Finally, the FedEx Playoffs are upon us; in a season filled with the coronation of Jordan Spieth as the number 1 player in the world, the ascension of previously unknown players to stardom and the changing of the guard in American golf from the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to the under 30 American contingency, it’s safe to say that these last 4 tournaments of the year will leave us asking for more.

The Barclays is the first leg of the four stop playoff system. The tournament makes its first visit to Plainfield Country Club since 2011 – the year in which Hurricane Irene forced the tournament to end after Saturday. The shortened 54-hole week resulted in Dustin Johnson sitting atop the leaderboard after he was able to take advantage of the wet conditions that left Plainfield utterly defenseless.

Plainfield Country Club in Edison, NJ will hope to prove to be a tougher test in 2015 than it proved to be in 2011. The rains from the impending hurricane in 2011 will be a thing of the past as the weather this week is slated to be dry, hot, and even slightly windy. The conditions will serve to increase the speed of the already tricky greens while also ensuring that the new par-70 format is not as susceptible to low scoring as the previously formatted par-71 in 2011.

With many courses it’s easy to say that the efficient golfers will perform best or maybe it’s the week for the bombers to take center stage. When it comes to the Donald Ross course, it truly will be anyone’s tournament for the taking. The last time at Plainfield, the top 5 included DJ, Matt Kuchar, Vijay Singh, Brandt Snedeker, and Jonathan Byrd; a fair mix of long hitters and solid tee to green players; one take away from 2011 might be driving accuracy. Keep the ball in the fairway this week and be able to hit some putts and you might just find yourself atop the leader board at the end of the weekend.

This tournament is one of a kind as many players will be playing week by week hoping to cement their place in the next stage of the playoff system. Do not be afraid to look to sleepers this week who are on the proverbial “bubble” as you determine your lineups for this week. It goes with out saying that many of the top names will continue to have their presence felt, but do not shy away from taking a flier pick if you need to make up some ground in your own pool.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the Top 5 Power Rankings as well as the Top 5 Sleeper picks for this week’s Barclays:

Top 5 Power Rankings:

1: Jason Day

Will the hangover from Whistling Straits still be lingering? Day took last week off to presumably recover from the mental and physical grind that he endured during the previous three weeks. With 2 wins in his last 3 starts including his first major, Day’s confidence is soaring and will look to continue the rise to the top of golf and hopefully challenge Spieth and Rory McIlroy to the world #1 ranking.

2: Justin Rose

Rose has been a force in 2015. With no starts worse than T6 in his last 4 events, Rose is poised to add another win to his 2015 resume. Solid tee to green and the ability to get hot with his putter, it would not be surprising to see Rose atop the leaderboard or within striking distance come Sunday.

3: Jordan Spieth

Spieth is the new #1 and will be aiming to further provide evidence that he truly is the best in the world. Look for Spieth to put an exclamation point on his already impressive 2015 season and nearly mathematically wrapping up the FedEx Cup title as well.

4: Dustin Johnson

Winner here in 2011, DJ will enter this week rested and ready to play. His ability to hit it long and accurate off the tee will continue to impress. DJ is still looking for a win to get over what could have been at both the US and British Opens, can this finally be the week?

5: Matt Kuchar

Kuchar has had a relatively quiet 2015 to date. With a runner up finish her in 2011, Kuchar will hope to improve upon his recent success including a T7 at Whistling Straits and five top 25’s in his last six starts. Kuchar’s past performance speaks volumes to his success in the Playoffs; familiarity and the ability to play up in important spots, Kuchar is a solid pick for this week.

Top 5 Sleeper Picks:

1: Paul Casey

Casey is still considered a sleeper as he has yet to win during his 2015 PGA Tour campaign. Coming off a solid week at the Wydham Championship in which he finished T3, Casey will be driven to notch a win to a year that has included two seconds and two thirds.

2: David Lingmerth

The undersized Swede has been one of the real stories of the 2015 PGA Tour Season. Confidently plugging along week after week, Lingmerth will continue to look to add to his break out win at Muirfield Village this season. With five top 15’s in his last 6 starts, Lingmerth has the ability to quietly go low.

3: Danny Lee

Another breakout player in 2015, Danny Lee has been an all-star sleeper pick so far this season. With a win at the Greenbrier, the South Korean born Lee has three top 10 finishes in his last five starts. Is this the week that he adds to his already impressive 2015 season?

4: Justin Thomas

Probably best known for being Jordan Spieth’s buddy and practice round playing partner verse Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, Thomas is slowly etching his name in the picture for the future of American golf. With three top 20 finishes in his last four starts including a 18th place finish at this year’s PGA Championsip, Thomas is on the cusp of notching his first PGA Tour win.

5: Robert Streb

Streb may not be a sleeper to some, but his inability to close a tournament in 2015 continues to hinder Streb’s “coming out” party. Consistently solid in the past few months, Streb will look to his putter to heat up and keep him in the hunt. With eight top 20’s in his last nine starts, Streb has nothing to lose and plenty to gain.

The absence of notables such as Rory McIlroy who will be taking a week off to allow his ankle to further heal  and Tiger Woods’ inability to make the Top 120 criteria for a spot in the playoffs with allow for this week to be about the best player on the course this week rather than reputation. There will be plenty of drama surrounding this week’s event; with players looking to chalk up their first career win while others look to simply extend their season, expect high quality golf. Hold on folks, this is only part one of what should be an exciting playoff season.