

Mark Hubbard ($6.8K) 

If you're looking for more value plays, be sure to check out my full Value Plays post on the premium dashboard for some more affordable options that I think have a strong chance of posting good finishes this week.

Hubbard is another PGA TOUR veteran who continues to grind out decent finishes while searching for that elusive first win. After Bud Cauley's breakthrough at the RBC Canadian Open, he has the second-most PGA TOUR starts without a win, behind only Patrick Rodgers. Hubbard came very close earlier this season at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, finishing runner-up behind the surprise winner Brandt Snedeker.

He made the cut in three of his four events since that near miss, but only managed a T70 in last week's no-cut event in Connecticut. He comes in off the radar and with a very affordable salary, but he has shown the ability to pop for a week and deliver a high finish.

The 37-year-old ranks third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last three months and 22nd in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. His putter has held him back, but the rest of his game brings some solid form.

He has had some success with the flat stick at TPC Deere Run in the past, gaining strokes with his putter in four straight appearances. He has made the cut in five straight events at this venue, with a T6 in 2023 and a T13 in 2022.

He will be one of the players to watch on the bubble as we approach the playoffs and starts the week at No. 99 in the FedExCup standings.

With his course history and spike potential, he's a nice bargain play for a big week in the Quad Cities.

More PGA Analysis and Picks

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