ESPN Elite Series

Mike SuchanSteve Kennedy brings momentum from his record victory on Clear Lake into the Southern Swing, which has him fishing closer to home.

After handicapping consecutive events on Western fisheries that have played host to few tour-level events, fantasy managers now can turn their attention to fisheries where the pros have established track records.

Unfortunately, Clarks Hill Reservoir has played host to only two tour events this century, so it's hard to rely solely on past performance at this pond. Before the 2005 visit to Clarks Hill, BASS hadn't been on this body of water since Gerald Ford was president.

Still, breaking down this week's Pride of Georgia presented by Evan Williams Bourbon isn't rocket science.

Bargain at any price

Steve Kennedy had earned a spot on every fantasy manager's roster for the foreseeable future. He's the best bargain in fantasy fishing right now.

Kennedy hasn't skipped a beat since claiming the Elite Series Rookie of the Year honors last year, starting the season with a strong eighth-place showing in the Bassmaster Classic and then posting a third-place at Amistad and a record-setting victory in the last event at Clear Lake.

This unassuming angler had better get used to attention. And with a salary rating of 10.0, fantasy mangers should pay attention.

Don't give up on the West

Another solid value play is Jared Lintner. How many fantasy mangers overlooked him in the California events? Even though the tour heads Back East, Lintner crosses the continent with a more than a boat in tow — he's hauling a big load of confidence, too.

Ditto Skeet Reese. He hasn't exactly torn up Clarks Hill in the past, finishing 65th and 46th in 2005 and 2006, respectively. But he has finished in the top 10 in six of the past seven events dating to last season, including three runner-up finishes. His confidence level should help him exorcise any Clarks Hill demons.

Rumor has it that ESPN2's Mark Zona has touted Western pro Byron Velvick for this week's stop. I'm guessing Zona is looking at Velvick's near miss (13th) at Clarks Hill last year; either that, or Byron has some compromising photos of the Z Man. Either way, it's probably not an unreasonable value play to fill out your roster this week.

Heavy hitters

Mike Iaconelli had a disappointing foray into California bassin', but he gets a chance to make amends this week with a return to a fishery he has owned the past two years. Ike fished on Sunday in both the 2005 and 2006 stops at Clarks Hill.

You wouldn't think it necessary to tout the virtues of Rick Clunn, not with him being the greatest angler of all time and all. But the quiet giant of the sport has been making much noise of late, so it's understandable. Don't forget, however, that Clunn has finished in the top 20 the past two years at Clarks Hill. With a salary rating of less than 11, he's an option to consider.

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