Last year’s champion Jason Dufner makes a solid fantasy golf pick for this year’s HP Byron Nelson Classic. Here he holds the trophy on the 18th green after winning the HP Byron Nelson Classic after the final round at the TPC Four Seasons Resort – Las Colinas. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

After a thrilling PLAYERS Championship, many of the big names in golf get a couple weeks off as the PGA Tour heads to Texas for a couple weeks before the Memorial which is the next top-level field on the slate. For the next couple weeks, you’ll have to be extra savvy with your fantasy golf picks without the fallback of picking stars.

Last week, I didn’t pick the biggest star in the field and it came back to bite me as Tiger got the win after I went with a disappointing Phil and a choking Sergio instead in my A-list picks. There were five in our 20-member group that made the Tiger pick, and not surprising one of them won as HOME TEAM put up 162 to beat the rest of the group. MT Cup still remains atop the Spring Standings while Eagles Nest is in the lead for the full season.

I’m hoping to get my entry turned back around after a rough week at TPC Sawgrass. There are some nice fantasy options as the tour heads to Dallas though and go from one TPC course to another as they head to TPC Four Seasons. It’s a tough track that comes in at par-70 and is loaded with hazards that are tough to escape. However, the main challenge is the wind which is expected to be a major factor again this week.  Here are the picks I like to excel this week in Big D.

May 20, 2012; Irving, TX, USA; Jason Dufner lines up his putt on the eighteenth green during the final round of the HP Byron Nelson Classic at the TPC Four Seasons Resort – Las Colinas. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

A-List

Jason Dufner- Even though he’s been struggling lately, the defending champ is a solid pick from a shallow A-List. Duff also finished t8 two years ago at this event and will be looking to bounce back after a final-round 80 made him tumble down the leaderboard last week.

Charles Howell III- The second A-list is one of the trickiest on the board this week. CH3 is a safer option than some of the other since he’s made the cut in six of his last eight tournaments. He has a pair of t10′s in his last five starts but also a pair of missed cuts. He’s made the cut at this event in his last three trips to Dallas highlighted by a t20 two years ago.

B-List

May 12, 2013; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Marc Leishman tees off on the first hole during the final round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Marc Leishman- Leishman has been in the top 10 in his last three events with a t4 at the Masters, a t9 at Harbour Town, and a t8 last week. The Aussie also has a great history at this event with three top 10′s in the last four years including a t3 last year.

Jimmy Walker- Walker has eight top-25 finishes and closed with a final round 67 at the TPC last week on his way to a t15. He’s still looking for his first career win t30,

Keegan Bradley- Bradley has been inconsistent so I’ll start him on my bench in case he struggled on his way to a third consecutive MC. He was playing well before the Masters with four straight top 10′s but has struggled since. He won here in 2011 and followed that with a t24 last year.

Ben Crane- Crane has a pair of top 10′s in his last four starts and has made four of five cuts after a rough start to the season. He’s coming off a t8 last week at TPC Sawgrass and has a top-10 here from 2011.

C-List

June 16, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Jordan Spieth walks from the tee on the 3rd hole during the third round of the 112th U.S. Open golf tournament at The Olympic Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Day-After winning here in 2010, Day finished 5th in 2011 and t9 in 2012. He is also coming in playing extremely well with four top 10′s this season and 14 straight cuts made.

Jordan Spieth-Spieth is from Dallas and has been impressive on Tour so far this year. He has a trio of top ten’s and has made six of eight cuts. Spieth mad his Tour debut here is 2010 and finished t16 and followed that with a t32 in 2011. Spieth is comfortable on the course and should be ready for a solid week.

In Streak for the Cash action, the Los Angeles Kings and defenseman Slava Voynov will look to have more to celebrate tonight as they face the  St. Louis Blues in game six of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. The Kings defeated the Blues 3-2 in game five on Voynov’s OT goal. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

After yesterday’s Stunt Day on Streak for the Cash called May-Pay-Day, Streak returns to its regular schedule with a solid slate of sports options. The PGA Tour continues THE PLAYERS championship with an early morning prop before Streak goes international with some Euroleague basketball as well as some French and Spanish soccer. There’s more golf in the afternoon  as well before the NHL and NBA playoffs and more Major League Baseball take center stage tonight. Here’s the picks I’m watching today with a quick reason for why I’m leaning that way:

5/10 Streak Picks

May 9, 2013; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Matt Kuchar signs autographs after the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

8:39- Matt Kuchar or Tie: Tiger faces off with Kuchar in a nine-hole prop with last year’s reigning champ, Kuchar, getting the tie. Kuchar struggled a bit in round one finishing -1 overall and even-par for the nine holes covered in this prop. Tiger was better with a -5 overall and a -3 on these holes. However, Kuchar has a better recent history here, and getting the tie I think he’s going to start a lot of people’s day off with red. Confidence Meter: 4 (out of 10)

12:00- Olympiacos win or single Digit Loss: In last year’s Euroleague final, the Olympiacos beat CSKA Moscow 62-61. Moscow will look to get their revenge as they come into this year’s semifinals in London as 7 1/2 point favorites. CSKA is a solid team and probably get the win, but I don’t like giving that many points in what I think will be a close game. Confidence Meter: 3

12:36- 9 or 10 Strokes: This prop is for the total score of Ryan Moore, Carl Pettersson, and Jason Dufner’s combined score on the Par 3 17th. All three of these players made par in round one when the hole played fairly easy which crushed my prop picks (I thought it would be a harder pin placement). This could easily go over the 10 if one of these players finds the water, but I think the more likely outcome is another nine-stroke total. Confidence Meter: 5

1:49- Adam Scott or Tie: Rory McIlroy had a strong round one finishing with a -6, but historical performance is on the side of Scott who also gets the tie in this one. Scott was -3 in round one but has a better long-term results. It’s not a strong pick since Rory is a great player, but I think Scott getting the tie is the way to go. Confidence Meter: 3

3:00- Levante win or draw: Levante gets the draw at home as they take on Real Zaragoza in Primera Division play. Levante is 11-8-15 overall with a solid 8-2-6 record at home. Zaragoza is barely above the relegation zone at 9-6-19 with just a 4-2-11 record on the road. Zaragoza has won their last two games which both were at home but haven’t won on the road since December 22. Since then they’re just 0-1-7 on the road. The question here is whether Zaragoza can carry their winning form on the road, but I haven’t seen any indication that they can. Confidence Meter: 6

May 9, 2013; Flushing, NY,USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) singles to left during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mets won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

7:10- Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates and Mets played a good game last night that the Mets won in walk-off fashion despite struggling with lefty Jeff Locke. They’ll get another lefty tonight as they face Wandy Rodriguez who has been solid against them in the past. The Mets will counter with Shaun Marcum who has been disappointing since coming back from the DL and has a 0-2 record with a 7.20 ERA. The Pirates have been stumbling a bit, but I think they’ll bounce back behind Wandy tonight. Confidence Meter: 6

7:30- Washington Capitals: The Caps and Rangers come into the Verizon Center even at two games apiece. Washington is trying to avoid another playoff collapse after losing their last two games, but I think they’ll be able to bounce back at home where they were 15-8-1 this season and took games one and two by a combined score of 4-1. New York is playing well, but they only won 4-3 and 4-3 on their home ice and they won’t have that advantage tonight. Confidence Meter: 5

8:10- Los Angeles Angels: The Angels and White Sox open their series at the Cell. The Angels have struggled on the road (5-13) but Chicago isn’t all that confidence inspiring either as they sit at the bottom of the AL Central standings. Chicago sends Dylan Axelrod to the mound against the potent but under-performing Halos lineup. LA has yet to announce a starter after scratching Tommy Hanson who is away from the team due to a death in his family. Chicago’s offense has been dreadful and I think the Angels get the win in this one although not knowing who will start makes it tricky to be too confident. Confidence Meter: 3

May 5, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Jason Hammel (39) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

8:10- Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles are in the middle of a three-way tie atop the AL East after winning four of their last five games while the Twins took three of four from the Red Sox. The Orioles can thank Minnesota in person as they head to Target Field for a three-game set this weekend. Tonight’s matchup featured the O’s ace Jason Hammel who comes in 5-1 with a 4.10 ERA with all five wins coming on the road where his ERA is even better at 3.41. He’ll be opposed by Mike Pelfrey who got his first win in three starts his last time out but still comes in with an ERA of 6.35. Pelfrey has a solid history against Baltimore, but I think the O’s are playing well enough to hand him a loss tonight. Confidence Meter: 6

9:30- 3 or 4: This is a prop for the number of players will score five points or more in the third quarter of the Heat-Bulls game. The prop is 3 or 4 against any other result. In the head-to-head matchups this year, the answer has been three of four in five of the six matchups. Play the odds and go with 3 or 4. Confidence Meter: 3

10:00- Los Angeles Kings: The Kings look to close out the Blues at home at Staples Center. LA won both games at home earlier this series and were able to steal game five on the road. They’ve looked like the Champs in the last three, and I think they’ll get the win they need at home where they were 19-4-1 during the regular season. Confidence Meter: 6

10:15- San Francisco Giants: The Giants send Matt Cain to the mound against Tim Hudson in their second game against Atlanta. Atlanta took game one last night 6-3 for their fourth win in five games. The Giants counter with Matt Cain who is always a solid pick when he’s throwing at AT&T Park. He got his first win of the season his last time out and I think he’ll be able to build on that start tonight against the Braves. Confidence Meter: 4

May 8, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) goes up for a shot against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the AT

10:35- Golden State Warriors: Golden State looks to take the lead in their series against the Spurs as they return to the Oracle for game three after earning a split in San Antonio. They actually outplayed the Spurs for most of game one before collapsing at the end. At home, their role players tend to be even better. Steph Curry has a big game in this one as the Warriors defend their home court where they come in as three-point favorites. Confidence Meter: 5

Streak Scoreboard-May

Stunt Day Results: an ugly 8-13

Wednesday Results: 7-4

Overall Record for the month: 55-47 (stunt day not included)

Record in confident picks (confidence 6+): 14-13

Current Personal Streak: W1