2026 John Deere Classic: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 4

The 2026 John Deere Classic has one round remaining, with TPC Deere Run producing the low scores we’ve all come to expect from this event. It is shaping up to indeed be a classic in the Quad Cities, as Lucas Glover and Lee Hodges share the lead at 16 under par with 11 other contenders within four strokes of their lead.

Looking ahead, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 4 gets underway on Sunday. Conditions were largely calm on Saturday, but there will be a slight uptick in wind on Sunday. Ahead, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 4 breakout.

Take a look at some of the best pillar players for the 2026 John Deere Classic DFS contests and live betting opportunities.

DraftKings Showdown Golf Strategy

DraftKings Golf Showdown Golf is a one-round Daily Fantasy format in which players aim to construct the best-scoring one-round lineup while staying within the allotted salary cap. To identify value in Golf Showdown, it’s typically best to focus on buy-low opportunities on players who’ve shown uncharacteristically poor putting in the prior round. There is also an opportunity to find leverage by identifying favorable weather splits and players who are more likely to card birdies-or-better.

Round 4 John Deere Classic Showdown Pillar Plays

As expected, birdies have been easy to come by at TPC Deere Run, as the birdie barrage has continued on from the Travelers Championship last week. TPC Deere Run has a reputation for being a pure birdie fest, but we’ve seen in the opening rounds that these greens are no easy task to hold when playing from out of position. That places a heightened importance on driving accuracy and ball-striking, as the leader, Lucas Glover, has displayed thus far. Looking ahead, it is going to take a combination of driving accuracy, elite wedge play, and a streaky putter to go low at TPC Deere Run.

Identifying value players who check each of these boxes can provide valuable bonus points in the DraftKings Showdown format. The three players below will be foundational plays in my Round 4 Showdown lineups for these reasons.

Ben Griffin ($10,800)

Griffin has played the Joaquin Niemann role at TPC Deere Run, as he has managed to overcome one very bad hole (a Thursday quadruple bogey) to still keep himself in the tournament. Through three rounds, he is 9-under-par and has a good opportunity still to push for a backdoor top-10 finish. Griffin was a pre-tournament co-favorite, having proven himself on these grounds before with a T5 finish at the 2024 John Deere Classic.

When it comes to Griffin’s game, the easier the scoring conditions, the better he seems to play. That is largely a testament to his elite wedge play and putting, as he is well-suited to capitalize on wedge-fest conditions that the John Deere Classic so often produces. His short game has been excellent thus far, so if his iron game returns to its field-best pre-tournament form on Sunday, he’ll have a great opportunity to chase a backdoor top-10 finish.

Blades Brown ($9,000)

Blades has already established himself as a bona fide birdie maker with four top-20 finishes over his first seven PGA Tour starts this season. He seems well on his way to yet another high finish, currently sitting T12 at 11-under-par. It was an encouraging third round for Brown, who ranked 10th in SG: T2G, 4th in SG: OTT, and 14th in SG: APP. His iron game is his greatest skill, so it’s encouraging to see his approach play trending in the right direction.

As a very young talent at 19 years old, I like Brown in a chasing role where he can play aggressively with minimal expectations on the final day. He seems to be in his comfort zone on easier course setups, and he’ll have a great opportunity in front of him this Sunday to continue capitalizing on his great current form, as he is currently only five strokes off of the lead.

Ben Kohles ($8,200)

Ben Kohles was a fixture on my betting card before the tournament began, I was high on him to make a charge on moving day, and now that he’s clawed his way to within one stroke of the leaders, I see no reason to back off now. Kohles is scoring in a very sustainable way at TPC Deere Run, ranking top-30 across all four strokes gained categories and 2nd in SG: T2G. When he’s on, he is capable of leading the field in SG: APP and Driving Accuracy, so he’ll be a name to watch in the final round if his hot form continues for one more day.

Kohles looks to be a perfect fit for TPC Deere Run in the midst of what may be the hottest form of his career. He’s finished 1st, T29, T23, and T19 over his last four starts between the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour, and has sustained this stretch of form with elite accuracy with his driver and irons. That is the formula at TPC Deere Run, so it’s no wonder he’s found himself T3 at 15-under-par through the opening three rounds.

Live Bets To Consider Entering Round 4

Round 4 Matchup: JT Poston over Keegan Bradley

Best Available odds: -114

Pick you poison in this toss-up matchup between two players who have had absolutely nothing going for themselves at the 2026 John Deere Classic. Poston and Bradley have played identically thus far, each positioned T55 at 5-under-par and ranking top-20 in SG: OTT, but outside the top-40 in all other strokes gained metrics.

If it’s a fairway-to-green contest between these two out-of-form iron players, I’m going to side with Poston, who has proven to be one of the best putters on Tour this season. The Memorial Tournament winner has proven he has what it takes to conquer TPC Deere Run too, taking this tournament down back in 2022.

Tom Kim: Under Final Round 68.5

Best Available odds: +122

Can Tom Kim shoot -3 or better on Sunday? That is the question in this prop, and I’ve seen nothing from TPC Deere Run this week that leads me to question whether a top-tier, in-form talent like Tom Kim is capable of hitting this mark. Kim has posted rounds of -4, -3, and -2 over his first three days, and seemed incapable of shooting anything worse than a 69 on Saturday, with all facets of his game looking out of sorts.

For the tournament, Kim remains 16th in SG: T2G and 3rd in SG: APP, setting a great foundation for scoring on Sunday. He is also coming off of his best putting performance of the week on Saturday, so if he’s found something on the greens, he’ll have a great opportunity to post a low round on Sunday.

Best of luck with your John Deere Classic DFS lineups and bets!

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