Alex Hunter provides his top DraftKings fantasy golf value plays for the American Express in La Quinta, California.

Following the Sony Open won by Chris Gotterup, the PGA TOUR is hosting the American Express this week. Since 2016, this tournament has featured three courses in La Quinta, California. Each player of this 156-man field will play one round at 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 as those players who advance will return to the Dye Stadium Course for the final round. With two of the four rounds being played at this venue, the Dye Stadium Course is the host course of the American Express. All previous SG data for this tournament comes exclusively from the Dye Stadium Course and it remains the venue we need to focus on for research. At last year’s American Express, Sepp Straka (-25) won by two shots.

The Dye Stadium Course is a short par 72 that features wide fairways, large greens, over 90 bunkers and water in play on eight holes. Per usual with a Dye-designed track, the Dye Stadium Course is a venue where being long isn’t necessary, but being in great form with both irons and the putter is essential. Of the last five winners of the American Express, three have finished the event top-six in SG APP and four have finished the event top-12 in SGP. The course features four easy par fives, so capitalizing on these holes with at least a birdie every time you face one is a must to contend at this typically low-scoring tournament. Four of the past five victors of the American Express have finished the tournament top-10 in par five efficiency, so targeting strong par five players is wise this week.

Below, I have featured four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the American Express, which all cost less than $7.5K.

Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $600K Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]

Top DraftKings PGA TOUR DFS Bargain Plays for the American Express

Brian Harman ($7,400): Ever since the Dye Stadium Course became the home course of the American Express, Harman has been excellent at this event, making six out of nine cuts with all six of these finishes coming inside the top-25. The veteran has produced three top-12 finishes at this multi-course tournament, most recently with a T3 in 2022.

Harman now returns to the American Express as the maker of 14 of his last 16 cuts with seven top-25 finishes during this run, including a win at the Valero Texas Open last April. Harman ranks 11th in SG APP when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds and is a great bargain at this $7,400 salary, which is the cheapest he has ever been on DraftKings for the American Express.

Max Homa ($7,400): Homa has finished T48th and T21st in his last two starts at the American Express. After an ugly first half of his season in 2025, the six-time PGA TOUR winner finished the year in compelling form, making 12 of his final 15 cuts. Homa finished inside the top-20 five times over this time, most recently with a T9 at the Bank of Utah Championship in late October. He ranks ninth in SG APP when we analyze this field’s last 24 rounds.

Coming off his strong conclusion to the fall swing, Homa should be very motivated to have a big bounce-back season in 2026 and he brings top-25 upside this week at an affordable cost.

Sahith Theegala ($7,200): After opening the Sony Open with a 3-over 73 last week, Theegala rallied back to make the cut and finish T31st at the event. The 28-year-old shot under par in his final three rounds and has now made five of his last six cuts with three of these finishes being top-35 results. 

Theegala ranks 26th in SG APP when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. Looking to build off his inspiring performance in Hawaii last week, the California native now heads to La Quinta for the American Express, an event that he has never missed a cut at in two attempts, including a T33rd in 2022. A higher finish is very possible for Theegala this week and he has a ton of merit at this low $7,200 price tag. 

Chris Kirk ($6,900): Kirk missed the cut at the Sony Open last week, but he should get back on track at the American Express. Kirk has made four of his last five cuts at this tournament, including a T16 in 2021 and a T3 in 2023. Plus, before missing the weekend at the Sony Open, Kirk had only missed one cut in his previous eight starts with five top-15 finishes during this span. 

Kirk impressively ranks top-six in both SGT2G and SG APP when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. He’s a terrific target at this sub $7K salary who could get overlooked after the missed cut last week.Â