RotoBaller PGA: One And Done Staff Picks - John Deere Classic

July 10, 2019

The PGA RotoBaller staff digs into their One and Done selections for the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Here are some under the radar plays and picks for this week's event.

Here at RotoBaller, we are always searching for ways to give our readers the best fantasy sports content possible. With that goal in mind, we are very proud to announce the addition of a weekly PGA “One and Done” column. In this feature, our golf staff of Joe Nicely, Spencer Aguiar and Gianni Magliocco will provide their weekly golf picks every Wednesday. The purpose of this article is to present you with alternative options to consider and hopefully make your selection a much easier process weekly. With that plan in mind, let's get started!

2019 John Deere Classic

The 3M Open was a new event, but ended up being an exciting one. Matthew Wolff outlasted Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau for the first PGA Tour win of his month-old professional career. It was a great week for all three of us, though none of us gained any ground. Gianni and I both had DeChambeau and his runner-up paycheck of over $500k, while Spencer's selection of Sungjae Im provided a solid return of $92,960 for a share of 15th place.

Things are still nip and tuck between Gianni and I, with his lead down to 'just' $250k or so. We've had the same selection two weeks in a row, but I have a feeling we will break the streak of monotony at this week's John Deere Classic. The JDC offers a return to a familiar course after a couple of weeks of new events. Let's see who the guys are rolling with this week!

For an in-depth breakdown of the top DraftKings and Fanduel plays, check out Joe Nicely's weekly Horse For The Course that highlights the best fits for the week's course.

And you can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week.

TPC Deere Run

7,268 Yards - Par 71 - Greens Bentgrass

We've seen low-scoring events the last couple of weeks and we can expect more of the same at the John Deere Classic. TPC Deere Run routinely ranks as one of the easiest layouts on the PGA Tour schedule. The fairways are easy to hit. The greens are easy to hit. Paul Goydos fired a 59 here in 2010. You get the picture. It's easy to head straight for the bombers in an event you expect to be a birdie-fest, but distance isn't necessarily a huge advantage at TPC Deere Run, as some of the most successful players here are guys like Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, and Jordan Spieth. We want players that can put themselves in great position off the tee, hit wedges close, and roll in birdie putts. It really is that simple at the JDC.

One and Done Selections

Joe Nicely - Collin Morikawa

Alternate -  Joaquin Niemann

Wow...what a tournament last week! I was soooo close to a win with Bryson DeChambeau, but I'm never gonna be upset at a payday of over half-a-million dollars. The frustrating thing is that the guy I'm trying to rundown in this contest - Mr. Gianni - also had the 'Mad Scientist'. So, despite a great week at the 3M, I gained ZERO ground on my buddy.

After taking stabs at a couple of new events, the John Deere Classic feels like an old friend. We know what's needed at TPC Deere Run...fairways, greens, birdies. This field is one of the weakest we've seen since the swing season, but I'm not without options here. I decided right away that I was going with one of the young guns, as they are genuinely the most talented players in this field. The question then became...which one? I've been a Joaquin Niemann truther for over a year, love Matt Wolff's game, and have rostered Viktor Hovland on DraftKings every week since he turned pro. While I absolutely love all those guys, my favorite of the bunch is last week's runner-up finisher Collin Morikawa.

Since turning pro a month ago, Morikawa hasn't missed a cut in four starts. He plays with a polish to his game that we very rarely see from a 22-year-old rookie. The Cal-Berkeley product is strong tee to green and ranks third in this field in SG: T2G over his last 12 rounds (basically his entire pro career). I love the fact that he had a tremendous chance to win last week despite not having a ridiculously-hot putter (he gained just 0.2 strokes putting at the 3M) and I also really like how he hung tough and battled back from a disappointing front nine on Sunday. Yep...there's a lot to like about this kid and I feel that he has a great chance to follow in the footsteps of players like Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau by logging his first professional win at the John Deere Classic.
- Joe Nicely

Yearly Earnings - $9,107,910

Yearly Cuts Made - 22/25

Spencer Aguiar - Bud Cauley

Alternate - Sam Ryder

I keep stressing this point week after week, but I want to make it clear that you should be taking a similar approach if you are in the same position I am in your contest. It has reached the point where choosing the consensus play is no longer the optimal game-theory route for players like us. Not only do we need to hit winners, but we need to select golfers that nobody else has chosen for the week. I assume that if you are sitting at six million dollars or less that your chances of winning are next to nothing, but there is no point to sit idly and accept our fate.

Bud Cauley is a golfer that is probably just as likely to win as anyone in the field at the John Deere Classic but won't be treated as such in OAD contests. The American has had a bumpy ride in his career, which can be highlighted by breaking his leg in a car accident last season, but the 161st-ranked player in the world has found something with his game recently, making six of his past nine cuts - including a ninth-place finish at the Memorial in June.

I have nothing against the youngsters of Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland or Joaquin Niemann if you find yourself in contention, but they are going to be the chalkier plays of the week, and I will attempt to swing for a home run with Bud Cauley instead. - Spencer Aguiar

Yearly Earnings - $5,444,324

Yearly Cuts Made - 23/25

Gianni Magliocco - Zach Johnson

Alternate - Collin Morikawa

It may be like trying to find a needle in a haystack when taking a player this week, but I'm siding with experience over youth at the John Deere. Zach Johnson is 10/10 in cuts made here in the last ten years and is the strokes gained leader at the tournament since 2012.

The multiple major champion has had a miserable couple of years on the PGA Tour and he hasn't logged a top-10 finish yet in 2019. However, Johnson has made six of his last eight cuts and let's be honest; if he can't cut the mustard here at his favorite course in what is the worst field you're ever likely to see at a PGA Tour event, then his days really are numbered. I think Johnson still has life in him, and it's likely to be at the John Deere if he's going to prove me right.
- Gianni Magliocco

Yearly Earnings - $9,338,453

Yearly Cuts Made - 21/25

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