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It's another week in paradise for the PGA Tour as the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship gets underway at El Camaleon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Vikor Hovland will be looking to defend his title when the event tees off Thursday, and he will be joined by big names like former major winners Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka. Hovland finished 20-under to win last year, and the picturesque course designed by Greg Norman typically yields low scores. Caesars Sportsbook lists Thomas as the 14-1 favorite in its latest 2021 World Wide Technology Championship odds, with Abraham Ancer the second choice at 18-1. Hovland is listed at 20-1, while big names like Koepka (33-1), Sergio Garcia (40-1) and Rickie Fowler (45-1) are among the long shots in the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship field. 

Is Hovland ready to make a major run this season and provide a strong foundation for your 2021 World Wide Technology Championship Fantasy golf picks? Or will a veteran like Patrick Reed (35-1) be in the mix and give you a better chance to win? Before locking in any 2021 World Wide Technology Championship Fantasy golf lineups, be sure to see the projections and analysis from proven Fantasy expert Riley Gates.

At last week's Bermuda Championship, six of Gates' golfers finished in the top 20 as the unknown players took center stage. At the previous week's Zozo Championship, five of his top 13 finished in the top 10.

Those included Hideki Matsuyama, who won the event in his native country. The 29-year-old trailed by one with eight holes to play but finished with a 65 and a five-stroke victory.

"It is tough to not look at a hometown hero like Matsuyama and feel good about him in his element," Gates said before the 2021 Masters champ stormed back on Sunday.

Now, Gates has locked in his top 20 golfers for the World Wide Technology Championship 2021. You can only see his Fantasy golf picks and rankings at SportsLine. 

2021 World Wide Technology Championship Fantasy golf picks

One player Gates is strongly backing this week is Thomas, who looks to have put a rough patch behind him. He has dropped to seventh in the world ranking after a season where he had more finishes outside the top 25 (eight) than top-10's (seven). But he won the Players Championship for his 14th tour victory and finished on a strong note. He was 59-under par over his final five tournaments and finished no lower than T-26. He started this season off with an 18-under par performance to tie for 18th at the CJ Cup. He was sixth in both scoring average (69.773) and par breakers (25 percent) last season.   

Gates isn't nearly as confident in Ancer and is seriously fading him this week. The 30-year-old, who was born in Texas but raised in Mexico, has been up-and-down in his two starts this season. He has shot 70 or higher in four of six rounds, missing the cut at the Shriners and tying for 14th at the CJ Cup. He shot 65-63 in the middle two rounds in the latter event, so he can make some noise, but he appears to need some time to settle in. He has finished in the top 10 just twice in six tries at El Camaleon and was 12th last year. He barely cracks Gates' top 15.   

How to set 2021 World Wide Technology Championship Fantasy golf rankings

For this week's event at El Camaleon, Gates is backing a long-shot player who is listed at around 40-1 to seriously contend for the victory. This young golfer hits it a long way and has been hitting his greens, while his work with the putter has been excellent. Head to SportsLine to see his Fantasy golf picks. 

Who wins the World Wide Technology Championship 2021? Who are the top players to target? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' Fantasy golf rankings, all from the Fantasy expert with his finger on the pulse of the game, and find out.