PGA Tour players are eyeing for the PGA Championship in two weeks, so many of the top golfers are preparing for a pre-test at Quail Hollow starting Thursday in the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship. The course is one of the toughest on tour, and four of the top five players in the world are competing, with No. 1 Dustin Johnson opting to play last week instead. No. 2 Justin Thomas is the 11-1 favorite in the latest 2021 Wells Fargo Championship odds from William Hill Sportsbook, followed closely by third-ranked Jon Rahm at 12-1. Other expected contenders in the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship field include No. 5 Bryson DeChambeau (16-1), two-time event winner Rory McIlroy (18-1) and fourth-ranked Xander Schauffele (20-1).
But are odds and rankings the best gauges for picking your 2021 Wells Fargo Championship Fantasy lineups? Would a long shot like Jason Day (40-1) or Brian Harman (40-1) give you a better chance to win? Before making any 2021 Wells Fargo Championship Fantasy golf picks, check out the latest Fantasy golf rankings from data scientist Rick Gehman.
With his expansive database of golf statistics, course data and betting odds, Gehman creates advanced models and back-tests them constantly. These models have produced 12 outright winners in the past 18 months and three this season, including Viktor Hovland at 25-1 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and Daniel Berger at 20-1 at Pebble Beach.
At last week's event on Innisbrook's Copperhead Course, 11 of Gehman's top 20 players finished tied for 21st or better, with runner-up Keegan Bradley and third-place finishers Cameron Tringale and Viktor Hovland all appearing in the rankings.
And in the previous week's team event in New Orleans, five of Gehman's top eight finished T-8 or higher, including Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, who lost in a playoff.
Gehman has been on fire all season. At the Masters, three of Gehman's top eight picks finished in the top five. That included Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele, who tied for third. Three of his top seven at The Players made the top 10, and at Pebble Beach, three of his top four had top-five finishes. Anyone who has followed his advice has cashed in huge.
Now, Gehman, co-host of "The First Cut" podcast on CBS Sports, has revealed his top 30 players for the Wells Fargo Championship 2021 over at SportsLine so you can crush your Fantasy golf picks.
2021 Wells Fargo Championship Fantasy golf picks
Gehman is solidly behind Thomas this week, as the FedEx Cup leader has done nothing to lower expectations. He tied for 13th at Innisbrook, which might be considered an "off" week by his standards, but he led the field in three strokes gained categories. He was at the top of the list in strokes gained off the tee, tee-to-green and approach, and he is the first player since McIlroy during the 2018 season to top three categories. The 27-year-old won the Players in March, and he won the PGA Championship on this course in 2017, going 8 under to win by two.
The golf expert does have some doubts about Viktor Hovland, slightly fading the 23-year-old this week. The Norwegian is skilled enough to play well at Quail Hollow, but Gehman sees several players who are more worthy options. Hovland tied for third last week and is a strong and accurate driver, ranking fourth in strokes gained off the tee. But he also is 103rd in strokes gained putting and 62nd on approach. He has been a bit up-and-down, with a T-49 and a missed cut in March. Hovland hits more than 68 percent of his greens (36th on tour), but he is 104th in proximity to the hole at more than 37 feet, and players need to hit it close at Quail Hollow.
How to set your 2021 Wells Fargo Championship Fantasy golf lineups
Instead, the golf analyst is backing a huge long-shot who comes in higher than 50-1, but has played Quail Hollow extremely well. Gehman is only sharing who it is, and his top 30 golfers in order, right here.
Who wins the Wells Fargo Championship 2021? Who are the top golfers to target? And which overlooked player can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Rick Gehman's Fantasy golf rankings, all from the data scientist who's called 12 outright winners in the past 18 months.
