Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama all return from month-long breaks this week to take on TPC Craig Ranch in the 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson. The event tees off Thursday in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, Texas. The 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson field also includes world No. 3 Jon Rahm and reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who are the 8-1 co-favorites in the latest 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Spieth is hot on their heels at 10-1.
Will the month off help Spieth and Matsuyama, or will they be rusty? And will Koepka be healthy enough to deserve a spot in your 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson Fantasy golf lineups? Are there other less-notable players who can put you in a better position to win? Before making any 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson 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.
Last week at Quail Hollow, four of Gehman's top 14 golfers finished in the top 10, including Rory McIlroy, who won the event for the third time to break an 18-month victory drought.
"While his recent results have been subpar, it would be no surprise for McIlroy to find success at Quail Hollow, where he is the only two-time champion," Gehman told SportsLine before the event.
Gehman has been on fire all season. At the Zurich Classic team event in New Orleans last month, five of Gehman's top eight finished T-8 or higher, including Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, who lost in a playoff.
At the Masters, three of Gehman's top eight picks finished in the top five. That included 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 AT&T Byron Nelson 2021 over at SportsLine so you can crush your Fantasy golf picks.
Gehman is very high on Spieth in the hometown event that kicked off his pro career. The Dallas native won the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio last month and followed that up by tying for third at the Masters. The three-time major champion and former world No. 1 has been on a major upswing in recent months, with five top-five finishes in his past seven full-field events. He is 68 under par over those seven tournaments. The month off should have rejuvenated him, and he should be ready to storm TPC Craig Ranch.
On the other hand, Gehman is slightly fading DeChambeau, who is the co-favorite. The 27-year-old had a hectic week, flying back to South Carolina from Dallas overnight after thinking he had missed the cut at the Wells Fargo. Although he ended up in the top 10, the fatigue could catch up to him. He also tied for 46th at the Masters last month. The tour's biggest hitter clearly has the off-the-tee game to succeed at the Byron Nelson, and the course is expected to favor bombers, but he has had issues keeping the ball in play. This field offers better options.
Instead, the golf analyst is backing a huge long-shot who comes in higher than 50-1, but isn't far removed from a stellar stretch of golf. Gehman is only sharing who it is, and his top 30 golfers in order, right here.
Who wins the AT&T Byron Nelson 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.
