The 2021 Fortinet Championship is the start of the new PGA Tour season, and three of last season's four major champions will be on hand when it tees off Thursday in Napa Valley. World No. 1 Jon Rahm leads the field and will be joined by PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson and Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama. A contingent of rookies and newly crowned Rookie of the Year Will Zalatoris will be chasing their first PGA Tour wins. Rahm is the 4-1 favorite in Caesars Sportsbook's latest 2021 Fortinet Championship odds. Webb Simpson (16-1), Matsuyama (20-1), Kevin Na (20-1) and Zalatoris (22-1) also could be in the mix for the title.
Could this be the week Zalatoris breaks through for a win and gives your 2021 Fortinet Championship Fantasy golf picks a giant boost? Or would the veteran Simpson be a safer pick and put you in a better position to win? Before you set your Fantasy golf rankings or make any 2021 Fortinet Championship bets, be sure to see the Fantasy golf rankings from PGA expert Riley Gates.
Gates is a writer for 247Sports and has covered a range of sports for nearly five years. He has followed golf closely for much longer and has a profound knowledge of the sport. He also knows what it takes to win, on the course and in fantasy sports.
Now, Gates has revealed his top 20 players for the Fortinet Championship 2021. Be sure to head over to SportsLine so you can cash in big with your Fantasy golf picks.
2021 Fortinet Championship Fantasy golf picks
This week in Napa Valley, Gates isn't hesitating to stick with Rahm. The reigning U.S. Open champion has shown Gates no reason to avoid playing him this week, as the FedEx Cup runner-up will remain motivated. He just lost out on the PGA Tour's Player of the Year honor to Patrick Cantlay, and he wants to post some victories. This field should be easy pickings for him, and the course is one of the easiest for hitting greens on tour. He ranked second in greens in regulation (71.93 percent) last season and led the tour in scoring average (69.3). Yet his only win was his first major at the U.S. Open in June, and he'll want to get this season started off on a high note.
Meanwhile, Green doesn't trust the streaky Na and is slightly fading him this week. Three of his five top-five finishes last season came in his final four events, and oddsmakers are swayed by his third-place finish at the Tour Championship. He ranked 170th in driving distance, and the big hitters will have the advantage on this short course. He also was 152nd in greens in regulations, and everyone should hit a high number of greens this week. His putter is as streaky as they come and his game doesn't fit this course, so Gates doesn't rank him in his top five.
How to set your 2021 Fortinet Championship Fantasy golf lineups
For the event at Silverado, the Fantasy expert is backing a long-shot who comes in at well over 40-1. This young player hits it a long way and has won on tour before. His length off the tee will be a big benefit on a layout that is on the shorter side, and he could pull off a stunner in Napa Valley. Be sure to see who it is and check out the picks before you enter any Fantasy golf picks.
Who wins the Fortinet 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 golf expert with his finger on the pulse of the game, and find out.