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Four of the past five tournament winners have been first-timers on the PGA Tour, so the 2023 Valero Texas Open should be wide open. Defending champion J.J. Spaun, 2019 winner Corey Conners and 2018 champ Andrew Landry all seek a second tour victory, while Kevin Chappell (2017) has only one since. The watered-down field, with the Masters set for next week, could make it tough to set 2023 Valero Texas Open fantasy rankings. It also provides opportunities for a golfer to earn a shocking victory and for players making Valero Texas Open 2023 fantasy picks to find diamonds in the rough.

Tyrrell Hatton is the 13-1 favorite in the latest Valero Texas Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by Conners (15-1) and Rickie Fowler (20-1). Fowler needs the victory to earn a spot in the Masters, so does that motivation make him a strong play for your 2023 Valero Texas Open fantasy picks? Would an experienced player like Matt Kuchar (28-1) or a rising star like Davis Riley (34-1) put you in a better position to win? Before setting your fantasy golf rankings or making any 2023 Valero Texas Open picks, you need to see the fantasy golf projections and lineup advice from SportsLine fantasy expert Jim Holliman.

Holliman has been a writer and editor for nearly 25 years and has been playing and following the game closely for more than three decades. The Florida-based writer knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour and how the players' games fit the courses. Holliman has been on a roll since last season. At the Valspar, he had high hopes for Taylor Moore (50-1), even though he hadn't finished higher than 35th in his previous three outings. Holliman saw something in his third-round 65 at the Players and said Moore "could go low this week." The 29-year-old shot 67 in Sunday's final round for his first PGA Tour victory.  

At the Players Championship, he was all over Scottie Scheffler to win at 10-1, ranking him as his top choice despite the golfer's lack of previous success at TPC Sawgrass. And at Bay Hill, 11 of his picks finished in the top 15 and three of his top seven posted top-five finishes. The golf expert also was behind Chris Kirk as winner at the Honda, backing the 25-1 shot to get his first victory since 2015. Anyone who has followed Holliman's predictions is way up on their golf picks.

Now, Holliman has ranked his top golfers from the 2023 Valero Texas Open field. You can only see his fantasy golf rankings and Valero Texas Open picks at SportsLine.

2023 Valero Texas Open fantasy golf picks

One player Holliman is backing this week is Fowler, who has been playing well but not quite well enough to earn a spot at Augusta. He won't want to miss the Masters in consecutive years, so his focus and motivation will be high. The 34-year-old has eight worldwide victories, the most recent more than four years ago. Still, he has five top-25 finishes in his past six events and has been in the top 10 three times this season. In this weakened field, Holliman expects Fowler to contend, and Fowler beat Jon Rahm in his opening Match Play pairing, so he should be confident.

On the other hand, Holliman is staying away from Conners, who barely cracks the expert's top 10. The Canadian hasn't finished in the top 10 this season, though he has consistently been in the top 25. His putter has been an issue, as he ranks 151st in strokes gained on the greens. Unless he really heats up, Holliman isn't expecting much from the 31-year-old, whose only career victory came in San Antonio, but that was his first top-10 in four tries. He has finished outside the top 50 in three of his past four stroke-play tournaments, including a missed cut at the Players. You can see who else to back this week at SportsLine.

How to set your 2023 Valero Texas Open golf rankings

For the Valero Texas Open 2023, Holliman is backing several longshots, and he has one golfer in his top five who is priced higher than 40-1. This golfer has performed well on comparable courses and "should have a legitimate shot" at a stunning victory. You can find out who it is, and check out all of Holliman's PGA picks, only at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Valero Texas Open? Who are the top PGA Tour players to target for your Valero Texas Open fantasy picks? And which overlooked players can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Jim Holliman's Fantasy golf rankings for the 2023 Valero Texas Open, all from the fantasy expert with his finger on the pulse of the game, and find out.