Fantasy Preview: Northern Trust Open

It’s going to be a long week at the Northern Trust Open as an already difficult Riviera CC course will be even tougher with rain, cool temperatures and overall nastiness in the forecast. Read on to see who has the best chance to channel their inner Tom Watson and take home the title.

As always, the questionable picks dispensed below are based on Yahoo/PGATour.com league rules. 

A-LIST

Phil Mickelson: He’s a two-time winner and all-time money leader at the NTO (as the kids call it). Lefty’s a no-brainer at Riviera.

Luke Donald: It’ll be his first Tour event of the year, and Donald hasn’t shot an above-par round here in his last three appearances, going T3 in 2008, T6 in ’09, and runner-up last year.

B-LIST

Steve Stricker: Stricker returns to the States to defend his Northern Trust title, where he was also runner-up in 2009 and T11 in ‘08. He went top 10 in each of his PGA Tour starts this year, and it’s a pretty good bet that he’ll make it three for three.

Alex Prugh: It's Tuesday, so it must be time for me to recommend Prugh to the fantasy golf world (I swear I'm not his marketing agent ... though Alex, if you're looking for one...). Prugh played well here in a top-10 finish a year ago, especially in the second and third rounds when the weather was at its worst (shooting a 69 and 66). He’s been top 25 in his last two starts, and is just playing solid golf.

Bubba Watson: He’s hammering the ball off the tee as usual, and he’s hitting 78.8 percent of his greens, third-best on the Tour, to boot. He missed the cut at Riviera a year ago, but was top 20 in 2008 and ’09. Consistency has never been his thing, but Watson is playing well right now. And considering the forecast, why not tab a wildcard or two.

Y.E. Yang: He had a top 15 at Riviera last year and went T8 in Phoenix two weeks ago. You could do worse than Yang as some B-list depth. (And if you live in Southern California, please let Y.E. know if you have a couch he can crash on).  

C-LIST

J.B. Holmes: The result was a T13, but there’s no reason to get too giddy about Holmes’ uneven weekend at Pebble Beach. But he’s been top seven at the Northern Trust each of the past three years, and he has a chance to simply power the ball through the rain.

Mike Weir: Sure, a bit of a long shot, but he showed some signs of life Thursday at the AT&T with a 68, and he’s returning to a tournament he’s won twice. Plus, according to Cosmo Kramer, “this baby loves the slop. Loves it, eats it up, eats the slop, born to slop. His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder.” 

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(Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Fantasy Picks for the Transitions Championship

Tiger Woods might be Topic A for all golf fans this week, but he's not going to get you any fantasy points yet. Instead, you need to focus on the Transitions Championship this week at Innisbrook's Copperhead course. Retief Goosen won this event last year, as well as in 2003, and the Goose will be among the favorites to win it this season too.

The Pro Tip:Retief Goosen is the only player to shoot all four rounds under par in this tournament's history, and that was when he won last year. Consistency is key to winning here so avoid streaky players.

A-Group

Steve Stricker
The second-ranked player in the world has done what Phil Mickelson couldn't--take advantage of Tiger's absence. This season Stricks has three top-10 finishes including a win at Riviera and a third-place finish at the Sony Open. He is No. 1 in all-around ranking on Tour this season and his T-4 at Innisbrook last year means he is a solid pick this week.

A-Group Bench Player

Zach Johnson
Four top-25s in five starts this season, the 2007 Masters champion is gearing up for April, and he is once again my group A bench selection. He is first in birdie average and fourth in ball striking, which makes Zach Johnson a solid safety net.

B-Group

Retief Goosen
The defending champion is looking to become the first three-time champion at this tournament, as well as the first back-to-back champion. Last season he had all four rounds under par. He has three top 10s in five starts this season, and he ranks first in final-round scoring average as well as fifth in total putting. His final round at the Sony Open (62) is tied for the lowest round on Tour this season.

Padraig Harrington
He carded a T3 at Doral and is stopping by the White House on Wednesday for St. Patrick's Day. Paddy is first in scrambling from theroughand fifth out of the sand.

B-Group Bench Players

Geoff Ogilvy
He won the SBS Championship and is ranked first in top 10s and total eagles. He is eighth in birdie average and 14th in total putting.

Sean O'Hair
He won this event in 2008, the youngest winner ever, in a very windy tournament that tested his full array of shot-making skills. He is in the top 15 in six of the 15 standard stat categories (GIR, putting average, birdie average, FedEx cup points, money leaders and par breakers).

C-Group

Rickie Fowler
Fowler has two top 10s in his first season on Tour, with a second-place finish at the Phoenix Open. Be cautious about using him to start here and have a solid backup ready, because he has made only three of seven cuts this season.

Bench Player

Ian Poulter
On the PGA Tour this season, he has two top 10s in three starts, without a missed cut, making him a nice safety net to Fowler while not necessarily having to use up a valuable start. He is fifth in putts per round and ninth in putting average. He is also tied with Goosen for the top final-round scoring average on tour.

*All picks forYahoo Fantasy Golf format. Confused? Check out theGolf.com Guide to Fantasy Golf.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the BMW Championship

With the exception of a few picks, my fantasy lineup didn't change much from last week. It's always hard to predict how a golfer will play in any given week, but I am mostly sticking with the players who have been solid in the playoffs. If $10 million doesn't inspire you to play well ...

A-Players
Padraig Harrington: If he can stay away from the big numbers, Harrington just might win his first event since the 2008 PGA.

Tiger Woods: Woods has won almost as many titles in Chicago as his buddy Michael Jordan. A win this week would give Woods five titles at Cog Hill, while Jordan won six title with the Bulls.

B-Players
Steve Stricker: After a T2 at The Barclays and a win last week, Stricker climbed to No. 1 in FedEx Cup points. In the last two BMW Championships, Stricker finished in the top 10 both times.

Zach Johnson: Since winning his second title of the year in May, Johnson has finished out of the top 20 only four times.

Sean O'Hair: He's coming off a T8 at the Deutsche Bank, and O'Hair is starting to play like he did earlier this season when he finished out of the top 25 once in ten events.

Angel Cabrera: Cabrera has finished in the top five twice in his last four events, and he needs a good week to remain in the top 30.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: The Goose has found his game again after dropping out of the top 10 in the world rankings. In 18 events this season, Goosen has five top 10s, and he is coming off a T8 in Boston.

Scott Verplank: With two top 10s in the playoffs, Verplank has moved to fifth in the FedEx Cup standings.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Deutsche Bank Championship

After a week on an unfamiliar golf course with an unfamiliar winner, the FedEx Cup playoffs move to more familiar territory at TPC Boston, where Vijay Singh defends his title at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings move on to next week's BMW Championship outside Chicago.

A-Players
Tiger Woods: He hasn't won a tournament in almost a month, so is that considered a dry spell for Woods? With two wins and two runner-up finishes since missing the cut at the British Open, Woods just needs to get the putter working to return to the winner's circle.

Padraig Harrington: So much for that slump. While he hasn't won this year, Harrington's game has returned lately with three straight top-10 finishes.

B-Players
Steve Stricker: He's starting to become a regular contender in the playoffs, and Stricker continued his good play last week, finishing T2 at The Barclays.

Zach Johnson: He's finished out of the top 30 only once in his last six events, and Johnson was right in the mix at The Barclays until a final-round 75.

Hunter Mahan: While he hasn't won this year, Mahan has been one of the most consistent players on Tour, with 14 top-25 finishes in 21 events.

Nick Watney: After a mid-year slump, Watney rebounded nicely at The Barclays, finishing T6 and moving into the top 10 in FedEx Cup points.

C-Players
Ian Poulter: I pointed out last week that Poulter has been solid in almost every big event this year, and he didn't disappoint at The Barclays with a T9.

Heath Slocum: Ok, so we're probably a week too late with this pick, but at least he has a lot to play for after his stunning win at Liberty National. Slocum jumped from No. 124 in FedEx Cup points to No. 3, and now he has a shot to win the points race.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the PGA Championship

It will be hard for anyone to leave Tiger Woods off their roster this week since Woods is going for his third win in as many weeks. But remember he's teased us all year. Woods won every event he played in before a major, and he has yet to win one. Will this week be different?

A-Players
Tiger Woods: He has to win this week, right? Woods has five wins this year, and he lost out to Rich Beem the last time the PGA was at Hazeltine.

Stewart Cink: So much for a post-British Open letdown. Cink finished T6 at the Bridgestone in his first start since winning at Turnberry.

B-Players
Steve Stricker: I always worry about Stricker being able to finish the job on Sundays, but he's been having a great year, with eight top 10s and two wins.

Lee Westwood: Westwood is another guy who is continuing to play well after the Open. He hasn't finished out of the top 10 in his last four events.

Angel Cabrera: His record has been shaky since winning the Masters, but Cabrera is coming off solid finishes at the Scottish Open, the British Open and a T4 at Firestone.

Boo Weekley: Boo has eight top-25 finishes this year, and in his two starts at the PGA he's finished T20 and T9.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: If it's not going to be Tiger this week, I like The Goose. Goosen won earlier this year after struggling with his game, and in his last five starts he has four top 10s. Oh, and he's won two U.S. Opens.

Luke Donald: The sweet-swinging Brit has five top 10s this year, and if not for a wrist injury earlier in the year, he might have had even more. He played a great final round at Turnberry to finish T5.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

Chances are, with the exception of Tiger Woods, last week was a bad week for most people with a fantasy lineup. Names such as Thatcher, Chalmers and Senden were probably not at the top of anyone's roster. But this week brings the return of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and most of the top-50 players, including Phil Mickelson.

A-Players
Tiger Woods: Six wins in nine starts at Firestone, and Woods has never finished worse than T4.

Paul Casey: This is a big week for the world No. 3. Casey hasn't sniffed a top 10 since Colonial, and he's coming off a disappointing missed cut at the British Open. He has two top-10 finishes at Firestone in the last three years, so look for Casey to return to the first page of the leaderboard.

B-Players
Lee Westwood: He's coming off three straight top 10s, including a T3 at Turnberry, and Westwood tied for second last year at Firestone.

Davis Love III: He's finished out of the top 13 only once at Firestone.

Rory McIlroy: Making his debut at Firestone, McIlroy has missed only one cut this year.

Steve Stricker: With two wins in his last five starts, Stricker is one of the hottest players on Tour.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: He finished T4 last year at the Bridgestone, and Goosen is coming off four straight top 10s.

Luke Donald: In 15 events this season, Donald has 11 top-25 finishes, and he has never finished out of the top-25 at Firestone.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the John Deere Classic

Each week, we'll identify eight players we like -- two A-players, four B-players and two C-players. (Note: This follows the format of many other popular fantasy games.) If you haven't already, sign up for fantasy golf to compete for great prizes.

The pool of "A" players is pretty sparse this week, with Kenny Perry being the obvious choice. The tough decisions lie in the pool of "B" players, especially if you're like me and have maybe used one player too many times. Despite his good play recently, I'm benching David Toms this week, because I can only use him four more times.

Fortunately, there are still plenty of good choices.

A-Players
Kenny Perry: The defending champion has never finished out of the top 25 in eight appearances.

Ryan Moore: After missing three of four cuts, Moore has finished no worse than T11 in his last three starts.

B-Players
Bryce Molder: After a horrible start to the season, Molder has found his game, finishing in the top 25 in his last four events, including fourth at the AT&T National and a T2 at the St. Jude Classic.

Lucas Glover: The U.S. Open champion is not slowing down, and it appears to be working for him. Since his win at Bethpage Black, Glover has finished T11 at the Travelers and T5 at the AT&T National.

Steve Stricker: While he may be out of chances to win the Comeback Player of the Year for a third time, Stricker is continuing his great play this season. He's notched 11 top-25 finishes in 14 starts, including a win and five other top 10s.

Zach Johnson: With two wins and nine top-25 finishes this season, Johnson is becoming a favorite each time he tees it up.

C-Players
Scott Verplank: He's coming off a T9 at the Travelers, and Verplank has six top-25 finishes in 15 events.

Charles Howell III: It's been a rough few months for Howell, missing five of his last six cuts, but he's finished in the top 25 in three starts at the John Deere.

Fantasy Golf Picks for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

The final leg of the Texas Swing rolls in Fort Worth this week for the Colonial. Phil Mickelson will not be around to defend his title, but there are plenty of top players on their games as they try to conquer the Texas version of Hogan's Alley.

A-Players
Stewart Cink: He hasn't been on his game since a T3 at the Match Play, but Cink has four top-20 finishes at Colonial since 2003. Plus he tweeted about the course changes, and Cink said he is a fan.

Justin Leonard: The Dallas native is having a solid Texas Swing with a T5 at the Texas Open and a T16 at the Nelson. Leonard has also never missed the cut at Colonial in 15 starts.

B-Players
Rod Pampling: In his last four trips to Colonial, Pampling finished T2, T12, 3, T6.

Charley Hoffman: Another player having a solid Texas Swing is Hoffman. He's finished in the top 25 in both events, plus he hasn't missed a cut this season.

Steve Stricker: The two-time Comeback Player of the Year is having another great season. He's finished in the top 25 in nine of his 11 starts, including five top 10s.

Rory Sabbatini: I'm probably a week too late on this pick, but Sabbatini is a former champion at Colonial, and he has five top 10s this season in addition to his win at the Nelson.

C-Players
Matt Kuchar: After solid finishes at the Players and the Nelson, Kuchar was the medalist on Monday for British Open qualifying.

James Nitties: The rookie has missed eight cuts this season, but Nitties has also finished in the top 25 six times, including two top 10s.

Fantasy golf picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill

After weeks of making picks, I finally hit the jackpot last week with Retief Goosen winning, and top-5 showings by Charles Howell III and Steve Stricker ... (holding for applause). Lets hope the winning streak continues with Tiger Woods going for his sixth title at Bay Hill.

A-Players
Tiger Woods: He finished T9 last week with a cold putter. I hate to see what happens if he starts making a few putts.

Jim Furyk: He was on a roll after a third-place finish at Doral and an opening 65 at the Transitions. But the usually steady Furyk collapsed on Friday with a 78. I'm sticking with Furyk this week. I think we're more likely to see another 65 than a 78.

B-Players
Davis Love III: Love's been on a roll this year, with his eye on winning or getting in the top 50 for a ticket to Augusta. He's currently No. 47, so Love still has an extra incentive to play well this week.

Stuart Appleby: Appleby has usually won a tournament by the time Bay Hill rolls around, but he looks to be getting in form after a T8 at the Transitions.

Hunter Mahan: Mahan has three top-20 finishes this season, plus he tied for sixth last year.

Boo Weekley: I'm picking Boo just for the mental image of Arnold Palmer handing Boo a giant sword on Sunday. Plus, Weekley has yet to miss a cut this season, and he's finished in the top 25 in both starts at Bay Hill.

C-Players
Ian Poulter: He's only played three events this season, but Poulter hasn't finished outside of the top 25.

Louis Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen has been on fire on the European Tour with four top 10s. He has also looked solid in the States, finishing T20 at Doral.

Fantasy golf picks for Transitions Championship

It's NCAA Tournament week, and the only thing tougher than picking a final four is trying to figure out who will win the Transitions Championship.

Some of you might be asking, What's the Transitions Championship? It's not a new tournament, just a new sponsor, Transitions Optical. The event was sponsored by PODS the past two seasons.

What hasn't changed is the golf course. Since the tournament was started in 2000, it's been held at the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort. That means there is a solid track record of how players have done at this event, which should help you set up your fantasy roster. If you need help filling out your bracket, don't ask me. Ask these guys.

A-Players
Kenny Perry: I'm kicking myself for not starting Perry more this season. When he gets hot, he's hard to beat. My only fear is that I'm jumping on the bandwagon too late. But judging by his play at Doral (T9), and his record at this event (never finished out of the top 30), Perry is my man this week.

John Senden: John who? I know, I know. It's a bit of a risky pick since there are more prominent players available such as K.J. Choi and Jim Furyk, but remember, it's a long season and you can only use a player 10 times. Plus, Senden has consecutive T2 finishes at this event.

B-Players
Nick Watney: What a coming-out party last week for Watney. His win at Torrey Pines this year was impressive, but there's a big difference between going head-to-head with John Rollins and Phil Mickelson. Watney not only held his own, but he proved he belongs in the conversation with Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy and Camilo Villegas as the next superstars in golf.

Sean O'Hair: He's without a win this season, and that's probably why no one is talking about O'Hair's great start. Six events and six top-25 finishes, with five of those finishes in the top 15. Oh yeah, and he's the defending champion.

David Toms: Finally healthy again, Toms is back to playing like a top-20 player. The problem is he's currently ranked No. 66 and needs to get inside the top 50 to get into the Masters. With that weighing on his mind, Toms has turned up his game with three top-6 finishes this season.

Steve Stricker: Another guy continuing to post solid finishes, but no W's, is Stricker. In five of six events, he's finished in the top 25, with a second and a T3.

C-Players
Retief Goosen: The pickins remain slim in the C bracket, so that's why I'm sticking with Goosen. He hasn't played very well since a third-place finish at Pebble Beach, but he is a past champion at Innisbrook.

Charles Howell III: A beefed-up Howell has been erratic since he finished fourth at the Sony Open, but he had a nice week in Puerto Rico with the exception of third-round 77.