One of the PGA Tour's most popular events returns on Thursday after its abrupt cancellation last year when the 2021 Players Championship tees off at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.  

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson leads a 2021 Players Championship field that includes 48 of the world's top 50 players, and he is the 12-1 favorite in the latest 2021 Players Championship odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Bryson DeChambeau, coming off his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Rory McIlroy are the 14-1 second favorites.

Before setting your Fantasy golf lineups or betting the 2021 Players Championship, you MUST see data scientist Rick Gehman's power rankings.

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 30-1 Webb Simpson at the 2020 RBC Heritage.

At last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, five of Gehman's top 10 picks finished T-10 or better, including DeChambeau. The tour's biggest hitter was one of just three players to break par in the final round to become the first player to win twice on tour this season.

The golf expert also expected Jordan Spieth to continue his progress despite it being his first appearance at Bay Hill, and the three-time major champion was in contention all week before finishing fourth.

Gehman has been on fire all season! At Pebble Beach, three of his top four picks finished in the top five and 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. And at the Sony, the top three in his rankings all finished in the top seven! Anyone who has followed his advice has cashed in HUGE!

Now, Gehman has ranked his top 30 players for the 2021 Players Championship, and he is getting back on board with Johnson! The reigning FedEx Cup champion hit a speed bump in his last outing at the WGC-Workday, but he was 55 under par over his previous four events and didn't finish lower than T-11. Johnson tied for fifth here in 2019, and Gehman is confident he will be right back in the hunt!     

On the other hand, Gehman is not nearly as high on Webb Simpson. The veteran is among the contenders according to oddsmakers, and he is listed at 22-1 at William Hill, but he has been up and down in recent weeks. He finished T-6 at the Workday but has been outside the top 25 twice in his past five events. His game doesn't appear to be in top form, and the 35-year-old is barely inside Gehman's top 15! 

Instead, Gehman is looking for another step forward from a player making his first appearance at Sawgrass who comes in at higher than 50-1 odds! This young golfer's game doesn't appear to have any major flaws, and he always hangs around on the leaderboard. He has the skill to win, and Gehman believes this could be the week he breaks through! You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is before betting this tournament or entering any Fantasy golf lineups.

Who wins The Players Championship? Which long shot should you be all over? ... Join SportsLine now to get Rick Gehman's Fantasy golf power rankings for the 2021 Players Championship, all from the data scientist whose models have produced 12 outright winners in the past year!