RotoBaller PGA: One And Done Staff Picks - Rocket Mortgage Classic

Team J-Nice is back on track after a strong outing from Bryson DeChambeau at the Travelers last week. While I was hoping for a win, a top-10 outing is always acceptable, so I'll gladly add Bryson's $234k to my tally and move on.

This week's Rocket Mortgage Classic has the weakest field we've seen since the PGA Tour resumed play. It presents us with some interesting challenges, as outside of a couple of "elite" players at the top, things feel pretty wide open this week. With both Bryson and Webb Simpson already off the board for me, I've considered all types of options for this tournament, but my decision ultimately boiled down to either Tyrrell Hatton or Viktor Hovland.

I elected to go with Hovland for a couple of reasons...first and foremost, he's been a ball-striking machine since play resumed and led last week's Travelers field in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green (only to be let down by a faulty putter). I'm also giving him the edge over a streaking Hatton here because he has seen this golf course before and logged a T13 at Detroit Golf Club last year in the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Yes, we're kinda at the mercy of Hovland's putter this (or any other) week, but I'm willing to take my chances with his elite ball striking in hopes that things go at least decent on the greens, as it feels like he's just a lukewarm putter away from a win.  -Joe Nicely

Yearly Earnings - $2,470,624

Yearly Cuts Made - 10/13

Spencer Aguiar - Patrick Reed

Alternate - Tyrrell Hatton

All things considered, I escaped Bryson DeChambeau's 'Hulk Smash' quite well from Joe and Josh at the Travelers Championship. A total of $233,470 was a number I could stomach from the current hottest player in the world, but I sadly wasn't able to muster much of a payout with Sungjae Im, who is doing everything in his power to get out of his military service for South Korea and kept to the script of avoiding a fight by scurrying away from his head-to-head encounter with the imposing DeChambeau.

This week, I need someone who isn't afraid to get a little sand on themselves when push comes to shove. A player who is willing to quiet his critics with a simple shush. A player that will block out the noise (or at least have his wife block you on Twitter). More than anything else, a golfer that knows how to win on tour. Cue the Patrick Reed music.

If we ignore Reed's surprising missed cut at the RBC Heritage, he has posted five top-25 results over his past six events on tour and rolls into the week after firing three consecutive rounds at the Travelers Championship of 66,69 and 64, respectively. The American finished in fifth place last season at this tournament and should be ready for another enormous showing in the 'D.' - Spencer Aguiar

Yearly Earnings - $2,869,778

Yearly Cuts Made - 11/13

Josh Bennett - Viktor Hovland

Alternate - Erik Van Rooyen

After a couple weeks of elite fields, the strength of this field dips a little, so I think it’s a good time to save the big hitters and grab a guy like Hovland. He has a much better chance to win in this field than he would when he has to go up against a field full of Rory’s, Rahm’s, DJ’s, JT’s, etc. Hovland is a great ball-striker, and undoubtedly one of the best ball-strikers in this field. This course will require both long and accurate, and he definitely fits that mold. He admittedly struggles on and around the greens, but the greens here are large and shouldn’t be too difficult to hit, so his short-game issues will hopefully be hidden a bit in this event. This is as good of a chance as any for him to win in a legitimate PGA Tour field and I think he gets it done this week. - Josh Bennett

Yearly Earnings - $2,824,755

Yearly Cuts Made - 10/13

Running Totals