The Fantasy Insider: Buick Open

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Warwick Hills generally sets up as a bomber's paradise -- the rough isn't too tough, and birdies tend to come in clumps -- but that doesn't mean a shorter hitter can't make a go of it here.

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The entire field is going to have to contend with Tiger Woods, of course, and he's got an outstanding record here, but there are several types of players who figure into our plans this week.

Last Week: Another solid effort, getting a second out of Retief Goosen, a third out of Anthony Kim and an opening-round 63 out of Camilo Villegas. The B-List picks weren't as smooth, but we're still in the 97th percentile for the season.

Fantasy Game Basics: 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

TIGER WOODS (Round 1 starter): His last five stops at the Buick Open look like this: Win, second, third, second, first. There aren't many tracks that don't potentially fit Tiger's game, sure, but it's not like he does this well at every event, either. I've only got three more Tiger turns on the season, but, nonetheless, I feel forced into spending one here. And not like Mr. Woods needs any help, but it's worth noting that two of the strongest Buick Open players over the years -- Kenny Perry and Vijay Singh -- aren't making the stop this year. JIM FURYK: The steady Furyk obviously knows what he's doing at Warwick Hills -- he grabbed seven consecutive top-10s here through the decade (including a win in 2003) before a slip to T36 last year. When you get a big-name player at a tournament and locale he likes, there's no need to get cute. Trust the history. OTHER A-LIST OPTIONS: Justin Leonard had a brief slump in early June, but that looked to be settled the last time we saw him (a snappy T8 at the Open Championship, including a 68 on Sunday). Leonard has cashed in seven of nine starts at the Buick Open, including a win in 1996 and a second-place finish in 2007 ... The best part of Kevin Na's game comes around the green -- he's 11th in putting average, third in sand save percentage and 16th in scrambling -- but he's far from the longest hitter on TOUR, and that might affect him at Warwick Hills. His one cash in three visits here was an ordinary T34 finish back in 2007 ... Consistent players get a lot of play in this column, and that's been Michael Letzig's game this year; he's quietly made 19 of 20 cuts, and he's coming off his deepest run of the year (T8 at the RBC Canadian Open). Letzig quickly settled in at his Buick Open debut last year -- a strong T12 finish -- and the stat sheet points to him being a strong factor again this week (first in birdies made, 44th in driving distance, 13th in scoring before the cut). Once Letzig gets a little more experience contending on the weekend, he's going to be a very dangerous player ... Ryan Moore has the power we want over this track, and he's in the midst of a nice run (four straight cashes, three of them six-figure checks), but we also have to consider that he's never played the weekend at the Buick Open over two starts, and he's coming into this event off an 18-day layoff ... It's been surprising to watch K.J. Choi struggle through an inconsistent year; he's missed the cut in six of his last 10 starts and he's had some troubles around the greens. He's got three Buick Open plays to draw on, though his last visit was a missed cut back in 2004 ... I give John Senden's chances a long look every week because I take iron play so seriously (he's first in GIR), but the timing doesn't seem right for him this week. He's coming off a couple of missed cuts, and he's never been all that comfortable at the Buick Open, missing the weekend in four of his last five visits.

B-List Selections

NICK WATNEY (Round 1 starter): He's cashed three times at the Buick Open without serious contention, but this probably will be the year we see a deep run. Watney's profile fits the challenge at hand; he's fifth in driving distance, 10th in holes per eagle and 12th in par breakers. Get a batch of red numbers ready. BRIAN GAY (Round 1 starter): He's got plenty of experience at Warwick Hills, stopping by for the 11th consecutive year, and he's had some nifty runs over that span (sixth in 2001, second in 2002, seventh last year). Gay's game isn't predicted on power, but it's hard to hold that against him given where he stands in so many other key areas (sixth in driving accuracy, 14th in putting average, fifth in scoring). Gay is a threat to win any week he tees it up, we've learned that in 2009. WOODY AUSTIN: I'm always looking for an excuse to use this likeable chap, and while hes been a little off his game of late, you can't ignore those three gorgeous finishes at the Buick Open over the last three seasons (second, second, seventh). Austin's scoring average and all-around rank generally rate better than the sum of his statistics, and it's nice to be backing a resourceful player. BRANDT SNEDEKER: The bandwagon is filling up quickly again as Snedeker has three top-five checks in his last four starts. You know he's going to hit it straight off the tee, he's shown success at this event before (T10 in 2007), and he's got the mind and the guts to play well on the weekend (Snedeker is 27th in third-round scoring and 34th in final-round scoring). That's the type of player I want options on when the money rounds are being contested. OTHER B-LIST OPTIONS: Kudos to Nathan Green for bagging that first PGA TOUR victory, but let's not forget that the win came over a draining five days and with a playoff attached. It's human nature to call for at least some sort of letdown the next week, and Green's history at the Buick Open is nothing special (MC, T50) ... You hear the name Chad Campbell, and you think about sublime ball striking, but he's been off his game of late (five missed cuts in eight starts) and he doesn't have a lot of back history at Warwick Hills (just one start -- a missed cut in 2002). Let's see a comeback week from Campbell before we dial him up ... Tim Petrovic's season has been streaky to say the least. He missed six consecutive cuts back in February and March, then turned it around with a super month (three six-figure checks), then disappeared again with four trunk slammers. Ah, but the worm has turned yet again, with four strong events in a row, including a T5 at the John Deere Classic and a T7 at the U.S. Bank Championship. The current form normally would be enough for me to endorse Petrovic in this spot, but he's never made a weekend in four starts at the Buick Open ... It's always more fun when Mark Calcavecchia is playing well, as he has been lately (a T27 at Turnberry, then a T8 at the RBC Canadian Open). Alas, Calc's luck hasn't been as good at Warwick Hills, with nothing inside the top 20 over eight starts. It's also been eight years since he played in this event ... Paul Goydos turned his season around with the stirring T3 push at the Valero Texas Open in the middle of May, and he's made two deep runs since then (fourth at St. Jude Classic, second at the Travelers Championship). Goydos has an everyman quality that should resonate with the galleries in Michigan, and his straight driving (13th in tee accuracy) and steady putting (52nd in putts per round) give him a chance just about anywhere. He's cashed 12 of 14 times at the Buick Open over the years, including a T6 finish back in 2003 ... Bob Estes is another steady pro who knows the layout well, grabbing seven straight checks at the Buick Open. He's made 14 of 18 cuts on the year, and he's always creative around the greens (eighth in scrambling). You seldom feel cheated when you put Estes in play for the week.

C-List Selections

SCOTT VERPLANK (Round 1 starter): One of the no-brainer picks of the week, as Verplank is coming off three straight top-10 finishes, and he's got an outstanding record at the Buick Open (nine straight cashes, with an average finish of 17th). If you care to look further back, do note that Verplank finished second at this event in 1998, and he hoisted the trophy in 1988. A straight driver, consistent irons and a smooth putter obviously go a long way in this sport, and Verplank currently ranks in the top 10 in all three of those areas (driving accuracy, GIR, putting average). Get him in there. ROCCO MEDIATE: It's never difficult to scribble down Mediate's name as a fantasy play; he's a likeable vet with a quick smile, and he's missed just one cut all season. The meandering layout of Warwick Hills shouldn't be a problem, as he won this event in 2000, and he's cashed in 9 of 11 visits. OTHER C-LIST OPTIONS: Ben Crane has an ordinary record at the Buick Open (43, MC, 25), and he's entering this week off three missed cuts, so let's give him a little time to play out of this slump ... Tom Pernice isn't in the middle of his best season, but perhaps a return to a friendly track will get him back in gear. He won the Buick Open back in 1999, and he's been in the top 25 in eight of his last 11 visits to Warwick Hills ... Dean Wilson's confidence looked all but shot in the middle of the year -- he missed 9 of 10 cuts at one point -- but he's rallied nicely over the last month, grabbing three solid checks in his last four starts. A surge in confidence and a few overdue breaks have me thinking Wilson will end the year with a nice push, but I can't jump on here, given how he's struggled at Warwick Hills (75, MC, MC, MC) ... Lee Janzen's comeback is one of the underreported stories of the year, and he continued his outstanding play with a T5 at the RBC Canadian Open last week. You can see that twinkle in Janzen's eyes again, and he's been rolling the ball beautifully (29th in putts per round). I wanted to pull the trigger on Janzen for this week, but he's got a spotty record at the Buick Open, missing the cut seven times over his last 12 starts here. We'll give Janzen a lot more run this year, but hold off for now ... John Daly showed flashes of a breakthrough at the British Open two weeks back, and he's got plenty of back class at the Buick Open, finishing second in 2004 and T16 two years back. The prudent play is to wait and see on Daly as he gets back into the swing of the PGA TOUR, but this layout should be a good fit for him, and I won't be surprised if he finds a way into the top 30 this week.