Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Articles Links (Offseason)

2015 Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts (Tier 1)

2015 Fantasy Nascar Rankings

Jamie McMurray 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Jamie McMurray 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Brad Keselowski 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Brad Keselowski 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Austin Dillon 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Austin Dillon 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Kevin Harvick 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Kevin Harvick 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Kasey Kahne 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Kasey Kahne 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Trevor Bayne 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Trevor Bayne 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Michael Annett 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Sam Horish Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Sam Hornish Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Danica Patrick 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Danica Patrick 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Denny Hamlin 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Denny Hamlin 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Casey Mears 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Tony Stewart 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Tony Stewart 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Clint Bowyer 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Clint Bowyer 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Greg Biffle 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Greg Biffle 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Ricky Stenhouse Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Ricky Stenhouse Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Kyle Busch 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Carl Edwards 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Carl Edwards 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Matt Kenseth 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Matt Kenseth 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Ryan Blaney 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Joey Logano 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Joey Logano 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Jeff Gordon 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Jeff Gordon 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Paul Menard 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Paul Menard 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Ryan Newman 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Ryan Newman 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Reed Sorenson 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Kurt Busch 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Kurt Busch 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Kyle Larson 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Kyle Larson 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Aric Almirola 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Aric Almirola 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

AJ Dinger 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Jimmie Johnson 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Jimmie Johnson 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

Justin Allaiger 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Brian Vickers 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Martin Truex Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Dale Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile

Dale Jr 2015 Fantasy Nascar Preview

**Links will be added as articles are posted. Some articles yet to be posted. Check back often.

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Dale Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Dale Jr

Car #: 88

Make: Chevy

Aka: JuneBug

Rookie Season: 2000

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 543

# of Career Poles: 13

# of Career Wins: 23

# of Career Top 5s: 127

# of Career Top 10s: 224

# of Career DNFs: 55

# of Career laps led: 7849

Career Average Finish: 15.8

Career Average Start: 16.2

# of 2014 Wins: 4

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 12

# of 2014 Top 10s: 20

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 383

2014 Average Finish: 12.2

2014 Average Start: 16.1

2014 Reap: Dale Jr had a very good 2014. He won 4 races and posted 12 Top 5s and 20 Top 10s. He was eliminated after Talladega , but doesn't means he wasn't competitive after that. In fact , he was one of the strongest cars in the final 4 races. Including a win at Martinsville. Cannot complain if you're Dale Jr or any of his fans. But question is..can he repeat that performance in 2015? Only time will tell.

Strong tracks: Daytona , Indy and Kentucky

Weak tracks: Watkins Glenn

Additional info on DaleJr: Dale Jr is one of the most consistent drivers in our sport. Something I always loved about him. Especially over the past few season. Dale is the guy you want when you're looking for a safe bet no doubt.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Consistency with major upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Dale Jr will no doubt be a contender in 2015. But I feel like having a new crew chief will be something he have to get use to. Kinda why I believe he will be a better value later in the season. His best days will be at Daytona and most intermediate tracks. Short tracks are another strong area , but from time to time post a poor result. Road courses will likely be a trouble spot. Always have been. 

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Martin Truex Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Martin Truex Jr

Car #: 78

Make: Chevy

Aka: MTjr

Rookie Season: 2006

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 333

# of Career Poles: 7

# of Career Wins: 2

# of Career Top 5s: 32

# of Career Top 10s: 95

# of Career DNFs: 40

# of Career laps led: 1885

Career Average Finish: 18.2

Career Average Start: 16.7

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 1

# of 2014 Top 10s: 5

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 3

# of 2014 Laps led: 1

2014 Average Finish: 20.2

2014 Average Start: 20.1

2014 Reap: Truex Jr struggled early in the 2014 season. Wasn't until after Watkins Glenn did Truex get rolling. Once he got it together , Truex was a very useable option. Truex ended the 2014 season with 8 Top 20s (4 Top 12) 3 of them were 7th or better. Truex biggest flaw was bad luck. Kinda like Kurt Busch was with the 78 car.

Strong tracks: Homestead, Watkins Glenn and Kansas

Weak tracks: Daytona and Martinsville

Additional info on MTjr: Truex jr won't be a consistent threat to win , but I saw real improvements during the final 10 races. Someone to keep a eye on in 2015.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Sleeper Option with quality week to week potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Truex Jr is one of my top sleeper pick for 2015! Why? He was in my opinion one of the most improved individual from Phoenix (Race 2) to Homestead (Race 36). I also feel like Truex is more comfortable. The confident was there as well. Hopefully he can take 2014 momentum and use in 2015. His best days will be at Road courses and certain highspeed Intermediate tracks. Plate tracks will be his worst days. Flats still remains questionable. I believe he could perform well on them , but we shall see.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Brian Vickers

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Brian Vickers

Car #: 55

Make: Toyota

Aka: The Vick

Rookie Season: 2004

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 316

# of Career Poles: 12

# of Career Wins: 3

# of Career Top 5s: 29

# of Career Top 10s: 77

# of Career DNFs: 41

# of Career laps led: 1274

Career Average Finish: 20.1

Career Average Start: 17.4

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 3

# of 2014 Top 10s: 9

# of 2014 Poles: 1

# of 2014 DNFs: 3

# of 2014 Laps led: 53

2014 Average Finish: 18.6

2014 Average Start: 14.1

2014 Reap: Vickers had a pretty average season.Started the first 12 races solidly including a few top 10s. Then at start of June , he had 2 DNFs in 3 race span. Until solid finishes at Sonoma and Daytona. In the final 18 races , He had 7 finishes of 15th or better. But also had 11 finishes of 16th or worse unfortunately.

Strong tracks: Sonoma  and Bristol

Weak tracks: Kentucky and Richmond

Additional info on Vickers: I get the feeling most out there don't have a lot of knowledge about Vickers. Here few things to know about Vickers: He's a overrated flat-short track racer. Vickers will post inconsistent results. Top 15 to low twenties will usually be his range. New Hampshire probably his best flat track. Even though he had 15.5 average finish there in 2014. Vickers also a pretty underrated road course specialist. Someone worth considering when Sonoma and Watkins comes around.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Mild upside with lower to upper teens results

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Vickers will miss start of the 2015 season which probably means he will be behind for the first few races. Vickers best opportunity to win at will be road courses or New Hampshire. There a few other venues he will have potential at. I don't see him winning in 2015. His overall useage in fantasy leagues will depend on how long he's is out. And how long it takes to adopt to the 2015 package.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Sunday, December 28, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Justin Allaiger

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Justin Allaiger

Car #: 51

Make: Chevy

Aka: JA

Rookie Season: 2014

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 39

# of Career Poles: 0

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 0

# of Career DNFs: 7

# of Career laps led: 16

Career Average Finish: 26.4

Career Average Start: 26.3

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 35

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 0

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 6

# of 2014 Laps led: 16

2014 Average Finish: 25.9

2014 Average Start: 26.0

2014 Reap: Justin quietly had a very nice season. Last offseason I picked Justin to be sleeper in the 2014 season. He struggled early to mid season. But got rolling in the final 12 races. While compiling 6 Top 20s. Not overly impressive in the 2014 ROY competition. But considering he was in underfunded ride, it wasn't too shabby at all.

Strong tracks: Bristol and Watkins Glenn

Weak tracks: Kansas and Phoenix

Additional info on Justin: I believe Short tracks & Road courses will remain Justin's MO regarding strength areas. Typically those are the tracks underfunded teams excell at anyhow. Intermediate racetracks will be the question mark. He showed potential in the 2nd half of the season at such venues.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C  Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with mid range potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I believe Justin will improve in 2015. He showed potential in the chase. Something which could carry over to '15. His best days will likely be on short tracks and probably road courses. Intermediate tracks such as Kansas have plagued Justin early in his career. At Plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega) , he will be hit or miss. Haven't had that impressive finish yet. But haven't gave us a reason to say he cannot finish well either. Overall it all about the track for Justin. He will finish a lot of the races 17th - 25th. Expect maybe 3 or 4 Top 15 at best.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Saturday, December 27, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Jimmie Johnson

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Jimmie Johnson

Car #: 48

Make: Chevy

Aka: Double J , JJ

Rookie Season: 2002

Number of Championships: 6

# of Career starts: 471

# of Career Poles: 33

# of Career Wins: 70

# of Career Top 5s: 193

# of Career Top 10s: 292

# of Career DNFs: 43

# of Career laps led: 17,138

Career Average Finish: 11.9

Career Average Start: 10.9

# of 2014 Wins: 4

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 11

# of 2014 Top 10s: 20

# of 2014 Poles: 1

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 1350

2014 Average Finish: 15.3

2014 Average Start: 11.9

2014 Reap: Johnson scored 4 wins and was considered a down year. Yeah he's that good. Johnson is graded a different curve then everyone else. But Johnson is hard man to keep down. 2014 was probably just a rare down year or is it a sign of decline in Johnson? Only time will tell.

Strong tracks: Charlotte , Dover, ACS , Martinsville and Pocono

Weak tracks: Richmond and Bristol

Additional info on Johnson: Many eyes will be on Jimmie Johnson in 2015. In my expert opinion , I feel confident he will bounce back nicely. The wins were there in 2014 no doubt. He lacked two things: Consistency and speed. We all know what he's capable of.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A  Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: High Upsided Potential with tab mix of trendy inconsistency at times

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Mark my words , Johnson will be a force in 2015. His win totals will likely stay steady. For Johnson to be the "man" again , he needs to find a nice balance. I believe Johnson will least score 2-3 wins , 10 Top 5s and 18 Top 10s. His best days will be the flat tracks and Intermediate tracks. His worst results will come at Daytona and Talladega. Johnson is known go on hot and cold streaks. Ride Johnson on the hot streaks. When he get cold it almost like he getting poor finishes on purpose. Trust me you will know when it happens.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: AJ Dinger

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: AJ Dinger

Car #: 47

Make: Chevy

Aka: The Dinger

Rookie Season: 2008

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 227

# of Career Poles: 2

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 7

# of Career Top 10s: 35

# of Career DNFs: 21

# of Career laps led: 410

Career Average Finish: 21.2

Career Average Start: 20.1

# of 2014 Wins: 1

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 2

# of 2014 Top 10s: 5

# of 2014 Poles: 1

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 69

2014 Average Finish: 20.2

2014 Average Start: 19.7

2014 Reap: Dinger had a pretty averaged season to be honest. While he didn't blow anyone away. He did score 1 win and was pretty competitive on certain tracks. Not too shabby considering Dinger drives for a underfunded raceteam. He scored 5 Top 10 and 2 of them were Top 5s. Will be interesting to see how does doing forward.

Strong tracks: Sonoma and Watkins Glenn

Weak tracks: Pocono and Daytona

Additional info on Dinger: Dinger only true relevancy will likely come on road courses in 2015. He will from time to time have strong runs on short racetracks and Intermediate tracks.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B  Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Limited to mild upside with high potential on road courses

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I am not gonna lie , I personal do not see Dinger be nothing more then a start-save option (in Yahoo Fantasy Racing). His best days will be on road courses and short tracks sometimes. Intermediate tracks is the unknown. He will likely have a mix results of finishes. Which really complicates his value and potential.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Aric Almirola

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Aric Almirola

Car #: 43

Make: Ford

Aka: Double A

Rookie Season: 2012

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 143

# of Career Poles: 2

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 5

# of Career Top 10s: 19

# of Career DNFs: 23

# of Career laps led: 170

Career Average Finish: 22.3

Career Average Start: 20.0

# of 2014 Wins: 1

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 2

# of 2014 Top 10s: 7

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 6

# of 2014 Laps led: 23

2014 Average Finish: 21.4

2014 Average Start: 19.1

2014 Reap: Aric had a inconsistent season.Despite winning at Daytona and scoring 7 Top 10s , Aric had a very lackluster 2014 season. Aric biggest flaw was not getting consistent finishes. Aric could run top 10 one week and struggle to finish 20th the next. Overall Aric probably looking forward to 2015 in a big way.

Strong tracks: Martinsville and Phoenix

Weak tracks: Auto Club and Watkins Glenn

Additional info on Almirola: Aric in my personal opinion is an slightly below average driver with average equipment. The driver potential will be there to finish well from time to time. But the overall upside is very limited. RPM never been a powerhouse team , even when Ford was at it strongest.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with limited upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I am not gonna sugar coat it , I feel like Almirola will be at best an top 20 option on a weekly basis. He will be most useful at short tracks. Road courses will be some of his worse days. His value on most race weekends will be low. Which will make him a risk option as well. Usually lower the realistic value , the risker the player is.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kyle Larson

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Kyle Larson

Car #: 42

Make: Chevy

Aka: Young Money

Rookie Season: 2014

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 40

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 8

# of Career Top 10s: 17

# of Career DNFs: 6

# of Career laps led: 54

Career Average Finish: 15.7

Career Average Start: 16.6

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 8

# of 2014 Top 10s: 17

# of 2014 Poles: 1

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 53

2014 Average Finish: 14.2

2014 Average Start: 15.6

2014 Reap: Larson had a very impressive rookie season. More I watch him the more Kyle Larson reminds me of Kyle Busch. Both guys had impressive rookies seasons. Most impressing out Larson is he understands what he can do and cannot. To me that what separates Larson from the other up and coming stars. Pretty good year for Larson. Will be interesting how he does in 2015 and beyond.

Strong tracks: Bristol , Kansas , Texas , and New Hampshire

Weak tracks: Daytona and Martinsville

Additional info on Larson: Larson will win in 2015 and that pretty much cut clear. And I am almost 100% sure it will be on a worn out surface like Atlanta , Texas or New Hampshire. Just keep that in mind.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: High upside with high risk/reward

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Larson is one of the drivers I think will win in 2015. He have the talent ,equipment and potential to do it. Even though I believe he will win 2015. I also believe he will continue to have a great number of DNFs. It have a lot to do with his driving style which is on the aggressive side in my opinion. I mean that in a good way. Larson best days will come on the high speed racetracks. And certain shorter tracks like New Hampshire and Bristol. I expect 2 wins , 9 Top 5s , 17 Top 10s in 2015 from Larson.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Sunday, December 21, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kurt Busch

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Kurt Busch

Car #: 41

Make: Chevy

Aka:

Rookie Season: 2001

Number of Championships: 1

# of Career starts: 507

# of Career Poles: 16

# of Career Wins: 25

# of Career Top 5s: 106

# of Career Top 10s: 201

# of Career DNFs: 58

# of Career laps led: 7832

Career Average Finish: 17.3

Career Average Start: 15.7

# of 2014 Wins: 1

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 6

# of 2014 Top 10s: 11

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 6

# of 2014 Laps led: 220

2014 Average Finish: 18.9

2014 Average Start: 13.5

2014 Reap: Busch struggled for the most part in 2014. He was terrible in the first 20 races. Almost didn't realize he had SHR equipment. Then as the chase grow closer , Kurt seem to get in a rhythm. But overall not very impressive in the chase. Had a few bad finishes. If there was any upside , it was under new Crew Chief Gibson his worst finish  was 11th in the final 3 races.

Strong tracks: Sonoma , Bristol and Atlanta

Weak tracks: Las Vegas and Michigan

Additional info on Kurt Busch: Kurt I think will be undervalued early in the 2015 season. Honestly the addition of Gibson gonna be awesome in 2015. Kurt & Tony G was clicking in 2014 after they were paired together. Kurt seems to like Gibson style. Most will overlook Kurt Busch due how unreliable he was last season.
Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with mix of upside & top 10 potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Kurt is one of the drivers I am relatively high on going into 2015. A lot to like about Kurt. He's a solid driver will a solid crew chief. Gibson will help Kurt a lot in 2015. His best days will likely come on certain intermediate and short tracks. As well on the road courses. Expect inconsistent results from vary stench of races. But Kurt will almost always have potential to finish top 10. Last season he was trying to settle in at SHR. Fortunately he won't have to deal with that issue in 2015.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Saturday, December 20, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Reed Sorenson

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Reed Sorenson

Car #: 36

Make: Chevy

Aka: RD

Rookie Season: 2006

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 225

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 5

# of Career Top 10s: 15

# of Career DNFs: 49

# of Career laps led: 158

Career Average Finish: 27.8

Career Average Start: 29.0

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 0

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 5

# of 2014 Laps led: 7

2014 Average Finish: 29.8

2014 Average Start: 35.3

2014 Reap: Reed wasn't terrible in 2014 , but most times he was a back of the pack type driver. Sorenson only scored 2 Top 20s. But many would be surprised to hear 2014's 29.8 average finish was his best since 2010. Reed almost always finished better then he started.

Strong tracks: Watkins Glenn and Daytona

Weak tracks: Martinsville and Pocono

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Mildly consistency with little upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: It unknown weather Reed will return to TBR in 2015. In fact , it widely unknown who will be in any of the TBR rides. Regardless of who entered in the 36 car , he will likely be most useful in salary cap leagues. As the 36 car is known to be a good glue option for fantasy lineups.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Friday, December 19, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile:Ryan Newman

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Ryan Newman

Car #: 31

Make: Chevy

Aka: RN , Rocketman

Rookie Season: 2002

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 476

# of Career Poles: 51

# of Career Wins: 17

# of Career Top 5s: 98

# of Career Top 10s: 200

# of Career DNFs: 58

# of Career laps led: 4658

Career Average Finish: 16.2

Career Average Start: 11.2

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 5

# of 2014 Top 10s: 16

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 1

# of 2014 Laps led: 41

2014 Average Finish: 12.7

2014 Average Start: 13.3

2014 Reap: Newman was pretty consistent in 2014. His impressive stats tell the story. Newman since leaving Penske been more a consistent individual then a race winning contender. And 2014 was no different. He had 32 Top 20s in 36 starts. Crazy good I will tell you what. Even more impressive he finished 2nd in points without winning a win. He proved no points system is flawless. The fans need to acceptable it and embrace it. Newman had a good year.

Strong tracks: Pocono , Michigan , Chicago and Richmond

Weak tracks: Kansas and Watkins Glenn

Additional info on Newman: For us fantasy folks who played in the pre-chase era , we saw a great decline in production when he left Penske racing. But the void was filled by a more consistent outlook by Newman. Something which I find to be rather smoothing honestly from a fantasy vantage point.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A  Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Consistent with mix of upside/predictable outlook

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Newman in 2015 should remain consistent unless something dramatically changes. His fantasy value will like be attached to his consistent finishes. Most leagues formats his value is questionable early in the year due how he finished 2014 off. Especially in salary cap. By second Daytona , look for his price to be more realistic to his overall value. Also feel like Newman will be useless in Yahoo. Mainly because he will most likely be promoted to A. Like Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer , I believe Newman isn't an A grouping tier caliber driver.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits (WK16)

Welcome to TimersSports

Welcome to the final Fantasy Football article of the 2014 season. Myself and Matt Aleza have put in countless sleepless nights to deliver top quality fantasy football content on a weekly basis. Usually Matt cover the starts/sits portion. Unfortunately Matt recovering in a LA hospital this week. So lets get started. It Week 16 champions will crowned and bets will fulfilled! How exciting..here's today starts/sits:

***Scoring Format: CBS Sports

Starts -

Quarterbacks:

Matthew Stafford- Staff haven't been super impressive this season , but he ranked 14th among QBs in fantasy points. While the Bears have pretty much allowed anything that move look good. Trust me that isn't a compliment. They have allowed 25.2 points per game vs Quarterbacks. The most in the NFL.

Matt Ryan - Ryan will once again probably  be without WideOut Julio Jones. The Saints defense probably will help Atlanta out though. The Saints have allowed the 6th most fantasy points per game (22.4) vs Quarterbacks. Ryan is the 6th ranked Quarterback in 2014. With 27 Touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the season.

Mark Sanchez- I think Sanchez sucks. Excuse my language , but that's exactly how I feel. But not even Sanchez can screw up an juicy matchup like Washington. Okay he can , but I see it unlikely though. Washington have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (25.1) vs Quarterbacks. Start Mark if you're in a pinch.

Running backs:

Steven Jackson- Jackson haven't been stellar in 2014. But been a nice value considering where he was draft and how slow he started. In 2014 , SJax ranked 18th among all running backs in total fantasy points. The Saints have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game (22.7) vs Running backs in 2014 so far. SJax should be good for least 50 yards & 1 TD.

CJ Anderson- No Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman will once again make Anderson an very good option in an high powered Denver offense. The Bengals have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game (21.8) vs Running backs. I would recommend starting him. I expect 103 yards and 1TD vs Cincy.

Demarco Murray- Murray had surgery earlier this week , but is expecting to play in week 16 as he is practicing as of Wednesday. My piece of advice is to have an back option in place. But you cannot sit your stud. There no way I would sit. Unless you're super loaded at running back and have another great option to start instead.

Wide Receivers:

DeSean Jackson- DJax can burn a defense quicker then you and I can say "who". DeSean is super dangerous in open space. The Eagles won't be able to contain him. They have allowed the most fantasy points this season vs Wide Outs. Expect Washington to pass a lot vs Philly. Mainly because they will be playing from behind. Should lead to a good points day for Mr. Jackson.

DeAndre Hopkins- Hopkins been pretty good this season ,wouldn't ya'll agree. 13th among all Wide Outs in fantasy points. In week 16 , Hopkins get another fantastic matchup vs Baltimore. Ravens have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (27.1) vs Wide Outs. Ravens have allowed 15 Touchdowns and 2822 yards on 214 receptions in 2014.

Roddy White- Word is Julio Jones maybe doubtful to play vs New Orleans. If that the case , White automatically become an top 20 option in my books. And we all know the Saints cannot cover wide outs. Expect White to have a solid outing vs Saints. Saints have allowed the 8th most fantasy points per game (25.1) vs Wide Outs in 2014.

Tight Ends:

Dwayne Allen - Allen still in my opinion the Tight End to own in Indy. Having both isn't a bad idea though. In week 16 ,Allen get a fantastic matchup vs Dallas. Who have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points per game (10.2) vs Tight Ends in 2014.

Jason Witten- Witten isn't an top notch Tight end anymore. But this position is so slim ,any relevant option is worth consideration. Indy have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game vs Tight Ends. Start him.

Sits-

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler- Cutler is like a bad batch of brownies. There usually an soft spot and the rest is rough and difficult to eat. Majority of Jay Cutler games this season represents the rough portion. The Lions will eat well on Sunday before their showdown with Green Bay in week 17. Lions have allowed the 4th fewest fantasy points per game (16.0) vs Quarterbacks in 2014.

Phillip Rivers- Rivers have been a terrific value this season. But he have a very unfavorable matchup in week 16 vs 49ers. 49ers have allowed the 6th fewest fantasy points per game vs Quarterbacks so far in 2014. They have only allowed 6 more Touchdowns(23) then interceptions (17). Also only have allowed 218 yards/per game this season.

Eli Manning- Manning been inconsistent all season long. That unlikely to change vs the Rams who haven't surrendered a Touchdown in past 3 game and only allowing combine 12 points (4.3 per game) , pretty impressive in my opinion. Manning probably shouldn't be started outside of 14 tm league or deeper.

Running backs:

Andre Williams- Um No..not a chance would I start Williams vs the Rams. Realistically speaking , the Rams have only surrendered 11.2 fantasy points per contest in the past 3 games. Where this defensive unit have only allowed 4 field goals. Expect the rookie to have difficult time. Last week , AW had 18 carries for a awful 44 yards. Which is 2.2 yards per carry vs Jacksonville.

Doug Martin - Martin haven't impressed me even when healthy. Outside a few great runs , Martin been at best average. Green Bay will eat him for lunch. The Packers run defense isn't stellar , but Tampa will be playing from behind anyhow. So it won't really matter honestly. I don't trust him.

Trent Richardson- Richardson isn't a good option to roll with in your championship matchup. Not a terrible matchup. Unfortunately TRich doesn't have the abilities to be fantasy starter. Least not in a timeshare backfield. In my opinion ,Trent never have been or will be a fantasy star. Sit him.

Wide Receivers:

Larry Fitzgerald- Seattle vs any offensive unit usually equals terrible results. Arizona have an 3rd string QB starting undercenter. Yeah I cannot see how this end badly for any fantasy relevant option. Just sit pretty much any Arizona option outside of their defense. Enough said!

Michael Crabtree- Crabtree been terrible this season. Over past 5 games , MC have averaged 46 yards per contest. While only having one score. The Chargers aren't a fantastic unit , but doesn't really matter. The whole 49ers offense is terrible. I don't trust anyone. Not necessarily their fault though.

Josh Gordon- Gordon vs Carolina secondary is like some monster. Realistically I think Gordon is a bad play. Especially if Johnny Football doesn't dramatically improves in start number 2. Gordon haven't been setting the world on fire either. Only 1 standout performance since returning. There better options to consider.

Tight Ends:

Larry Donnell- Donnell was a nice option early in the season. Ever since , OBjr entered in the Giants offense..Donnell been well almost useless. Donnell was unable to take advantage of Washington. The Rams will likely beat up on Larry D all game long. He's too inconsistent anyhow to be trusted.

Jordan Cameron- Cameron was a major bust in many people eyes. You could blame injuries , but even when he was healthy the production was lacking. Last week he failed to top 50 yards receiving in his return. Sit him vs Carolina.

**All stats from FFToday

My Fantasy Football Rankings

Link to previous Starts/Sits:

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits -WK 1

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits -WK2

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK3

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK4

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK5

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK6

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK7

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK8

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK9

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK10

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK11

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK12

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK13

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK14

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK15

Twitter - William Frang

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Paul Menard

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Paul Menard

Car #: 27

Make: Chevy

Aka: P Daddy Menard , Nard Ship

Rookie Season: 2007

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 291

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 15

# of Career Top 10s: 47

# of Career DNFs: 20

# of Career laps led: 282

Career Average Finish: 20.9

Career Average Start: 20.8

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 5

# of 2014 Top 10s: 13

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 45

2014 Average Finish: 17.7

2014 Average Start: 16.7

2014 Reap: Menard was up and down all season long. He scored 13 Top 10s which was a surprise to many probably. Big reason why was how under the radar he was. Rarely did Menard have an top 10 car , but always was there in the end. He also scored 5 Top 5s which was more then he had in 2013 and 2012. His 13 Top 10s were also best in his Nascar career.

Strong tracks: Las Vegas , Michigan and Kansas.

Weak tracks: Darlington and Watkins Glenn

Additional info on Menard: Menard in my opinion will never get any type of credit as an useful fantasy option. Typical Menard is a fantastic early to mid season ,then really falls off the grid. The fantasy players who like start saving early in the season , this is a guy to keep an eye on.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Trendy with mix of inconsistency

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Menard isn't a realistically a overly great option. Menard will have the most value early to mid season at intermediate racetracks. Menard will be at his worst on the flats and larger size Intermediate racetracks. I expect 0 wins  4 Top 5s and 11 Top 10s in 2015 from Menard.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Fantasy Football Rankings (WK16)

Welcome to TimersSports

Rankings -

Quarterbacks:

1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Andrew Luck
3. Tom Brady
4. Peyton Manning
5. Drew Brees
6. Phillip Rivers
7. Matthew Stafford
8. Big Ben
9. Tony Romo
10. Matt Ryan
11. Andy Dalton
12. Russell Wilson
13. Eli Manning
14. Colin Kaepernick
15. Mark Sanchez

Running backs -

1. Le'Veon Bell
2. Arian Foster
3. Marshawn Lynch
4. Eddie Lacy
5. Demarco Murray
6. Matt Forte
7. Jammal Charles
8. Lamar Miller
9. Justin Forsett
10. Alfred Morris
11. LeSean McCoy
12. Jeremy Hills
13. CJ Anderson
14. Frank Gore
15. Joique Bell

Wide Receivers-

1. Antonio Brown
2. Demaryius Thomas
3. Jordy Nelson
4. Aj Green
5. Julio Jones
6. Randall Cobb
7. Dez Bryant
8. Calvin Johnson
9. Alshon Jeffery
10. Odell Beckham Jr.
11. Jeremy Maclin
12. Mike Evans
13. Golden Tate
14. Emmanuel Sanders
15. Ty Hilton

Tight Ends -

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Julius Thomas
3. Jimmy Graham
4. Greg Olsen
5. Antonio Gates
6. Martellus Bennett
7. Delanie Walker
8. Heath Miller
9. Dwayne Allen
10. Jason Witten

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Jeff Gordon

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Jeff Gordon

Car #: 24

Make: Chevy

Aka: Big Daddy

Rookie Season: 1993

Number of Championships: 4

# of Career starts: 763

# of Career Poles: 77

# of Career Wins: 92

# of Career Top 5s: 320

# of Career Top 10s: 454

# of Career DNFs: 98

# of Career laps led: 24,652

Career Average Finish: 10.2

Career Average Start: 12.4

# of 2014 Wins: 4

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 14

# of 2014 Top 10s: 23

# of 2014 Poles: 3

# of 2014 DNFs: 0

# of 2014 Laps led: 1083

2014 Average Finish: 10.4

2014 Average Start: 9.0

2014 Reap: I was quite surprised on how fast Gordon was in 2014. To be honest , a lot of the fantasy nascar community was. Only once since 2007 , have Gordon scored more then 2 wins in a season. In 2014 , he scored 4 wins. Gordon also scored 14 Top 5s and 23 Top 10s. Not a bad season at all. Winning the championship may have been the only disappointment. An year where on fatal mistake cost Gordon potentially championship number 5.

Strong tracks: Dover , Martinsville , Sonoma and Indy

Weak tracks: Watkins Glenn and Las Vegas

Additional info on Gordon: Gordon fans had a dream season in 2014. Almost everything went Gordon way. With that being said , I see Gordon being a letdown in 2015. The 2015 package doesn't suit Gordon too well. Of course that is pure speculation. But don't be surprise if that the case. Also drivers not named Jimmie Johnson , have had a difficult time repeating stellar seasons back to back.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A  grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Trendy Option

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I don't think Gordon will back up his 2014 performance. But mark my words , JG will be a contender all season long. Expect Gordon best results to come on the flats tracks like Martinsville , New Hampshire , Indy , Pocono, etc. Kinda interested how Gordon does on Intermediate racetracks. Over past 5 seasons ,Gordon been pretty inconsistent. Excluding last season of course. I expect 2 wins , 13 Top 5s and 18 Top 10s in 2015 from Gordon.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Monday, December 15, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Joey Logano

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Joey Logano

Car #: 22

Make: Ford

Aka: JoLo ,Sliced Bread

Rookie Season: 2009

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 218

# of Career Poles: 8

# of Career Wins: 8

# of Career Top 5s: 43

# of Career Top 10s: 82

# of Career DNFs: 20

# of Career laps led: 1653

Career Average Finish: 16.7

Career Average Start: 15.0

# of 2014 Wins: 5

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 16

# of 2014 Top 10s: 22

# of 2014 Poles: 1

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 993

2014 Average Finish: 11.1

2014 Average Start: 9.8

2014 Reap: For the record , Logano was my championship pick back in January. People laughed. Well they didn't laugh for long. As JoLo had his best season ever in 2014. He previously had only 3 career victories from 2008 - 2013. He scored 5 in 2014. Top 5s? Nearly doubled his previous career total of 27. Had 16 in 2014 alone. Top 10s? Had 22 of them in 2014. In 2 seasons , Logano have 41 Top 10s. His whole career with JGR (4 seasons) , Logano had 41 Top 10s. Yeah he had a fantastic 2014.

Strong tracks: Dover , Charlotte , Texas and Atlanta

Weak tracks: Darlington

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A  grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Steaky option with high potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Joey Logano is one of my dark horses to win the championship. I say "dark horse" because I believe Logano doesn't repeat his 2014 performance. Two big reasons: 1) Its hard to back up 5 wins , 16 Top 5s & 22 Top 10s. 2) I don't think Penske will have a significant advantage like in 2014. I expect Logano to be a major threat in 2015 , but not like many are predicting after a career year. I expect 2-3 wins , 9-14 Top 5s , 15-19 Top 10s in 2015 from Logano in '15.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Ryan Blaney

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Ryan Blaney

Car #: 21

Make: Ford

Aka: N/A

Rookie Season: N/A

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 2

# of Career Poles: 0

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 0

# of Career DNFs: 0

# of Career laps led: 15

Career Average Finish: 24.5

Career Average Start: 12.5

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 2

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 0

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 0

# of 2014 Laps led: 15

2014 Average Finish: 24.5

2014 Average Start: 12.5

2014 Reap: Blaney made two starts in 2014 for Penske racing. Neither of them were super impressive , but those were only his only two career starts in NSCS. His best finish of the two were at Talladega. Where he came home 22nd. Had an solid 24.5 average finish.

Strong tracks: N/A

Weak tracks: N/A

Additional info on Blaney: Blaney have a lot of unknowns heading into 2015. He's so young , we don't know what his strong & weak tracks are. In 2015 he will drive the 21 car. Its is expected to br entered in the same races as Bayne was scheduled in (least I would assume.) Which is really intermediate racetracks.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C  grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with slight to mild upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I am really not high on Blaney in 2015. Big reason he is young. Second , Blaney will probably use 2015 to learn NSCS better. Kinda like what Bayne did. He was never super-impressive , but all that mattered was the seat time. Blaney should be able knock off a few top 20s. But beyond that I say that about his ceiling.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Sunday, December 14, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Matt Kenseth

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Matt Kenseth

Car #: 20

Make: Toyota

Aka: Mr. Consistency

Rookie Season: 2000

Number of Championships: 1 (2004)

# of Career starts: 544

# of Career Poles: 11

# of Career Wins: 31

# of Career Top 5s: 151

# of Career Top 10s: 270

# of Career DNFs: 46

# of Career laps led: 9455

Career Average Finish: 14.1

Career Average Start: 18.2

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 13

# of 2014 Top 10s: 22

# of 2014 Poles: 2

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 529

2014 Average Finish: 13.2

2014 Average Start: 14.0

2014 Reap: Matt K wasn't overly stellar in 2014. He was a major letdown in many people opinion. But I disagree. Outside of the win, average start and pole categories , Kenseth improved in every major category. Including Top 5 , Top 10 and average finish. Why did he improve in those categories? With JGR being down on power , Kenseth was able to get back to more consistency. I think it worked out great for him.

Strong tracks: Atlanta , Kansas and Kentucky

Weak tracks: Sonoma and Pocono

Additional info on Kenseth: There two type of drivers. Inconsistent and Consistent drivers. MK is the king of consistency. Big reason why MK haven't won a lot of races over the years. Only winning roughly every 18 races. MK can be super-competitive when needed , but he prefer being consistent. Anytime I am struggling to pick a driver. MK is the guy I go to. Why? He's a safe bet. 14.1 Average finish over 500+ races is pretty impressive.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Consistency with major upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I expect JGR to have more speed in 2015. More importantly , I think the 2015 package might benefit JGR the most. I see Matt K returning to his winning ways like in 2013. Or being consistent like he was in 2014. Either way MK should be a nice value in most formats. Figuring out which one he is will be an important factor early in the season.

Matt Kenseth Review - NBTW

Twitter - @Jeffery_Nathans

Saturday, December 13, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Carl Edwards

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Carl Edwards

Car #: 19

Make: Toyota

Aka: Cousin Carl

Rookie Season: 2005

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 373

# of Career Poles: 13

# of Career Wins: 23

# of Career Top 5s: 108

# of Career Top 10s: 187

# of Career DNFs: 23

# of Career laps led: 4850

Career Average Finish: 13.5

Career Average Start: 15.3

# of 2014 Wins: 2

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 7

# of 2014 Top 10s: 14

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 135

2014 Average Finish: 15.1

2014 Average Start: 13.5

2014 Reap: Edwards was inconsistent all season long. Never was really competitive for a entire race. Honestly not sure how he manage to get a lot of those good finishes. If you watched Edwards in 2014 , it was clear he was at best an 15th place driver most weekends. His driver rating can probably back that up too.

Strong tracks: Watkins Glenn , Michigan , Homestead and Kansas.

Weak tracks: Talladega , Martinsville and Kentucky

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Consistency with high potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I expect good things from Edwards in 2015. Edwards is jumping from Ford to Toyota. Last driver to do that (Kenseth) did it pretty successfully. I don't see 7 wins from Edwards. But an career year could be on tap. Kinda interested how Edwards does right off the bat with a new team. I expect 2-4 wins , 12-15 Top 5s , 14-18 Top 10s in 2015.

Twitter - @Jeffery_Nathans

Friday, December 12, 2014

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers Review (2014)

Welcome to TimersSports

The 2014 Nascar season ended roughly 1 month ago. Like your average race fan , I decided to take some time off. To be honest , I love talking (and writing) about Nascar. More specific Fantasy Nascar. Not because I am good at it. But because I find it thrilling. So I am beyond happy to be getting back at it. Even if it only the offseason!

In today's article , I compiled an list of the  sleepers from 2014 season. Let get started!

*Author Note - Individual weren't eligible if they were one of 16 chase contenders.

Garry's Sleepers List:

Jamie McMurray - McMurray in my opinion had his best season ever. But wasn't taken serious until after the chase started by most. JMac had a great chase no doubt , but his value was pretty darn high all season long. Big reason was he wasn't being pick. I will admit I was one of them who didn't take Jamie serious. Mainly because I been burned so many times over the years. In 2014 , Jamie had many solid performances. But he also had multiple terrible performances which probably chase most players away early to mid season. Overall he was a nice sleeper option.

Casey Mears - Mears surprisingly had a much better season then most realize. Check out Jeff Nathans's Casey Mears Profile . Jeff made some great points about Mears. More specifically , it was stated Mears had his best season since 2009. His 22.5 average finish , 4 Top 10s and 1 Top 5 makes 2014 his best season with the 13 team. Mears also only had 1 DNF. That's pretty impressive to be honest.

Danica Patrick - Danica get an slot on my rankings. I thought she was overlooked a lot mainly because of how inconsistent and limit upsided she was in 2013. Danica easily improved in almost every major category. She also had a breakout performance at Kansas. Wasn't ever given enough credit. She not a star. We cannot expect star-type numbers.

Paul Menard - Menard in my opinion belongs at the top when it came to sleepers in the regular season. I firmly believe you have to jump on a trend in early season. Then ride it into the ground. Menard had 11 Top 10s in the first 24 races. Which ranked inside the top 10 among all drivers in the Cup Series in that span. He also racked up 4 Top 5s in first 24 races. After that point , Menard just quit trying really. Still a great season that mostly went unnoticed.

Twitter- @Gbriggs12

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits (WK15)

Welcome to TimersSports

***Scoring Format: CBS Scoring

Quarterbacks-

Starts:

Eli Manning- Manning who been inconsistent this season have been given a fantastic matchup vs Washington. The Redskins have allowed the most fantasy football points per game (24.8) vs Quarterbacks. Maybe last time vs Washington on TNF? I sure do.

Tony Romo- Romo bounced back nicely in week 14 (as I said he would) , and now Romo have another solid matchup. I know many people will be hesitant to have confidents in Romo again vs Philly. Remember Romo been much better on the road then at home. Matter of fact , Dallas haven't lost all year on the road. The Eagles have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game (23.6) vs Quarterbacks. Over the past 5 weeks , Romo have scored the 11th most fantasy points per game (22.6) vs QBs. Over the past 3 weeks , Romo also scored the 11th most fantasy points per game (20.9) over the previous 3 weeks.

Jay Cutler- Cutler been inconsistent this season , but his matchup vs New Orleans is a fantastic matchup. The Saints have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game (22.9) vs Quarterbacks. I think Cutler will have a nice stat line vs an terrible pass defense. Not like New Orleans have a stout overall defense. I mean Cam Newton had a field day in week 14.

Sits:

Colin Kaepernick- CK7 is like a monster movie. Its ugly , but how ugly its get all a part of the fun. The past two weeks may have hit his lowest in San Fran. Highly doubt he does anything vs Seahawks. Seattle have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (14.5) vs Quarterbacks. Over last 3 weeks , Colin ranked 30th of 42 Quarterbacks with 9.9/average fantasy points per game. Only Geno Smith and Brian Hoyer have scored less fantasy points , who played in week 12,13 and 14.

Drew Stanton- The Rams don't really have a well-know reputation for a dominated pass defense. In 2014 , they have allowed the 8th fewest fantasy points per game (17.8) vs Quarterbacks. Stanton been pretty average overall. I would sit him , as over past 3 weeks Rams allowed only 7.7 points per game. Which is 2nd fewest fantasy points per game in that span.

Ryan Tannehill- Loads of respect for Tannehill , but New England defense can cause problems for Quarterbacks. Rivers sure found out the hard way in week 14. Pats have allowed the 13th fewest fantasy points per game (19.0) vs Quarterbacks. Tannehill over past three weeks have ironically averaged 19.0 fantasy points per game.

Running backs-

Starts:

Justin Forsett- Forsett continues to have an awesome season. The Jacksonville defense been far from impressive against the run. As they have allowed the 6th fantasy points per game (21.8) vs Running backs. They've allowed the 9th most fantasy points (23.7) vs Running backs over the past 3 weeks. Forsett have scored the 5th most fantasy points  per game (19.0) since week 12 vs Running backs.

Joique Bell- Bell been pretty good all season long. Since week 12 , Bell have scored the 7th most fantasy points per game. The Vikings been inconsistent against the run as they have allowed the 9th most fantasy points per game (20.6) vs Running backs. While surrendering the 13th most fantasy points per game (18.1) vs Running backs. Bell get added value with catching passes out of the backfield from time to time.

LeGarrette Blount- I like Blount this week vs Miami. Over the past 3 weeks , he have averaged 11.1/ fantasy points per game. In that span he have averaged 67.3/yards per game. Dolphins have allowed the 15th most fantasy points per game (18.5) vs Running backs. While allowing the 6th most per game over previous 3 games (24.2) vs Running backs.

Sits:

Frank Gore- Gore have been decent this season as he ranked among the top 25 scorers on the season. But he only have averaged 7.8 fantasy per game on the season. While ranking 47th among backs in total points (11.5) over past 3 games. His average fantasy points  in that span? Dreadful 3.8 fantasy points per game. In which he have only tallied 127 yards on 35 carries. Seattle have allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs this season.

Lamar Miller- Miller have been at best average over past 5 weeks. Where he only have scored 1 TD and have 56 yards per game. The Patriots been very unkind to running back in the recent weeks. Over previous 5 weeks (4 games) , New England have allowed the fewest fantasy points (9.5) vs running backs. Allowing the 5th fewest fantasy points per game (11.6) vs running backs in past 3. Since week 10 , New England have allowed 0 rushing Touchdowns.

Denard Robinson- Robinson started off as a hot item when first throw into the starting role midseason. In the recent weeks , DRob have been very unproductive while failing to top 100 yards in his last 3 games combined. Ravens been very good vs the run all season. They have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (12.1) vs running backs.

Wide Receivers-

Starts:

Sammy Watkins- Watkins have had a great rookie season. The Packers should only help his cause. The Packers have allowed 4th most fantasy points per game (26.1) vs Wide Outs. No other defense have allowed more then 18 Touchdowns. Packers defense have allowed 20 on the season vs Wide Outs.

Alshon Jeffery- Back in week 12 (View week 12 article) I felt like Jeffery could be a useful option in upcoming weeks. Over past 3 weeks , Jeffery have scored the 8th most fantasy points per game. While scoring 4 Touchdowns and receiving 188 yards. Marshall is done for year which gives Jeffery even more opportunities. Saints have allowed the 7th most fantasy points per game (25.1) vs Wide Outs this season.

Odell Beckham Jr- OBJr keeps on impressing me. Not the catches he makes , but how effective and consistent productive he's is. Over his past 5 games , OBJr have caught 41 passes (8.2/per game) for 567 yards and 3 Touchdowns. Only Julio Jones (694) have more yards. Washington loves giving up fantasy points to Wide Outs. As they have allowed the 9th most fantasy points per game (24.7) vs Wide Outs this season.

Sits:

Michael Crabtree- Crabtree been terrible in recent weeks. Big reason is his QB poor performances. Seattle will not do him any favors. Seattle have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (14.5) vs Wide Outs this season. For those wondering , Crabtree have scored 12.4 fantasy points combined in his past 3 games. Which averages out to 4.1 fantasy points per game. In that span , he have 17 catches for 124 yards. Ranked 72nd in total fantasy points of all Wide Outs.

Larry Fitzgerald- Larry Fitz probably one of my favorite players of all time. But even I abandoned ship on the Larry Fitz SS. That ship was a lose cause when Carson Palmer went down. Unlike the Philly system , not any old QB can be successful. Plus it Drew Stanton , you know the ex-backup Detroit Lion. Not exactly a winning formula. Rams have allowed the 6th fewest fantasy points over past 3 weeks.

Any Seahawks Wide Receiver- Lets be honest , Seattle have solid offense. But trying to figure out the WR core required an Sherlock Holmes. Not even Baldwin (their top wideout) a lock to score an TD. San Fran have allowed the 6th fewest fantasy points per game (19.0) vs Wide Outs. I take my chances with a more upsided option.

Tight Ends -

Starts:

Larry Donnell- Donnell may be extremely inconsistent. But last time Donnell faced Washington , he scored 3 Touchdowns. I say he doesn't repeat , but I don't see how he doesn't score least 1 In the rematch. Washington have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (10.7) vs Tight Ends this season.

Delanie Walker- Not very productive last few weeks, but the Jets are here to help our buddy Walker out. The Jets have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game (10.3) vs Tight Ends this season. Jets have allowed 12 Touchdowns to Tight ends in 2014. Most in the league.

Sits:

Heath Miller- Miller been inconsistent all season long. In recent weeks , he seems to be back on track after a slow start. Week 15 probably must-avoid against Atlanta who have allowed the 3rd fewest fantasy points per game (5.2) vs Tight Ends. While only allowing 2 Touchdowns all season long. Eagles are the only team to surrender less in 2014.

Jermaine Gresham- Gresham scored his third Touchdown of 2014 vs Pittsburgh. Unfortunately that only his second game he scored a Touchdown this season. Cleveland have allowed the 10th fewest fantasy points per game (5.9) vs Tight Ends. There better options out there to use.

**All stats from FFToday

Also check out William Frang's Rankings

Link to previous Starts/Sits:

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits -WK 1

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits -WK2

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK3

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK4

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK5

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK6

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK7

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK8

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK9

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK10

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK11

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK12

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK13

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK14

Twitter - Matt Aleza

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kyle Busch

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Kyle Busch

Car #: 18

Make: Toyota

Aka: Rowdy

Rookie Season: 2005

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 365

# of Career Poles: 15

# of Career Wins: 29

# of Career Top 5s: 118

# of Career Top 10s: 178

# of Career DNFs: 39

# of Career laps led: 10244

Career Average Finish: 15.2

Career Average Start: 13.8

# of 2014 Wins: 1

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 9

# of 2014 Top 10s: 15

# of 2014 Poles: 4

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 453

2014 Average Finish: 17.6

2014 Average Start: 13.1

2014 Reap: Rowdy had a rough 2014 season. At times , Rowdy looks to be putting everything together. At Others Rowdy was just terrible. Was it all Rowdy fault? No. Bad luck was big reason for Rowdy's misfortunes. The lack of speed also was something that was a factor. JGR never true contended in most races because they didn't have the power to stay with the HMS and Penske powered cars.

Strong tracks: Richmond , Bristol and ACS

Weak tracks: Kentucky and Sonoma

Additional info on Rowdy: Rumors are the 2015 cup car drives like the nationwide car. If that the case , this new package just screams Kyle Busch. Of course we won't truly know until February , but Rowdy might be a nice long shot to win it all in 2015. As I expect JGR to be more like 2013 then 2014.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with huge upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Honestly I feel like KB will be overlooked early. Mainly because how he struggled in 2014. Realistically I expect a bounce back year for the 18 of Busch. He's in a top ride with a new Crew Chief in Steve Adams. Most of all , Busch too talented not to bounce back from one of worst seasons ever in wins , Top 5 and Top 10s. In 2015 I expect 2-4 wins , 12-15 Top 5s, 18-21 Top 10s , and 1-3 poles.

Nascar Behind The Wall- Kyle Busch Review

Twitter - @Jeffery_Nathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Car #: 17

Make: Ford

Aka: RickyBoy

Rookie Season: 2013

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 76

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 2

# of Career Top 10s: 8

# of Career DNFs: 4

# of Career laps led: 35

Career Average Finish: 20.7

Career Average Start: 20.0

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 35

# of 2014 Top 5s: 1

# of 2014 Top 10s: 5

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 35

2014 Average Finish: 22.4

2014 Average Start: 21.7

2014 Reap: Stenhouse Jr had a bad year in 2014. Numbers across the board would suggest otherwise as Stenhouse improved Top 10s from 3 to 5. But most drivers significantly improves from year 1 to year 2. Stenhouse however barely broke even. RFR being thrown a curve ball with the 2014 package didn't help though. In the end , Stenhouse Jr was a disappointment which many probably didn't see coming.

Strong tracks: Talladega and Bristol

Weak tracks: Martinsville and Sonoma

Additional info on Stenhouse Jr: Ricky had a bad 2014 there no getting around. Honestly I expect RFR to bounce back in 2015. Big reason is I think the 2015 package will be in RFR favor. Just a early gut feeling on that. Not quite like Penske had in 2014 though. Will be interesting to see how Rickyboy does in 2015 and beyond.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Low value tier driver with top 20 potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Realistically I expect Ricky to improve on his 2014 stats. But how much is the unknown question. RickyBoy in my opinion is comparable to JMac. Inconsistent in a big name ride with upside. Expect inconsistent results in 2015. But i believe at times Ricky can run respectable in the top 15. All depends on how he develops in year 3.

Twitter - @Jeffery_Nathans

Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Fantasy Football Rankings (WK15)

Welcome to TimersSports

Quarterbacks-

1. Andrew Luck
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Peyton Manning
4. Drew Brees
5. Tom Brady
6. Tony Romo
7. Big Ben
8. Phillip Rivers
9. Russell Wilson
10. Matthew Stafford
11. Matt Ryan
12. Jay Cutler
13. Andy Dalton
14. Mark Sanchez
15. Joe Flacco

Running backs -

1. Demarco Murray
2. Le'Veon Bell
3. Arian Foster
4. Matt Forte
5. Marshawn Lynch
6. Jammal Charles
7. Eddie Lacy
8. LeSean McCoy
9. Alfred Morris
10. Lamar Miller
11. Justin Forsett
12. Steven Jackson
13. C.J. Anderson
14. Rashad Jennings
15. Joique Bell

Wide Receivers -

1. Antonio Brown
2. Jordy Nelson
3. Julio Jones
4. Alshon Jeffery
5. Demaryius Thomas
6. Aj Green
7. Randall Cobb
8. Calvin Johnson
9. Dez Bryant
10. Jeremy Maclin
11. Emmanuel Sanders
12. T.Y. Hilton
13. Golden Tate
14. Odell Beckham Jr.
15. Mike Evans

Tight Ends -

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Julius Thomas
3. Jimmy Graham
4. Martellus Bennett
5. Greg Olsen
6. Antonio Gates
7. Travis Kelce
8. Dwayne Allen
9. Larry Donnell
10. Jason Witten

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

2015 FantasyNascar Profile: Greg Biffle

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Grrg Biffle

Car #: 16

Make: Ford

Aka: The Biff

Rookie Season: 2003

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 438

# of Career Poles: 12

# of Career Wins: 19

# of Career Top 5s: 88

# of Career Top 10s: 168

# of Career DNFs: 34

# of Career laps led: 5696

Career Average Finish: 15.8

Career Average Start: 15.4

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 3

# of 2014 Top 10s: 11

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 1

# of 2014 Laps led: 110

2014 Average Finish: 16.4

2014 Average Start: 18.7

2014 Reap: Overall Biffle wasn't very competitive , nor really showed much of anything. Biff strong point was Intermediate racetracks which was also pretty average. RFR was thrown a curve ball and Biff and co didn't response well. Only 3 Top 5s and no wins or pole was probably a double blow to Greg. Not offen have Biffle put up those type stats.

Strong tracks: Michigan , Daytona and Texas.

Weak tracks: Kentucky and Richmond

Additional info on Biff: Biff isn't the fantasy relevant consistent finisher he once was. But I see Biffle bouncing back in 2015. Big reason I thought RFR struggled was how slow they were to catching on to 2014 race package. There no way RFR can do any worse. They have hit rock bottom.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Middle of the road tier value with upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Honestly I expect a lot of people to sleep on The Biff early in the season. But if RFR can figure out the 2015 package , Biff could be a nice value. Of course that is just speculation. I see Biff being a nice value or a inconsistent option in 2014. Kinda hard to know anything else with limited testing going on this offseason. I say Biff improves on his stats from 2014. Of course that isn't saying much.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Monday, December 08, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Clint Bowyer

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Clint Bowyer

Car #: 15

Make: Toyota

Aka: Bowyer

Season Debut: 2006 (First Full Season)

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 325

# of Career Poles: 2

# of Career Wins: 8

# of Career Top 5s: 56

# of Career Top 10s: 152

# of Career DNFs: 25

# of Career laps led: 2324

Career Average Finish: 14.7

Career Average Start: 16.6

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 5

# of 2014 Top 10s: 15

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 5

# of 2014 Laps led: 109

2014 Average Finish: 17.1

2014 Average Start: 15.8

2014 Reap: Bowyer at times in 2014 showed flashes of promise , but never was consistent enough to be a true threat. Of course no Toyota was. Bowyer scored zero wins with MWR as well. Bowyer biggest problem overall was bad luck. His average finish should have been much higher , but for a good portion of the season he doubt with rotten luck.

Strong tracks: Martinsville , Sonoma , Homestead and Michigan

Weak tracks: Atlanta and Kentucky

Additional info on Bowyer: Bowyer in my opinion is an inconsistent driver since joining MWR. We seen him at his best and worst. Expect flats and certain Intermediate racetracks to be his overall strengths. Bowyer weakness maybe Bowyer himself though. Its no secret he tend to shoot himelf in the foot a lot. Not always his fault though.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistent/ Sleeper Option

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Honestly I expect Bowyer to be inconsistent at times. But I do think Bowyer will improve from 2014. His best shot at wins will come at flat short racetracks and road courses. Both type tracks been his strong suit since joining MWR. Martinsville and Sonoma are arguably his best two tracks. New Hampshire maybe his best unknown track. Most people don't realize how good Bowyer been there. Use him at his better tracks. That the key to using Bowyer to his max value.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Tony Stewart

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Tony Stewart

Car #: 14

Make: Chevy

Aka: TS, Smoke

Season Debut: 1999

Number of Championships: 3

# of Career starts: 554

# of Career Poles: 15

# of Career Wins: 48

# of Career Top 5s: 182

# of Career Top 10s: 297

# of Career DNFs: 43

# of Career laps led: 12,727

Career Average Finish: 13.2

Career Average Start: 15.4

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 33

# of 2014 Top 5s: 3

# of 2014 Top 10s: 7

# of 2014 Poles: 1

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 125

2014 Average Finish: 19.9

2014 Average Start: 16.5

2014 Reap: 2014 was a very tough year on and off the track. In my opinion , Smoke wasn't right all year long. Even in the summer months , Smoke was better. But not quite Smoke-like. From experience , I can tell you recovering from a brutal wreck in a racecar can take a long time. The tragic event he encountered didn't do him any favors. Smoke probably just want to put 2014 behind him.

Strong tracks: Watkins Glenn , Indy, Pocono and Chicago

Weak tracks: Bristol , Talladega and Kentucky

Additional info on Stewart: Smoke in 2015 is coming off his worst season ever. I am very interested how he responds early in the year. Will Smoke come out firing or will he be the same old Smoke. Who doesn't get rolling until the summer time. Either way , Smoke could be a fine sleeper in 2015.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Secured option/ Undervalued (at times)

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I am relatively high on Smoke. Honestly I have my doubts he will suddenly turn into his old self after past rough two years. But he is a talented guy with a top notch raceteam. Sky the limits in my opinion. I expect 1 win , 8 Top 5s , 16 Top 10s , and 23 Top 20s. Those are what I expect if Smoke return to his old self like before his accident.

IFantasyRace's Preview - Tony Stewart

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Saturday, December 06, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Casey Mears

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Casey Mears

Car #: 13

Make: Chevy

Aka: MearsGang

Season Debut: 2003

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 416

# of Career Poles: 4

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 13

# of Career Top 10s: 50

# of Career DNFs: 55

# of Career laps led: 473

Career Average Finish: 23.4

Career Average Start: 24.1

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 1

# of 2014 Top 10s: 3

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 1

# of 2014 Laps led: 4

2014 Average Finish: 22.3

2014 Average Start: 25.5

2014 Reap: Mears quietly had a nice , but solid season in 2014. Only scored 3 Top 10s , but that more then he have had in the previous 4 seasons in the Sprint Cup Series. Mears had an 22.4 average finish in 36 races. Which was his best average finish since driving the 07 car in 2009 (19.8 average finish.) Mears also scored one top 5 (Daytona) , that was his first top 5 since 2008 with Hendrick MotorSports in the 5 car. In 2014 , Mears only had 1 DNF in 36 starts. Pretty good overall year for Mears.

Strong tracks: Watkins Glenn , Sonoma and Daytona.

Weak tracks: Indy , Darlington and New Hampshire.

Additional info on Mears: Every year since joining the 13 team. Mears have improved his average finish. Most people believe Mears is useless because he is in a underfunded ride. That's a big misunderstanding! Mears is a fantastic option at both Talladega & Daytona. Typically stays out of trouble there. In 2014 his worst finish was 14th (first Dega). Also a great value at road courses. Pretty underrated there as well.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Limited

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Honestly I am not sure what to expect exactly. Mears last season was pretty reliable because he finished 35 of 36 races. Not something he been able to do a lot in past seasons. Realistically Mears is a pretty limited option in Yahoo Fantasy Racing. I could see myself using him few times though. Maybe more , just depends on how things turn out. Would love to see Mears score more Top 10s in 2014 , but probably gonna be difficult. Usually Mears starts the season off very well. Then decline in productive. Outside of road courses & plate tracks , Mears is hard to count on.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Friday, December 05, 2014

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Danica Patrick

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Danica Patrick

Car #: 10

Make: Chevy

Aka: Princess , DP

Season Debut: 2013 (First Full Season)

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 82

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 4

# of Career DNFs: 11

# of Career laps led: 20

Career Average Finish: 25.3

Career Average Start: 27.4

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 3

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 4

# of 2014 Laps led: 15

2014 Average Finish: 23.6

2014 Average Start: 22.3

2014 Reap: Danica showed solid improvement from year 1 to year 2. In 2014 , she improved her # Of Top 10 , Top 15 and Top 20. Also improved her average finish and start. While decreasing the rate of DNFs and non-led lap finishes.

Strong tracks: Michigan and Atlanta

Weak tracks: Martinsville and Pocono

Additional info on Danica: Most people think Danica is just a money maker for SHR. Yes her average performances haven't been stellar. But remember most of the competitors have been racing for 15 years in stock. Danica about 5. She slowly grasping knowledge. Each year she have improved. 2015 she needs to take that next step though.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Serviceable option at larger racetracks

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I expect Danica to continue to improve , but honestly think she will be a limited option in Yahoo Fantasy Racing. Her price may be too much in salary cap formats (like Fantasy Live.) There few tracks she will be an asset like Daytona and Talladega. Also believe she will be an sneaky option at Intermediate tracks. Outside of Martinsville , her best performances have came at fast and large racetracks. I fully expect that trend to continue.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Denny Hamlin

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Denny Hamlin

Car #: 11

Make: Toyota

Aka: Hammy , DH

Season Debut: 2006

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 326

# of Career Poles: 19

# of Career Wins: 24

# of Career Top 5s: 91

# of Career Top 10s: 154

# of Career DNFs: 27

# of Career laps led: 7069

Career Average Finish: 14.6

Career Average Start: 14.2

# of 2014 Wins: 1

# of 2014 Top 5s: 7

# of 2014 Top 10s: 18

# of 2014 Poles: 3

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 363

2014 Average Finish: 14.3

2014 Average Start: 14.5

2014 Reap: Hamlin was inconsistent at times. Especially early on. As the season went on , I felt like Hamlin found his groove right after his crew chief was suspended. Hamlin had a few bad races in the chase. But found consistency when it counted most. People don't give Hamlin enough credit. Toyota was down on power all year. For him to be competitive as he was , it was impressive.

Strong tracks: Martsinville , Darlington , Richmond and New Hampshire

Weak tracks: Sonoma and Watkins Glenn

Additional info on Hamlin: A lot of people are high on Hamlin heading into 2015. But honestly I am not sold. Not because I don't believe Hamlin cannot have a fantastic season. But how fast Toyota is will likely be a big outcome on the success of JGR from an season pov. Expect Hamlin best performances to be on the flats.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Stable Option

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Hamlin will be solid at times in 2015 , but not sure if he's an top notch option. Especially if Toyota ponies doesn't significantly improves. Kinda wish Hamlin would have dipped off (finishe wise) towards end of the season in 2014. Because he pretty useless in Yahoo Fantasy Racing. As the A grouping tieris pretty stacked with firepower. Not overall confident , JGR cars will be able to keep pace. Especially since this tier is filled with Hendrick power. I expect 1win , 8 Top 5s , 17 Top 10s , and 25 Top 20s from Hamlin in 2015.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Sam Hornish Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Sam Hornish Jr

Car #: 9

Make: Ford

Aka: SHJr

Season Debut: 2008 (34 races)

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 131

# of Career Poles: 0

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 3

# of Career Top 10s: 9

# of Career DNFs: 20

# of Career laps led: 71

Career Average Finish: 25.3

Career Average Start: 22.7

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 0

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 0

# of 2014 Laps led: 0

2014 Average Finish: 17.0

2014 Average Start: 13.0

2014 Recap: Hornish only made one start in place for Hamlin with JGR. He started 13th and finish 17th. Hornish was racing on the NNS side in the 54 car in 2014 mainly. Be interesting to see how he does with RPM.

Strong tracks: Richmond and Watkins Glenn

Weak tracks: Bristol , Kansas and Phoenix.

Additional info on Sam Hornish Jr: Now if you have played fantasy nascar since 2007. You probably aren't buying into Hornish for 2015. Big reason is because he's inconsistent and not exactly super talented. At times , Hornish should show flashes of potential. But he will also wreck out a lot too. Only 9 Top 10s in 131 starts. This is in equality or better  equipment to RPM. He's will finish 17th - 25th a lot. Count on that.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Overvalued/ Inconsistent

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Hard saying what Hornish will be. Honestly I expect Hornish to show flashes of brilliances. But more often then not , he will likely be running in the upper teens or twenties. I would describe Hornish as the American vision of Marcos Ambrose. Realistically I DON'T think Hornish will be much better then Ambrose was. RPM never been a powerhouse afterall. In 2015 , I expect 1 Top 5s , 2 Top 10s , 9 Top 15s , 18 Top 20s

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Michael Annett

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Michael Annett

Car #: 7

Make: Ford

Aka: Annetie

Season Debut: 2014

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 36

# of Career Poles: 0

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 0

# of Career DNFs: 6

# of Career laps led: 5

Career Average Finish: 33.7

Career Average Start: 29.3

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 0

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 6

# of 2014 Laps led: 5

2014 Average Finish: 33.7

2014 Average Start: 29.3

2014 Recap: Annett didn't do anything special in 2014. Most of the time , just quietly had a nice season. Never was a factor for ROY. But I was impressed at times. Especially since the level equipment he's in is complete crap. Surprisingly had his best races at the 2 & 2.5 mile venues (Pocono, Auto Club , Michigan, Indy, Talladega).

Strong tracks: Pocono , Kentucky and ACS.

Weak tracks: Dover and Richmond

Additional info on Michael Annett: I don't think Annett is a overly useful driver. But I think he's an serviceable option when used properly in certain formats. His best days will likely come at an larger track. How deep the talent pool is in Yahoo Fantasy Racing will have a huge impact on his value.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Underrated/ Sneaky Option

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I don't expect a lot from Annett in allocation leagues. Mainly because the results he delivers aren't effective enough to be considered fantasy relevant in most formats. Salary cap leagues is where Annett usually can be a nice bargain or should be. I expect similar results from 2014 , but I think Annett overall potential could significant improve. I say he doubles the number of Top 20s from 2014.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits (WK14)

Welcome to TimersSports

***Scoring format: CBS Sports

Quarterbacks -

Starts:

Tony Romo- Yes I said start Romo in week 13 (3 total points outcome), but I learned over the years Romo isn't someone who will consistency disappoint. Romo may have a poor game here & there , but he's someone you can count on more often then not. The Bears have been nightmarish against the pass. As Chicago have greatly struggled on defense since the firing on Lovie Smith after 2012 season. The Bears have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (24.5) vs Quarterbacks. Including 2.2 Touchdowns and 285.5 yards per game.

Russell Wilson- To me Russell is a solid QB. Usually solid Quarterbacks like Wilson can take advantage of good matchups. Like the one in week 13 vs Philly. The Eagles have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game (22.8) vs Quarterbacks. They also have allowed 284.8 yards (4th-most) , 2.0 Touchdowns (T-4Th most) and 17 rushing yards (6th most) per game to Quarterbacks.

Ryan Tannehill- Tannehill have been quietly having an awesome season! Yet very few have actually noticed. Well Mr. Tannehill , I salute you. In all seriousness , RT have a nice matchup against Baltimore. The Ravens are significantly better against the run then the pass. They are one of the best in the leagues at stuffing runners. But they are ranked 6th against the pass in 2014 in fantasy points per game (22.1) vs QBs. They also have allowed the most passing yards this season with 3518 or 293 yards per game.

Sits:

Mark Sanchez - Yes we all love seeing  Mark Sanchez light up the Boys defense in week 13. But party over , the Seahawks in town. They are literally like the official party crashers of the NFL. Never should start a Quarterback vs this defensive unit. Almost certain to end ugly. As the Seahawks have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (14.5) vs Quarterbacks. They are allowing like 207 yards & roughly 1 TD per game.

Joe Flacco- Oh Flacco..Flacco! Flacco Owners by now know his overall numbers usually are better at home then on the road. In week 14 , JF on the road against the tough & underrated  Dolphins pass defense. The Dolphins have allowed the 3rd fewest fantasy points per game (15.8) vs Quarterbacks. Sit him!

Big Ben- Big Ben have cooled off in recent weeks since his back-to-back 6 Touchdowns. Anyhow in week 14 , the Steelers will face divisional foe Cincy. I expect a low scoring affair among the AFC North power house forces. Also Cincy have allowed the 2nd fewest fantasy points per game (15.6) vs Quarterbacks. There more suitable options to go with in week 14. Sit him!

Running Backs -

Starts:

Frank Gore- There probably more consistent options then Gore , but cannot say anyone have a more favorable matchup in week 14. The Raiders are fantasy gold in pretty every defensive category. They have allowed the most fantasy points per game (24.1) vs running backs. I don't think I could will myself to sit Gore. The matchup is WAY to good.

Eddie Lacy- Remember when everyone was saying Lacy was the biggest fantasy bust of 2014 in the first 5 games? How idiotic that seems now. Of course like 2013 , Lacy have became one of the top league's rushers. The Falcons have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points per game (22.7) vs running backs. Lacy have effectively became an extra receiver for Aaron Rodgers in certain situations. Which is addition value to Lacy. Value which isn't really needed. In simpler terms , an added bonus.

Rashad Jennings- If Jennings plays in week 14, he should be started vs an terrible Tennessee defense. Who been slaughtered in recent weeks. Jennings isn't a star , but he's can get the job done. The Titans have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (23.4) vs running backs. Jennings get added value with catching the ball out of the backfield. Jennings have 26 catches in 8 games this season. Titans have allowed 283 yards & 3 TDs to running backs though the air.

Sits:

Lamar Miller- Miller been a pretty average running backs in recent weeks. With not reaching 100 yards or any Touchdowns in his past 5 games. Miller also have had a significant tough schedule lately as well. The Ravens have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (12.3) vs running backs. I expect roughly 16 carries for 80 yards from Miller in a close competitive game.

Doug Martin- DMart is alive! As Martin had his best game of 2014 for 58 yards & 1 TD in week 13. Which probably makes him look worse then he already have been. Still wouldn't trust him to deliver a reliable score in week 14 vs Lions who have been stout vs the run. Lions have allowed the 7th fewest fantasy points per game (14.8) vs running backs. There more reliable options out there. Sit him!

Alfred Morris- Not saying Morris cannot be a good option in week 14 , but its seems unlikely. Two big reasons: A) Washington is a mess. B) The Rams are pretty good at this defense thing. This unit was terrible to start the year. But over recent weeks , they are looking like the team we all thought they could be. Morris screwed up a good matchup vs Indy in week 13. Hard to trust him vs an unfavorable situation. The Rams have allowed the 9th most fantasy points per game (15.2) vs running backs.

Wide Receivers-

Starts:

Kelvin Benjamin- Benjamin is every bit of his hype and then some. This guy is the real deal! I been impressive by him. His rookie season success should continue against the New Orleans Saints! The Saints have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game (26.1) vs Wide Outs. And Kelvin is like the only fantasy relevant option on Carolina.

Golden Tate- Tate is having a career season with Detroit. And nothing Tampa Bay does likely changes that. The Bucs been very fantasy friendly in 2014 to Wide Outs. As they have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game (25.4) vs Wide Outs. Tate ranked 12 among all Wide Outs with 11.2 fantasy points per game. He been good all season long. Expect it to continue vs Tampa.

Davante Adams- Davante Who? Davante Adams another rookie. Adams in my opinion is the most underrated player at his position in this rookie class. Adams in a deep WR core in Green Bay. Compared to other rookie wideouts! I potentially think Adams could  have a great game vs Falcons. Atlanta attention will be on Nelson and Cobb mainly. The Falcons have allowed the 8th most fantasy points per game (25.2) vs wideouts.

Sits:

Martavis Bryant- This day and age , trends most of the time means absolutely nothing. With that being said , most trends aren't consistent enough to be relevant. Bryant is starting to have a trend of his own develop. In back-to-back games , he failed to have 50 yards. 2014 stats suggests it will continue vs Cincinnati. The Bengals have allowed the 2nd fewest points per game (16.3) vs WideOuts.

Vincent Jackson- Since arriving to Tampa , VJax big issue been consistency. Not his fault. He usually good for 50-60 yards , but his upside is very limited due to lack of touchdowns. The "Number 2" Receiver  Mike Evans have scored more times this year then VJax have in the past two seasons. Do I really have say anymore?

James Jones - Being the 3rd Wide out in the big pound wasn't good enough for James Jones! Now he's in a terrible offense with very little upside. Yet surprising over 50% of ESPN still own him. Just not enough consistency for Jones to be highly relevant. The 49ers have allowed the 8th fewest fantasy points per game (20.8) vs Wide Outs.

Tight Ends -

Starts:

Jason Witten- Witten been solid in recent weeks. Its should continue vs the Bears who have been terrible against tight ends. The Bears have allowed the most fantasy points per game (11.2) vs Tight Ends. Start him and enjoy the points.

Kyle Rudolph- The talented tight end out of Notre Dame only will make his 6th start of 2014 due to injuries. When he played , he have been effective. Averaging 10 yards a catch. The Jets love giving out fantasy points to Tight Ends. The Jets have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (11.0) vs Tight Ends.

Sits:

Larry Donnell- Its playoff time in fantasy football , Donnell just isn't gonna cut it. Especially after his 40 yards performance vs Jacksonville. Larry have a nice matchup , but not the upside in NY offense. Donnell is boom or bust.

Vernon Davis- VDavis have 210 yards on the season. Never thought I would see the season where that would happen. Nevertheless he is averaging 3.3 fantasy points per game. Not gonna cut it in fantasy football during the playoffs. Also has a middle of the road matchup.

My piece of advice for underdogs in their playoffs matchup this week would be this: Throw the kitchen sink at your lineup. You're the underdog already. Why not try to pull off a hail mary? If I knew I was going lose. Then I would want to go in blazing glory. You would be shocked on how many times it has worked.

For a better overview of who to start , check out Wiliam Frang Rankings. Or ask us on Twitter who you should start.

**All stats from FFToday

Links to previous Starts/Sits -

Starts/Sit - Week 1

Start/Sits - Week 2

Starts/Sits - Week 3

Starts/Sits - Week 4

Starts/Sits - Week 5

Starts/Sits - Week 6

Starts/Sits - Week 7

Starts/Sits - Week 8

Starts/Sits- Week 9

Starts/Sits- Week 10

Starts/Sits - Week 11

Starts/Sits - Week 12

Starts/Sits - Week 13

Twitter - Matt Aleza