PGA DFS Advice & Picks: Farmers Insurance Open (2024)

It sure was fun to hop from Maui to Oahu, then inland to Palm Springs. Birdies were abundant and long-shot champions were the feel-good storylines at the water cooler each Monday morning. The PGA Tour season ramps up into new gear this week with the Farmers Insurance Open.

Aside from a Wednesday or Thursday romp around the run-of-the-mills North Course, the players will attempt to weather the arduous trek through Torrey Pines South. The tournament wraps up on Saturday, so as to not compete with the NFL conference championship Sunday. Three rounds on the 7,765-yard beast will test the mettle of everyone in this field, with the champion emerging after a stern challenge to his entire bag.

PGA DFS: Farmers Insurance Open (2024)

(Odds Courtesy of DraftKings SportsBook)

Despite the prohibitive length of the South Course, most of the men who have hoisted the trophy at the Farmers can point to their acuity on and around these tricky Poa annua complexes. Many of the birdie chances are on the par-5 holes, so my weighted statistical model favors the best scorers on longer holes with approach distances of more than 200 yards. Driving distance is a factor here, but mainly only favors those who can find the tree lined fairways and attack the pins with shorter, more lofted irons.

It’s no secret that golfers who have called California home are more adept at managing the bumpy and nuanced Poa surfaces. The four most expensive golfers on DraftKings all hail from the Golden State and have excelled at Torrey Pines through the years. Leverage against highly-owned players is as important as ever, but eating some good chalk is going to be required to build an optimal lineup. Fret not, our successful start to the season is just getting started. Let’s dig in.

High-Priced ($9,000 & Above)

Chalk Plays: Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Sungjae Im
Chalk Fades: Max Homa, Ludvig Åberg, Tony Finau, Min Woo Lee
Leverage Plays: Patrick Cantlay, Jason Day, Eric Cole

Mid-Priced ($7,600 to $8,900)

Chalk Plays: Keegan Bradley, Justin Rose, Will Zalatoris, Stephan Jaeger
Chalk Fades: Sahith Theegala, Sepp Straka, Luke List
Leverage Plays: Hideki Matsuyama, Daniel Berger, Adam Svensson

Value-Priced ($7,500 & Below)

Chalk Plays: Ryo Hisatsune, Taylor Pendrith, Sam Stevens
Chalk Fades: Akshay Bhatia, Taylor Montgomery, Michael Kim, Alex Smalley
Leverage Plays: Matt Wallace, Gary Woodland, Sam Ryder, Scott Stallings, Chan Kim, Joseph Bramlett, Jhonattan Vegas, Alejandro Tosti