A loaded field of 156 golfers will descend upon the Coachella Valley for this week’s The American Express tournament. Scottie Scheffler makes his 2026 PGA Tour debut as the overwhelming betting favorite, despite logging only one top-five finish at this event.
I’ve broken down my favorite golfers to roster into three different tiers in DraftKings and FanDuel DFS contests. This is based on production and salary, which vary based on your preferred DFS site.
This tournament is unique since it enforced a 54-hole cut line after golfers play three different courses. Those who make the cut will return to the Pete Due Stadium course at PGA West for the fourth and final round on Sunday. All three courses are par 72 and range between 7,060 and 7,210 yards in length.
Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more PGA analysis and free picks throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
PGA DFS: Top Golfers (2026 American Express)
DraftKings Salary: $50,000 | FanDuel Salary: $60,000
A loaded field of 156 golfers will descend upon the Coachella Valley for this week’s The American Express tournament. Scottie Scheffler makes his 2026 PGA Tour debut as the overwhelming betting favorite, despite logging only one top-five finish at this event.
I’ve broken down my favorite golfers to roster into three different tiers in DraftKings and FanDuel DFS contests. This is based on production and salary, which vary based on your preferred DFS site.
This tournament is unique since it enforced a 54-hole cut line after golfers play three different courses. Those who make the cut will return to the Pete Due Stadium course at PGA West for the fourth and final round on Sunday. All three courses are par 72 and range between 7,060 and 7,210 yards in length.
Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more PGA analysis and free picks throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
PGA DFS: Top Golfers (2026 American Express)
DraftKings Salary: $50,000 | FanDuel Salary: $60,000
TIER 1
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Robert MacIntyre |
$9,400 |
$11,100 |
| Sepp Straka |
$9,200 |
$10,600 |
Don’t let Robert MacIntyre’s lone missed cut at the 2024 American Express discount his recent efforts. The Scotsman carded a 7-under-par bogey-free fourth round at Waialae on Sunday, jumping into a T4 finish on the final leaderboard.
Following his strong Sony Open finish, MacIntyre ranks fourth in total strokes gained. This includes 11th SG: Off-the-Tee, 17th SG: Approach, sixth in GIR percentage, 30th scrambling and 19th putting average. He’ll be able to contend at a tournament that profiles as a birdie-fest.
Last year’s winner, Sepp Straka, might be a square play at an elevated salary. The Austrian’s accuracy tee-to-green is too enticing to pass on, despite the expensive price tag.
Straka finished 2025 with two outright wins and six top 10 finishes, ranked eighth in total strokes gained, seventh SG: Approach and 26th in proximity. Also 18th scoring average, 14th birdie average, and 24th in putting average.
TIER 2
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Akshay Bhatia |
$7,800 |
$9,500 |
| Kevin Yu |
$7,600 |
$9,300 |
Akshay Bhatia is a Los Angeles native who should be able to cement quality production at The American Express. The 23-year-old lefty logged four top 10 finishes last season and has won twice on the PGA Tour.
Bhatia has missed the cut in all three appearances at this tournament. He didn’t compete here in 2025. Finished last season ranked 14th SG: Approach, 35th SG: Putting, and 18th in proximity. Also sat 25th on approach shots from 200+ yards and 14th birdie average.
Kevin Yu is a lesser-known name who logged a strong T3 finish at this tournament in 2024. Yu missed the cut here in 2025, although he still finished last season ranked high in numerous metrics. Notably, 21st in total strokes gained, sixth SG: Off-the-Tee, and 14th GIR percentage.
Yu averaged 4.2 birdies per round (17th) and was 19th in scoring average. He’s a huge value at his current salary, so take advantage of Yu’s availability by plugging him in as a Tier 2 option in DFS lineups this week.
TIER 3
| Golfer |
DK $ |
FD $ |
| Sami Valimaki |
$7,300 |
$8,400 |
| Mackenzie Hughes |
$7,000 |
$8,300 |
We’re into the bargain bin discount section with these two Tier 3 golfers. Sami Valimaki hasn’t performed well at this tournament yet but he possesses impressive metrics in a few different areas.
Valimaki finished 2025 ranked 18th SG: Approach, 10th SG: Putting, and 30th in scoring average. Also top-30 in birdie average and par 4 scoring. Valimaki is a low-floor prospect with the potential for a massive ceiling in lineups at The American Express this week.
We’ll conclude with Mackenzie Hughes. The Canadian golfer has never finished higher than T58, which came in 2025. However, he does have the skillset to finally return value in DFS lineups in the Coachella Valley this time around.
Hughes had a down year in 2025. In 2024, he ranked 36th in total strokes gained, including third SG: Putting and 15th scrambling. If he can return to his former putting prowess, Hughes should dominate at a birdie-friendly tournament like The American Express.
While he’s a longshot to make a big climb up the leaderboard, there’s potential for a T30 finish or higher from Hughes in lineups. He’s a Tier 3 golfer based on his poor performance in 2025, but he’s been much better in previous seasons. Perhaps a long offseason helped reset Hughes’ mindset and golf game, so let’s plug him in as a cheap boom-bust prospect.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
