Farnsworth sees Matt Fitzpatrick as a ceiling play whose recent ball-striking surge merits both DFS exposure and an outright ticket. Fitzpatrick gained 9+ strokes ball-striking at the Rocket Mortgage and 6+ at the PGA Championship, finishing T8 in both. He has nearly won the Scottish Open twice and now sits at 45-1 in betting markets. With calm weather diminishing his usual around-the-green edge, Farnsworth anticipates Fitzpatrick’s elite irons can carry him to contention.

Farnsworth pointed to Aaron Rai’s pinpoint driving and elite irons as keys to avoiding the Renaissance Club’s penal fairway bunkers. Rai ranks among the most accurate drivers on tour and has historically gained on approach on wide-open links setups. With fairways hard to hit for everyone, Farnsworth thinks Rai’s relative precision gives him top-15 upside at a mid-7K salary.

Farnsworth recommended Ryan Fox for GPPs, noting four consecutive top-20 finishes in Europe, including two victories. Fox thrives on firm, fast layouts and gains distance where it matters less if the fairway is missed. His recent form plus comfort on links turf makes him an appealing sub-9K pivot.

Derek Farnsworth likes Harris English’s fit for a birdie-fest Scottish Open. With GIR expected to exceed 75%, English’s elite putting (gains of 0.55 strokes per round over his last 20) becomes a differentiator. He finished T21 here last year and should benefit from calmer weather that shifts importance toward converting chances rather than scrambling.

Farnsworth highlighted Jordan L. Smith as a sleeper with four top-7 finishes in his last seven DP World Tour starts. Smith has made two of his last three cuts at this event, and his recent tee-to-green form travels well to a layout where most of the field will be in attack mode. He offers upside at sub-10% ownership for large-field GPPs.

Although Sepp Straka nearly won an Open Championship, Farnsworth is off him this week because he has consistently struggled at the Renaissance Club. With other similarly-priced options in better form, Straka is a tournament fade for Farnsworth’s player pool.

Farnsworth urged caution on Corey Conners despite his solid course history. Conners withdrew from the final round of the U.S. Open with a wrist issue, and Farnsworth noted wrist injuries often re-flare for golfers. Even if Conners’ tee-to-green game fits the track, the unknown health ceiling makes him a volatile roster option better left off cash builds.

Farnsworth recommended Sam Burns based on five straight top-20 finishes worldwide, including multiple top-20s at this event. Burns brings a well-rounded stat profile, gaining across all four strokes-gained categories, and his strong putting should pay off with expected 75-80% GIR rates. At a mid-$9K salary he fits balanced roster construction while still offering upside in calmer scoring conditions.

Derek Farnsworth likes Robert "Bobby Mac" MacIntyre as a core mid-range play. MacIntyre won last year and said lifting the trophy felt as big as a major, signalling max motivation in his national open. The left-hander’s shot-shaping suits the Renaissance Club, and calmer conditions mean he can lean on approach play rather than short-game scrambling. Farnsworth suggested pairing MacIntyre with Fleetwood to start balanced builds that still carry win equity.

Farnsworth called Tommy Fleetwood his preferred starting point for DFS rosters. Fleetwood historically excels on links–style tracks and has repeatedly contended in Scotland and Ireland. While he is coming off another gut-punch runner-up at the Travelers, Farnsworth trusts the combination of elite ball-striking, comfort in windy coastal conditions, and refreshed confidence on European soil. With projected calm weather neutralising around-the-green play, Fleetwood’s tee-to-green consistency makes him an ideal anchor in all formats.

Derek Farnsworth advised fading Scottie Scheffler in DFS builds even though Scheffler tops every model metric. At a $13.1K salary with few reliable punt plays, roster construction becomes awkward. Farnsworth also noted Scheffler’s middling history at both the Scottish Open and the Open Championship and referenced Scheffler’s own comments about discomfort on courses where random bounces off firm turf can send drives into pot bunkers. The Renaissance Club’s blind tee shots and unpredictable rollout amplify that concern, so Scheffler is not a core play this week.

Even though Denny McCarthy’s elite putting makes him tempting on birdie fests, Farnsworth refuses to pay $9,900. McCarthy grades poorly in his model because he’s losing strokes with the irons over the last two months and sits outside the top-50 for strokes-gained off the tee on driver-heavy tracks. The pricing gap between McCarthy and similarly skilled players like Kevin Yu or Mark Hubbard is too wide, so Farnsworth is fading him entirely in DFS builds.

Farnsworth views Stephan Jaeger as a classic post-missed-cut buy. Jaeger bombed out last week yet historically excels on very easy setups, ranking top-10 in birdie rate on such courses over the past two years. His balanced tee-to-green profile suits TPC Deere Run, and early ownership projections below 10 % make him an attractive contrarian GPP play. With pricing in the mid-7Ks, Jaeger provides theoretical 5-to-1 leverage if his putter overheats on these straightforward bentgrass greens.

Mark Hubbard quietly fits the build Farnsworth wants in the low-7K range. After a sluggish early 2025 season, Hubbard has posted finishes of 5th, 7th, and 13th in three of his past six starts while gaining on approach in five straight. He is 4-for-4 making the cut at the John Deere, highlighted by a T6 last year. Given wide fairways that mitigate his average length and small but receptive greens that reward his pinpoint wedges, Farnsworth likes Hubbard as a single-entry safety valve and mid-range salary saver.

Calling him “one of my favorite plays on the board,” Farnsworth spotlighted Pierceson Coody (transcript spelled Kuti) at $7,600. Coody rolls in with a 7th, 3rd, and 2nd in his last three Corn Ferry Tour starts and hasn’t missed a cut in 11 combined KFT/PGA appearances. He finished T30 at TPC Deere Run last year and profiles well on driver-heavy birdie tracks thanks to plus distance and elite wedge play. Farnsworth plans to be overweight in all formats, trusting recent form to carry over against a weak PGA field.

Farnsworth prefers Kevin Yu over many chalky 8K options. Yu is top-10 in the field for both driving distance and strokes-gained approach, a perfect recipe for a venue where 73 % of tee shots are drivers and wedges dominate approach play. He has translated that skill set into finishes of T20 and T6 in two career John Deere appearances. At $8,400 (price referenced in the show), Yu provides ceiling without sacrificing cut equity and serves as a leverage pivot off more popular names in his salary neighborhood.

Although Sungjae Im shows up fifth in the numbers, Farnsworth wants no part of him. Im ranks near dead last in this weak field for strokes-gained approach and greens-in-regulation over the last month, forcing him to rely on scrambling – a skill set largely irrelevant at TPC Deere Run where up-and-downs are minimal. Farnsworth noted Im has flashed good history here, but the current iron play is too poor to justify his salary or ownership, so he’s an outright fade in DFS builds.

Farnsworth ranked J.T. Poston third in his model and called him a quintessential cut-maker who already owns a John Deere title. Poston leads the field in birdies on very easy courses over the last two seasons and also grades out top-five on driver-heavy tracks and attackable-approach layouts. That combination gives him both safety and upside in a week projected to reach −20 or better. Farnsworth suggested rostering Poston alongside Ben Griffin to differentiate line-ups because most managers will treat them as either/or plays.

Farnsworth acknowledged the risk with Keith Mitchell – he lost five strokes off the tee and four with the putter while nearly finishing dead last a week ago – yet still plans to roster him because the underlying profile pops No. 2 in his model at just $7,800. Mitchell has gained strokes off the tee in 16 of his past 20 starts (last week the lone blow-up) and owns positive history at TPC Deere Run. The layout’s 73 % driver usage and forgiving fairways suit his aggressive style, and easy greens reduce his biggest weakness, putting variance. Farnsworth labeled him an ideal large-field tournament option whose boom-or-bust nature can win GPPs if the driver rebounds.

Derek Farnsworth said Ben Griffin sits at an eye-popping 91.7 in his stat model – territory usually reserved for Scottie Scheffler – and is therefore an automatic target at $10,400 on DraftKings. Griffin checks every box: he won the Zurich team event, followed with an 8th, captured the Charles Schwab, and posted several additional high finishes, including top-10s in majors. At TPC Deere Run specifically he finished 5th last year and rates No. 1 in the split stats for easy courses, driver-heavy tracks, and approach-friendly layouts. Wide fairways amplify his off-the-tee advantage, and the projected birdie-fest places extra value on his streaky putter. Farnsworth framed him as the slate’s cash-game anchor and a tournament staple despite expected heavy ownership.

Farnsworth labeled Justin Thomas a classic GPP pivot. JT has three straight disappointing results but historically excels on shorter Pete Dye venues and owns back-to-back top-10s at the Travelers. Thomas still ranks top-10 in approach over the last 12 months and can spike with the putter on slow greens. Given suppressed ownership and unquestioned upside, Farnsworth likes rolling the dice on JT in tournaments rather than cash games.

Although Si Woo Kim’s results at River Highlands have been pedestrian, Farnsworth likes the current form and course fit. Kim ranks top-20 in driving accuracy and top-15 in approach over the past eight events and historically excels on Pete Dye tracks. With many DFS players fixated on past finishes, Farnsworth sees a leverage opportunity to roster a golfer whose statistical profile is tailor-made for a birdie fest where precision trumps distance.

Farnsworth reminded listeners that Brian Harman is a Travelers cheat code: four straight top-10s and eight top-10s in his last ten visits. Harman also rates highly in Farnsworth’s Pete Dye and less-than-driver filters and continues to stripe his irons. With ownership expected to be modest due to recent mediocre finishes elsewhere, Noto is comfortable taking an overweight position, banking on Harman’s proven comfort and ceiling at TPC River Highlands.

Derek Farnsworth "loves" Aaron Rai at $7,500, citing his top-tier driving accuracy and consistently positive approach numbers. Rai gains strokes off the tee by keeping it in the short grass, sits inside the field’s top-15 in iron play over the last 24 rounds and has shown spike putting weeks on Bent-Poa. On a course where positional play trumps power, Farnsworth believes Rai offers both a safe floor and slate-winning upside relative to salary.

Farnsworth pegged Shane Lowry as his favorite bounce-back target. Lowry imploded early at Pinehurst but still brings a skill set tailor-made for River Highlands: pinpoint accuracy off the tee, elite approach numbers and world-class touch around the greens. The putter is the wildcard, but Farnsworth believes the flat, receptive Bent-Poa surfaces offer a rare chance for Lowry to gain strokes putting. At sub-10 % ownership, he profiles as a high-leverage GPP play with legitimate win upside.

Farnsworth, usually underweight on Sepp Straka, plans to load up this week. Straka ranks near the top in fairways-hit percentage and has been one of the field’s best iron players over the past three months. He also sits top-10 in greens-in-regulation and owns a reliably hot putter, giving him true win equity in a no-cut, birdie-fest environment. Straka’s lone weakness—around-the-green work—will be masked because 70-plus percent of the field will be putting for birdie anyway.

Derek Farnsworth called the Travelers a "get-right" spot for Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay consistently dominates Pete Dye venues and specifically loves TPC River Highlands, yet arrives at reduced ownership after a missed cut at the U.S. Open. Farnsworth trusts the long-term data—Cantlay ranks top-5 in the field on Dye courses, boasts elite tee-to-green form over the past 12 months and gains strokes in all facets except, occasionally, the putter. In a no-cut setting that rewards ceiling, Noto views Cantlay as a contrarian spend-up pivot to Scheffler.

Farnsworth plans to be underweight on Rory McIlroy, labeling the Ulsterman a poor course fit at $11,500. TPC River Highlands neutralizes Rory’s biggest edge—distance—while rewarding precision off the tee. Farnsworth pointed out that McIlroy ranks well below field average in good-drive percentage and his iron play has been merely average of late. Combined with what he perceives as waning motivation after another close major call, Noto feels the opportunity cost of paying up for Rory is too high this week.

Farnsworth highlighted Russell Henley as his favorite salary-saving stud. Henley is #2 in the overall model—rating ahead of Morikawa, Schauffele and McIlroy—thanks to elite fairway accuracy, top-shelf iron play and strong scrambling. On a track where driver is shelved 40% of the time and approach shots decide birdie looks, Henley’s profile checks every box. At $8,800 in a 72-man no-cut field, Noto views him as a low-risk/high-reward DFS cornerstone who frees up cap to spend elsewhere.

Derek Farnsworth said Scottie Scheffler remains a lineup cornerstone even at his slate-high price. Scheffler is #1 in Noto’s stat model, ranks first in every course-fit bucket (short/easy tracks, less-than-driver venues, and Pete Dye layouts) and returns as the defending Travelers champion. He owns eight consecutive top-10 finishes with three wins, including a T-7 at last week’s U.S. Open after briefly getting within two of the lead on Sunday. Farnsworth noted Scheffler’s elite good-drive percentage, approach play and rock-solid putting on birdie-fest setups. While he acknowledged balanced builds can work if someone else wins, he still plans “plenty of exposure” because a full fade is, in his words, “a scary bet.”

Derek Farnsworth is going back to Aaron Rai despite consecutive missed cuts because the Englishman ranks No. 1 worldwide in driving accuracy this season and remains a plus iron player. Farnsworth expects those traits to shine at Oakmont, where missing the fairway often means pitching out sideways and taking bogey. The recent MCs should suppress ownership, giving DFS players a cheap, near-minimum salary golfer who fits every statistical emphasis in Farnsworth’s model—fairways gained, approach, and greens in regulation. If Rai’s putting even breaks even, a top-30 finish would smash value in large-field contests.

Farnsworth labeled Cameron Young a boom-or-bust tournament option. Young arrives with back-to-back top-25 finishes and a T-4 last week, fueled by gaining over six strokes ball-striking in each start. The analyst acknowledged Young’s choppy short game but argued that firm Oakmont greens tend to neutralize flatstick differences and reward elite drivers who can shorten the course. Young has already proved major ready with four career major top-10s, and Farnsworth believes another spike week is possible at modest ownership if the hot driver continues.

Derek Farnsworth advised crossing Dustin Johnson off U.S. Open line-ups. Although DJ posted a T-10 on LIV last week, the tout called that finish misleading given the 54-man field and noted Johnson has not cracked a PGA-caliber top-20 in months. Oakmont’s five-inch rough demands precision off the tee, an area where Johnson ranks outside the top 100 in fairways gained this season. Combined with flat iron play and a cold putter, Farnsworth sees far more downside than upside and will allocate salary to steadier ball-strikers in the same range.

Farnsworth highlighted Harris English as a core mid-range play, pointing out that English has gained strokes tee-to-green in five of his last six starts and historically excels in U.S. Opens (three top-8 finishes since 2020). Oakmont’s tiny landing areas emphasize English’s tidy driver and premium scrambling, while his elite bunker game mitigates the course’s 180 greenside traps. Add in a hot putter—English ranks top-15 in Strokes Gained: Putting over the past 24 rounds—and Farnsworth expects another contending week at sub-10% ownership.

Farnsworth targeted Daniel Berger as a contrarian DFS dart. Berger has missed his last two cuts, which Farnsworth expects will keep roster rates microscopic, but the analyst reminded listeners that Berger is still one of the Tour’s most accurate drivers when healthy and finished T-7 at the 2024 PLAYERS. Oakmont punishes misses so severely that pure fairway finders can rebound quickly, and Berger’s historically reliable mid-irons fit that profile. If the putter heats even slightly, Farnsworth sees a top-25 ceiling at less than 3% ownership—ideal for large-field tournaments that need leverage more than floor.

Derek Farnsworth said Patrick Reed belongs in player pools as a mid-tier U.S. Open target. Reed has turned ordinary form into top finishes at majors for years, and Farnsworth thinks Oakmont’s penal rough and multi-tier Poa greens accentuate Reed’s best skill: a world-class short game. The tout admitted Reed will need that short-game week because his irons have been poor, but noted Reed still gains strokes around the green at an elite clip and ranks near the top of the field in scrambling from thick rough this season. With everyone gravitating to shinier, more accurate ball-strikers, Reed’s projected ownership sits in the single digits, giving GPP leverage on a player who routinely grinds out top-20s in difficult U.S. Opens.

Si Woo Kim is Farnsworth’s preferred option in the $6k range. Kim has been a ‘top-30 machine,’ ranks among the field’s best in fairways gained, and continues to stripe it tee-to-green. Those traits should produce a high floor on a course where double-bogey avoidance is critical, giving Kim both cash-game and GPP viability at minimal salary.

Farnsworth highlighted Tony Finau as a low-owned tournament pivot. Although not the straightest driver, Finau is long enough without spraying it, owns a solid around-the-green game, and remains a quality iron player. His putting is poor, but on Oakmont’s unpredictable surfaces Farnsworth is willing to bet that variance breaks Finau’s way. With projected ownership around 1 %, he sees Finau as a high-upside leverage play against chalkier $7k options.

At $8,000, Hideki Matsuyama grades out as a value according to Farnsworth. Matsuyama is historically one of the Tour’s best putters on lightning-fast greens (same surface speed as Augusta where he won), combines that with above-average scrambling, and remains an excellent iron player. The driver has been shaky, but Farnsworth thinks his short-game edge offsets that risk and will have exposure in single-entry and MME builds.

Hatton’s lack of length usually hurts at U.S. Opens, but Farnsworth believes Oakmont flips that script. The Englishman is a strong all-around player who keeps the ball in play, and this setup rewards precision over power. Even with a lukewarm Open resume, Farnsworth sees the combination of driving accuracy, solid approach play, and competent putting as a path to a top finish and will be overweight on him in the mid-$7k range.

Farnsworth also plans 40 %+ Shane Lowry at $7,300. Lowry ranks seventh in his model, was in contention at Oakmont in 2016, and brings a synergistic game: elite fairway-finder, crisp irons, and better scrambling than Conners. With memories of the 2016 leaderboard featuring shorter hitters, Farnsworth thinks Lowry’s prior success and complete tee-to-green profile make him a smash play.

Corey Conners ranks sixth in Farnsworth’s model yet costs just $7,200, making him one of the slate’s best values. Conners is among the most accurate drivers in the field, is an elite ball-striker, and consistently hits greens — skills that align perfectly with Oakmont’s narrow corridors and oversized, fast putting surfaces. Farnsworth expects to have 40 % or more exposure.

Farnsworth called Oakmont ‘the best U.S. Open course imaginable’ for Collin Morikawa. Morikawa sits third or fourth on Tour in driving accuracy this season and ranks top-7 in the field over every recent sample. Combine that with elite iron play and a historically strong GIR rate and he checks every statistical box Farnsworth weighted (accuracy, approach, greens-in-reg). The short game dip worries him less because Morikawa had turned that area into a plus the last two years. At $9,800, Farnsworth expects Morikawa to contend and will be overweight.