Fantasy Insider: Deutsche Bank Championship

For the fourth consecutive year, Patriot Golf Day, which is actually a four-day fundraiser, coincides with the Deutsche Bank Championship, ending on Monday. If you're going out to play over the holiday weekend, inquire about adding one dollar to your greens fee for the cause.

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Meanwhile, since my Power Rankings were posted Monday afternoon, additional consternation has surfaced over the weather, specifically Hurricane Earl.

Indeed, the storm is projected to impact play late on Friday as it races up the Eastern seaboard, which means the height of it could very well come and go in between the first two rounds. Once it is does pass, sunny, dry and very pleasant conditions will dominate. Winds will gradually dissipate by Labor Day.

If you're a stickler on course history, remember that a renovation was performed prior to the 2007 event, reducing the distance by over 200 yards. Basically, it caters to all types of hitters now, not so much the bombers that once ruled the roost.

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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP: Power Rankings | Inside the Field | Inside the Course

TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Jason Day and Steve Stricker.

Tiger Woods -- Given all of the variables in play, his T12 at The Barclays is arguably underrated. He led the field in fairways hit, ranked T6 in greens and T17 in putting. Also played his final 27 holes in 7 under. He won this event in 2006 and has a pair of runner-up finishes, but I'm more impressed with last week. Undoubtedly, Yahoo! gamers have an ample supply of starts in the bank.

Phil Mickelson -- What makes him a great golfer and equally as intriguing also makes him one of the most frustrating fantasy owns simply because we never know when he's going to "find it." In a nutshell, he needs to putt better.

Martin Laird -- Despite losing in the playoff at The Barclays, he's this year's Heath Slocum. The Scot will finish inside the top 30 in FedExCup points, setting up a top-shelf schedule for 2011. Everything in from here is gravy. He's best known for his power and above-average iron game, but he ranked fourth in putting at Ridgewood, which he said is his favorite stop on the PGA TOUR. (He finished T7 there in 2008.) I'm cool this week, but his long-term value has skyrocketed.

Luke Donald -- Given that he was one of the few Ryder Cup hopefuls that played in the Wales Open (where he finished third), and has played extremely well this summer, I figured he was the only lock to be selected by captain Colin Montgomerie. However, Monty said that the commitments, or lack thereof, to the Wales Open did not influence his decision. Nevertheless, Donald deserved the nod. Allow him to celebrate alone, however, as he doesn't fit the profile of what it takes to contend at TPC Boston.

Johnson

Zach Johnson -- Enters with nine consecutive rounds of par or better. That includes an overlooked T3 at the PGA Championship and steady T21 at The Barclays, where he closed with a bogey-free 70. Finished T19 at last year's Deutsche Bank. Despite headier competition in Group A, he's a worthwhile start.

Ernie Els -- A year ago, he hit 24 of TPC Boston's greens and required a whopping 65 putts, missing the cut by seven. Two years ago, he ranked third in putting and fourth in birdies for a T3. Last week's solo 71st spoke to his competitive aversion to Ridgewood -- he missed the cut there in 2008 -- so I'm actually bullish on his prospects at the Deutsche Bank. The Big Easy doesn't stay down for long.

Scott Verplank -- Co-runner-up here last year ranked T2 in fairways hit, co-led the field in greens in regulation and was eighth in putting. However, he had exhibited much better form the previous week than what was on display at Ridgewood last week, where he finished last in greens hit (just 31 of 72). And he's known for being streaky. Pass.

Jason Dufner -- Shared runner-up honors with Verplank a year ago, and that came out of nowhere. Dufner's value remains reserved as filler for long-term formats.
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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott.

Rory Sabbatini -- The South African would likely get few votes, if any, as a go-to in an 18-hole match for all the marbles, but he reminded us once again how dangerous he can be, with a bogey-free, 7-under 64 at Ridgewood on Sunday to finish tied for fifth place. He also had a T8 at Turning Stone three weeks ago. He's eighth on TOUR in birdie average, and posted a T6 here in 2007, so he could be a crafty investment in the Yahoo! game this week.

Stewart Cink -- Riding three consecutive top 20s for the first time in nearly 28 months, although he really hasn't put four rounds together during the run. Finished T6 in greens hit at Ridgewood but T55 in birdies; he had just five bogeys all week. With four rounds of 3-under-par or better in his last nine, maybe Yahoo! gamers can guess right. He was sub-70 in his first three rounds here two years ago.

Sean O'Hair -- Until he turns a corner with his putting, no thanks. Way too hit and miss.

McIlroy

Rory McIlroy -- With his power and the size of these greens, he should devour TPC Boston, but he is a first-timer so my optimism is tempered. Finished 68th in putting at Ridgewood (T21 in greens hit).

Hunter Mahan -- Has just as many top 25s at the Deutsche Bank as missed cuts -- three -- but he's still developing. With the large greens, he's a force on paper, especially sitting 33rd in TOUR in greens in regulation. During his last three paydays at TPC Boston (2006, 2008, 2009), he's finished inside the top seven in GIR. I'm still more interested in the final two events in the Playoffs since he knows he gets 72 holes to be aggressive.

J.B. Holmes -- Tales of two nines at Ridgewood last week, where he missed the cut on the number. Played the front side in bogey-free 64, but settle for a birdie-free 79 on the back. He should pounce on the sizeable surfaces at TPC Boston, but his record is atrocious. Nevertheless, his scrambling remains better than ever and he's 18th in birdie average, so he's setting up for a personal best at the Deutsche Bank.

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TOP PICKS: See Power Rankings for Angel Cabrera, Ben Crane, Matt Kuchar and Ryan Palmer.

Justin Rose -- While certainly disappointed that he wasn't a wild card pick for the European Ryder Cup team, he accepted that potential fate when he committed to a U.S. schedule months ago, so I suspect that he'll have turned the page by the time he sticks his peg in the ground at TPC Boston on Friday. Coming off T15 at The Barclays and ranks 13th in birdie average, so he's a sneaky play this week.

Paul Casey -- Like his British counterpart, Rose, he was overlooked as a Captain's Pick for the Ryder Cup, so he is now singular in focus. Casey closed a T12 at Ridgewood with a one-bogey 69. He's 18th in birdie average and eighth in the all-around. He has 10 top 25 in 14 starts on the PGA TOUR this season. Money.

Senden

John Senden -- The Aussie is what I refer to as a smart sleeper this week; that is, if you're in need of a calculated jolt. En route to a T15 at The Barclays, he finished second in total distance of putts made (400 feet), which is a coup for a guy best known for his ball-striking. He's fourth on TOUR in greens hit. His T11 at last year's Deutsche Bank included an albatross in the second round, and he's the only golfer to have made the cut in all seven editions of the event.

Ian Poulter -- He's broken par just once in six rounds at TPC Boston, and has failed to make the cut in three starts. While his T15 at The Barclays is a nice surprise, and he's giddy for surpassing 1 million followers on Twitter, Yahoo! gamers should only invest if they know they can't afford a push elsewhere.

Paul Goydos -- Did not play The Barclays due to the death of his mother, but returns this week. Forgettable record at TPC Boston in five starts

Rob Bolton is PGATOUR.COM's new fantasy columnist. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the PGA TOUR. To contact Rob, please e-mail him at FantasyInsider@charter.net.