A strong field is on hand to gear up for the Masters, with Rory McIlroy and defending champ Jordan Spieth  among the starts who will tee off Thursday at the 2022 Valero Texas Open. The event at TPC San Antonio has benefited from its slot the week before the year's first major, with players like reigning Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama and 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau trying to get in one last warm-up.

McIlroy is the 15-2 favorite in the latest 2022 Texas Open odds from Caesars Sportsbook, followed by Spieth at 14-1. Corey Conners (18-1), Matsuyama (20-1) and Abraham Ancer (20-1) also are priced as top contenders. Who can you trust for your 2022 Texas Open fantasy golf picks? Before you bet this PGA Tour event or lock in any 2022 Valero Texas Open Fantasy golf rankings, you HAVE TO see who fantasy expert Riley Gates is backing.

Gates is a writer for 247Sports and has covered a range of sports for nearly five years. He has followed golf closely for much longer and has a profound knowledge of the sport. He also knows what it takes to win, on the course and in fantasy sports.  

The fantasy golf expert has been on fire all season. At the Valspar Championship, seven of his picks finished in the top 12. They included Sam Burns, who claimed the title at Innisbrook for the second straight year. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, nine of his top 10 picks finished in the top 20, and at the Honda Classic, eight of his picks finished in the top 16. 

The expert also was on the money at Phoenix, where his five top selections all ended up in the top 10. He NAILED his picks at the Sentry, with four of his top seven picks posting top-five finishes, and he duplicated that at the Hero World Challenge. Anyone who has followed Gates is WAY UP! 

Now, Gates has ranked his top 20 golfers for the 2022 Texas Open, and you'll really want to see who he is backing. 

We can tell you that Gates is strongly behind Spieth to be right at the top again this week. The Texas native will be locked in as he gets ready for next week's major, which he won in 2015. Gates expects him to rebound from his missed cut at the Players, where many top names failed to make the weekend. 

SHOCKINGLY, the expert is totally fading Ancer, who is one of the top five favorites but isn't anywhere close to the expert's top 10.  Ancer drew the attention of oddsmakers with his run to the quarterfinals of Match Play. Otherwise, his season has been a bust, and he missed the cut at Valspar a few weeks ago. There's no reason to back him, and Gates has many other options for your Fantasy golf picks!

For the 2022 Valero Texas Open, the fantasy expert is backing a MAJOR long shot among his top 10 who comes in at more than 40-1. Gates says this golfer has been coming on strong and could take advantage of the weaker field this week "to keep this ball rolling." You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is and check out Gates' top picks before you bet the 2022 Texas Open or enter any Fantasy golf picks.

Who wins the 2022 Valero Texas Open? Which major long shot should you be all over for your Fantasy golf rankings? ... Join SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' Fantasy golf power rankings for the 2022 Texas Open, all from the fantasy expert who has been rolling on his Fantasy golf picks!