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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings PGA DFS Lineup Picks - The John Deere Classic (2025)

Michael Kim - PGA DFS Lineup Picks, Golf Betting Picks

Spencer's DraftKings PGA DFS lineup picks for the 2025 John Deere Classic. His PGA DFS targets and value plays for daily fantasy golf lineups, and golfers to avoid.

Welcome, everyone, to my DraftKings PGA DFS lineup picks and advice for the 2025 John Deere. I'll be providing DFS picks and analysis to help you set those winning DraftKings lineups.

New starting this year -- if you want to see a deeper dive into my DraftKings analysis and thoughts for the week, you can click that link and find my beefed-up version, including more picks, data, analysis, and PGA DFS models.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter /X @TeeOffSports to get more answers this week. Also, if you aren't doing so already, I'd love for you to consider signing up for my RotoBaller premium subscription. There are numerous tools available, including my heralded 'PGA Rankings Wizard Model.'

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code WIN! 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!

 

Fantasy Golf Lineup Picks for DraftKings - The John Deere

Below are some of my favorite picks for DraftKings. We also have tons of other great weekly PGA articles, DFS analysis, tools, and DFS advice. Be sure to read our other fantastic articles regarding this week's event.

 

PGA DFS Rankings Wizard - Spencer's Model (And More)

We have some exciting changes that we are implementing this year over at RotoBaller. There will be multiple subscription-based tiers for our readers to enjoy, including my very own TeeOffSports VIP Package that will include the following items:

PGA Rankings Wizard Model (Pre-Tournament)

  • A powerful and interactive data spreadsheet that allows users to input data to create custom rankings and models for golf. If you are considering signing up, take a look at this how-to guide on everything you can find weekly inside my pre-tournament model. The sheet is loaded with sortable and weighable information to help you in all sectors of the market. 
  • The John Deere Classic

Vegas Report (All Pre-Tournament Bets)

  • Top Pre-Tournament H2H Pick: (104-60-9) 63.41%
  • All Pre-Tournament H2Hs: (296-228-30) 56.48%
  • In-Tournament H2Hs (300-200-55) 60.00%
  • Total H2Hs Since 2017: (596-428-85) 58.20%
  • Outright Winners Since 2017: 51
  • Units: +340.903 Units
  • All Totals Are Entering 2025
  • Click here to see an example

In-Tournament Model (Updated Stats + User Configuration Ability)

  • Here, you will find updated stats for the particular tournament -- all sortable and weighable when you make a copy of your own under the file tab. The purpose of this is to provide an area where you can research the daily proceedings for DFS strategy or find outright or daily head-to-head wagers. There are over 25 weighable categories by the time Round 4 comes around, including the ability to add back in your pre-tournament research for every day.

In-Tournament Head-To-Head Bets For Rounds 1,2,3 and 4

First-Round Leader/ 3-Ball Articles

One & Done (Deep-Dive Into Potential Options To Consider)

  • 10+ million in earnings during two of the past three seasons while providing information for contests. We will take a comprehensive look at a handful of options to consider.
  • Click here to see an example

Late DraftKings Article (Condensed Player Pool) + Ownership Trends

  • We will build off the Monday article throughout the week and consolidate selections toward a more concrete player pool for everyone to consider by Wednesday.

Premium Discord Access

  • Join the community! You will be able to talk to fellow subscribers and have real-time weekly chats with the team.

TeeOffSports membership

You can also sign up for the rest of the year for a discounted purchase that runs through December 31st. Now is the perfect time to try out all the great features at RotoBaller!

 

Let's Look at the Stats

Stat John Deere PGA Average
Driving Distance 286 283
Driving Accuracy 70% 61%
GIR Percentage 70% 65%
Scrambling Percentage 58% 57%
Average Three-Putts Per Round 0.48 0.54

 

Field

Field Size: 156
Cut: Top 65 & Cuts
Top 20 Entrants: 1

 

Last Five Winners of The John Deere

2024 Davis Thompson -28
2023 Sepp Straka -21
2022 J.T. Poston -21
2021 Lucas Glover -19
2020 Dylan Frittelli -21

 

Expected Cut-Line at John Deere

2024 -4
2023 -3
2022 -2
2021 -3
2020 -2

 

TPC Deere Run

7,268 Yards - Par 71 - Greens Bentgrass

Course breakdown will land in my Vegas Report this week

 

First Look Into Outright Bets

Player Price
Sam Stevens 55
Alex Smalley 55
Joe Highsmith 150
Patrick Fishburn 150
Michael Kim 55
Rico Hoey 90

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA and Betting subscription?

Like what you read today? You can show your support for Spencer by using the promo code TEEOFF when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, Spencer's data models, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer! You also get exclusive access to weekly betting picks from Spencer Aguiar, one of the top betting minds in the industry!


Favorite Mid-End Plays

Alex Smalley ($7,900)

There is no need to play things down the middle this week, but I honestly don't see a huge difference in playability once we get past Ben Griffin and Davis Thompson inside of the $9,000+ range. Technically, Jason Day, Michael Thorbjornsen and Lucas Glover all carry intrigue of their own if you want to branch that list out further, but there are a handful of these $7,900+ golfers who make sense at TPC Deere Run when we dive into the data. I will highlight three of the names I bet outright.

Alex Smalley has evolved into a highly volatile golfer, as evidenced by his inconsistent performances of landing inside the top 30 or missing the cut nearly every other start. While the track record of missing the cut last weekend does indicate a surge might be about to happen if we use that flawed math to predict the future, it is Smalley's statistical profile and overall rank that leads me to be most optimistic about his chances in Illinois this week.

Smalley cracked the top 10 of my overall ranking this week for one of the first times all year (excluding the typical upside marks that often put him there). We see that with the Duke product (boooo...Go UNLV) placing ninth for Weighted Strokes Gained: Total, 10th at Easy-Scoring Properties, and fourth when combining my concoction of Easy Scoring, Putting From 5-10 Feet, and GIR Rate.

There is a reason Smalley has nearly won here in the past. Use last week's missed-cut performance to your advantage.

Sam Stevens ($8,300)

I continue to locate these potential first-time winners at prices of 40/1 and above. Tommy Fleetwood at the Travelers, Max Greyserman at the Rocket Mortgage and now Sam Stevens and Alex Smalley at the John Deere Classic.

Even though none of those names have managed to get themselves into the winner's circle after close calls in back-to-back weeks, the profiles of the two that I am most heavily targeting here do show many similar signs of upside.

Stevens ranked second in this field for Strokes Gained Total: Bentgrass, seventh for Expected T2G and first for Weighted Strokes Gained Total. That profile encompasses one of the better returns for par-four scoring, which includes landing as one of only three players to crack the top 25 for Total Driving + Expected Putting at TPC Deere Run. The other two who fit that bill were Cameron Champ and Pierceson Coody.
 

Michael Kim  ($8,200)

Will the real Michael Kim please stand up?

Let's see where ownership lands in DFS, as Kim delivers one of the stranger profiles this week. Perhaps this ends up being a better outright bet than anything else if gamers do hold onto that 2018 result at a massively heightened projection. Still, the data tells the story of a golfer who has not only found something this season but also returns to a property where he won in runaway fashion by eight shots.

Kim is ranking as a top-five player for me at similar easy-scoring courses over the last 50 rounds and might end up being the ultimate wild-card if gamers decide to look the other way. Yes, the floor is low, but the ceiling is tantalizing if the real Michael Kim decides to show up.

 

  Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team: Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks

More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brock Bowers

Labeled "Week-to-Week" After Missing Week 5
Jalen Coker

Expected to Practice on Wednesday
LeBron James

Teases "Second Decision" Ahead of Season 23
Karl-Anthony Towns

Slims Down to Shine at Power Forward
Stephen Curry

Focused on Present, Not Retirement Clock
Ben Sheppard

Won't Play in Preseason Opener
CFB

Jermod McCoy Unlikely to Play Against Arkansas
CFB

Conner Weigman in Concussion Protocol
Dyson Daniels

There is "Distance" Between Hawks, Dyson Daniels in Extension Talks
Washington Wizards

Wizards Sign Skal Labissiere to Exhibit 10 Deal
CFB

Florida State's Quindarrius Jones Set for Season-Ending Surgery
Ja Morant

Suffers Sprained Ankle, Considered Week-to-Week
CFB

Mark Gronowski Viewed as Day-to-Day with Knee Injury
Xavier Worthy

is Fine and Expected to Play Against the Jaguars
Omarion Hampton

May Miss Some Time With an Ankle Injury
Alex Pereira

Becomes Two-Time Light-Heavyweight Champion
Magomed Ankalaev

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Cory Sandhagen

Gets Dominated In The UFC 320 Co-Main Event
Cory Sandhagen

Merab Dvalishvili Dominates Cory Sandhagen
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Scores Comeback Win
Kyle Burroughs

Placed on Injured Reserve
SJ

Egor Afanasyev to Start Season on Injured Reserve
Khalil Rountree Jr.

Suffers Third-Round Knockout Loss
Mattias Janmark

to Miss 1-2 Weeks
Jake Walman

Suffers Setback
Alex Vlasic

Traveling With Blackhawks
Youssef Zalal

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Josh Emmett

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Abus Magomedov

Gets Submitted
Joe Pyfer

Gets Second-Round Submission Win
Breece Hall

Maximizes Efficiency in Loss to Dallas on Sunday
DeVonta Smith

Breaks Free for 114 Yards in Week 5 Loss
Calvin Ridley

Explosive in Week 5 After Rough Start to Season
David Montgomery

Gets Involved in Trickery, Totals Two Touchdowns Against Cincy
Stefon Diggs

Gets Big Revenge in Primetime Win Over Bills
Theo Johnson

on the Rise, Scores Two More Touchdowns in Week 5 Loss
Ryan Flournoy

Leads Cowboys in Receiving -- Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup?
Jake Ferguson

Records Two Touchdown Grabs in Week 5
Rashid Shaheed

Rides 87-Yard Touchdown to Breakout Week 5
Jaylen Waddle

Records Season-High in Targets, Catches, and Receiving Yards
Rachaad White

Finds the End Zone Twice in Week 5
AJ Barner

Records Two Touchdown Catches in Week 5
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Dominates Buccaneers Defense in Week 5
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Breaks Out With Monster Week 5 Performance
Sam Darnold

Throws for Four Touchdowns as Seahawks Fall Short
Jonathan Kuminga

Golden State Expected to Put Jonathan Kuminga on the Trade Block Once Eligible
Ja'Marr Chase

Finally Gets Back on Track as Rapport With QB Grows
Emeka Egbuka

Continues Incredible Rookie Season With Best Game Yet
Alex Laferriere

Questionable for Opening Night
Jonathan Toews

Practices on Sunday
Oskar Sundqvist

Injured at Sunday's Practice
Jonathan Drouin

Returns to Practice Sunday
Cole Perfetti

Out Week-to-Week With Ankle Injury
CHI

Matt Grzelcyk Inks One-Year Deal With Blackhawks
Ryan Ellis

Sharks Acquire Ryan Ellis From Flyers
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Back at Practice
Ryan Preece

Is A Favorable DFS Option for the Charlotte Roval
Zane Smith

Might Be Worth Playing In DFS Lineups for the Charlotte Roval
Cole Custer

Is Cole Custer Playable In DFS Lineups for the Charlotte Roval?
Kyle Larson

Will Likely Go for the Win Over Stage Points
Ryan Blaney

Might Look Past Charlotte Roval to Focus on Last Two Playoff Rounds
Denny Hamlin

Could Focus on Stage Points to Clinch Round of 8 Spot
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Unlikely to Make the Round of 8
Austin Cindric

Very Unlikely to Advance to Round of 8
Alex Bowman

Reliably Consistent at Charlotte Roval
Daniel Suarez

Unlikely to Run Well at Charlotte
Carson Hocevar

Will Likely Earn a Lot of Place-Differential Points at Charlotte
Brad Keselowski

Probably Won't be Viable for DFS
Ty Dillon

Earns Best Qualifying Result at Charlotte Roval
Jackson Chourio

Exits With Hamstring Injury in Game 1 of NLDS
Jayson Tatum

to Return in March?
Justin Faulk

Misses Preseason Finale
Kirill Marchenko

Cleared for Saturday's Action
Macklin Celebrini

Makes Preseason Debut Saturday
Kaiden Guhle

Available Saturday
Noah Dobson

Rejoins Canadiens Lineup Saturday
Samuel Girard

Ready for Game Action
Filip Gustavsson

Wild Sign Filip Gustavsson to Five-Year Extension
Max Scherzer

Left Off Blue Jays ALDS Roster
Bo Bichette

Officially Out for ALDS
Cole Perfetti

Evaluated for Lower-Body Injury
Michael Kesselring

to be Re-Evaluated Next Week
Texas Rangers

Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker as New Manager
Trevor Megill

Ready for NLDS
Will Smith

Will be Available to Catch in NLDS
Clayton Kershaw

to Pitch Out of Bullpen in NLDS Against Phillies
Lawrence Butler

Undergoes Knee Surgery on Friday
Brandon Woodruff

Will Not Pitch in NLDS
Devin Booker

Likely Playing on Friday
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Won't Play This Weekend
Josh Giddey

Returns to Full Practice
Matas Buzelis

has Team Optioned Accepted
Alex Pereira

Can Become Two-Time Light-Heavyweight Champion
Magomed Ankalaev

Set For His First Title Defense
Cory Sandhagen

An Underdog At UFC 320
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Third Title Defense
Khalil Rountree Jr.

Returns At UFC 320
Jiří Procházka

Jiri Prochazka Returns At UFC 320
Youssef Zalal

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Josh Emmett

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Joe Pyfer

Looks To Earn Top 15 Ranking
Abus Magomedov

Set To Open Up UFC 320 Main Card
Cam Schlittler

Dazzles in 12-Strikeout Performance, Yankees Advance to ALDS
CFB

Quintrevion Wisner Expected Back vs. Florida
CFB

Emmett Mosley Probable for Longhorns vs. Florida
Giannis Antetokounmpo

to Join the Bucks in Miami
Jaden Ivey

Fully Recovered From Fractured Fibula
OG Anunoby

Was Inactive for the Knicks' Preseason Opener
Joel Embiid

Adem Bona Starts in Place of Joel Embiid on Thursday
Dominick Barlow

Grabs 10 Boards in Abu Dhabi
Miles McBride

Leads the Knicks to an Exhibition Win in Abu Dhabi
VJ Edgecombe

Drops 14 Points in Thursday's Exhibition
Shane McClanahan

Expected to be "Fully Ready" for Spring Training
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to be Ready for ALDS
Bryce Eldridge

to Undergo Wrist Surgery
Atlanta Braves

Brian Snitker Will Not Return as Braves Manager
Luke List

Looking to Win Again at Sanderson Farms Championship
Tom Kim

Could Be in For Long Week in Mississippi
Max Homa

Are Things Beginning to Turn Around For Max Homa Ahead of Sanderson Farms?
Nicolai Hojgaard

an Interesting Play at Sanderson Farms
Davis Thompson

Looks to Keep Momentum Going in Mississippi
Nick Dunlap

Hoping to Turn Woes Around at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA

Matti Schmid a Volatile Option at Sanderson Farms
Thorbjorn Olesen

a Solid Play at Sanderson Farms
Stephan Jaeger

a High-Upside Play in Mississippi
Hayden Buckley

Trying to Find Form at Sanderson Farms
Ben Martin

Struggling Mightily with Golf Game
Jacob Bridgeman

Leaning on his Putter at Sanderson Farms
Lanto Griffin

Heating Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Quade Cummins

Trying to Make Cut at Sanderson Farms
Carson Young

Aims to Rebound from Procore Championship
Matt Kuchar

Still a Golfer to Watch This Week
Doug Ghim

Trending Up for Sanderson Farms Championship
Eric Cole

May Struggle at Sanderson Farms Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Ready for Sanderson Farms Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Eyes Another Strong Week at Sanderson Farms
Andrew Putnam

a Solid Value Play in Mississippi
Tarik Skubal

Shines in Postseason Debut, Tigers Take Game 1 Over Guardians
CFB

Behren Morton To Start Against Houston Saturday

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP