The PGA Tour's West Coast Swing tees off Thursday in southern California at the 2022 The American Express. Reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, world No. 1 Jon Rahm and tournament host Phil Mickelson are among the stars in a 2022 The American Express field that will compete on three courses in La Quinta. 

Rahm is the 6-1 favorite in the latest 2022 The American Express golf odds at Caesars Sportsbook, with Cantlay right behind at 8-1. Scottie Scheffler (18-1), Tony Finau (20-1) and Sungjae Im (20-1) also are among the favorites in the 2022 The American Express field. 

Before you lock in any of your Fantasy golf rankings or bet the 2022 The American Express, 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.  

In last week's picks for the Sony Open, Gates picked seven players among his top 15 who made the top 20. That included winner Hideki Matsuyama, runner-up Russell Henley and co-third-place finishers Kevin Kisner and Seamus Power.

"This is a player we know can contend, and the field is not as strong as it was last week," Gates said of Matsuyama before the event in Honolulu. The Japanese star erased a five-stroke deficit on the back nine Sunday and beat Henley with an eagle on the first playoff hole for his eighth tour win.     

Gates also nailed his picks the previous week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, with four of his top seven picks posting top-five finishes. That included winner Cameron Smith and runner-up Jon Rahm.

The expert was on a roll on his picks during the fall season, as well. At the Hero World Challenge, again four of his top seven finished in the top five. Seven of his picks were in the top 20 at the Houston Open, and five of Gates' top six golfers had top-15 outings at the World Wide Technology Championship. Anyone who has followed Gates is WAY UP! 

Now, the expert has ranked his top 20 golfers for the 2022 The American Express, and you'll want to pay close attention. 

We can tell you he is strongly backing Rahm this week after the world No. 1 picked up right where he left off at Kapalua. He was the runner-up in the Sentry there, just a shot behind winner Cameron Smith, and he continued to have a laser lock on the greens. Gates has no qualms highly recommending him for your Fantasy picks.    

On the other hand, the expert is fading Scheffler, who is among the favorites at Caesars and was the runner-up in his last outing. The problem is, that was more than a month ago. With plenty of stars in this field, any early rust will set Scheffler back, so Gates doesn't have him near the top five options for your Fantasy golf picks!

Instead, the fantasy expert has a long-shot player TO WIN who is listed at more than 30-1! This player has been red-hot, and getting a victory seems like just a matter of time. This golfer has been regularly firing in the 60's, and this week in La Quinta he is a must-play for your Fantasy golf picks! You ABSOLUTELY need to see who it is and check out Gates' top picks before you bet the 2022 The American Express or enter any Fantasy golf picks.

Who wins the 2022 The American Express? 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 The American Express, all from the fantasy expert who has his finger on the pulse of the sport!