The Fantasy Insider: A new kind of excitement
By Scott Pianowski, The Fantasy Insider
New season, new fantasy game, new rules, new excitement. Same chilly weather in southeast Michigan, so my Hawaii Dreaming starts in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . it's go time.
PGATOUR.com Fantasy Golf
Here's your game plan, friends, 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.
Let's have a look at this week's players to watch at the Mercedes-Benz Championship (winners only, please) and fill out my first lineup card of the season.
A-List Selections
Vijay Singh (Round 1 starter): It doesn't take any deep research to see that Singh loves the layout at Kapalua, his finishes speak for themselves (12, 1, 2, 5, 2, 4, 3, 8, 4). No matter that the Mercedes-Benz Championship has a much smaller field than normal, that's a ridiculous resume. A track record this glittering can't be ignored in the new format, and in one of my other leagues, where you can only dial up a golfer once per season, I'm still rolling with Singh.
Need more before you commit? How about Singh's dynamic and emphatic win in the 2008 FedExCup Playoffs. How did that grab you? Want more? Singh rolled to a victory at the Chevron World Challenge a couple of weeks ago, just to show he's ready to rock in 2009. You can't steer away from him here, no matter the format.
Ernie Els: He hasn't teed it up here since 2005, but he ran third that season and his overall resume at Kapalua jumps out at you (3, 21, 1, 3, 2, 10, 14). I get a good vibe on The Big Easy; he seems refreshed and centered, focused and ready for a comeback push. Look for a strong start for Ernie on this familiar turf.
Other A-List Options: You have to give Anthony Kim and Camillo Villegas a good chance to compete and win anywhere, but they're both making their Kapalua debut, which was enough for me to play the waiting game on those two young guns. Fret not, they'll be in our plans very soon . . . Kenny Perry has just one top-10 finish in six starts here, and I'm a little worried about a come-down season for him after his exhilarating, but draining, 2008 run . . . Justin Leonard is another big name who's yet to really nail down this course; in nine starts here, he's got just one top-five check to show for it (we expect more with the smaller field). I'd wait for a different spot on Leonard . . . Stewart Cink is always worth considering in the early part of the year, and although it's been four seasons since he made it to this winners-only event, he has done well in three stops at Kapalua (5, 12, 6) . . . K.J. Choi might be the most underrated star on TOUR, and while his last three tries at the Mercedes-Benz have been rather ordinary, he was second in 2003 . . . Geoff Ogilvy has the profile of someone who should do well here, but he's yet to make a deep run in two tries (19, 13) . . . Trevor Immelman has just one start over the grounds, a third-place finish in 2007 . . . Ryuji Imada is one of the craftiest players around, but I'm tempering expectations as he makes his Kapalua debut.
B-List Selections
Adam Scott (Round 1 Starter): Kapalua has suited his eye from Day 1 -- he's finished second, fifth and seventh in three starts here, and 9-of-12 rounds have scored in the 60s. Something seems right about selecting the easy-going Aussie in this laid-back paradise.
J.B. Holmes (Round 1 starter): It's a course where the bombers generally get rewarded, and that makes Holmes an intriguing start. Long John grabbed fourth place in his Kapalua debut, and he's got last year's sterling play at the Ryder Cup to give him some extra confidence.
Davis Love III: If momentum to end the year means anything, watch out for Love, who grabbed career victory No. 20 with a stirring run at the Children's Miracle Network Classic. The triumph earned Love a lifetime exemption on TOUR, probably sealed his Hall of Fame spot, and for our purposes, makes him a very ticklish fantasy play early in the year. He's got a history of playing well in January, too, especially at this event (three Top-10s in his last four visits).
Daniel Chopra: He only had one Top-10 finish last year but it was a nifty one -- a victory on these very grounds. Perhaps a good vibes here will help relax Chopra and bring out his best game, and when you putt like he does (third in putting average last season), you've always got a shot).
Other B-List Options: I'm a Carl Pettersson believer in most spots, but he's yet to crack the Top-20 in two trips to Kapalua . . . Sean O'Hair is another player I'd go to the mat for most weeks -- he's on my hometown auction squad, the biggest endorsement I can give anyone -- but his debut here was a forgettable 27th . . . Zach Johnson's ordinary length off the tee isn't best suited for the track, and with that, he's cashed two modest check at the Mercedes-Benz (23, 20).
C-List Selections
Ryan Palmer (Round 1 Starter): He was in fine form for the final six months of the 2008 season, culminating in the victory at the Ginn sur Mer Classic. First in birdie average and second in putting, that's stat profile that should play well anywhere. Palmer's first try at Kapalua was nothing special (T26), but at least he's already been on the ground, unlike the other two options on the C-List.
Chez Reavie: He gets the nod over Johnson Wagner for the final C-List selection (not many options in the short field), in part because of his dependable driving (ninth in tee accuracy) and reliable irons (54th in GIR).
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