2017 Safeway Open expert picks, rankings, fantasy golf and betting tips

Looking for 2017 Safeway Open picks, either for betting or fantasy golf games like DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, Golf Channel or the PGA Tour?

We have your 2017 Safeway Open rankings and expert picks, as we do each week of the PGA Tour season.

And we're back! After a brief off-season, the 2017-18 PGA Tour season begins on Thursday from Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. Brendan Steele is defending champion, and Phil Mickelson (world No. 30) is the top-ranked player in a weak field. We'll get out first look at the form of Web.com Tour and Web.com Tour Finals grads, just prior to a deeper, three-event Asian swing.

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2017 Safeway Open rankings: Top 10 picks

1. Webb Simpson -- Webb Simpson was amazing in the playoffs and at Greensboro. Typically, we'd keep him aside for Wyndham, but his string of top-15 finishes is impossible to ignore in this weak field.

2. Phil Mickelson -- This could perhaps be putting the cart before the horse, but Mickelson looked like a stud at the Presidents Cup after looking blah two of three playoff events.

3. Tony Finau -- Finau finished the season with a pair of T-7 finishes, and he was modest here last year.

4. Kevin Na -- Na quietly played well at the Wyndham and TPC Boston. Has taken a shining to this course.

5. Jamie Lovemark -- Lovemark could be poised for his breakthrough win this year. He hasn't missed a solo cut on the PGA Tour since The Honda Classic in Feburary.

6. Bill Haas -- We're looking for someone we can believe will make the cut without much issue. Haas is one of those kinds of players, even if he's not a big threat to win.

7. Peter Uihlein -- Uihlein isn't the most consistent player around, but when he's playing well, he's really tough to beat.

8. Martin Laird -- Laird loves fall golf and beating up on bad competition. He's got a pair of top-10 finishes here in the last three years and finished the season playing OK in his last three starts.

9. Sam Saunders -- Saunders made a great run at saving his PGA Tour card, and then he made money in three or four Finals events. The 59 doesn't add weight.

10. Denny McCarthy -- The UVA product was the most consistent player in the Finals who didn't win or finish runner-up in an event. He should excel at PGA Tour-style golf.

My DraftKings lineup for this week:

1. Kevin Na - $9,400
2. Peter Uihlein - $8,800
3. Martin Laird - $8,600
4. Sam Saunders - $7,600
5. Keith Mitchell - $7,600
6. Denny McCarthy - $7,500

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