Welcome back to PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. I trust that you enjoyed the week off. No question that Nick Hardy and Davis Riley thoroughly enjoyed their week on the job at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They were the winners of the sixth edition of the tournament in the team format and the first duo for whom the victory was a breakthrough TOUR title for each.

We get back after it at this week’s Mexico Open at Vidanta. It’s the midpoint of 11 stops in Segment 3.

Jon Rahm is the defending champion and one of just two or three of the 144 in the field who deserve automatic consideration for your lineup. Tony Finau and the red-hot Wyndham Clark are the others. All three populate all six lineups in Expert Picks.

Because the field is constructed primarily of the rank and file, and because Rahm has been a monster, he belongs in your lineup regardless of your position. Even if you never could be persuaded to roster him as merely an option on your bench in favor of starts at the Wells Fargo Championship (designated event), PGA Championship (major) and/or Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (designated event) – all forthcoming in Segment 3 – each of those competitions will be exponentially stronger than it is this week. No, it doesn’t guarantee that he’ll successfully defend at Vidanta – an achievement he’s yet to experience in his career – but the strategy to burn him in the first and second rounds of the tournament gives you a greater chance of making hay with other talent as opposed to the combination of abstaining and hoping that he underperforms with your need for other talent to score. Pushes are part of the process, and that’s OK.

Now, should your opposition abstain and thrive with a terrific week, tip your visor. They will be in the minority. Again, outside of Finau and arguably Clark, there isn’t any other chalk on the board. Since you’re just as likely to connect with chalk, you might as well be safe. Volatility exists on the second half of your team.

If you’re still on the fence, here’s another thought to consider: If your opponent abstains and thrives, it’s not going to be a repeatable exercise for success at a later date. The give and take of the season would sway into your opponent’s direction for the time being, but a persistent approach is the recipe for the also-ran.

POWER RANKINGS WILD CARD

Maverick McNealy (+240 = Miss the Cut) … Before injuring his upper body, he probably was on track to have this week off. At the conclusion of the Farmers, he was 26th in the FedExCup with seven consecutive paydays, five of which for a top 20. Since, he’s gone WD-WD-T60-T36-T52-MC and now sits 73rd. Quite simply, he’s far from finding a groove that warrants a positive result, so lean into the value of the alternative.

Odds were sourced on Wednesday, April 26, at 3:45 a.m. ET. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

ALSO STARRING

NOTE: These are notables who are not included in my Power Rankings or Sleepers. Connect with me on Twitter if you want analysis, insight and opinion for anyone else.

Aaron Rai (+150 = Top 20) … He deserves this endorsement based on his tee-to-green work alone, but it’s that same skill set that’s generated 14 paydays in 18 starts. While most of them have not been top 20s, relative to this field, tossing at least half a unit at one here is the smart play.

Erik van Rooyen (+160 = Top 40) … I was elated when I saw this market because EVR is omitted from the options to Miss the Cut. He’s picked off a pair of top 10s in 2023, but those are his only top 30s in individual competition in the last 12 months. He’s cashed just eight times, anyway, a dearth aided by taking three months off due to an injured neck last summer. So, as his world ranking (130th) continues to drop, so does our confidence, but you’re getting plus value on a guy of a certain class who does his best work tee to green on a track that rewards it.

TAP-INS

NOTE: Not everything needs a setup. For a variety of reasons, these lines are too enticing to ignore.

PARLAY: Brandon Wu, Ben Martin and Alex Smalley (+160 = All to Make the Cut)

Jonathan Byrd (+300 = Top 40)

MJ Daffue (+100 = Top 40)

Brice Garnett (+240 = Top 40)

Henrik Norlander (+350 = Top Swedish)

Cameron Percy #1 (+240 = Top 40)

Cameron Percy #2 (+250 = Top Australian)

Alejandro Tosti (+138 = Top 40)

RETURNING TO COMPETITION

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NOTABLE WDs

Nick Hardy and Davis Riley … As first-time winners on the PGA TOUR, they’ve earned the break. It’s also possible that their schedules will be changing a little bit. For one, Hardy now is eligible for the PGA Championship.

Ryan Brehm … Second consecutive early exit for the 37-year-old. Since his remarkable, chip-and-a-chair breakthrough in Puerto Rico last year, he’s delivered only one top-30 finish in an individual competition (T14, 2023 Honda), but he’s fully exempt through 2024.

RECAP – Zurich Classic of New Orleans

POWER RANKINGS

Power Ranking Team = Result

1 Xander Schauffele & Patrick Cantlay = T4

2 Sam Burns & Billy Horschel = T11

3 Collin Morikawa & Max Homa = MC

4 Sungjae Im & Keith Mitchell = 6th

5 Sahith Theegala & Justin Suh = T23

6 Kurt Kitayama & Taylor Montgomery = T19

7 Si Woo Kim & Tom Kim = T7

8 Victor Perez & Thomas Detry = T13

9 Harris English & Tom Hoge = T13

10 Matt Fitzpatrick & Alex Fitzpatrick = T19

* - For the recommendations below, an asterisk represents a bet that won.

SLEEPERS

Team (recommended bet, if applicable) = Result

Robby Shelton & Lee Hodges (+333 = Top 10) = MC

*Davis Riley & Nick Hardy (+275 = Top 10) = Win

Nick Watney & Charley Hoffman (+1000 = Top 10) = T19

GOLFBET INSIDER

Team (recommended bet) = Result

Wild Card: Ryan Palmer & Scott Piercy (+400 = Top 10) = MC

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