Each week, PGATOUR.COM's Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton offers his Power Rankings for the weekly TOUR event as well as his Sleeper picks. But what about the players who don't make the Power Rankings but who can't really be considered Sleepers? Bolton will make one "wild card" selection from the large group of players who fall into that middle range but might rise up to claim the title. This week's pick is ...

DUSTIN JOHNSON

Injuries to his left wrist and lower back have limited his action the last two weeks. They're also the reason why he didn't crack the Power Rankings. Strung together three straight top 15s through the Masters. He's 4-for-4 at TPC Four Seasons with a T4 in 2009, T7 in 2010 and T20 in 2011. Under par in nine of his last 12 rounds on the course. Currently 53rd on TOUR in greens in regulation, 32nd in strokes gained-putting and 26th in adjusted scoring.

POWER RANKINGS: To read Bolton's top 15 for TPC Four Seasons, click here.

By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Insider

If you've realized that circling contenders for THE PLAYERS Championship is a lost cause, join the club. They exist, but they're hiding in plain sight. This tournament is like huddling together the greatest sluggers in baseball for Home Run Derby, and then moving the fence to 400 feet from pole to pole. The stadium will win, as will the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass this week.

THE PLAYERS has been a cornerstone on the schedule in May since the dawning of the FedExCup era in 2007. Connecting similar factors that led to victory for the last six winners of this event is a project without a firm direction.

Sure, each of the last three winners ranked first or second in strokes gained-putting, but the best among the three previous champs placed no better than Henrik Stenson's 19th in 2009. Meanwhile, all of the six winners since 2007 finished inside the top five in par-4 scoring average en route to their victories. After Phil Mickelson ranked T5 in 2007, each of the ensuing victors ranked first, second or T2. So, if the 2013 champion has plans on following in the footsteps of success, he would serve himself well by converting on his opportunities on these 10 holes. (By comparison, only two winners cracked the top 10 in par-3 scoring; three ranked inside the top 20 in par-5 scoring.)

Critics that either don't embrace numbers or choose only to look at scorecards won't find value in the fact that all six champions also finished inside the top four in bogey avoidance the same week. Contrary to a common assumption, it's not often that the gamut of guys in the sample size share that specific supporting factor. This is to say that avoiding bogeys always enhances scoring, of course, but it also underscores the fact that TPC Sawgrass won't surrender enough par-breaker opportunities to offset the high numbers. To that end, boring golf goes a long way at TPC Sawgrass.

Then there's the matter of recent form. On one end of the spectrum sits Phil Mickelson and K.J. Choi. The lefty linked a pair of T3s immediately prior to his title in 2007 while Choi went T6-T8-T3 before his playoff victory in 2011. On the other end are Sergio Garcia and Tim Clark. The Spaniard hadn't recorded a top 10 in his first nine PGA TOUR starts in 2008 prior to outlasting Paul Goydos in a playoff. Clark hadn't logged a top 20 among three cuts made in his most recent five starts before emerging here in 2010.

Indeed, the only surprise will be if this week's champion follows a familiar path.

Sergio Garcia is the all-time leading earner at THE PLAYERS. (Lecka/Getty Images)

By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Insider

The most popular question I field from one-and-doners at the beginning of the year is "When do I play Tiger and Phil?" It's a query that wasn't necessary in the recent past. Woods ranked first in average earnings per event from 2005-2009 and Mickelson sat inside the top five for six consecutive years through 2009. Gamers' margin of error consisted only of forgetting to play either.

Time have changed. Woods went winless in 2010 and 2011 while Mickelson picked off just one victory in each of the last three seasons. From 2010-12, 25 different golfers ranked inside the top 10 in average earnings per event. Five cracked the list exactly twice, including Mickelson (2010, ninth; 2012, 10th). The category leaders of each season made an aggregate of six starts -- Gregory Havret (2010, two), Darren Clarke (2011, three) and David Lynn (2012, one).

Woods populates that sample size just once, checking at third in 2012. His return to form (and No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking) has cooled my email server. Still, as the aforementioned question relates to this week's PLAYERS Championship, the answer is "not now."

Despite its richest prize money on the PGA TOUR, THE PLAYERS simply isn't the event where you're going to burn Woods or Mickelson. Gamers' objective for both is to snipe a victory. Woods has 77 career titles and Mickelson 41, but each has come out on top just once at TPC Sawgrass.

Of the 37 golfers that have reached seven figures in career earnings at this event, 21 are in the field this week. Seven of the top eight are scheduled to play, including Mickelson (second) and Woods (fifth). The highest ranked without a victory at TPC Sawgrass is David Toms at 13th. Of course, he came close in 2011, losing in a playoff to K.J. Choi (12th in earnings).

With 19 events in the books, THE PLAYERS concludes the first half of the 40-tournament schedule. You've likely burned a handful of otherwise viable options, but just about anyone who's anyone in the game will tee it up in this wide-open event, so your choices are many.

Jim Furyk sits atop my Power Rankings, but I exhausted him at the Tampa Bay Championship where he tied for seventh. Adam Scott is No. 2 in the feature, but this is his first start since winning the Masters. While I'm obviously confident about his chances this week, I'm still going to give him time to settle into his new stature.

Cutting right to the chase, I'm plugging in Sergio Garcia. He's sixth in my Power Rankings and he's the all-time earnings leader at THE PLAYERS. He's also banked more at this tournament than any other in his career. After admitting a sore back following his second round at Quail Hollow and intimating that he might withdraw, he'd go on to hit only 19 greens in regulation on the weekend, but he, indeed, finished and shared 16th place. Now with a few days off from competition and favorable weather expected on a course where he's enjoyed success -- he hasn't missed a cut in his last nine appearances -- he's as smart a selection as any in a tournament at which no one dominates.

SUMMARY
Last week: Webb Simpson; T32; $37,073.33
Overall record: 17-for-19
Earnings: $3,978,824.51
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 5
Top 10s: 9
Top 25s: 13
Missed cuts: 2
Withdrawals: 0
Disqualifications: 0

Ernie Els hits his approach shot to the par-5 11th during the 2011 THE PLAYERS. (Lecka/Getty Images)

Each week, PGATOUR.COM's Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton offers his Power Rankings for the weekly TOUR event as well as his Sleeper picks. But what about the players who don't make the Power Rankings but who can't really be considered Sleepers? Bolton will make one "wild card" selection from the large group of players who fall into that middle range but might rise up to claim the title. This week's pick is ...

Ernie Els 

Making his 20th appearance at TPC Sawgrass where he's missed his last three cuts, but has survived 14 and posted four top 10s. Fatigue could be an issue since he hasn't rested since sharing 13th place at the Masters. After missing the cut at Harbour Town, he tied for 15th in New Orleans, and then traveled to Asia where he was the runner-up by one stroke at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters on Sunday. Ranks 59th on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained-putting and 41st in adjusted scoring.

Half of the 10 editions of the Wells Fargo Championship have gone to a playoff, so you could run a separate Stats Suggest covering the seven that settled for a tie for second and still walk away with a reasonable opinion of what's worked in regulation. This version of the feature will focus only on the last seven champions, three of whom emerged in sudden death.

Greater Charlotte is a supportive golf community that boasts several PGA TOUR members as residents. Quail Hollow is one of the most popular stops for the touring professionals. Both are contributing factors on some level for why the PGA of America will be hosting the 2017 PGA Championship here, but the course itself has earned it.

Largely known as a layout that caters to ballstrikers that can move it off the tee, the numbers support it to some degree. Of the last seven winners of the Wells Fargo Championship, only Jim Furyk, who defeated Trevor Immelman in a playoff in 2006, didn't rank among the top 25 in distance; Furyk placed 59th. Meanwhile, five cracked the top 25 in fairways hit, including Furyk (third) and Fowler (T2). All but Lucas Glover (T26), who outlasted Jonathan Byrd in a playoff in 2011, finished off their titles inside the top 16 in greens in regulation. Sean O'Hair (2009), Rory McIlroy (2010) and Rickie Fowler (2012) ranked inside the top five in both total driving and greens hit, the two stats that comprise ballstriking.

Five champions cracked the top 10 in strokes gained-putting, but McIlroy is the only from the aforementioned ball-striking trio that populates this list as well. (O'Hair ranked 67th in strokes gained-putting; Fowler was 30th.) None of the winners threatened the top 10 in proximity to the hole, and only Furyk (first) and Anthony Kim (fifth; 2008) sat high in scrambling.

What's interesting, and ultimately somewhat disappointing if you're hoping to learn something unique about the golf course in terms of numbers, six of the seven winners ranked inside the top 10 in both par-4 and par-5 scoring average. This is a trend you'll often see among winners on longer tracks that play to a par of 72. Incidentally, O'Hair is the only winner outside the top 10 in both splits, but just barely at T12 and T11, respectively, and he's the only champion to conclude his week inside the top 10 in par-3 scoring (T10). If these patterns hold again this week, expect a winner with some pop off the tee (for the par 5s) that creates ample birdie opportunities.

One final periodically recurring theme is the youth of recent winners. Kim (22), McIlroy (20) and Fowler (23) claim this tournament as their PGA TOUR breakthrough. Of the seven winners in this week's focus, the average age at the time of their titles is 26.86. Of the golfers in the field, Kevin Chappell (26.82) is nearest that mean. He ranks 21st in total driving, 81st in greens hit, T13 in par-4 scoring average and T91 in par-5 scoring. And while he's just 4-for-11 on the year, he's 81st in FedExCup points and leads the PGA TOUR in final-round scoring average. Chappell is also still chasing his first TOUR victory.

Bill Haas is due for a big week at Quail Holllow. (Ehrmann/Getty Images)

By Rob Bolton, Fantasy Insider

The Wells Fargo Championship is about as cut-and-dried as it gets for one-and-doners. Either you're on board with one of three former winners at Quail Hollow or you're willing to nibble on guys playing well of late with success at this tournament. Yes, that's always the preferred formula, but the lines of demarcation are crystal clear this week.

Rory McIlroy (2010 champion), Lucas Glover (2011) and Rickie Fowler (2012) set up as your best options among the four that have emerged victorious here. They also rank a respective sixth, second and eighth in all-time earnings at Quail Hollow. Sean O'Hair (2009; 11th in earnings) doesn't resonate in one-and-dones right now.

Meanwhile, Webb Simpson, Bill Haas and Sergio Garcia -- Nos. 1, 2 and 8 in my Power Rankings -- each have at least one top five at Quail Hollow (Haas has two), and arrive in fine form. Arguments could be made for others, but none as strong any from this trio could wage.

Before deciding on your choice, there's a not-so-trivial matter of the overall impact of the reported inconsistencies of the greens at Quail Hollow. The skeptics among us may wish to play it safe and holster a top-shelf investment, but I'm of the belief that tournament officials will minimize whatever concerns may exist. The opposition could argue that all 156 golfers are playing the same course, which negates the worry, but all will be putting from different locations on greens of potentially varying reliability. Both are fair positions, but the balance tilts toward a conservative setup to avoid backlash. We also must give the benefit of the doubt to the experts in turf control that have been addressing the issues. Keep the faith.

That dynamic circles back to my selection of the week. Simpson, a devout Christian (and former religion major at Wake Forest University) is a member at Quail Hollow and finished fourth at this event last year after holding the outright lead after 54 holes. He also placed T21 in 2011. The reigning U.S. Open champion took last week off following a playoff loss at the RBC Heritage for what was his third top-six finish in his last seven starts.

Fowler is excluded in some formats since he's the defending champion, and Glover would make an automatic choice as the back half of a two-man one-and-done. It's difficult to bypass McIlroy, but it'll be nice to plug him in deeper into the season. Haas, a religious studies major at Wake Forest and born in Charlotte, has endured some struggles in closing out tournaments this season, but he still has five top 10 and this is a comfort zone kind of week. I fully endorse him if you've burned others on the short list.

As for Garcia, Quail Hollow is merely one of about a dozen possible sites to use him. The next opportunity will occur at next week's THE PLAYERS.

SUMMARY

Last week: Justin Rose; T15; $102,300.00
Overall Record: 16-for-18
Earnings: $3,941,751.18
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 5
Top 10s: 9
Top 25s: 13
Missed Cuts: 2
Withdrawals: 0
Disqualifications: 0

Poulter is playing at Quail Hollow for the first time since 2009. (Redington/Getty Images)

Each week, PGATOUR.COM's Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton offers his Power Rankings for the weekly TOUR event as well as his Sleeper picks. But what about the players who don't make the Power Rankings but who can't really be considered Sleepers? Bolton will make one "wild card" selection from the large group of players who fall into that middle range but might rise up to claim the title. This week's pick is ...

IAN POULTER

Making his first appearance at Quail Hollow since a joint fifth-place finish in 2009. After opening this season with a pair of top 10s, he's gone four straight starts without a top 20, but ranks 14th on TOUR in strokes gained-putting and 20th in scrambling.

Justin Rose has finished 25th or better in the last 14 tournaments he's played.

By Rob Bolton, Fantasy Insider

The field for this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans features nine of the top 12 in career earnings at the event. Since TPC Louisiana has hosted all but one editionof the tournament since 2005, all-time money earned is a fair reference point.

At the top is Jason Dufner whose title defense excludes him in some formats. However, he's earned more money at this event than any other on the strength of four consecutive top-10s. He's the no-brainer option this week even though he hasn't posted a top-10 on the PGA TOUR this season.

Charles Howell III refuses to fade, and he sits second in earnings. However, while he was a co-runner-up in 2009 and has chased it with three cuts made in as many starts, his other three top-10s occurred at English Turn. Still, he's worth a pick in two-man formats since he's historically played most of his best golf in the first half of the season.

Fourth in all-time earnings is Bubba Watson, who won this event in 2011 despite admitting that he didn't like how TPC Louisiana fit his eye. Of course, he wasn't the first to utter that phrase about a Pete Dye creation, and the lefty won't be the last. Watson also tied for fifth (2007) and 18th (2012) here, and he's been lighting up leaderboards everywhere else. The Zurich Classic boasts a purse of $6.6 million, and Watson could come in handy later, but he's a plumb pick in this field with that payout.

Jerry Kelly (fifth in earnings), K.J. Choi (sixth), David Toms (eighth), Andres Romero (ninth) and Nick Watney (11th) round out the guys in the top 12 scheduled to play. Kelly and Romero are mildly attractive options in deeper modified formats.

Meanwhile, Justin Rose sits atop my Power Rankings and is available to me. Normally, I'd like a stronger track record to support my decision to invest, but I'll hop on the bandwagon with his current string of 14 straight top-25s. He's my selection this week.

One final angle that cannot be ignored is that four of the seven champions at TPC Louisiana were first-time PGA TOUR winners. This includes the first three -- Tim Petrovic (2005), Watney (2007) and Romero (2008) -- and Dufner rekindled the trend last year. Additionally, four of the nine runner-ups in those editions are still non-winners. So TPC Louisiana could could be a coronation for non-winners playing well like Billy Horschel, Jimmy Walker and Jeff Overton, all of whom cracked my Power Rankings.

SUMMARY
Last week: Boo Weekley; T42; $19,720,00
Overall Record: 15-for-17
Earnings: $3,839,451.18
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 5
Top 10s: 9
Top 25s: 12
Missed Cuts: 2
Withdrawals: 0
Disqualifications: 0

Nick Watney's big-hitting game has always been a good fit for TPC Louisiana. (Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Each week, PGATOUR.COM's Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton offers his Power Rankings for the weekly TOUR event as well as his Sleeper picks. But what about the players who don't make the Power Rankings but who can't really be considered Sleepers? Bolton will make one "wild card" selection from the large group of players who fall into that middle range but might rise up to claim the title. This week's pick is ...

NICK WATNEY

Will turn 32 years of age the same day as the opening round. The 2007 champion at TPC Louisiana has fared no better than a T20 in four return trips, but he's coming off a T13 at the Masters that ended a drought of four starts without a top 25. Currently 23rd on the PGA TOUR in greens in regulation, but it's an improvement in putting that lands him here. He ranked as low as 149th at one point during the Florida Swing, but has since climbed back to 93rd with three consecutive positive performances. For a guy arguably best known as a streaky putter, his latest progress could be a harbinger.

Brian Gay was unstoppable at Harbour Town in 2009 and won by 10 shots. (Lecka/Getty Images)

By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy Insider

Not only was Brian Gay's 10-stroke romp at the 2009 RBC Heritage a seminal moment in the history of a proud tournament that began in 1969, but what he accomplished that week has served as a statistical turning point in the recent past.

His performance at Harbour Town that week was of Secretariat proportions. Fans of golf will never get tired of poring over Gay's splits that led to a tournament-record, 20-under 67-66-67-64=264. En route to one eagle and 20 birdies against just two bogeys, he led or co-led his field in proximity to the hole, strokes gained-putting, scrambling, par-4 scoring average and par-5 scoring average. He ranked second in both fairways hit and par-3 scoring average. Gay also finished two greens in regulation from co-leading in that stat as well; instead, he settled for T3. Adding to the perspective to how locked in he was, Luke Donald and Briny Baird recorded the second-highest aggregate (274) of any runners-up of the previous 11 editions.

None of the three champions since have come close to threatening Gay's historic week. Carl Pettersson's 14-under 270 last year is the lowest winning total of the lot. However, Pettersson, Jim Furyk (2010) and Brandt Snedeker (2011) have continued a trend in proficiency in proximity to the hole and par-4 scoring average, each finishing inside the top 10 in both. Pettersson ranked first in each. Furyk led his field in proximity and placed T2 in par-4 scoring; Snedeker ranked ninth in proximity and first in par-4 scoring.

By contrast, in the three years leading up to Gay's benchmark, none of the winners cracked the top 10 in proximity, and only two were inside the top 10 in par-4 scoring average (although neither led his field). Instead, Aaron Baddeley (2006) and Boo Weekley twice (2007, 2008) placed a respective first, T2 and T3 in par-5 scoring average, a category in which Furyk, Snedeker and Pettersson didn't sniff the top 20.