January 28, 2026
Sahith Theegala wanted to put 2025 behind him and for good reason. The American golfer made 17 of 23 cuts but had zero Top 10 finishes and only was inside the Top 25 twice. Theegala missed two months and a little more due to injury. His form got wrecked and yet, he never truly looked right until the Fall season. Even then, he missed the cut at The RSM Classic. His weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open last year was a nightmarish 75-73. However, Theegala finished T-4 the previous year. If the conditions are right, the player can be a solid DFS choice (4.14 - 40th in birdie average for 2024). With a Top 10 result (T-8) at The American Express, Theegala has momentum and lots of it.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Gary Woodland has been driving the ball well in 2026. The American golfer ranks second early on in driving distance at a whopping average of 327.1 yards. Again, it is early. However, the South Course weighs in at a whopping 7.802 yards. Even the North Course is a solid 7,258 yards. Six holes on the South Course are 500 yards or greater. Two are Par-4's by the way (505 and that 517 yard 15th hole). Woodland will need to be accurate but that length is vital on a course like this. Woodland is +16500 to win on DraftKings but +420 to finish in the Top 20. It all comes down to accuracy here which should at least make Woodland an eye catcher for the Farmers Insurance Open.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Andrew Putnam nearly won The American Express last week. The American golfer ended up T-2 after an opening round 72. While Scottie Scheffler did his thing and surgically took the field apart, Putnam did have the round of the week with a 60 on Friday. He was a whopping 10 under par during a 10 hole stretch. It was something to watch. Also, this buoyed Putnam to a big paycheck and huge result. There is one brick wall in the way and that is Torrey Pines. Putnam had consecutive solid starts then sputtered ending up over par last year and in 2018. Getting off the tee is something Putnam does not excel in ranking 173rd losing 0.69 strokes. Worse, Torrey Pines is one of those courses where errant shots can ruin a round. Putnam is another golfer to probably fade.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Matthieu Pavon was the 2024 winner of the Farmers Insurance Open. The French golfer played 26 PGA events in 2025 and managed not to finish inside the Top 25 once. That is correct. Even after a two month break, Pavon missed two cuts in four Fall events. As a result, Pavon dropped further to 260 in the OWGR (World Rankings). The golfer's odds are now bleak at DraftKings (a whopping +34000). What about last year at this event? Pavon blew up with an 80 during the second round to miss the cut. His biggest problem early in 2025 were these rounds that just melted down. There was that 83 at the Arnold Palmer, the 78-76 at the Masters, and the 80 at the RBC Canadian. If Pavon misses a few putts early, the warning bells could go off again this week.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Luke List had an eventful 2025, only making the cut in 13 out of 28 events. The American golfer has won twice on the PGA Tour, including a playoff win at the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open. List stormed up the leaderboard with a final-round 66, then beat Will Zalatoris in a playoff. Since then, the golfer has mostly struggled. Every year has gotten worse, including an implosion in 2025, which featured a final round of 81. If his putter and approaches go awry, then look out. In 2025, he lost a combined 0.527 strokes to the average ranking outside the Top 125 in both metrics. List will need birdies to offset some of the inevitable mistakes, which makes him less stable for a betting pick or DFS possibility.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Jake Knapp is among the top-15 betting choices for this week at the Farmers Insurance Open. The American golfer does have one PGA win, and yet he is only given a 50.44% chance of making the cut at Torrey Pines this weekend. He finished strong at the Sony Open, closing with a 66. It has been a mixed bag for Knapp the last two times in the San Diego area. The courses played differently, too. He finished third in 2024 but 32nd in 2023. Simply, one big difference was the conditions. Add in the fact that Knapp could make putts last year but was 13% less accurate compared to the average, and that is troublesome. Knapp frequently does not drive the ball far. Six of his first nine events in 2025 featured well below average driving distance. That will create a challenge even with solid putting numbers.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Rasmus Hojgaard has found glory five times internationally. The Danish golfer has not done so on the PGA Tour. He did start off well at The American Express but consecutive rounds of 70 kept him outside the Top 40. Torrey Pines does not yield as many birdies. However, one has to take advantage of the opportunities given. With the North-South rotation, Hojgaard may not want to watch last year's video. When The Genesis Invitational was moved due to the wildfires, the golfer opened with an 82 then followed up with a 77. He has never played the North course. It may be a week where fading Hojgaard as a DFS or betting choice might prove prudent. Even if he performs well, sometimes watching is better.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Christiaan Bezuidenhout played well last week. The South African golfer finished outside the Top 30 but was in the 60's for all four rounds. It becomes tough when all these crazy birdie numbers pop up. He bookended 68's sandwiched by a 67 and 69. Torrey Pines may be different. Bezuidenhout missed the cut in 2024 and did not play the event in 2025. Also, he has never won on the PGA Tour. All five of his wins are from the international circuit and none since 2020. Yes, the South African has three Top 10 results in each of the past two seasons. However, he has never shot below a 69 at either Torrey Pines course. The belief is to be a decent betting option that Bezuidenhout may need to do that a few times this weekend.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: PGATour.com
January 28, 2026
Coming off a major breakout campaign in 2025, J.J. Spaun opened the year with a solid start, finishing T40 at the Sony Open two weeks ago. He'll look to carry that form into the Farmers Insurance Open, where his history is mixed, with four missed cuts and three top-25 finishes across nine appearances. Spaun's success here has typically hinged on strong approach play, an area he excelled in last season, ranking fifth in strokes gained on approach (+0.738 per round). He was also 62nd in driving distance, 41st in strokes gained off the tee (+0.291), and 121st in proximity from 200+ yards, a range that accounted for over 33% of all approach shots here last year. At $9,400 on DraftKings, Spaun offers a solid floor for fantasy managers looking for a safer option in this price range.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
January 28, 2026
After a strong 2025 campaign that included six top-10 finishes and a victory, Andrew Novak started The American Express with an opening round 64 but ultimately missed the cut by one stroke. He'll look to rebound at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he finished third in 2025 and also notched a T13 at the 2025 Genesis Invitational, both at Torrey Pines. Success at this course typically hinges on off-the-tee distance and long-iron approach shots. Last year, Novak ranked 102nd off the tee (+0.042) and 113th on approach (-0.036), but he makes up for it with his short game, ranking 43rd around the green and 49th in strokes gained putting. At $7,200 on DraftKings, Novak's upside is dependent on a solid week of ball striking to complement his strong short game.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
January 27, 2026
Denny McCarthy had a solid 2025 with 10 top-25 finishes and has carried some of that form into 2026, posting five sub-70 rounds through two starts. He'll look to continue that at the Farmers Insurance Open, though his history at Torrey Pines is mixed, with two missed cuts, two results of T64 or worse, and a T5 at the 2025 Genesis Invitational. Last year, he ranked 147th off the tee (-0.258), 62nd on approach (+0.202), and fourth in strokes gained putting (+0.679). Through two events this season, he's 37th off the tee (+0.528) and 52nd in proximity from 200+ yards, a range that accounted for over 33% of approach shots here last year. At $7,500 on DraftKings, McCarthy is a wild card with upside if his improved approach and off the tee game hold up.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
January 27, 2026
After a 2025 season that fell short of expectations, Max Homa has seemingly found a resurgence as of late, recording four finishes of T27 or better in his last five events. He'll look to continue that at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he has four top-19 finishes in his last six trips, including a 2023 win. Homa has also thrived in California, with four of his six career PGA Tour victories coming in his home state. His 2023 victory at Torrey Pines was driven by strong approach play, gaining +2.74 strokes per round, an area he struggled with last season when he ranked just 155th on Tour. Through one event in 2026, he's 12th on approach, fifth in total strokes gained, and 21st in driving distance, all areas that correlate to success at Torrey Pines. All signs point to Homa having the bounce-back season many had hoped for, and his upside is well worth his price tag of $8,300 on DraftKings.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
January 27, 2026
Since winning the Cognizant Classic in March of last year, Joe Highsmith has not been able to find any form, missing 17 cuts in his last 27 starts. His history at Torrey Pines is limited, with just three events played, resulting in two missed cuts and a T33 finish, which came at the 2024 Farmers. Success here typically hinges on distance off the tee and approach with long irons, areas where Highsmith has struggled. In 2025, he ranked just 117th in driving distance, 160th in strokes gained on approach (-0.362 per round), and 107th in proximity from 200+ yards, a distance that accounted for over 33% of approach shots last year. At $6,300 on DraftKings, Highsmith can safely be left out of fantasy lineups until any sign of a turnaround appears.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
January 27, 2026
Wyndham Clark was in contention for much of the week at The American Express before a final-round 72 dropped him to a T13 finish. He'll look to carry that form to Torrey Pines, where he has seven career starts, with his best result being T31 at the Genesis Invitational last year. Success here typically hinges on distance off the tee and strong long-iron approach play. In 2025, Clark ranked 154th in strokes gained on approach (-0.284 per round) and 107th in proximity from 200+ yards, a distance that accounted for over 33% of approach shots here last season. His upside comes off the tee, where he ranked 25th in driving distance. Clark is expected to be a bounce-back candidate entering 2026 after a disappointing 2025, but his long-iron play remains a concern this week.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
January 27, 2026
Tony Finau has been riding the struggle bus to start the 2026 season, missing the cut in both the Sony Open and The American Express. In these two starts, he has lost strokes off the tee (-0.256 per round), on approach (-1.043), and ranks just 113th in driving distance, all areas important for success at the Farmers Insurance Open. Despite that, Finau's history at this event is reason enough to believe he can turn it around. In 11 starts at the Farmers, he has missed the cut only twice and recorded nine top-25 finishes, including six top-10s. After a disappointing 2025 season, his current form is approaching rock bottom, but this event has proven to be one where he can suddenly click. At $7,000 on DraftKings, he remains a high-risk, high-reward play.
--Dakota Legg - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
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