Fantasy golf picks for the FBR Open

When the FBR Open begins Thursday, the players will have to deal with the Tour's wildest crowds, especially those at the 16th hole. Some guys elevate their games when the gallery is rowdy, while others shrink inside their golf bags or don't even bother to show up. Keep that in mind this week when filling out your roster. I tended to lean toward guys who did well in another intense event held last September in Louisville.

A-Players

Phil Mickelson: With the exception of a missed cut in 2007, Mickelson has recorded five top 10s in his last six trips, including a win in 2005 and a playoff loss to J.B. Holmes in 2008.

Anthony Kim: Coming off a shoulder injury, Kim doesn't seem like a good pick this week. But with the FBR Open being such a rowdy place, I have a feeling Kim will feed off the crowd and have a great finish.

B-Players

Brian Gay: Gay is emerging as a solid player after winning last season and notching three top-20 finishes to start '09. He also has top-20 finishes in his last two trips to Scottsdale.

D.J. Trahan: Another guy off to a good start after picking up his first win in '08 is Trahan. He's a steady driver, and he currently leads the Tour in birdies.

J.B. Holmes: With two wins at the FBR Open, this is as good a time as any to pick Holmes. The defending champion proved in 2008 that he's more than just a bomber. After knocking off Mickelson in a playoff at the FBR, Holmes went on to solid performances at the Wachovia, Players, Memorial and the Ryder Cup.

Hunter Mahan: Along with Mickelson, Mahan is making his debut this week. He was another impressive performer at the Ryder Cup, and he carried that momentum to a T17 at the Tour Championship, a T24 at the Timberlake and a T3 at Tiger's event in December.

C-Players

Charles Howell III: Howell still has trouble closing the deal (see 2009 Sony Open), but he's added some muscle to his frame and posted good finishes in his last two trips to Scottsdale.

Webb Simpson: Who needs experience? Simpson, a rookie, has made a quick first impression on Tour after top 10s in his first two events. I hope he's the next star on Tour -- I've got enough Simpsons references to last an entire season.

Fantasy golf picks for the Mercedes-Benz Championship

The 2009 PGA Tour season kicks off this week at Kapalua, and that means it's time to get ready for another season of fantasy golf. Each week, we'll identify eight players we like -- two A-players, four B-players and two C-players. (Note: This follows the Yahoo! Sports format but should be a good guide for other fantasy games as well.)

My picks for this week's squad:

A-Players
Vijay Singh: For once the Big Fijian is not being overlooked. Singh won the FedEx Cup, took a month off to heal an injury, gave us some tips, then won Tiger's charity event. Now he starts the season at an event where he's finished in the top 10 eight of the last nine years.

Justin Leonard: Ernie Els, Anthony Kim or Camilo Villegas might be sexier picks this week, but many leagues limit the number of times you can pick a player over the course of the season. Like your 401k, you've got to think long term. That's why we went with Leonard this week. He had a very good 2008, and he's notched two top 10s in his last two trips to Kapalua.

B-Players
Zach Johnson: The 2007 Masters champ missed most of the playoffs, and he's been working hard in the off-season to retool his game. He says the Plantation course doesn't fit his eye, but he has a plan this week, which is more than most guys can say.

Daniel Chopra: Lets face it, this might be the only time I pick Chopra all year. And why not? He won here last year, and with the top four players absent this week, it's a good time for players such as Chopra to grab a nice paycheck.

D.J. Trahan: Add Trahan to your list of Players to Watch in 2009. He won the Hope last year, then followed it up with solid finishes in big events, including the U.S. Open (T4), the Bridgestone (T8), the BMW (T5) and the Tour Championship (T17).

Will MacKenzie: Except for a victory at the Viking Classic and a T4 at the John Deere, MacKenzie had a terrible 2008. But he had his coming-out party at the Mercedes two years ago, when he finished T4.

C-Players
Chez Reavie: With a small field this week, it's slim pickings in the C-field. But Reavie is a solid choice after notching his first win last year in dramatic fashion at the Canadian Open. Our guy Peter Kostis thinks Reavie is the next Jay Haas, so it's hard to argue with that.

Johnson Wagner: Loved the way he went out and won the week before the Masters last year, and with a solid finish at the Deutsche  Bank, he should be feeling good heading into 2009.

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Ben Hogan's old playground welcomes five of the top 10 players this week, including No. 2 Phil Mickelson. But don't be lured by all the sexy names. There are several players with low profiles who have done well at Colonial.

Colonial Picks
Phil Mickelson: The 2000 champion at Colonial hasn't been out of the top 25 since missing the cut in February at Pebble Beach. He's clearly the best player in the field, and he'll play like it this week.

Kenny Perry: Perry is a streaky player, and despite some bad breaks last week, he's definitely on a streak of good play right now. Since 2002, Perry has two wins and a second at Colonial.

Anthony Kim: Kim tasted victory at Wachovia, followed it up with two solid rounds at the Players, then crashed on the weekend to finish T42. After a week of rest, look for him to be in the mix this weekend.

David Toms: Winless since the 2006 Sony Open, Toms's game seems to be coming back. He's had several good, but not great, tournaments this year. He has a good track record at Colonial, notching four top 10s in the past eight starts.

Justin Leonard: Leonard has never missed the cut in 14 trips to Colonial, and in 13 events this season he has seven top-25 finishes.

Sleeper
Nathan Green: How's this for a track record? In two starts at Colonial, Green has yet to finish outside the top five.

Players to Avoid
Rory Sabbatini: There's only one player who defended his title at Colonial: Ben Hogan.

Steve Stricker: The Comeback Player of the Year the past two seasons needs another comeback after missing cuts at the Masters, Wachovia and the Players.

Geoff Ogilvy: He missed the cut at the Players, and he's making his first appearance at Colonial since 2005. Ogilvy's best finish in five starts is 34th.

Players Championship

With one of the best fields of the year, even without the injured Tiger Woods, the Players Championship offers plenty of big names. But you may want to leave the biggest name in the field off your roster. There has never been a repeat champion at the Players, so if you believe in jinxes, keep Phil Mickelson out of your lineup.

Players Picks

Adam Scott: The 2004 Players champ followed up his playoff win at the Byron Nelson with a top-10 finish last week at Wachovia. He has three career top 10s at the Players, and he has only missed the cut once.

Retief Goosen: Playing in his first PGA Tour event since a T17 at the Masters, Goosen has missed five cuts at the Players, but his recent history shows improvement with a T28 last year, second in 2006, and a T12 in 2005.

Anthony Kim: This was a tough call. Who knows how he'll play after his first Tour victory? But he's played great in three straight tournaments, and after missing the cut last year in embarrassing fashion (78-83), Kim has a lot to prove this week.

Jim Furyk: He lives a pitch and a putt away from Sawgrass, but that hasn't meant much for Furyk's success at the Players. He has only two career top 10s at the Players. But, he's only missed the cut once and he's on a roll, with two straight top 10s at the Wachovia and the Verizon.

Stewart Cink: This guy is due. Cink has three straight top 10s dating back to the Masters, and he has recorded four top-five finishes this season. After a lackluster record at Sawgrass, Cink finished T3 last year.

Sleeper

Fred Couples: It's hard to call a two-time Players champion a sleeper, but Couples has quietly notched three top 10s this season, including a T8 last week. He got in at the last minute after Will MacKenzie withdrew, so look for Couples to make the most of his good fortune.

Players to Avoid

Justin Leonard: The 1998 Players champ is having a great season, despite no W's, but he's struggled lately at Sawgrass, missing three straight cuts.

Steve Stricker: After another great start to the season, Stricker has cooled off in his last four events with three missed cuts. Plus, he hasn't played well at Sawgrass since a T6 in 1999.

Trevor Immelman: What a strange four-event stretch for Immelman. He missed the cut in Houston a week before the Masters; he won the Masters; then Immelman missed the cut the past two weeks. In three trips to Sawgrass, Immelman has yet to make the cut.

EDS Byron Nelson Championship

The Tour is back in the Lone Star state this week, so that means your fantasy roster should be filled with guys from Texas, right? Whoa there, cowboy. Last year, Scott Verplank became only the third Texan in 43 years to win the Nelson. Here’s who we like this week.

Nelson Picks

Luke Donald: A quick recap of Donald’s last four tournaments: 2, Cut, T20, Cut. Going by those results, Donald is due for a good week. Plus, he has two straight top-10 finishes in this event, and he hasn’t finished out of the top 20 since missing the cut in 2002.

Trevor Immelman: The Masters champ is making his first appearance since donning the green jacket, and it would be easy to pick against him due to fatigue, etc. While only one guy (Tiger Woods) has won the next tournament following a Masters victory, 15 of the past 20 Masters champions have finished in the top 25. In short, if you’re looking for some safe points, take Immelman.

Adam Scott: He’s the only top-10 player in the field this week, and Scott could use a win to lift his spirits after an illness hampered his preparations for the Masters. Scott recorded a T3 in his only appearance at the Nelson in 2006.

Anthony Kim: Kim was great television last week as he tried to catch Boo Weekley in Harbour Town. Kim knows he is close to winning his first tournament, and it showed last week as he seemed to live and die with every shot. His desire to win could hamper his efforts, but look for him to cash another big paycheck this weekend.

Scott Verplank: The defending champion has only one top 10 finish this year, and he has missed the cut in three of his last five starts. But Verplank, a friend of the late Byron Nelson, had only one top 10 entering last year’s Nelson, and he won. Verplank seems to find magic at this tournament, and look for him to find it again this week.

Sleeper

Rod Pampling: He’s missed five of his last eight cuts, but Pampling has two-straight top-10 finishes at the Nelson, and he hasn’t missed the cut since 2003.

Players to Avoid

Justin Leonard: It’s hard to go against a guy who (A) Is having a great year, and (B) Is from Texas. But Leonard is playing for the fourth straight week, and he hasn’t done very well in this tournament. In 14 trips, he has only two top-10 finishes. 

Sergio Garcia: The 2004 champion would be a great choice every week if putting wasn’t a factor in golf. Garcia’s struggles with the flat stick this year are well known, and so far, things aren't looking any better on the greens for Sergio.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will be in New Orleans, and no, Ernie Els will not be in the Big Easy either. Still, the Zurich has attracted a stellar field that includes Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink. But don't forget about the little guys when making your picks; five of the past six champions have been first-time winners. Also, the winner, if not already exempt, will earn a ticket to the Masters.

New Orleans Picks
Jim Furyk: Want proof of how tough a competitor Furyk is? Needing a birdie to tie Geoff Ogilvy at Doral on No. 18 on Monday, Furyk nearly holed a wedge shot, on the fly, from the fairway. Despite making his first trip to New Orleans since 1996, Furyk should be in the final group on Sunday.

Steve Stricker: Throw out his missed cut at the FBR, and Stricker hasn't finished worse than T14 in six events this season. He also tied for 11th last year in New Orleans.

Anthony Kim: Kim, who tied for third last year, could kill two birds this week. He could win his first tournament, and he could qualify for the Masters. That's a lot to play for.

Padraig Harrington: This guy is due for a win. In six events this season (three on the PGA Tour, three on the European Tour), Harrington hasn't finished out of the top 20. He skipped New Orleans last year, but Harrington finished T11 in 2006 and T9 in 2005.

Ryuji Imada: Imada is also on the bubble for Augusta, in part because he was DQ'd after John Daly missed the pro-am at Bay Hill. Imada is a very good putter, and he's finished runner-up twice this year.

Sleeper
Lucas Glover: Glover has played OK this year, missing only one cut, but his best finish was a T22. His record in this tournament, however, has been superb. Glover's last three finishes: T8, T7, T3.

Players to Avoid
Nick Watney: The defending champion is coming off solid finishes at Bay Hill and Doral, but it's tough for a young player to defend a title.

Davis Love III: Love needs a win to go to Augusta, and while he has done it before, there's nothing to indicate his game is heading in the right direction. In five events this season, Love has cracked the top 25 only once.

David Toms: Toms was born in Louisiana and went to school at LSU, and he won this event in 2001. But after a T9 in 2002, Toms hasn't finished better than T34.