The Fantasy Insider: HP Byron Nelson Championship

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You're in for a test when you tee it up at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas -- this layout ranked the seventh hardest to score on last season. You only get two par-5s to attack on this 7,166-yard beauty, so patience and timing will be mandatory for anyone who wants to be hoisting a trophy late in the afternoon on Sunday.

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Last week: Seven of the eight selections made the cut, paced by Zach Johnson (win), Justin Leonard (fifth) and Charley Hoffman (ninth). We're now in the 93rd percentile for the year, and we've had the champion in each of the last two events.

PGATOUR.com Fantasy Golf -- here are the rules in a nutshell:

We're picking eight players every week from three separate pools: two players from the A-List, four players from the B-List, and two players from the C-List.

From round to round, you'll "start" four of those players (one of your A players, two from B, one from C), making daily changes as you see fit. If your guys play well that day or for the week, you score well.

The eight players you pick at the beginning of the week are the only ones you can use and switch up during a particular tournament; the next week, you'll re-evaluate and refresh your group of eight.

You're allowed to use any player up to 10 starts for the year, and anything from 1-4 rounds in a given event counts as a single "start." As always, choose carefully, and have a long-term plan in addition to your short-term goals.

A-List Selections

PHIL MICKELSON (Round 1 starter): He's made nine cuts in his last 11 starts here, and generally it's a solid check going into Lefty's back pocket (3, 14, cut, 44, 17, 28, 2, cut, 6, 12, plus the win in 1996). The stat sheet will always give you plenty of back-up on a Mickelson selection: He's 23rd in putting average, eighth in par breakers, 19th in driving distance, and oh yeah, tops on the money list. Bench the tournament favorite at your own peril. (UPDATE: Mickelson has withdrawn) JUSTIN LEONARD: He's a very safe bet for a check this week, as he's cashed 14 times in 15 trips to the HP Byron Nelson Championship, albeit he hasn't made a really deep run since 2003 (T9). The Dallas native scored in the 60s for all four rounds at the Valero Texas Open (en route to a fifth-place finish), and he's having a dynamite putting year (14th) Other A-List Options: • Kevin Na is plenty animated on the course, and his ball striking can be a little erratic, but magical things happen when Na gets around the green: He's third in putting, first in sand-save percentage, 22nd in scrambling and seventh in scoring. He's yet to make a deep run at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, but let's trust his current form (five top 10s this year, including a T3 at The PLAYERS Championship) more than his tournament history. • A little home cooking went a long way for Vijay Singh two weeks ago, as he finished T9 at TPC Sawgrass, essentially playing in his backyard. Singh's putting of all things seemed to be the catalyst for the deep run, and I wouldn't be surprised if the roll continued at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Singh won this event in 2003 and has seven cashes in his last eight visits. • Brian Davis grabbed a T8 check in his first Byron Nelson start, but he's missed the cut the last two years. Still, off recent form, he has to be one of the strongest names to consider; he finished T5 at THE PLAYERS Championship then grabbed the same finish at the Valero Texas Open. The next step for Davis is to bring his best game to the final 18 holes -- he ranks 99th in final round scoring. • You generally get a good run out of a Mike Weir play -- he's cashed six of seven times over the last few months, and he showed fine form at THE PLAYERS Championship (T14). Patience has always been one of the left-hander's strengths, and he's capable of getting some red on the card (35th in par breakers, 11th in putting). • You know Robert Allenby can strike the ball with anyone, it's always a matter of what he'll do on the green. He's collected six consecutive checks here, including a couple of top 10s, and he ran a respectable T14 at THE PLAYERS Championship. • I've long had an appreciation for Ryan Moore's game, and he did finish second here last year, but you wonder whether the 84 he shot on the final day at TPC Sawgrass could have a lingering effect. We'll come back to Moore soon, but I need a show of good faith first.

B-List Selections

CHARLEY HOFFMAN (Round 1 starter): You get consistency with this selection (Hoffman has made 21 consecutive cuts), and you also get plenty of upside -- the concrete blonde is ranked 10th in driving distance, 23rd in greens in regulation and fifth in birdie average. Hoffman has some momentum from last weekend's 63-66 finish, and he's grabbed two top-10 checks at this tournament, including a T7 last year. DAVID TOMS (Round 1 starter): It's been a while since we've seen him here (2004 to be exact), but Toms gets your attention with his play of late: T9 at TPC Sawgrass, T18 at Quail Hollow, T5 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The stat sheet practically begs a Toms pick on a weekly basis: He's second in driving accuracy, sixth in putting average, fourth in all-around ranking and second in scoring average. Welcome back to stardom, DT. BRINY BAIRD: A player this talented has to win a tournament eventually, right? Baird's true driving (27th) and radar irons (second in greens in regulation) give him a chance on any track, and he's proven he can negotiate TPC Four Seasons -- he tied for 13th here last season. I'm not going to roll Baird out on Thursday, but I'll be happy to have him ready to go in the bullpen. BO VAN PELT: He's got five respectable cashes on his resumé here (35, 13, 26, 40, 21), and he's rallied nicely in 2009 (seven checks in eight starts) after an off season last year. Van Pelt's driving has generally been a strength, but he's backing it up nicely with excellent green play (16th in putting average) and opportunistic play (28th in birdie conversion). Get Van Pelt on your sleeper list for this week. Other B-List Options: • Brian Gay has a T9 and a T19 over his last three stops here, and I'm willing to give him a mulligan for his struggles two weeks back at TPC Sawgrass. He grades out well in my personal trinity of stats (third in driving accuracy, 39th in greens in regulation, 33rd in putting average), and you also get some cred for ranking 10th in scoring average. • Adam Scott won here last season, and he was third in 2006, but that doesnt make him an automatic play -- not by a longshot. There's that little issue of 2009 to contend with (five consecutive missed cuts and no sub-70 rounds since January). A little early confidence would go a long way with the talented Aussie, but I'm not going back to him until I see some results on the course first. • I almost tabbed Steve Marino to be in my Fab Four for this group, but his rocky finish at TPC Sawgrass spooked me a little bit. Nonetheless, he's entering this week off six consecutive cashes, and it's not a matter of if he wins an event someday on the PGA TOUR, its a matter of when. He ran 10th in his HP Byron Nelson Championship debut back in 2007. • Just when it looked like Rory Sabbatini was ready to attack the golf world again and go on a tear, he downshifted and lost his game a bit, missing the cut at Quail Hollow and The PLAYERS Championship. I'm a big supporter of Sabbatini's game and refreshing personality, but I'm not going to endorse him as a pick while he's looking for his best footing. • Hunter Mahan enters this week with six consecutive cashes, albeit he didn't make a deep run at TPC Sawgrass, and he's yet to do anything of note here (42, cut, 67, 70, cut). Off five starts here, I'd like to see a more bankable track record. • Matthew Goggin is another talented player due to win sooner or later, and he's got a couple of top-20 runs in his last three visits to this event (T19, T13). • Davis Love has to be considered at any event h plays, albeit this hasn't been one of his regular stops (last visit 2002). There's nothing wrong with his body of work in 2009 to this point, even though we've seen some inconsistent driving and putting at times. I'll put Love in the top 40 this week, but I'm not feeling that he'll be in the hunt on Sunday.

C-List Selections

IAN POULTER (Round 1 starter): No heavy lifting required on this pick, which really should be unanimous in the fantasy world. Poulter's finished T20 or better in six of his seven PGA TOUR starts this year, including a dazzling fifth at Quail Hollow and a solo second at THE PLAYERS Championship. He's truly been a different player after last year's confidence gain at the British Open and Ryder Cup, and I could see him winning at any event. He finished third here back in 2007. SCOTT VERPLANK: The likeable Dallas native is one of the first names you think of when this event comes to mind, and he's got plenty of back class to point to at the HP Byron Nelson hampionship (a win in 2007 and five top 10s through the years). Verplank has nine consecutive cashes entering this week -- consistency is always welcome in this space -- and he grades out well in my three preferred statistical categories, driving accuracy (fifth), greens in regulation (50th) and putting average (20th). I'll be surprised if he's not a notable four-round story in his hometown. Other C-List Options: • It was an up-and-down week for Charlie Wi at the Valero Texas Open, going low on two days but settling for a 71 for his two other rounds. He knows what to do at TPC Four Seasons, grabbing a T7 check last year, and the stat profile will back you up any week you want to use him (35th in driving accuracy, eighth in putting, seventh in all-around rank). • Ben Crane has a T2 finish in his Byron Nelson log if you go back far enough, but his last five starts here have been ordinary (cut, 25, 26, 48, cut). Nonetheless, his personality seems perfect for this test -- patience, cash in when you can -- and I expect four rounds out of him here. • Ted Purdy grabbed the hardware at the 2005 HP Byron Nelson Championship, but he's been an afterthought since then (45, cut, 35). I like that he's made 11 of 14 cuts this season, performing better than the individual stats would suggest. • Charles Howell III always gets a lot of C-List play any week we see him on TOUR, but this hasn't been his friendliest stop (cut, 34, cut, 60, cut, cut), and he's coming off a couple of missed cuts at Quail Hollow and THE PLAYERS. Mind you, he did cash 10 checks in a row prior to that, but I see some options I'd take before Howell in this spot.