National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., holds down the fifth spot after the first day on the Red River. Photo by Patrick Baker. Angler: Brent Ehrler.

July 19, 2011 • Brett Carlson • Archives

As of now, Brent Ehrler is in Florence, Ala., diligently practicing for the final Walmart FLW Tour Major on Pickwick Lake. He’s also sitting second in the Angler of the Year race, just 16 points behind leader David Dudley. But at any second, there’s a very real possibility of him leaving northern Alabama to return to his California home.

Ehrler isn’t crazy; his wife Kelley is due this week with the couple’s first child – a son. While AOY is important to him, Ehrler wants to be there to witness the birth. The bottom line for fantasy players is that if he gets the call, he’s heading to the nearest airport.

And as of this morning, Ehrler is the fourth most popular pick according to the Fantasy Trend. That means an awful lot of people have the National Guard pro on their rosters. I’m not saying it’s a bad pick, because Ehrler is immensely talented. But it’s certainly a risky pick. We’ll provide updates as more information becomes available. The deadline is tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. ET.