Another strong PGA Tour field will take on Bay Hill this year when the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational tees off Thursday in the second leg of the Florida Swing. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau was forced to withdraw because of a hand injury, but four of the top six players in the world are scheduled to tee up.  No. 1 Jon Rahm leads a 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational field that also includes fourth-ranked Viktor Hovland, No. 5 Rory McIlroy (the 2018 Palmer champion) and sixth-ranked Scottie Scheffler.

Caesars Sportsbook lists Rahm as the 17-2 favorite in its latest 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational odds, with McIlroy at 12-1. Others in the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational expected to be in contention include Scheffler (16-1), Hovland (16-1) and Hideki Matsuyama (25-1). Before you lock in any Fantasy golf rankings or bet the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational, you HAVE TO see what fantasy expert Riley Gates has to say.

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, and he has been on fire this season.  

In his picks for the Honda Classic, eight of his selections finished in the top 16 in a crazy week where four of the top 10 favorites missed the cut. His picks included Shane Lowry, who battled to the finish but came up short as Sepp Straka powered to his first PGA Tour victory.

"Lowry is going to come into this one overlooked, having not played on tour since November," Gates said, but he "is playing good golf and is more than capable of doing it this weekend." Lowry certainly did that, playing bogey-free for the final 29 holes but was done in by a driving rain on 18 and finished a shot back.  

Gates also was on the money at the WM Phoenix Open, where nine of Gates' selections finished in the top 14, and his top five all posted top-10 finishes. He also NAILED his picks at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, with four of his top seven picks posting top-five finishes. And at the Hero World Challenge, again four of his top seven finished in the top five. Anyone who has followed Gates is WAY UP! 

Now, the expert has ranked his top 20 golfers for the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and you'll really want to see who he is backing. 

We can tell you that Gates likes what he is seeing from Matsuyama and is backing the Japanese star this week. Matsuyama has cooled a little, finishing T-39 at Pebble Beach in his last outing. But he has two wins already this season and is in the top 20 in greens in regulation and strokes gained tee-to-green. "I still really like him here," Gates says, and he is highly recommending him for your Fantasy golf picks.    

SHOCKINGLY, the expert is fading favorite and world No. 1 Rahm! The expert is troubled by the Spaniard's T-21 finish at Pebble Beach and is not sure what to expect in his first run at Bay Hill. He is hitting the ball well, but not around or on the greens. Gates knows it's risky, but Rahm barely cracks his top five, and the expert has several other players you should have in your Fantasy golf picks this week!

Instead, the fantasy expert is backing a long-shot player who is priced at around 40-1! Gates says this player is "playing some of the best golf of his career," and the expert is stunned his odds aren't lower. He sees him as a must-play for your Fantasy golf picks for this week's event at Bay Hill! You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is and check out Gates' top picks before you bet the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational or enter any Fantasy golf picks.

Who wins the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill? Which overlooked golfer should you be all over in your Fantasy golf rankings? ... Join SportsLine now to get Riley Gates' Fantasy golf power rankings for the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational, all from the fantasy expert who has been rolling on his Fantasy golf picks!