At just $6,400, Shane Lowry is Farnsworth’s preferred punt play. Lowry has endured a rough season and remains one of the field’s worst putters, yet he finished 8th at East Lake last year and profiles well statistically for the course. Farnsworth believes a merely average putting week could unlock top-15 upside at minuscule ownership and a bargain salary.

Farnsworth called Harris English his favorite option in the $6K range. English owns a ‘really good short game’ similar to Sam Burns, and his ball-striking has recently improved—a convergence Farnsworth targets before the market adjusts. At $6,900, English offers salary relief, strong current form, and the home-state Georgia Bulldog narrative, making him a plug-and-play value in DFS lineups.

Despite an unimpressive East Lake record, Farnsworth wants Keegan Bradley in player pools. He highlighted Bradley’s profile—elite total driving, strong irons, and excellent scrambling—as tailor-made for the course. Those skill-set advantages, confirmed by his model, offset the poor historical finishes and make Bradley a viable DFS differentiator.

Farnsworth is limiting exposure to Patrick Cantlay. Although Cantlay ‘used to love this place,’ Farnsworth noted his short game has been an issue all season. Personal experience—Cantlay finishing T30 when rostered and T10 when faded—has eroded Farnsworth’s trust, and his model does not show enough upside to justify the salary. He will be underweight relative to the field.

Ben Griffin has never teed it up at East Lake, but Farnsworth sees no reason to downgrade him. Griffin’s current stretch of ‘great’ play makes him viable in any DFS format, and the lack of course history should suppress ownership. Farnsworth will include him in lineups, betting that recent form outweighs unfamiliarity with the track.

Farnsworth still plans to roster Robert MacIntyre even after he blew a three-stroke Sunday lead to Scottie Scheffler last week. The second-place finish keeps MacIntyre’s recent form strong, and Farnsworth’s model ranks him highly for East Lake, calling it a good course fit. Expecting most DFS players to fixate on the collapse and overlook him, Farnsworth sees leverage in MacIntyre’s combination of ball-striking, recent leaderboard success, and favorable projection.

Derek Farnsworth said Collin Morikawa is both an outright bet and a core DFS play at $8,300. Morikawa posted the lowest 72-hole aggregate at East Lake last year once starting strokes are removed, a stat Farnsworth weighs more than the official finish. Recent form shows T33 and T22 in his last two starts with elite ball-striking, while poor putting and around-the-green play have masked how well he is hitting it. Morikawa also fired his caddie, a move Farnsworth believes will scare the field and keep ownership down. Given the price discount, positive course history in raw scoring, and model projection, Farnsworth views him as an ‘under-overlooked’ tournament winner in DFS lineups.

For small-field DFS contests, Farnsworth plans to fade the Scheffler chalk and start lineups with Rory McIlroy. McIlroy carries a better track record at Eastlake than Scheffler, maintains steady top-10 form, and costs $1,100 less on DraftKings. Farnsworth expects the ownership gap between the two to widen to 50 % vs. 20 % in tighter-entry contests, giving McIlroy lineups both leverage and salary flexibility while still retaining elite win equity.

Farnsworth warned that Scottie Scheffler will be rostered by nearly half the DraftKings field and more than 70 % on FanDuel. In large-field DFS tournaments he advises leaving $400–$500 of salary unused when you start builds with Scheffler. With only 30 golfers available, max-salary Scheffler builds are almost certain to be duplicated; sacrificing a bit of cap space preserves uniqueness without meaningfully reducing projection.

Farnsworth filled out his outright card with Tommy Fleetwood at +1400, noting bettors worried about Scottie Scheffler can shift to the “winner without Scheffler” market where Fleetwood is +900. Fleetwood ranks second in this field in strokes-gained tee-to-green, checks every box statistically—plus driver, crisp irons, dependable short game—and owns a strong track record at Eastlake. Farnsworth downplayed Fleetwood’s recent Sunday let-downs at the Travelers and St. Jude, arguing that repeated contention usually leads to a win. Given Eastlake’s predictive course history and Fleetwood’s across-the-board strength, Farnsworth views him as the most complete challenger to Scheffler.

Derek Farnsworth is backing Sam Burns at +3000 outright and likes him as an $8,500 DFS core play. Burns is traditionally known for putting—Farnsworth noted he rates as the best putter in the field over the last six months—but his long game has caught up. Burns ranks No. 1 in total driving over the past three months and has gained strokes on approach in eight of his past nine starts. The improved ball-striking translated to a 4th-place finish at Eastlake in 2023, reinforcing Farnsworth’s emphasis on course history. On a driver-heavy track where putting is “easy for everyone,” Burns’ combination of elite flat-stick and newfound tee-to-green consistency offers a ceiling Farnsworth thinks the market is underrating.

Derek Farnsworth said he is betting Viktor Hovland at +3000 on FanDuel and expects to use him in DFS builds. He pointed out that Eastlake is a 7,400-yard par-70 with 86% driver usage, so total driving matters more than usual. Hovland gained 7.5 strokes ball-striking and finished T7 last week, showing his swing is peaking again. He also won the 2023 Tour Championship, and course history is one of the few stats Farnsworth weighted higher (6%) because Eastlake has been predictive year over year. With the field starting at even par this season, Farnsworth believes Hovland’s elite tee-to-green profile gives him full win equity at a discounted number.

Farnsworth put Thomas Detry on the punt radar. Detry grades out well off the tee with respectable distance. While his form has been inconsistent, last week’s T38 shows signs of life. Farnsworth views him as a contrarian sprinkle in MME builds where ball-striking exposure is the priority.

Farnsworth called Johnny Vegas a solid punt at $6,100 after last week’s T14. Vegas brings ample length off the tee—a trait Farnsworth is prioritizing for Olympia Fields—and the recent form provides confidence he can pay off the near-minimum price.

Farnsworth pointed to Ryan Fox at near-min salary as a volatile but intriguing play. Fox ranks top-15 in ball-striking for this field and carries plenty of distance, checking both course-fit boxes. At low ownership he offers ceiling potential without sacrificing roster flexibility.

Farnsworth said he can get behind Hovland in large-field tournaments only. Hovland’s approach play has ticked up, but season-long driving distance is merely field-average and recent results relied heavily on a hot short game. Because he expects Olympia Fields to reward tee-to-green dominance more than scrambling, Farnsworth views Hovland as boom-or-bust leverage rather than a cash-game staple.

Farnsworth acknowledged Cameron Young’s win and recent top-5 but argued the $9,800 salary leaves little room for error. Young fits the course on paper, yet Farnsworth prefers using the cap elsewhere given comparable upside in cheaper ranges. He framed Young as playable but likely overpriced for his own builds.

Farnsworth likes Taylor Pendrith for DFS builds, noting his elite length and streaky but explosive putter. He believes the bomber-friendly setup rewards Pendrith’s driver, and if the putter heats up—as it often does on bentgrass—Pendrith can post a ceiling week at modest ownership.

Farnsworth suggested Harris English as a sneaky DFS option because Olympia Fields reminds him of a lighter-version U.S. Open setup—long with frequent driver usage. English has repeatedly excelled at U.S. Opens, and Farnsworth believes that skill-set (accurate driving plus patient putting on tough greens) transfers well here. While he stopped short of calling English a lock, he advised putting English in player pools for lineups that need a mid-range, course-fit play.

Farnsworth highlighted Sam Stevens at $6,500 as one of his favorite punt plays. Stevens ranks top-15 in this field in driving distance, which Farnsworth believes will be at a premium with so many drivers required at Olympia Fields. Course-history signals support the fit: T3 finishes at the long 3M Open and Farmers Insurance Open. Those results plus the salary relief make Stevens a core value for large-field DFS tournaments.

Derek Farnsworth said Kitayama is his favorite salary-adjusted play on the slate. The win at the 3M, a T31, and last week’s T9 show a steady upward trend, and Kitayama has gained three or more strokes ball-striking in five straight starts. Farnsworth emphasized that Kitayama has already proven he can beat elite fields by winning a past signature event, giving him true upside at a mid-tier price. On a long course where tee-to-green excellence is projected to matter more than short-game magic, Farnsworth wants Kitayama on his main DFS builds.

Derek Farnsworth pegged Corey Conners as a value at $8,400. While Conners slogged to T50 in Memphis, he quietly gained five strokes on approach and previously finished T10 at the Open. A minor wrist issue appears manageable—he has teed it up three straight weeks without incident. Farnsworth trusts Conners’ elite long-iron play on a course that will force 200-plus-yard approaches and expects the Canadian to contend for a top-10 at modest ownership.

Farnsworth is overweight on Ludvig Aberg as a ceiling play even though the model ranks him lower than salary peers. Aberg is “one of the best drivers of the ball in the world,” has gained strokes on approach in seven consecutive starts, and profiles perfectly for a 7,600-yard par-70 that will demand drivers on nearly 80 % of tee shots and long-iron approaches beyond 200 yards. Pairing Aberg with another 10K stud yields a distance-heavy, low-owned core that can take advantage of the no-cut format.

Although Scottie Scheffler tops every metric in Farnsworth’s model and briefly led last week’s event, the analyst plans to be underweight. At his lofty DFS price it is “hard to make a lineup that’s going to be unique,” and Scheffler’s popularity compounds the duplication risk in a 50-man no-cut field. Farnsworth believes balanced constructions featuring two 10K golfers provide comparable upside with far less ownership leverage, so Scheffler is an intentional fade despite being the field’s best player on paper.

Derek Farnsworth said Patrick Cantlay is the ideal DFS building block if you want to fade the chalky Scottie Scheffler lineups. Cantlay won at Caves Valley in 2021, logged a T9 in Memphis while gaining 6.4 strokes ball-striking, and perennially spikes in FedExCup playoff events held in the Northeast. Farnsworth added that Cantlay “loves to get paid” and usually brings his best when prize pools peak, which shows in his elite BMW and Tour Championship history. Starting rosters with Cantlay unlocks a balanced two-stud construction that should be far less duplicated than Scheffler-anchored builds while still offering win equity on a bomber-friendly track.

Farnsworth is fading Schauffele in DFS, stating he 'doesn’t love' paying $10K for him when Scheffler is such a clear top-end priority. With roster flexibility already tight in a no-cut field, Farnsworth prefers to drop to the mid-8K range or below rather than swallow Schauffele’s salary without unique upside or win equity relative to the price.

Grillo is Farnsworth’s favorite sub-7K option. He has finished T-33 or better in three straight visits to Southwind and has gained four-plus strokes ball-striking in five of his last seven starts. On a course that rewards tee-to-green excellence over putting, Farnsworth expects Grillo to smash value and provide unique roster construction paths.

Hovland has posted strong results at Southwind each of the past three years and sits near the top of Farnsworth’s driver-heavy and Zoysia splits, yet projected ownership is hovering below 17 %. Farnsworth likes him as a leverage play in large-field GPPs where Scheffler lineups dominate roster construction.

Farnsworth called Bobby Mac the top point-per-dollar option this week. Southwind suits his profile: he ranks highly on par-70 scoring and on Zoysia fairways courses, plus he finished T-7 here last season. Priced in the low-7K range, MacIntyre lets managers jam Scheffler while maintaining cut-free scoring upside.

At $8,100 Griffin ranks seventh in Farnsworth’s model and is his favorite mid-tier piece in Scheffler builds. Griffin logged six top-15s in his last eight starts, has gained steadily off the tee all season, and pairs a solid approach game with plus putting. Farnsworth also took a 30-to-1 ‘winner without Scheffler’ ticket on Griffin, expecting the high birdie rate to out-score finishing position in the no-cut DFS format.

Farnsworth grabbed Harris English at 35-to-1 in the same ‘winner without Scheffler’ market, noting English’s iron play has caught fire: 46th in strokes-gained approach over the last 18 months, 25th over the last 6, and 13th over the last 3. English owns multiple strong showings at Southwind and tends to spike when his irons heat up, a combination Farnsworth believes could translate into a Sunday sweat if Scheffler falters.

Farnsworth placed a 35-to-1 ticket on Daniel Berger in the ‘winner without Scheffler’ market. Berger has already lifted the trophy twice at TPC Southwind and added two other top-five finishes, showing he handles the Zoysia fairways, Bermuda greens and heavy-driver layout better than most. With water on 11 holes and a premium on bogey avoidance, Farnsworth trusts Berger’s comfort level and ball-striking profile to contend even if Scheffler runs away with the actual title.

Derek Farnsworth said he is starting the majority of his DFS builds with Scottie Scheffler even at an expected 28 % ownership. Scheffler tops Farnsworth’s model in every driver-heavy and par-70 split, leads the field in projected strokes-gained on 100-175-yard approaches, and has finished inside the top-8 nine straight worldwide starts, including a win at the Open Championship and a T-4 at TPC Southwind last year. With no Rory McIlroy in the field, Farnsworth views Scheffler’s floor/ceiling combo as unmatched and recommends leaving salary on the table to reduce duplicated lineups rather than fading him.

Chris Gimino is "somewhat intrigued" by Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, arguing the back will treat the Hall of Fame Game like a personal showcase. Gimino recalled the dynamic runner "we once saw back in the day in college" and thinks Sanders knows this could be one of his few chances to earn a practice-squad spot. That extra motivation, combined with preseason chaos, makes Sanders a viable tournament dart despite long odds to make the final roster.

Murray called Raheim “Rocket” Sanders his favorite Chargers running-back play. The coaching staff has already seen plenty from veterans Hassan Haskins, Jaret Patterson and Nyheim Hines, so he expects them to spotlight Sanders to evaluate the former Arkansas bell-cow. Sanders posted a 1,400-yard season in 2022 before injuries derailed 2023, giving him a ceiling if healthy. With soft-tissue issues reportedly behind him, Murray believes Sanders could lead the backfield in carries and break the slate at low salary and middling ownership.

Kyle Murray warned that the new rookie Omarion Hampton will almost certainly open the Hall of Fame Game, but only for a cameo. Murray expects no more than one, maybe two drives, noting last year’s identical "show-him-to-the-crowd" usage with Malik Nabers. Because the Chargers publicly confirmed Hampton will be active, Murray projects field ownership in the 25-30 % range. He views that as dead money in single-game DFS: limited volume plus massive popularity equals an easy leverage fade.

Discussing chalk expectations, Murray is comfortable fading Omarion Hampton even though Chargers coaches confirmed he will be active. With the team already thin after Najee Harris’s minor injury, he anticipates a ‘show him off for the fans’ cameo—think two or three early drives, similar to the Josh Jacobs preseason fake-out years ago. Hampton could touch the ball a couple times and sit, leaving DFS rosters dead if he commands 25-plus percent ownership. Murray is willing to eat the risk of Hampton surprising with extended run because the more likely scenario is single-digit touches and mediocre fantasy output.

Gimino expects Kyle Allen to handle every non-Hooker drive and called him the most polished passer in the contest. With far less inclination to scramble than the other three quarterbacks, Allen projects for the most pass attempts if playing time splits 50-50. Gimino plans to pair Allen with Detroit’s late-game wide-outs in stacked builds, banking on garbage-time PPR volume while the Chargers rotate deep reserves on defense. He warned that Allen’s rushing floor is near zero, so ceiling comes strictly via multiple passing scores.

Murray slotted DJ Uiagalelei (listed as the Chargers’ fourth quarterback for this game) into his second-tier GPP pool. Although DJU’s college résumé is rocky, Murray emphasized his rushing mentality—expect the former five-star prospect to scramble often in an attempt to showcase athleticism. That rushing juice is gold in preseason DFS where passing efficiency is shaky across the board. The flip side: DJU could look ugly through the air, so Murray is capping exposure but wants him in player pools for 20-plus lineups because even one 30-yard run plus a goal-line plunge can break the slate.

Kyle Murray flagged Cameron Dicker as a priority secondary play behind the quarterbacks, defenses and other top options. Dicker finished last season as one of the best fantasy kickers and owns the leg to hit from 55-60 yards, a key edge in a preseason game where the Chargers’ backup offense may stall just inside midfield. Murray noted you should not expect many PATs but long-range field-goal attempts are firmly in play, giving Dicker realistic 8-10 point upside at low salary. He recommended treating Dicker as a tournament pivot who can land in the optimal if the offenses sputter.

Chris Gimino said Hendon Hooker is the obvious captain choice on this one-game preseason slate because of his proven dual-threat production: 19 rushes for 138 yards and a score plus roughly 100 passing yards per game with a 1-to-1 TD/INT line last preseason. Gimino argued those rushing attempts give Hooker the single highest ceiling in the player pool, even higher than either defense. The catch is ownership: he expects Hooker to be ‘extremely popular,’ especially among players building only one to three lineups. In mass-multi-entry he recommends trimming exposure or finding contrarian builds, noting that with only three to five drives on tap Hooker can easily go 0-for-3 and post a zero. Bottom line: jam him in small-entry cash or SE, but get creative if you’re running 20-plus lineups.

Murray pegged Hendon Hooker as the Lions’ offensive answer to Lance. Hooker logged 19 preseason carries for 138 rushing yards and a score last summer while averaging 100 passing yards per outing. The Lions are expected to give him the entire second half, offering enough volume for a 15-20 point ceiling. With most roster constructions jammed with DSTs, Hooker’s rushing floor makes him a strong leverage captain for tournaments hunting a unique build.

Kyle Murray labeled Trey Lance the highest-ceiling play on the slate. The Chargers plan to let Lance run through the second half (and even one third-quarter drive), giving him the most secure snap share among skill players. Last preseason he racked up 662 passing yards, two passing TDs, 168 rushing yards on 21 carries, and two more scores on the ground. Murray expects a similar dual-threat script; one rushing TD plus 150 combined yards would likely eclipse any DST score and make Lance the premier captain in large-field GPPs.

Kyle Murray prefers the Detroit DST as the better captain/utility play. Vegas makes the Lions slight favorites, and Murray flagged Trey Lance’s turnover track record—five interceptions and two fumbles in just three preseason games last year—as a direct path to defensive fantasy points. In a game where one defensive touchdown would likely break the slate, the Lions’ combination of positive game script and a mistake-prone opposing quarterback gives them the inside track over the Chargers’ unit.

Derek Farnsworth said Wyndham “should be a great week for Andrew Putnam” because the course accentuates Putnam’s strengths: accurate driving, quality iron play, and elite Bermuda putting. With 6 % weight on driving accuracy and 10 % on putting in Farnsworth’s model, Putnam’s skill set earns him a top-tier rating despite a mid-range salary. Farnsworth recommends Putnam for both cash games and single-entry GPPs on the shorter par-70 layout where distance is de-emphasized.

Farnsworth likes Max Greyserman (referred to as "Grazer Mint") as a bounce-back play at $8,200. Greyserman has three straight missed cuts, but two were by a single stroke and one by two strokes. He finished runner-up at Sedgefield last year and ranks highly in Farnsworth’s comp buckets for easy-GIR courses and Bermuda putting. With course history weighted 4 % and putting 10 % in the model, Greyserman’s profile suggests upside at potentially suppressed ownership.

Calling him his "favorite point-per-dollar option on the board," Derek Farnsworth will be 30 % exposed to Victor Perez at $6,900 on DraftKings. Perez sits 11th in Farnsworth’s overall model yet costs less than many cut-makers. Recent form is solid (9th, 19th, 28th in last five starts), he finished T-33 here last year, and he grades out well in every comp category: accurate driver, strong irons, and positive Bermuda putter. If projected ownership truly stays around 6 %, Farnsworth believes Perez is a core play for single-entry and MME builds alike.