Is fan-favorite Rickie Fowler a good fantasy golf pick as he returs to the Wast Managment Phoenix Open this year? Here the crowd reacts after his birdie on the par 3 16th hole last year at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

After our second Monday finish already this season, the PGA Tour heads to the desert for the Wast Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Last year, it was Kyle Stanley who bounced back from a horrible loss at the Farmers to get his redemption in the desert. The TPC Scottsdale is probably most well-known for its stadium-style par-3 16th which is the only hole on tour that is fully enclosed. The fans are always a huge part of the entertainment factor as they really get involved in the action at 16 and throughout the course.

Last week, GoHogsGo won the week with an impressive score of 224. My score of 182 wasn’t enough to hold onto the overall lead as Eagle’s Nest put up 210 to pull one point ahead of me in the segment standings. Without the low week thrown out, MT Cup holds the season standings lead coming into week 5.

Here’s who I’m rolling with this week to heat it up in the desert:

Jan 28, 2013; La Jolla, CA, USA; Brandt Snedeker catches a ball tossed by his caddie while practicing on the driving range before the start of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

A-List

Brandt Snedeker: Snedeker finished tied for second last week giving him a pair of top three’s in his three events this year. In his six appearances at TPC Scottsdale he’s made five cuts with a pair of top 10′s.

Jason Dufner: It’s hard to argue with top 20′s in his last eight events. He started this season with an un-inspiring t18 in Kapalua but then went to Europe and threw up a pair of top 10′s. He’s got a great history at this event including a solo second in 2010 and a t8 last year.

B-List

Aaron Baddeley: Baddeley shot a third-round low 68 and followed that up with a 69 on Sunday to finish t6. Badds hasn’t made it back to the top 25 here since his win in this event in 2007, but he also has made every cut since 2008 with a t35 as his best finish.

Feb 4, 2011; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Hunter Mahan with his tee shot on the par 3 16th Stadium hole during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

Hunter Mahan: Mahan finished t15 last week after alternating 69′s and 72′s at Torrey Pines.Last year he finished t6 giving him three top 10′s in his career at this event including a victory in 2010.

Nick Watney: In the wind on Monday, Watney wasn’t able to get his owners a bonus as he finished t4 at the Farmers Insurance Open giving him his second top 15 finish in as many tournaments this season. Last year, Watney sat this event out after finishing t5 in 2011. He’s a safe pick although unless he’s near the top I’ll try and save my starts on him for later this year.

Scott Stallings: Stallings was in the driver’s seat two weeks ago and will look for Stanley-like redemption in Scottsdale. He missed the cut last week on the number thanks to a rough +6 in round two after a solid -6 round one. Stallings is playing well, and with Watney as a safe option I’m going a bit risky with Stallings as my second player off the bench form the B-list.

C-List

Rickie Fowler: Fowler will be an extremely popular pick given his name recognition on tour and his recent run of success. He’s started this year with a pair of t6′s at the Hyundai and last week at the Farmers. Fowler has a good history here with a solo second in 2010 which he’s followed up with a t13 in 2011 and a t26 last year. There should be plenty of orange around the course throughout the week and I expect to see Fowler on the leaderboard on Sunday.

Aug. 2, 2012; Akron, OH, USA; Jason Day reads the 8th green during the first round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club-South Course. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Day: Day finished with a fourth-round low round of 66 in his first PGA tournament of the season last week. He’ll try to translate that momentum to Phoenix this week. He only has one career appearance here, a missed cut in 2010.

Jun 5, 2011; Dublin, OH, USA; Steve Stricker (left) and Jack Nicklaus (right) celebrate with the trophy during the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village GC. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-US PRESSWIRE

Last week’s tournament was also an invitational at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth as Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner ran away from the field with Zach getting the win and the 20-point fantasy golf bonus. Johnson was the right pick, but he wasn’t necessarily a surprise as 14 of the 15 players in the FantasyCPR Group had Johnson on the roster. FIGJAM and Cracker Woods took the win for the week with 218. My entry was just behind at 214 tied with Tin Cup, and “Boss of the Moss” had 212 to take over the lead for this segment as he passed up “Not at the table Carlos!” With a more star-filled field this week, there’s not a clear-cut pick like ZJ was last week, so it should make for a great weekend.Steve Stricker is the defending champion and will be a popular pick to repeat.

Here’s my picks for the week:

May 11, 2012; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Luke Donald reacts after missing his putt on the 14th during the second round of the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-US PRESSWIRE

A Group

Luke Donald: Donald played the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in his native England last week and won the tournament for the second year in a row which moved him back to number one in the World Golf Ranking. He had top 15′s in his last three trips to Dublin (not the one in Ireland), and tied for seventh last year.

Jim Furyk: He’s a returning champion at the Memorial (2002) and has made the cut every time he’s played here since then except for one. He finished runner up in 2009 and is coming off a solo fourth last week and five top 15′s in his last seven starts.

May 13, 2012; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Rickie Fowler lines up his putt on the 18th hole during the the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-US PRESSWIRE

B Group

Justin Rose: At the BMW last week, Rose finished second to Luke Donald and could once again be dueling his countryman at the top of the leaderboard this weekend. He won this event two years ago and has two other top fives since 2004. He’s been around the leaderboard in seemingly every event he’s been in this year with six top 10′s coming into the Memorial.

Rickie Fowler: Four straight top 10′s for Fowler and he did finish runner-up here in 2009. Can the orange one get his second PGA Tour win of the year here?

Rory McIlroy: I don’t want to burn a Rory start here as he’s been struggling with two straight missed cuts after an impressive start to the season. He’s been in the top 10 the last two years, and is obviously one of the world’s best when he’s on. I’ll start him on my bench in case he can get it back together, but try to save the start in case he struggles.

Tiger Woods: The most difficult decision on the board this week is what to do with Woods. He could easily win this tournament as he’s done four previous times, or he could struggle and not crack the top 40 like he has his last three starts since winning at Bay Hill. With his history,  I cannot leave him off my team, but I’ll wait to see how his first day goes before putting him over Rose or Fowler.

Feb 19, 2012; Pacific Palisades, CA, USA; Jonathan Byrd follows through on his tee shot on the 14th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

C Group

Jonathan Byrd: Byrd’s collected top tens at Muirfield Village in 2009 and 2011 and is coming off three straight top 12′s. Without Jason Dufner in the C Group, Byrd’s the best bet.

Branden Grace: Another South African who’s coming to the States to play in this tournament, Grace is not a well-known name in the US yet, but could change that if he keeps playing like he has been internationally. He’s won already this year at the Joburg Open, the Volvo Golf Chamions, and the Volve China Open on the European Tour. He finished t35 in his first trip across the Ocean at the WGC-Cadillac earlier this season.