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PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the American Express on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR is hosting the American Express in La Quinta, California this week. Since 2016, this tournament has featured a three-course format, with each player of this 156-man field playing a round on each of the Pete Dye Stadium Course (par 72, 7,210 yards, POA overseed greens), the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course (par 72, 7,147 yards, POA overseed greens) and La Quinta Country Club (par 72, 7,060 yards, POA trivialis/ryegrass overseed greens). Then, there will be a top-65 and ties cut, and the players who advance will play the final round at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. Nick Dunlap (-29) is the defending champion of the American Express after edging out Christian Bezuidenhout by one stroke a year ago.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The cliff notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

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Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
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PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Sungjae Im ($10,300)

Im is the clear favorite this week following Xander Schaufelle’s withdrawal and is a great starting piece for cash games. Im has finished inside the top-12 in four of his six starts at the American Express and he is on the heels of a T3 at the Sentry, which was highlighted by an 11-under 62 during the third round. This tied Im’s career low on the PGA TOUR and he has now finished inside the top 10 in eight of his past 15 starts. Im’s well-balanced game is perfect for the American Express’ multiple course format Two of the four rounds this week will be played at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, and when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at Dye designs, Im ranks second in Strokes Gained per round, via the Rabbit Hole.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Sam Burns ($9,800)

Burns has carded a top-12 finish in three of his last four starts at the American Express – most notably with a T6 last year – and he returns to La Quinta in excellent form this week. In his last six starts, Burns has finished T12th, T5th, T2nd, T13th, T14th and T8th. The 28-year-old doesn’t have a flaw in his game right now.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,600)

Per usual, Cantlay is a safe and strong target for cash games. The 32-year-old has finished inside the top 15 in five of his last seven starts and ranks fourth in Par-5 Efficiency when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds. Three of the past five American Express winners have either led their field or finished runner-up in Par-5 Efficiency during their victories. Cantlay has finished inside the top 10 in three of his five starts at the American Express, most notably with a runner-up in 2021.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Brian Harman ($8,200)

You can’t go wrong with Harman at this price tag, which is a huge drop from his $9,300 salary for last year’s American Express. Harman has produced four finishes of T11 or better in eight appearances at the American Express, and he ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at Dye-designed courses. Harman has made 15 straight cuts dating back to last April, with nine top-30 finishes during this streak, and is a cash game staple at this affordable salary.

Patrick Fishburn ($8,100)

Fishburn missed the cut in his American Express debut last year, but he wasn’t even close to the player then that he is now. Finishing T12th, T8th, and T6th in his last three starts, Fishburn’s game continues to improve at each event, and he arrives at La Quinta as the No.93 ranked golfer in the world, which is 180 spots higher than his ranking head into last year’s American Express. Fishburn has shot under par in 14 straight rounds and he is a must-play in this type of form.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Nicolas Echavarria ($7,900)

Echavarria’s incredible run continued last week at the Sony Open, with Echavarria losing to Nick Taylor in a playoff. Echavarria has now finished first, T6th, T29th, runner-up, T32nd, and runner-up in his last six starts. Remarkably, Echavarria has shot under par in all 24 of his rounds during this six-start stretch, which is the longest active streak on the PGA TOUR by a wide margin. Ranking second is Austin Eckroat and Hary Hall at 18. Echavarria missed the cut in his first attempt at the American Express last season, but this is completely irrelevant, as he is in a totally different class of player now. Echavarria is currently the No. 41 ranked player in the world, which is 305 spots higher than when he made his American Express debut a year ago. The budding star has all the tools to flourish at this multi-course tournament.

Daniel Berger ($7,500)

Berger should bounce back after missing the cut at the Sony Open and is a steal at this salary. The veteran only missed the weekend by one shot last week, and prior to this, Berger had finished runner-up at the RSM Classic, which, like the American Express, is an event that features multiple courses. This was his sixth made cut in a row and his third top-20 finish during this streak. Berger has never finished worse than T39th at the American Express in three appearances, and his success at this tournament should continue this week with a quality finish.

Andrew Putnam ($7,200)

Putnam began his 2025 season with a T30 finish at the Sony Open last week, and he will now look to build off this performance at the American Express, which is an event he loves. Putnam has competed at every American Express since 2018, and not only has he made the cut every year, he has recorded four top-25 finishes along the way. Putnam was priced at $8K for last season’s edition of this tournament and is clearly underpriced at $7,200.

Alex Smalley ($7,200)

Smalley is fresh off a T16 at the Sony Open last week, in which he was one of only nine players to gain strokes in every major category at Waialae CC. Smalley has now advanced to the weekend in eight of his last 11 starts, and at the American Express, he has never finished worse than T25th in three starts. Smalley is an awesome combination of compelling course history and form, and he is a tough value to overlook at this low salary.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Sam Ryder ($6,700)

Ryder opened the Sony Open last week with a 5-under 65, and he went on to finish T21st at the event while gaining strokes in every major category except off-the-tee. Ryder has now finished inside the top 30 in three of his past four starts, and he is a terrific bargain in this rock-solid form. At the American Express, Ryder has made 6-of-7 cuts.

Zach Johnson ($6,700)

Johnson looked great at the Sony Open last week, finishing T21st while gaining 4.0 strokes on approach. The two-time major champion hasn’t gained this many strokes with his irons since July of 2022, and if Johnson can carry this momentum over to the American Express, a second straight top-25 finish is absolutely possible for the veteran. At this tournament, Johnson has made six of his last seven cuts, including four top-30 finishes.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

RBC Canadian Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the Travelers Championship John Deere Classic PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values John Deere Classic Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

The PGA TOUR is hosting the American Express in La Quinta, California this week. Since 2016, this tournament has featured a three-course format, with each player of this 156-man field playing a round on each of the Pete Dye Stadium Course (par 72, 7,210 yards, POA overseed greens), the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course (par 72, 7,147 yards, POA overseed greens) and La Quinta Country Club (par 72, 7,060 yards, POA trivialis/ryegrass overseed greens). Then, there will be a top-65 and ties cut, and the players who advance will play the final round at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. Nick Dunlap (-29) is the defending champion of the American Express after edging out Christian Bezuidenhout by one stroke a year ago.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

  • Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
  • Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
  • Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
  • Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The cliff notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
Become a PRO Member
 

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

Note: FantasyLabs has partnered with Betsperts Golf and the Rabbit Hole! Sign up for the biggest database of golf stats available on the internet and get 25% off a yearly sub with our link! 

Unless otherwise noted, all Strokes Gained metrics referenced in this article come via the Rabbit Hole.

Tool Highlights

  • Build unlimited custom stat models with official PGA TOUR data.
  • Hundreds of filters to find the exact data split you’re looking for.
  • Save custom reports and run them again with next week’s field.
  • Download anything you right to your computer with the click of a button.
  • See expert models each week.
 

DraftKings $10,000+ Range

Sungjae Im ($10,300)

Im is the clear favorite this week following Xander Schaufelle’s withdrawal and is a great starting piece for cash games. Im has finished inside the top-12 in four of his six starts at the American Express and he is on the heels of a T3 at the Sentry, which was highlighted by an 11-under 62 during the third round. This tied Im’s career low on the PGA TOUR and he has now finished inside the top 10 in eight of his past 15 starts. Im’s well-balanced game is perfect for the American Express’ multiple course format Two of the four rounds this week will be played at the Pete Dye Stadium Course, and when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at Dye designs, Im ranks second in Strokes Gained per round, via the Rabbit Hole.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Sam Burns ($9,800)

Burns has carded a top-12 finish in three of his last four starts at the American Express – most notably with a T6 last year – and he returns to La Quinta in excellent form this week. In his last six starts, Burns has finished T12th, T5th, T2nd, T13th, T14th and T8th. The 28-year-old doesn’t have a flaw in his game right now.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,600)

Per usual, Cantlay is a safe and strong target for cash games. The 32-year-old has finished inside the top 15 in five of his last seven starts and ranks fourth in Par-5 Efficiency when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds. Three of the past five American Express winners have either led their field or finished runner-up in Par-5 Efficiency during their victories. Cantlay has finished inside the top 10 in three of his five starts at the American Express, most notably with a runner-up in 2021.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Brian Harman ($8,200)

You can’t go wrong with Harman at this price tag, which is a huge drop from his $9,300 salary for last year’s American Express. Harman has produced four finishes of T11 or better in eight appearances at the American Express, and he ranks first in Strokes Gained per round when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds at Dye-designed courses. Harman has made 15 straight cuts dating back to last April, with nine top-30 finishes during this streak, and is a cash game staple at this affordable salary.

Patrick Fishburn ($8,100)

Fishburn missed the cut in his American Express debut last year, but he wasn’t even close to the player then that he is now. Finishing T12th, T8th, and T6th in his last three starts, Fishburn’s game continues to improve at each event, and he arrives at La Quinta as the No.93 ranked golfer in the world, which is 180 spots higher than his ranking head into last year’s American Express. Fishburn has shot under par in 14 straight rounds and he is a must-play in this type of form.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Nicolas Echavarria ($7,900)

Echavarria’s incredible run continued last week at the Sony Open, with Echavarria losing to Nick Taylor in a playoff. Echavarria has now finished first, T6th, T29th, runner-up, T32nd, and runner-up in his last six starts. Remarkably, Echavarria has shot under par in all 24 of his rounds during this six-start stretch, which is the longest active streak on the PGA TOUR by a wide margin. Ranking second is Austin Eckroat and Hary Hall at 18. Echavarria missed the cut in his first attempt at the American Express last season, but this is completely irrelevant, as he is in a totally different class of player now. Echavarria is currently the No. 41 ranked player in the world, which is 305 spots higher than when he made his American Express debut a year ago. The budding star has all the tools to flourish at this multi-course tournament.

Daniel Berger ($7,500)

Berger should bounce back after missing the cut at the Sony Open and is a steal at this salary. The veteran only missed the weekend by one shot last week, and prior to this, Berger had finished runner-up at the RSM Classic, which, like the American Express, is an event that features multiple courses. This was his sixth made cut in a row and his third top-20 finish during this streak. Berger has never finished worse than T39th at the American Express in three appearances, and his success at this tournament should continue this week with a quality finish.

Andrew Putnam ($7,200)

Putnam began his 2025 season with a T30 finish at the Sony Open last week, and he will now look to build off this performance at the American Express, which is an event he loves. Putnam has competed at every American Express since 2018, and not only has he made the cut every year, he has recorded four top-25 finishes along the way. Putnam was priced at $8K for last season’s edition of this tournament and is clearly underpriced at $7,200.

Alex Smalley ($7,200)

Smalley is fresh off a T16 at the Sony Open last week, in which he was one of only nine players to gain strokes in every major category at Waialae CC. Smalley has now advanced to the weekend in eight of his last 11 starts, and at the American Express, he has never finished worse than T25th in three starts. Smalley is an awesome combination of compelling course history and form, and he is a tough value to overlook at this low salary.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1. 

DraftKings $6,000 and Below Range

Sam Ryder ($6,700)

Ryder opened the Sony Open last week with a 5-under 65, and he went on to finish T21st at the event while gaining strokes in every major category except off-the-tee. Ryder has now finished inside the top 30 in three of his past four starts, and he is a terrific bargain in this rock-solid form. At the American Express, Ryder has made 6-of-7 cuts.

Zach Johnson ($6,700)

Johnson looked great at the Sony Open last week, finishing T21st while gaining 4.0 strokes on approach. The two-time major champion hasn’t gained this many strokes with his irons since July of 2022, and if Johnson can carry this momentum over to the American Express, a second straight top-25 finish is absolutely possible for the veteran. At this tournament, Johnson has made six of his last seven cuts, including four top-30 finishes.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

RBC Canadian Open Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks and Conviction Plays for the Travelers Championship John Deere Classic PGA DFS Stats Preview: Course Fits, GPP Picks, and Values John Deere Classic Top PGA DFS Picks, Values and Sleepers for Large-Field GPPs on DraftKings

About the Author

Alex Hunter is an avid DFS player who produces NFL and NBA content for FantasyLabs. He has been playing DFS for nearly a decade, dating back to the DraftStreet days and has been in the fantasy/betting content business for over eight years. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Worcester State University and has contributed content for some of the biggest outlets in the industry, such as DraftKings Network, Stokastic (formerly Awesemo) and RotoWire, covering NBA, NFL and PGA. Alex is a data-driven analyst that has multiple wins and high finishes in GPPs on his DFS resume, as well as years of being a successful cash-game player. If you have any questions or need any lineup advice, Alex can be found @Hunta512 on Twitter.