Fantasy Insider: AT&T National

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When Tiger Woods returned to competition at the Masters, and I slotted him fourth in the Power Rankings that week, that's when I truly grasped the power of the PGATOUR.COM exposure. My email was busier than Lance Ten Broeck at the 2009 Valero Texas Open, but there was an interesting portioning of the subjects. One-third thought that Woods deserved to be higher on the list, and one-third argued that he should be lower or not even mentioned. (Author interjection: Woods finished T4 at the tournament, which probably helps explain why the outcries ceased thereafter.)

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However, the most intriguing one-third was the contingent that went off the grid, taking personal shots at Woods the person. Now, I've never minded being a sponge for venting, but I take what happened outside the ropes in moderation. Sure, it influenced me early to an extent, but we've seen countless professional athletes rebound from personal turmoil, no matter how popular. Give Woods enough reps and he'll find his game.

A few weeks prior, I ranked his 13 projected starts here. The AT&T National sits last for the reasons given. Yet, Woods popped up in my Power Rankings this week, cozying in at No. 7. While he is always a threat, that list grades on an elevated curve; that is, Woods v. Woods. And he's getting those reps.

If Yahoo! gamers can't resist this week, at least keep the world's No. 1 benched. As I wrote here last week, plan accordingly for the FedExCup Playoffs.

MORE: Rookie Watch | Medical Extensions | Reshuffle | Major qualifiers

TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Ryan Moore, Scott Verplank and Tiger Woods.

Vijay Singh -- On last week's "LIVE@" coverage, it was mentioned that he's playing in something like 13 of 14 events this summer. That includes next week's Scottish Open on the European Tour, but the message is a tremendous one for his fantasy owners. And Yahoo! gamers likely have a few starts more than usual to burn. He finished T13 at the Travelers despite a third-round 73. Singh also placed inside the top 25 in every major category from tee to hole. Deserves a look this week.

Justin Leonard -- You know it's an odd year when a T14 at the U.S. Open is his best finish of the season. Aronimink isn't a good fit for him to back it up, however. He's 110th in ball-striking and 97th in scrambling. Moreover, I'm still not convinced that he's been able to fully adapt to the channel grooves.

Bryce Molder -- Talk about a swing and a miss last week. He finished T46 and 75th (of 77) in fairways and greens hit, respectively, at TPC River Highlands. Also placed T73 in birdies. I'm hoping that it was just a matter of a poor feel for the track, because I like him again this week. Doesn't have to kill it, and it just a month ago that he finished T5 at another classic, Colonial.

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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Alex Cejka, Jim Furyk, Brian Gay and Fredrik Jacobson.

Sean O'Hair -- Whether it's Stewart Cink (zero top 10s in five starts at East Lake; THE TOUR Championship) or Shaun Micheel (this year's T4 at TPC Southwind was his first top 10 in 16 starts there) or even Phil Mickelson (0-for-1 at Grayhawk; 2007 Frys.com Open), one's opportunity to play one's home course doesn't necessarily guarantee success. O'Hair, who lives just west of Aronimink (in West Chester), said recently that this is the first time that he believes that he'll be sleeping in his own bed for a tournament ... ever. He's a member of the storied club, and enters with a pair of T12s in tow (Memorial, U.S. Open), and four top 25s in his last five starts. While he's trending, he hasn't had a top 10 since the 28-man SBS Championship. And although his tee-to-green game sets up well enough, the balance will be tilted on the greens. The question is if O'Hair's comfort level on them (and how often he's played them at 11-12 on the Stimpmeter, we don't know) is enough to overcome his below-average putting.

J.B. Holmes -- Coming off a two-week break following a T59 at the St. Jude. He should pummel tracks like Aronimink (like he does Riviera), but Holmes has struggled putting four rounds together. He's 17th in scrambling but an awful 135th in greens hit. And he hasn't had a top 10 on a par 70 since the 2006 Sony Open (T10).

Bo Van Pelt -- Gotta love BVP. He rarely rests. Since banking six six-figure paychecks in seven events, he's returned to earth in the last two, including a T34 at the Travelers, where his irons were off (T57 in greens hit). Therefore, although he's money on paper (third in ball-striking, 25th in scrambling, first in birdies), abstain.

Dustin Johnson -- The Sunday 82 at the U.S. Open is ancient history, but it doesn't mean that you hop back on his bandwagon. DJ is 157th in scrambling (as he proved to us at Pebble Beach in the final round). He makes his dough by hitting greens with wedges after 300-yard drives and rolling his rock. He's 145th in proximity to the hole, and Aronimink could confound him.

Nick Watney -- He's shown some resiliency in emerging quickly from mini-slumps. With a missed cut at the Memorial and solo 76th at the U.S. Open, that means he's due. And Aronimink is the kind of place where he should thrive. Watney is fourth in ball-striking and 16th in birdies or better on par 4s. He'll need to lean on every bit of his strong iron game to score, as he's 174th in scrambling.

Lucas Glover -- Sits 110th in scrambling, which puts too much pressure on his iron game. You've read it before, but he's a much better long-term own.

Robert Allenby -- He's had a week to rest his left wrist after an impressive T29 at the U.S. Open. The challenge eases this week, and his ball-striking alone has value, but there are other horses you can ride until he's completely healthy.

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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Ricky Barnes, Ben Crane and Brendon de Jonge.

Justin Rose -- I've chuckled at the remarks via email and Twitter at how JR pulled a DJ (Dustin Johnson) on Sunday at the Travelers. In reality, JR pulled a JR, didn't he? He hit just seven greens in regulation en route to a one-birdie 75 and T9 payday. I had Rose in my crosshairs for the British Open -- and still do -- but now is not the time for a relapse. He's 18th in ball-striking and 23rd in scrambling. Considering his fade in Connecticut, your competition is likely hands-off this week, which makes it a perfect time to strike.

Tim Petrovic -- Well, he fulfilled my expectations, with a career-best T21 at the Travelers, where he finished T9 in fairways, T8 in greens and T2 in birdies. You know the formula here -- ride him into the ground.

Chris Riley -- If you've followed him for a while, then you can't help but feel good about the value of his solo third at the Travelers. With over $693K in earnings now, he's all but shored up top-125 status for 2011. It would be the first time since 2005 that he'd have the luxury of setting his schedule. While there must be a tremendous sense of relief for him, I don't expect Riley to contend this week. Yes, he's ninth in scrambling and 14th in bogey avoidance, but he hasn't backed up a top 10 with another since January 2003.

Matt Jones -- If he doesn't win this year, the Aussie just might be the pick of the litter in 2011. Coming off yet another solid performance (T13, Travelers), he's shown consistency and, therefore, reliability in our world. Based on that, and the fact that most in the field will be getting their first looks at Aronimink, Jones could be prime to break through. Six of the last nine winners on the PGA TOUR have been first-timers.

Rickie Fowler -- If you were surprised/bummed/irate that he didn't crack my Power Rankings, this is a reminder that while Fowler isn't any ordinary rookie, I've cooled on the first-timers on TOUR. That said, he leads the circuit in ball-striking and sits 16th in proximity to the hole. Find a way to get him into your Yahoo! lineup.

Rob Bolton is PGATOUR.COM's new fantasy columnist. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the PGA TOUR. To contact Rob, please e-mail him at FantasyInsider@charter.net.