2021 RBC Heritage Fantasy golf rankings, picks: Back Webb Simpson, fade Patrick Cantlay

A surprisingly strong PGA Tour field will take on Harbour Town Golf Links this week at the 2021 RBC Heritage. The follow-up to last week’s Masters tees off Thursday in Hilton Head Island, S.C., where the quality of the course and event supersedes the need to rest after a major championship. William Hill Sportsbook lists world No. 1 Dustin Johnson as the 10-1 favorite in its latest 2021 RBC Heritage odds. Among the other top contenders from the 2021 RBC Heritage field are defending champion Webb Simpson (12-1), Patrick Cantlay (16-1) and Collin Morikawa (20-1).

Should you bank on Johnson’s reputation over recent results and slot him into your 2021 RBC Heritage Fantasy golf lineups? Or would an up-and-comer like Will Zalatoris (25-1) or Corey Conners (28-1) put you in a better position to win? Before making any 2021 RBC Heritage Fantasy golf picks, check out the latest Fantasy golf rankings from data scientist Rick Gehman. 

With his expansive database of golf statistics, course data and betting odds, Gehman creates advanced models and back-tests them constantly. These models have produced 12 outright winners in the past year — including Simpson at last year’s RBC Heritage as a 30-1 long shot.

Harbour Town “should be an ideal course fit for him,” Gehman said before last year’s event, “considering he’s an accurate driver and ranks in the top 10 on tour in strokes gained approach.”

Just last week at Augusta National, three of Gehman’s top eight picks for the Masters finished in the top five. That includes Justin Spieth and Xander Schauffele, who tied for third.

“He’s figured out his irons, gaining a ton of strokes on approach since January, and now he heads to his happy place,” Gehman said of Spieth before the event.

At the previous full-field PGA Tour event, the Honda Classic, the field was limited by its placement between The Players and the Match Play, but Gehman still picked five golfers in his top 10 who tied for 13th or better.

Gehman has been on fire all season. At The Players, three of Gehman’s top seven picks made the top 10, and at Pebble Beach, three of his top four made the top five. The Farmers leaderboard looked like a who’s who of Gehman’s rankings, with five of his top nine picks finishing tied for seventh or better. Anyone who has followed his advice has cashed in huge.

Now, Gehman, co-host of “The First Cut” podcast on CBS Sports, has revealed his top 30 players for the RBC Heritage 2021 over at SportsLine so you can crush your Fantasy golf picks. 

2021 RBC Heritage Fantasy golf picks

Gehman remains firmly behind Simpson, with the North Carolina native’s accuracy and ball-striking ability fitting Harbour Town like a glove. The defending champion has seven top-20 finishes in Hilton Head, and he is fifth on tour in driving accuracy and 23rd in greens in regulation in 2021. The 35-year-old ranks ninth on tour in scoring average (69.926) and is impeccable around the green, ranking eighth in strokes gained and first in scrambling.

On the other hand, Gehman is fading Patrick Cantlay, even though he has finished in the top seven in all three appearances here. The Californian had finished in the top 15 in three straight events (making the top three twice) before missing the cut at The Players. He failed to advance at the Match Play then also missed the cut at the Masters. He is strong around the green (seventh in strokes gained), but his putting (52nd) and approach (48th) aren’t nearly as good. 

How to set your 2021 RBC Heritage Fantasy golf lineups

Instead, Gehman is expecting a big week from a monster long shot who comes in higher than 40-1. This overlooked player has been on a strong run recently and is strong in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation, and Harbour Town rewards precision. Gehman is only sharing who it is, and his top 30 golfers in order, right here. 

Who wins the RBC Heritage 2021? Who are the top golfers to target? And which overlooked player can help you win your league this week? Visit SportsLine now to get Rick Gehman’s Fantasy golf rankings, all from the data scientist who’s called 12 outright winners in the past year.