Time to get back on the DFS horse -- in Napa
— -- There are plenty of ways to illustrate the lightning-quick offseason in between official PGA Tour events that I've got clocked at 17 days, 16 hours and 20 minutes once the first tee shot of the Frys.com Open is struck Thursday morning.
Here's one you definitely hadn't considered before: my garage.
I should probably explain, huh?
Three Mondays ago, I returned home from the season-ending Tour Championship and promised myself that I'd clean the garage during this precious downtime. I'd covered all four FedEx Cup playoff events, so I figured that was a modest goal before the next campaign kicked off.
You can already guess where this is going.
It probably says more about me than the rapid turnover, but I never finished. I had an entire offseason, and I never finished.
I was only able to get about half of the garage done. Well, a quarter. OK, I moved a box.
Anyway, I've long insisted that only two factions of people believe this 12-month golf schedule is a good idea: PGA Tour executives who remain absolutely giddy about having 47 title sponsors, and PGA Tour pros who choose when and where they want to play and won't complain about collecting an extra million in October or November.
Now I'm adding a third set of people to that list.
You. The DFS players.
Hey, even if you're a clear-minded golf fan who understands the value of needing the game to go away for a while just so you can miss having it in your life, even if you've gotten accustomed to setting a six-player lineup every week, then you were likely suffering through a few withdrawal symptoms these past 17 days (and 16 hours and 20 minutes.)
The not-so-long wait is over.
With the season starting in the heart of Napa Valley, here are a few tips to help you decide which players are worth your valuable roster spots this week:
1. Take a long look at all the Presidents men. There are four players -- Hideki Matsuyama, Steven Bowditch, Charl Schwartzel and Chris Kirk -- who went directly from South Korea to California. They'll either be so wiped out that they aren't worth rostering or still riding the adrenaline high of last week while playing pressure-free. Wish I had a definitive answer for you, but there isn't one. My best guess is that two of 'em hang around the leaderboard and two don't reach the weekend. Good luck figuring out who's who.
2. Try to figure out who's ready for work. It happens at the beginning of every season: You can separate the field into two categories: The practicers and the plodders. The practicers show up with their games finely tuned and ready to get back to work. The plodders are fresh off a short hibernation, just using this first week as a way to ease themselves into competition. How can you tell which players are which? Glad you asked ...
3. Keep checking those social media accounts. Some players will willfully give up the deets on Twitter or Instagram. If he posts, "Locked in, ready to roll, can't wait for the season to start," that's a no-brainer for your team. If he posts, "Good thing the season hasn't started yet, because I'm not sure where my ball is going," um, might wanna stay away. And here's one more reason to keep checking the accounts this week: This tourney is in wine country. If you read a bunch of posts about a pro enjoying the vast array of vineyards each evening, there's a good chance he won't be completely focused the next day.
With those in mind, let's get to the picks. Then I'm going to clean my garage. Really.
Big Draws (Over $8,500)
Hunter Mahan ($8,600): Michael Collins and I taped a podcast with Mahan before the Deutsche Bank Championship, and I got the sense he was embarrassed about his mediocre play during the 2014-15 campaign. He certainly wouldn't blame the happy distraction of the birth of his second child -- nor would he change anything -- but it threw off the rhythm of his regular schedule. I expect him to have a really nice bounce-back season.
Also: Hideki Matsuyama ($10,800); Tony Finau ($9,200).
Big Fades (Over $8,500)
Brandt Snedeker ($8,800): There was clearly something amiss with Sneds' game at the end of last season. I'm not sure I saw any player grinding away at the range for four weeks more than him. Maybe he's unlocked a few keys during the past few weeks, but I'd be willing to bet he'll need a little more time before everything clicks.
Medium Draws ($7,000-$8,500)
Will Wilcox ($7,500): As I've pointed out in another column this week, Wilcox was second in the PGA Tour's all-around ranking last season, sandwiched between Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. That's pretty good company -- and it shows he doesn't really have any glaring weaknesses.
Also: Kevin Chappell ($8,200); Chris Kirk ($8,100); Daniel Summerhays ($8,000); Patrick Rodgers ($8,000); Bryce Molder ($7,500).
Medium Fades ($7,000-$8,500)
Kevin Streelman ($7,000): One of the captains of the PGA Tour's all-nice guy team, he's too talented to be priced this low. So why am I fading him? His game simply wasn't good at the end of last season. He made the cut in only four of his past seven events, with no finish inside the top-50.
Slight Draws (Under $7,000)
Spencer Levin ($6,100): Another NorCal product who should feel comfortable in familiar surroundings, Levin has matured a lot in recent years and it's reasonable to expect his game to mature along with him, beginning with this week.
Also: Jon Curran ($6,300); Kelly Kraft ($5,400); Smylie Kaufman ($5,300).
Slight Fades (Under $7,000)
Ben Crane ($5,400): Good guy, good player, good enough to be included in a band with three veritable stars. And yet, he compiled a grand total of zero top-10s last season. That's right -- zero. He'll beat that number this season, but it's tough to bet on anything different this week.