Fantasy Insider: The Barclays

In case you missed my fantasy preview for the FedExCup Playoffs, you can find it here. While that feature looks at all four events at once, and this feature zooms in on The Barclays, it's time to address the one-and-dones.

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The field is 121 deep (after Jim Furyk's exit on Wednesday). Consider that the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard (120), Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (121), the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley (120) and AT&T National (120) featured similar attendance. So, stick to the usual approach of going with a guy that fits the track and comes in playing well. Look for my selection in the inset.

Moving forward, ignoring who I've already burned, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Sean O'Hair, Jeff Overton, Adam Scott and Jason Day should be on your short list next week at TPC Boston. Vijay Singh is the all-time money leader at the Deutsche Bank Championship, and Tiger Woods is second. Both have had substandard years for different reasons, and should be avoided. (Woods has to qualify first anyway.)

The BMW Championship is wide open. Furyk, Stricker, DJ, Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark, Bo Van Pelt and Paul Casey are candidates. Just don't get cute. This is why you sat on your hands until now.

And, if you're smarter than I, you will have saved Phil Mickelson for THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca Cola. Furyk, Mahan and Retief Goosen are also possibilities. As an aid, I will revisit the field of 30 for one-and-dones when we get there.

Sergio Garcia, Corey Pavin and Paul Goydos have withdrawn from The Barclays.

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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Ernie Els, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Steve Stricker.

Vijay Singh -- He hasn't won anywhere since starting the 2008 FedExCup Playoffs with victories at Ridgewood and TPC Boston. He enters this week with zero top-35s in his last four starts worldwide. Although he'll have a good vibe going this week, he'd struggle cracking a third flight in Group A.

Tiger Woods -- Optimists like me would like to believe that the closure of divorce will allow for more focus at his craft. However, optimists like me have also clung to other angles to project solid play this year, and it hasn't happened by and large. It's strange to think of Woods in the context of being motivated to earn a Captain's Pick for the Ryder Cup team, but that might be the primary goal right now. Despite my midseason confidence, I wouldn't be surprised if he's one and done in the Playoffs.

Anthony Kim -- Has played three straight weeks since returning from surgery on his left thumb, and has failed to shake the rust. He starts the Playoffs 14th in Points, so you can afford to take a pass this week
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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Kevin Sutherland and Bo Van Pelt.

Dustin Johnson -- First start since "The Bunker" at Whistling Straits. While he's been on the wrong end of a pair of unforgettable moments this summer (including the final-round 82 at Pebble Beach), we've learned that DJ owns a short-term memory. Fantasy gamers wish all of their players had the trait. Group B is deep, so I'll wait a week before contemplating him for my lineup.

Nick Watney -- It's difficult to be overrated and underrated at the same time, but fantasy gamers know about it as it relates to him. Until he breaks through in biggie (how good did he look at Whistling Straits ... until Sunday?!), he'll be pecking away at his glass ceiling. That's not all bad in our world, as guys continue to flirt with the dangling carrot. While I love the momentum he brings into the Playoffs (four consecutive top 20s), he has just one top 25 at the venues in this year's lineup (T13, 2009 TOUR Championship). He's like a fifth man in the Yahoo! game.

Michael Sim -- The Aussie is on the receiving end of some poetic justice this month, with T3s at Turning Stone and Sedgefield. It was a year ago Monday that he earned his automatic promotion to the PGA TOUR via a third win on the Nationwide Tour, but he cracked only one field (Turning Stone) and his other start was washed out (Viking). Sim led the field in putting and birdies at Turning Stone, and ranked T3 and T2, respectively, in those categories at Sedgefield. I'm expecting more of a learning experience this week, but he has given hope to Yahoo! gamers that have burned through all their starts on guys like Furyk and Mahan.

Hunter Mahan -- There is little if no reason to burn a start this week. He's seventh in FedExCup Points, and sets up much better for the final two events. Also, ignore his result this week. Even if he misses the cut, it will likely be due to poor putting. I'd always prefer him in a 72-hole no-cutter anyway, where he can get aggressive with his irons and find a groove.

Jeff Overton -- Although he finished in last place among the 71 that made the cut at Whistling Straits, it's likely that the Indiana Hoosier is sad to see the regular season come to a close. That said, he's in a beautiful spot at sixth in FedExCup points. He's eighth in the all-around, 40th in greens and 18th in putting. Still relatively new to being a front-runner, he's still chasing his first PGA TOUR victory.

Rory McIlroy -- He's posted top 10s in his last five starts worldwide, including two majors and a World Golf Championship, so he's at the top of his game, but he's still a rookie in the Playoffs. I might pair him with DJ next week, with the large greens at TPC Boston.

Camilo Villegas -- Despite missing the cut here in 2008, the Colombian plays surprisingly well on the old-school, ball-strikers' tracks. He loves shaping the ball, and he's coming off a T8 at Whistling Straits, so this is an argument for him to make some noise at Ridgewood.

David Toms -- Well, welcome back! He put on a clinic at Sedgefield en route to a runner-up payday, his first top 10 of the year. It was worth nearly 47 percent of his 2010 haul. Based on that, he's a smart play this week. It bears repeating that I love his swagger when he's on.

Retief Goosen -- With guys like the South African whose values are much better in the long-term, short series like the Playoffs expose his inconsistency. I'll abstain and then revisit at East Lake if he's still alive.

Ben Curtis -- Along with Kevin Streelman and Mathew Goggin, Curtis finished one stroke too high to join the playoff at Ridgewood in 2008. He was in the middle of his most consistent stretch ever on the PGA TOUR at the time, so don't take the bite this week. He's gone nearly five months without a top 10.

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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Paul Casey, Steve Elkington and Matt Kuchar.

Tim Clark -- He should love Ridgewood. He finished T38 in 2008, but ranked T2 in birdies. However, he also led the field in bogeys and had one double. If you're not feelin' Casey or Elkington and/or are saving Kuchar, plug in Clark.

Justin Rose -- Talk about hot and cold. Since his win-T9-win spurt several weeks ago, the Englishman has missed two cuts, finished T44 in the 3 Irish Open and T19 at Firestone. He skipped the 2008 FedExCup Playoffs to play in Europe to qualify for the Ryder Cup team, so Ridgewood is new to him. Pass.

John Rollins -- Comes off T3 at the Wyndham, where he led the field in putting and ranked T4 in birdies. He's 54th on TOUR in greens hit and 50th in scrambling, and his trending form earns him a look in Group C, for this week at least.

Brandt Snedeker -- Shared the 36-hole lead at Sedgefield, eventually finishing T8. He has some of the best touch around the greens, and he leads the PGA TOUR in putting, so he can get away with a few errant irons. Moreover, he has a score to settle after the four-jack at Cog Hill last year that prevented him from advancing to East Lake and starts in the first three majors this year.

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.