Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings

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Final Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Tony Stewart
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Joey Logano
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Dale Jr
10. Kyle Busch
11. Ryan Newman
12. Paul Menard
13. Greg Biffle
14. Kyle Larson
15. Kurt Busch
16. Kasey Kahne
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Carl Edwards
19. Brain Vickers
20. Austin Dillon
21. Jamie Mac
22. Danica Patrick
23. Martin Truex Jr
24. Aj Dinger
25. Ty Dillon
26. Justin Alliager
27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
28. Casey Mears
29. Landon Cassill
30. David Ragan

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Nascar Update (AMS)

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We are at Atlanta Motor Speedway! One of my personal favorites of all-time. I absolutely love the high speeds at this place. The practice schedule/ fall off is an fantasy nascar analysis dream. Especially since final practice is about the same as the race (just different days). Also the fall is huge here. Just comparing an driver total fall off from an short to an long run should tell you a lot. Expect the fastest cars to be up front. Its doesn't matter where you start.

1-JMac: JMac wasn't bad at all. He showed nice run speed. He have showed promise as an top 15 option. Unfortunately doesn't have enough upside to be a solid threat on Sunday night. I have him finishing 13th. He should be a nice start save.

2-Brad Keselowski: Folks he fast again. What a shocker , right? BK starts 2nd. Doesn't have an top 5 car based off practice. But they could be just trying different things out. His strength is long run speed. Usually those are the guys who will have best chance to win.

3-Austin Dillon: Not bad overall. I thought he would be an top 20 guy with top 15 upside. His practice results reflected that. Despite that , he will once again be overshadowed by Kyle Larson. Dillon will bring nice value , but he will be vastly overlooked.

4-Kevin Harvick: In my opinion , Harvick have the 2nd or 3rd best car overall. He struggled a bit in traffic. Fix that problem , KV is the odd on favorite. He should make an great option on Sunday. Harvick was freaky fast on the long run. He had a poor 10 lap average , but fortunately he posted his best lap average late in the run. Which is usually significantly slower then those who post their best ten lap average within the first 10 laps. Realistically he is the man to beat with the pole in hand.

5-Kasey Kahne: Meh..Kahne doesn't really excites me. I have him penciled in as an top 15 with top 10 upside. Unfortunately brings too much risk to be considered an threat. I don't like Kahne chances to make the chase at this rate.

10-Danica Patrick: Danica was about average. She wasn't great , but she wasn't horrible either. I don't expect anything better then 18th. Realistically she will likely finish from 20-25th place range. This isn't necessary an place , I would want to use her. Big reason is cars run extremely close to wall with speeds topping 180 mph.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin have been solid all weekend long. He look poised to be least top 10 material. His showed nice long run speed. Something which should serve him well as the race goes on.

14-Tony Stewart: Smoke was pretty solid overall. He will start just outside the top 10. Posted an strong ten lap average in final practice. My gut tells me , Smoke may surprise people with an stout run on Sunday.

16-Greg Biffle: The Biff have been solid for the last 4 weeks. In fact , RFR have been solid for 4 weeks now. Just around the time , Biff said RFR could be strong in the incoming weeks. He wasn't strong. Biff looks to be an top 10 option for Sunday race. Not sure about top 5 though.

18-Kyle Busch: Busch been good , I guess. But that's about it. Haven't shown the speed , I wanted to see. On the positive side ,I thought the 18 car was close to an top 5 car. If that the case , Busch could catch people off guard. Realistically Busch an top 10 option.

20-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth been overlooked this week. I expect great things from MK on Sunday. He posted the best lap in final practice and seems to solid on the long run. Want a dark horse? Here your man.

22-Joey Logano: JoLo had one of the best cars overall. Outside of Gordon , JoLo makes an strong case on having the best car. Logano was stout in every practice session. Most noticeably , he was blazing fast on the long run.

24-Jeff Gordon: Folks I would not be shocked , If Jeff Gordon goes to VL on Sunday night. He was fast all weekend long. Gordon  posted the best 5 , 10, 15 lap average. Great , right? I thought so too. Unfortunately falls off as a run goes on. He looked top 5 though.

27-Paul Menard: Old Paul Menard is under the radar as Garry Briggs (@Gbriggs12) predicted on Tuesday. He put himself more under the radar by qualifying bad. Fortunately qualifying means almost nothing at 1.5 venues such as Atlanta. Menard posted consistent laps times in practice and an top 15 value. With top 10 upside. I expect an nice run by PM.

31-Ryan Newman: RN starts inside the top 5. I love Newman chances at an top 10. He was pretty good on a long run I would say. He posted consistent laps times. I have Newman finishing 11th on Sunday night. Even though I could see an top 10 out of him.

33-Ty Dillon: Dillon will make his first start in the Sprint Cup Series on Sunday night. Many speculated weather or not Dillon is an good option this week. Practice indicated , Dillon is nothing more then an top 25 option on Sunday night.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson been fast all weekend. I am not shocked though. Everything points to Larson having a great run on Sunday. Solid practice results , great starting position and among other things. Larson tend to excel on worn out surfaces. He definitely could end in VL.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson looked pretty good I must say. Team 48 now trying get into chase form its seems. Just like that , they turned it on. Just few weeks ago , Johnson could not finish in the top 10 to save his life. Johnson strength was the long run like his teammates. I expect least an top 10.

55-Brain Vickers: Vickers is questionable as an safe option. Even though Atlanta been a great place for him. Same thing was said about Bristol. BV cannot be trusted. I remembered learning the hard way at Dover. Vickers struggled a bit in practice. There are better options.

88-Dale Jr: Dale Jr was strong on the long runs no doubt. I expect him to charge to the front fairly quick. He was good in all 3 practice sessions. He least an top 10 option heading. If not more.

99-Carl Edwards: Edwards and RFR cars been looking good lately. Seems like they are catching up as the chase approaching. Edwards was good I guess. To me , he an top 15 option. I still don't trust the RFR cars. Least not to the chase comes around.

Okay that it for me. Hopefully my articles are helpful to everyone. Need help setting your lineup. Send me an tweet on Twitter : @JeffNathans.

Also give a follow to:

@MattAleza

@Gbriggs12

Thanks for reading

Jeff Nathans

Fantasy Nascar Picks

Welcome to Timerssports

Bristol Recap: Things got crazy at Bristol. As I expected , so I made a late change in Yahoo. Which was huge for me. As I took out Hamlin and put in JMac. JMac led the most laps and finished 8th. Hamlin finished 40th with lap led bonus points. As an 333 w/ Kenseth , Menard , JMac and Burton launched me into top 1000 overall for the season.  On the other hand , Fantasy Live was a but bumpy. But still wasn't bad.

Look ahead to Atlanta: Atlanta is personally my favorite track in Nascar. One of the reasons I moved to Atlanta. Anyhow this is where the best start -saver players (in Yahoo) will get rewarded big time. Atlanta tend to reward the fastest cars. I absolutely love it. This type track really makes selecting drivers simple. Most of us have a good idea who will be fast. Going totally off-sequence is a huge mistake. I see no reason to lose gain to the competition. I rather draw even then erase my championships hopes. Next week is where you would want to play the extra card up your sleeve. Don't look for me to get fancy. I want big time names , with a few potential sleepers as well.

Yahoo-

A:

Start: Kevin Harvick (3)

Bench: Jeff Gordon (3)

Reason: Harvick starts from the pole and he is stupid fast. I see no reason to bench him. Gordon starts 9th , and should be top 5 no doubt fast. Just don't think he have an max points day.

B:

Start: Ryan Newman (2) , Paul Menard (5)

Bench: Brad Keselowski (4) , Joey Logano (5)

Reason: I been committed to start -save in the summer segment. And I have found success. One of the reasons , I am starting Menard/Newman. Also I feel like Menard is undervalued with an 33rd starting position. He should be find. Penske been good , but not max points good. My rule is: Use the studs if they are 100 points potential. If not roll the start savers.

C:

Start: Kyle Larson (3)

Bench: Ty Dillon (9)

Reason: I rolled Larson at Michigan few weeks ago. Didn't get what I wanted. Time to try it again. Larson been good all weekend. My hand was forced really. I am feeling pretty good with two starts left after today. I feel like I can find 4 starts from Danica , Bayne , and other in the final 10 races. Ty Dillon wasn't impressive enough to me. Only 2% picked him , something I couldn't risk.

Fantasy Live - Harvick , Logano , Gordon , Cassill and Mears

Dark Horse - Matt Kenseth

Race Winner - Tony Stewart

Twitter - @MattAleza

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts

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Last week was another successful week. I went 4 for 6 and raised my overall prediction % up to 77.9% on the season for sleepers and busts. We now turn out attention to Atlanta. Logically I prefer the big guns here. As the fastest cars at end of a long run will be up front. The fall off here is unbelievable. Which really helps us fantasy nascar folks determining an starting lineup. Atlanta isn't the best place to use an sleeper , simply because players don't tend select them. Least not as much as a short track or SuperSpeedway. But I am not against it , given the price or value is right. An bust on the other hand is more difficult to figure out. So an prediction will be based off recent trends and stats for potential busts.

Sleeper -

Paul Menard: Menard is like a freaking drug. And folks I am hooked. 11 Top 10s and 4 Top 5s in 24 races. His 11 Top 10s is more then: Carl Edwards , Kyle Busch , Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart , Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman , and among other. Start respecting Paul Menard , he have earned. Menard have been awesome at Intermediate tracks. Look at all of the intermediate races run this season. Over 70% of them , he finished 10th or better. Still not convinced? Menard have scored most of his top 10s in 3s. He have back to back top 10s. He going for another triple at Atlanta.

Bust -

Kyle Busch: After last week meltdown on pit road. It clear , Kyle cannot be trusted. No disrespect to him , but I will probably have a hard time trusting him going forward. This is coming from one of his fans. Avoid KB will all costs to he caught fire. Using at this point can only end bad.

Sleeper -

Jamie Mac: JMac like Menard also ended up on my list of sleepers at Bristol (last week). To be honest , JM seems to a popular pick based on current momentum then possible  potential heading to Atlanta. He definitely could leave a mark this weekend. Personally I still think he underrated. JMac been strong all season long of this type track. Always a nice top 15 potential , with top 10 upside.

Bust -

Brain Vickers: As of Tuesday morning , BV is selected by over 25% in Yahoo. That way to high. To put that in perceptive , he on pace to be selected by 20% come Friday. His inconsistency makes me concern. Especially on Intermediate racetracks. He been at best an top 20 guy , Top 15 potential. Honestly his results at Atlanta recently have him overvauled a bit. I don't think he back up his 10.5 average. I have about top 15 option with risk though.

Sleeper -

Danica Patrick: If Danica had a strength it may just be Intermediate tracks. She may be a bit inconsistent with her results , but the potential is always there. Rarely have she ran poorly on this type track. Always something close to top 20. If Burton not in the 14 , then I would recommend Danica in Yahoo as a start save. Not confidently of course. As Danica always bring some risk.

Bust -

Carl Edwards: I was wrong about Edwards last week. But at the same time I was right. You probably thinking , "Garry , how is that possible?" Quite simple. I was wrong on him being an bust , but his driver rating and laps completed in the top 10 disagrees. Anyways this isn't Bristol. Pit Strategy and track position isn't gonna save you. I personally don't think Edwards can run up inside the top 10 and deliever the package. Roush is giving The Biff the best equipment which is barely good enough for an top 10. Hate to see what Edwards getting. Its likely top 15 material. I expect an top 15 at best.

Which that's it for week!

We currently looking to add a few more writers to our staff. No experience needed. Not a paying gig though. So if you're interested , send an email to briggs_garry48@yahoo.com. So we can discuss more details.

Twitter - @Gbriggs12

Fantasy Football TE Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

2014 Updated TE Rankings -

1. Jimmy Graham
2. Rob Gronkowski
3. Julius Thomas
4. Vernon Davis
5. Jason Witten
6. Dennis Pitta
7. Jordan Reed
8. Kyle Rudolph
9. Greg Olsen
10. Jordan Cameron
11. Zach Ertz
12. Martellus Bennett
13. Heath Miller
14. Charles Clay
15. Ladarius Green

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Early Rankings -

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Joey Logano
5. Dale Jr
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Denny Hamlin
9. Ryan Newman
10. Kyle Busch
11. Paul Menard
12. Jamie Mac
13. Kyle Larson
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Kurt Busch
16. Brain Vickers
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Greg Biffle
19. Aj Dinger
20. Carl Edwards
21. Austin Dillon
22. Marcos Ambrose
23. Aric Almirola
24. Danica Patrick
25. Justin Alliager
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
27. Ty Dillon
28. Casey Mears
29. Michael Annett
30. Reed Sorenson

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Football Top 20 (WR)

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Updated Top 20 Fantasy Football Rankings WRs -

1. Calvin Johnson 
2. Dez Bryant
3. Julio Jones
4. DThomas
5. Aj Green
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Alshon Jeffery
8. Jordy Nelson
9. Antonio Brown
10. Vincent Jackson
11. K-Allen
12. Randall Cobb
13. Victor Cruz
14. Larry Fitz
15 Pierre Garcon
16. Andre Johnson
17. Michael Crabtree
18. DeSean Jackson
19. Roddie White
20. Michael Floyd

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

Fantasy Nascar Preview (AMS)

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After another crazy Bristol race , we are headed south to Atlanta! For a little Sundday night race. Atlanta is an 1.5 mile oval with blistering speeds. Track position shouldn't be a issue. As this type track typically rewards the fastest cars later in the run. Atlanta is only one of 6 1.5 mile layouts in the next 12 races. Getting to understand the guys who run well is significant.

1-JMac: I was impressed by JMac at Bristol. Also I felt for the man. He leads close to 150 laps to finish 8th. Intermediate racetracks been Jamie strong suit in 2014. JMac often has shown promise in practice , but haven't put together that "statement" run. Atlanta could be the place for him. Over the past two races here , JMac have compiled 17.5 average finish , 1 Top 20 , 0 laps led and 78.1 driver rating. While compiling an 18.5 average finish on 1.5 layout in 2014.

2-Brad Keselowski: If you been holding on to your last Keselowski , then this is the place to use him. Keselowski been super stout on 1.5 mile layouts. Including two wins. First one at Las Vegas and another one at Kentucky. With an 15th at Texas (had a top 3 car). Finished 10th at Charlotte (top 5 car). In those races , BK holds an 6.75 average finish. Penske seems to excel at worn out tracks. Atlanta is worn out as they come. Over the past two races here , BK holds an 19.0 average , 1 Top 5 , 1Top 10 , 31 laps led, 1 DNF and 97.6 driver rating.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon wasn't that good at Bristol and finished 28th. Now on to Atlanta. The RCR cars tested here a while back. Which means this could make Dillon a nice option for Atlanta. Dillon have been an top 20 guy on similar tracks in 2014. I expect a similar outcome on Saturday.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 11th at Bristol. But I have a feeling Denny Hamlin still isn't  happy with Freaky Fast. Atlanta been a strong track for him in the past. Over the past two races here , KH have compiled 7.0 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 101 laps led , and 113.8 driver rating. In 2014 , Harvick been inconsistent on 1.5 mile layouts. He started the year with an pair of finishes outside top 30 (Las Vegas and Texas). Fortunately he finished 2nd at Charlotte and 7th at Kentucky (had top 5 car ; flat tire late).

5-Kasey Kahne: Think people would learn not to even select Kahne , let alone start him. Yet it happens. Kahne have had a rotten 2014. He cannot be trusted. Atlanta isn't a bad track for him , but it unlikely for him to win though. Do yourself a favor and pick the consistent drivers. In the end , they will prevail over inconsistent individual such as Kahne.

10-Danica Patrick: I had higher hopes for Danica at Bristol then 27th place. But I was wrong. Anyhow on to Atlanta. This haven't been a great place for her , even though she only have a few  start under her. Realistically she an top 25 option with possibly top 20 upside.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin isn't happy with Harvick , and I am not happy with Hamlin. Especially after he all but ended my championships hopes in Yahoo. Nevertheless he should be a nice option this weekend as he been consistent lately on ovals (5 straight top 10s). Hamlin struggled a bit a Vegas. Finish top 10 at Texas. Went back to struggling at Charlotte. Wrecked at Kentucky. Not sure what to expect from Hamlin. Over the past 2 races here , DH have compiled 19.5 average finish , 1 win , 1 Top 5 , 1 Top 10, 1 Top 20, 105 laps led , 1 DNF and 95.7 driver rating.

14-Jeff Burton: I am assuming Burton will be in the 14. Nothing been said , but my speculation is Smoke will sit out least few more races (if not more). Burton is a must roster option in Yahoo. Regardless of your opinion regarding Burton driving abilities.

16-Greg Biffle: The Biff been pretty good lately. His last result outside top 10 was Indianapolis. He is on a nice little run as get closer to the chase. Biff haven't been great in 2014 on 1.5 mile layouts. Including 0 Top 10. Despite that , Biff is running a lot better now. Over the past two races here , Biff have compiled 15.0 average finish , 2 Top 20, 1 lap led , and 80.6 driver rating. With 15th place finish both times.

18-Kyle Busch: Rowdy holds the best average finish (3.5) , 2nd-most laps led (102 laps led ; only teammate Hamlin led more w/ 105) , and the best driver rating of 119.5 at Atlanta over the past two season. Unfortunately he cannot be trusted right now. Especially after that epic meltdown at Bristol.

20-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth should be one of the safest picks this week. Especially with a chase birth on the line. He almost lock-in , unless he finishes horribly the next two races. Kenseth was very strong at Bristol. Early speculation is he will have a great car for Atlanta. JGR cars were stout back at Kentucky (another night race). Kenseth finished 4th there. Over the past two here , MK have compiled 10.5 average finish , 1 Top 10, 2 Top 20, 0 laps led and 98.6 driver rating.

22-Joey Logano: I have patiently waited to pull the trigger on Logano since Kentucky. Mainly because how valuable he is on the 1.5 mile racetracks. And how much of advantage the Penske cars have had on similar tracks. Its unbelievable really. Logano finished 3rd at Las Vegas , Won at Texas , had a top 5 car at Charlotte , and had a top 5 car at Kentucky. He didn't get the finish he deserved at Charlotte or Kentucky though. Over the past two races here , JoLo have compiled 10.0 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 1 Top 10, 2 Top 20s , 78 laps led and 104.9 driver rating.

24-Jeff Gordon: Gordon is just having a phenomenal season. I been impressed. Last week at Bristol wasn't one of his best races though. Luckily Atlanta is a great place for him to rebound. Not many drivers can say they have been better then Gordon recently here. Over the past two races at AMS , Gordon have compiled 4.0 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 2 Top 20s , 23 laps led and 115.4 driver rating. Gordon been pretty good on 1.5 layouts as well. 10th at Vegas (realistically been a weak track for him for awhile) , 2nd at Texas , top 10 at Charlotte (had top 5 car) , and another top 10 at Kentucky. Atlanta was the mark of Gordon first Cup race.

27-Paul Menard: How about some love for old Menard? He scored his 11th Top 10 of 2014 at Bristol. I won't go into great detail on Menard. As I imagine Garry Briggs (@Gbriggs12) will absolutely rave on him in his sleepers & busts article on Wednesday. Just know Menard is a trendy type guy. When he scores an top 10 , he will notch multiple top 10s in a row. In 2014 , his top 10s have came in 3s. He scored top 10s in his last two races by the way.

31-Ryan Newman: Newman is having a nice season with RCR. Long as he doesn't mess up over the next teo races , he should easily make the chase on points. Newman isn't a top 10 guy in my opinion. Realistically he more of an top 15 option with top 10 upside. Newman been pretty strong on 1.5 layouts. Haven't had a bad race so far either. Over the past two races here , RN have compiled 20.0 average finish , 1 Top 5  , 1 Top 10, 1 Top 20, 3 laps led, 1 DNF and 85.5 driver rating.

42-Kyle Larson: I have said it for weeks now, Larson best shot at a win will come at Atlanta. Its judgement day for Mr.Larson come Sunday night. A lot of other experts also have thought this for quite awhile. Realistically he should have a shot at a top 10. How he practice and qualifies will be key though.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson bad luck seems to be behind him (for now). As he had a respectable top 5 run at Bristol. Honestly I wouldn't roster him to the chase start as he is the game best points earner usually during the final ten races. I wouldn't blame anyone who rosters and starts Johnson though. As he been strong at Atlanta in the past. In 22 career starts ,Johnson have scored 11 Top 5. That 50% folks. Not many other driver can say that.

55-Brain Vickers: Vickers finally had a bad race at Bristol with MWR (to no surprise). Vickers  might make a nice option at Atlanta. But I wouldn't count on it. His inconsistent/ average  numbers on Intermediate racetracks worries me. I would play an wait and see approach.

88-Dale Jr: Dale have been extremely strong on 1.5 mile layouts in 2014. Especially outside of Texas. Unfortunately he will be passed up for guys like Gordon , Harvick , and Johnson. Simply because they will qualify up front and lead laps. Jr is more consistent then anything. Over the past two races here , he have compiled 7.5 average finish , 2 Top 10s , 0 laps led and 86.6 driver rating.

99-Carl Edwards:  Edwards had a strong outing at Bristol. Hopefully he can use that as momentum. Atlanta may be his best track not named Michigan or Texas. In 15 career  starts , he have 3 wins and 8 Top 5s , and 10 Top 10s. Edwards should make an top 15 option , not sure about top 10 though.

* All stats from DriverAverages. com

Okay for weeks I been asked..to give a mention to  NascarBTW in my preview. Kept forgetting until I was threatened with a temporary suspension. Definitely check them out. Great site for Nascar schedules , entry lists , race preview , race review and other things.

Twitter - @Jeffnathans

Fantasy Nascar Raceday Thoughts

Happy Raceday (well technically the race tonight). Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on tonight race.

Michelle Rizzo (@MichelleRizzo5):

- The weather is looking iffy for tonight race. Hopefully it clears up eventually.

- Few guys to watch starting outside top 15: Matt Kenseth , Dale Jr , Kyle Larson , Paul Menard and Aric Almirola

-Track position will huge all race long. Who ever have track position late should have a big advantage. Passing is possible , but tough to do.

- Brain Vickers starts 15th , many eyes will be on him. As many believe he a legit top 10 option for tonight race.

Garry Briggs (@Gbriggs12):

- Watch out for Kyle Busch tonight. Many of the Crew members pointed towards the 18 as the odd on pre race favorite.

- Jeff Gordon , Kevin Harvick , Matt Kenseth , Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski were scouted as the guys to beat. Expect one of them to lead the most laps.

- Vickers yet to have a bad race day with MWR at Bristol. That should scare you if you're starting old Vickers. His string of good finishes might end tonight at Bristol.

- Kyle Larson have wrecked twice in the past 24 hours at Bristol. Its should be fun watching him deep in the field.

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza) :

- Kenseth starts just outside the top 15 ,just watch him rocket through the field.

- Don't undervalued a driver because of poor starting position. There some good cars starting outside top 10.

- One of the Gibbs cars will end in VL. I think all three scores top 10, if not better.

- Be careful with lineups , I have a feeling some valuable drivers will be taken out by crashes.

Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Final Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Kyle Busch
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Dale Jr
9. Joey Logano
10. Greg Biffle
11. Carl Edwards
12. Ryan Newman
13. Kyle Larson
14. Brain Vickers
15. Kasey Kahne
16. Paul Menard
17. Kurt Busch
18. Clint Bowyer
19. Jamie Mac
20. Marcos Ambrose
21. Aj Dinger
22. Jeff Burton
23. Aric Almirola
24. Austin Dillon
25. Danica Patrick
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
27. Justin Alliager
28. Casey Mears
29. David Ragan
30. Reed Sorenson

Twitter - @MattAleza

Fantasy Nascar Update

Welcome to TimersSports

We are at Bristol this weekend! One of my favorite tracks in all nascar. Unfortunately it utter hell setting a lineup for the race. Especially since practice is total mess. Bristol 1/2 mile layout makes the lap times misleading. With some car in clear air and others in traffic. Therefore the typical 10 lap average is worthless. In fantasy nascar , we use a special lap average for Bristol. Know as the 40 lap average. This allow us to see who is good and who not.

1-JMac: JMac wasn't bad overall. Nothing that stood out , but I think he have a top 12 car for Saturday night. Even though I thought he fell off just a bit later in a run.

2-Brad Keselowski: Not surprising BK have a top 5 car this weekend. I thought he stout overall, but not dominated. He was bad fast on a long run. As he seemed to be all year long. He should make a nice option.

3- Austin Dillon: Dillon won't win any popularity contests based on lap times in practice. But he doesn't need to. He almost always races better then he practices. Like most weekends , Dillon will have a shot at a top 20. Dillon wasn't very happy with his car in final practice though.

4- Kevin Harvick: There no secret that Harvick hates New Bristol. He was better at Old Bristol (I think several drivers falls into this category.) Nevertheless Harvick was strong in both practices on Friday. He starts from the pole. Looks to be top 5 heading into Saturday.

5-Kasey Kahne: Kahne needs to win on Saturday and may well exactly do that. He was solid overall. Not sure if he have the car to beat though. He a top 10 guy after practice. Now it up to bullring to decide his faith.

10-Danica Patrick: Danica was so-and-so ,not really impressive overall though. Personally I would not use her. As even in Yahoo , there is least 3 better options. Possibly more. She at best have a shot at an 20th place finish. Realistically I have her 23rd at the checkers.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin wasn't bad , but could use some improvement with his car. He have an top 10 car , maybe top 5. He should make a nice option for Saturday night.

14-Jeff Burton: Burton is clearly still trying to learn this car. So we cannot expect too much from Burton. Realistically he an top 20 guy based on practice. I would highly recommend him in Yahoo and other similar games.

16-Greg Biffle: I like Biff heading into Saturday night race. He was pretty good in Friday's pair of practices. His lap times were in the mid-teens overall. Unlikely for a top 10 , but a top 15 is definitely in his wheelhouse.

18- Kyle Busch: Rowdy was solid to me in Friday practice sessions. He is a lock for an top 10 based off practice. Weather he can stay out of trouble is a hole other problem. Not optimism about that honestly.

20- Matt Kenseth: I had a feeling Kenseth would show up fast to Bristol. And that exactly what he did. He had one of the more consistent cars on Friday. Which is typical for Kenseth in 2014. An repeat performance from March may be in order.

22-Joey Logano: Logano wasn't what I expected. I figured Logano would have looked better then he did. Still an top 10 option heading into Saturday night race. Honestly I would  save him for another week. If all possible, as I believe there a few nice value deals in the field this week.

24-Jeff Gordon: Gordon wasn't quite as good as I thought he was gonna be. He have top 5 car. Even though I thought Gordon was better in Qualifying trim , then race trim. He should be fine though.

27-Paul Menard: Menard CC Slugger's Notes caused a caution during beginning of final practice. Menard overall been fairly quiet on Friday. Typically Menard races better then he practices. So expect a finish around 13th - 17th range. He is a nice value deal this weekend.

31-Ryan Newman: Newman was pretty good overall. He seems a little off to me. Newman haven't done well here lately and I have feeling that will continue. He about an 13th place guy heading into Saturday race.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson was among the best in the two sessions on Friday. Topped practice 1 and rounded out the top 5 in final practice. He will have a shot at an top 15. Realistically he an top 15 guy , with top 10 upside.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson looked pretty good. Finished final practice in the top 5 ,but he mainly posted laps in q-trim. Didn't see him in race trim much , so not sure how he stacks up. Other then the laps times I tracked. I imagine he an top 10 guy with top 5 potential.

55-Brain Vickers: This week Vickers was overhyped or undervalued by players in fantasy nascar community. Realistically I thought he had a shot at top 15. And that seems about after Friday practice sessions. He nothing more then a nice start save option to me.

88-Dale Jr: Dale didn't really stand out in either practice session. Not surprising though. Normally Dale looks average in practice and goes out surpass his realistic post-practice examination. He should be a lock for an top 10. I have him finishing 7th.

99-Carl Edwards: Edwards was okay to me. He was overvalued due to his win in March. Personally I think he finishes just outside of the top 10. Don't think he can win back-to-back Bristol races. Without strategy of course.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Picks

Welcome to TimersSports

Michigan Recap: Sometimes we have to man up and take it on the chain with a lesser score. That was the case in Yahoo. An score of 270 points wasn't bad. Especially considering Jeff Burton left my team high and dry. Nevertheless benching Logano for Menard was brilliant! Only lost 21 points and save myself another Logano for the 1.5 milers in the chase. Fantasy Live was solid with Logano , Gordon and Harvick dominating up front all day. Mears started 26th and finished 17th. Sorenson started 40th and finished 29th.

Look ahead to Bristol: Weather is looking iffy for Bristol. Not shocking though. To me Bristol is the true wildcard before the chase. Having a well balanced lineup is idealistic to me. In Yahoo , having drivers on for solely qualifying is foolish. Especially if your other options qualify bad. Expect me to select upsided drivers. With a blend of underrated options.

Yahoo-

A:

Start: Matt Kenseth (8)

Bench : Jeff Gordon (3)

Reason: Well I will have to take the bullet this weekend again. Kenseth was strong in both sessions on Friday. Unfortunately starts 16th. Gordon starts 2nd , but I don't think he scores max points though. So I am hoping Harvick can keep Gordon at bay early on.

B:

Start: Denny Hamlin (4) , Paul Menard (8)

Bench: Jamie Mac (7) , Brad Keselowski (4)

Reason: Simple decisions here. Hamlin starts 13th and looks to be a top 10 option. Menard have top 15 potential. Menard doesn't excites me , but I will gamble with him. BK I am trying to save for Atlanta.

C:

Start: Jeff Burton (7)

Bench: Danica Patrick (5)

Reason: Burton and Patrick start very close to each other , so I will go with the more proven racer in Burton. Hopefully Burton can stay out of trouble.

Fantasy Live: Kyle Larson , Kevin Harvick , Jeff Gordon , Casey Mears , and Reed Sorenson

Reason: Simple lineup. Gordon and Harvick will race for the win. Mears , Larson and Sorenson should be able improve their starting position.

Dark Horse - Matt Kenseth

Race Winner - Kevin Harvick

Twitter - @MattAleza

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts

Welcome to Timerssports

We are headed to Bristol! Nothing quite like the excitement and frustrating of night racing. Saturday night we will see wrecked race cars , bad tempers and grown men will cry. One mistake and half the field could destroyed. One of the reasons to be careful with your selection of picks. Unpredictable fits Bristol to a tee.

Sleeper -

Paul Menard: Okay I will admit it , I have a fantasy nascar man crush on Paul Menard. Damn him and his underrated status. He killed it at Michigan with a 4th place finish. I was thrilled. Bristol is another good track for him. 4 of the past 5 races here , Menard have scored a Top 10 finish. Unfortunately he finished 21th in March. Nevertheless he is a nice option with terrific upside. Definitely someone to consider.

Bust -

Carl Edwards: Edwards is overrated (least right now). Last week I said it. And I will say again. I am relatively low on Edwards. He wasn't that great in the spring. Had about an 15th place car at best. Fortunately after a late caution , Edwards took advantage of an golden opportunity. At end of the day , there are better choices this week. His high percentage on Yahoo alone makes him a bad value deal.

Sleeper -

Marcos Ambrose: Ambrose is a underrated option at Bristol. Very few realize how good he been recently at Bristol. I was actually surprised. Normally I wouldn't consider him. But Ambrose should make a nice possible top 15 option. His solid average finish suggests Bristol is one of his best oval tracks. Some will argue it was "luck" especially with a poor driver rating over the past 5 races. Fortunately for Ambrose, luck rarely repeat itself multiple times in a row. Despite a 74.0 driver rating in his past 5 races. He holds an 14.91 average finish in 11 career races.

Bust -

Brain Vickers: I understand why he is a possible sleeper. As his solid record is hard to ignored. With that being said , figuring out how much of an asset Vickers is critical. Luckily that not my job. My job is to determine sleepers and busts. In my opinion , Vickers is a potential bust. Few things back this up. The big one would be the departure of Rodney Childers. Vickers haven't done too well at Bristol without him compared to the 4 races with him. In fact his 9th place finish in March was the worst finish with MWR. Also his driver rating and laps completed in the top 15 was one of his worse as well. In 3 short tracks starts in 2014 , Vickers have an 13.0 average finish. I don't hate picking Vickers this weekend. Honestly I feel like people are too high on him. Expect a finish of 12th or something in that range.

Sleeper -

Jamie Mac: JMac isn't a horrible choice this week. Actually JMac been under the radar lately at BMS. He been pretty good in the summer Bristol races. Much better then in the spring. And that should scare everyone. JMac was extremely strong in the spring. Just got a rotten deal at the end. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In fact he been stout on short tracks in 2014. Zero Top 10s. But was impressive in all three races.

Bust -

Kyle Busch: Rowdy have had rotten luck lately. Honestly I suspect they are testing or Rowdy just really really bad luck. Either way I am avoiding Kyle Busch at Bristol. First Time I have ever said Kyle Busch , Avoid and Bristol in the same sentence. I really hope he have a good run this weekend , but I wouldn't trust him to deliver. Fantasy Nascar is about riding the hot drivers and avoiding the ice cool ones. No need to make an unnecessary gamble.

Twitter - @Gbriggs12

Fantasy Football QB Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

2014 Updated Top 15 Quarterback Rankings -

1. Peyton Manning
2. Drew Brees
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Andrew Luck
6. Russell Wilson
7. Matt Ryan
8. Tony Romo
9. Jay Cutler
10. Cam Newton
11. CK7
12. Tom Brady
13. Robert Griffin III
14. Andy Dalton
15. Big Ben

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

Fantasy Football RBs Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Running Back 2014 Updated Rankings -

1. Jammal Charles
2. LeSean McCoy
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Matt Forte
5. Eddie Lacy
6. Demarco Murray
7. Marshawn Lynch
8. LeVeon Bell
9. Gio Bernard
10. Arian Foster
11. Andre Ellington
12. Montee Ball
13. Alfred Morris
14. Zac Stacy
15. Doug Martin

*Notes - My rankings aren't based on projected 2014 performances. My rankings are compiled on multiple factors ( Rising or falling ADP , injuries , amount of projected playing time , overall team potential, etc)

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Early Rankings -

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Joey Logano
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Kyle Busch
8. Dale Jr
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Jimmie Johnson
11. Kyle Larson
12. Ryan Newman
13. Jamie Mac
14. Paul Menard
15. Clint Bowyer
16. Brian Vickers
17. Greg Biffle
18. Carl Edwards
19. Austin Dillon
20. Danica Patrick
21. Marcos Ambrose
22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
23. Kurt Busch
24. Justin Alliager
25. Aj Dinger
26. Martin Truex Jr
27. Aric Almirola
28. Michael Annett
29. Casey Mears
30. David Ragan

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Nascar Preview (BMS)

Welcome to TimersSports

We are at Bristol baby! I absolutely love this track , one of three tracks I haven't ever attended a Cup race at. This is a special track. Its a short half mile layout , with very little move for error. There isn't a lot of racing room. Starting position and track position is huge here. What I like about Bristol is the unpredictable nature. Surviving is 1/2 the battle , trust me.

1-JMac: JMac is a nice option for Bristol. I don't trust him to deliver the product though. He actually been better then his 17.7 career average finish recently. Over the past 5 races ,JMac have complied 18.2 average finish , 2 Top 10s , 4 Top 10s , 10 laps led and 79.3 driver rating. Been inconsistent at short tracks (finish wise).

2-Brad Keselowski: Keselowski have been up and down lately. More specifically since his win at New Hampshire. Don't let that fool you though. He had a car capable of finishing inside the top 5 in just about every race. Bristol been a great track for him as well. Over the past 5 races here , BK have compiled an 15.0 average finish, 1 win , 2 top 5s , 2 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 334 laps led and 101.9 driver rating. He finished 14th in March. But was involved a minor wreck late in the event. In 9 career starts , BK holds 14.33 average finish , 2 wins , 3 top 5s , 3 Top 10s , 7 Top 20s , and  449 laps led. Since 2012 ,BK have posted an 14.1 average finish and 1 win on short tracks. That win came at Bristol by the wall.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon finished 11th in March. Wasn't that good though. Was an 18th-25th place car most of the race. Was able to get some track position late to finish inside the top 15. Dillon is a much improved racer now with experience. He will have a top 20 car , with top 15 upside.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick should just call himself , "Mr. Runner up". I bet he finishes second on Saturday night. I will probably leave Harvick off my team this week. I want three starts for the chase. He was freaky fast back in March , until bad luck had to strike late. Over the past 5 races , KH have compiled 22.6 average finish , 3 top 20s , 35 laps led and 90.5 driver rating.

5-Kasey Kahne: Kahne is typically a popular pick at Bristol. But I will pass. Kahne is too inconsistent for my taste. In 2014 , Kahne have only 2 or 3 top 5s so far. Not exactly something I find comforting. Over the past 5 races here , KK have compiled 11.6 average finish , 1 win , 2 top 5s , 4 top 10s , 4 top 20s , 167 laps led and 96.7 driver rating.

10-Danica Patrick: Not really the ideal pick for Bristol. Patrick scares the hell out of on larger tracks. Short tracks could be a nightmare. But hey that just me. Honestly I might roll the dice with Danica this week in Yahoo. She finished 18th in March. Which is solid to me. Especially after starting deep in the field.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin surprised me at Michigan , props to him for making me look stupid.The least I can do is rave on him about his stout Bristol record. Back in March , DH started on the pole and finished solidly in the top 10. Over the past 5 races here, DH have compiled 15.6 average finish , 1 win , 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s, 214 laps led , 2 poles , and 98.1 driver rating.

14-?: We really don't know who will be in the 14 car. The early speculation is Jeff Burton will pilot the 14 car. Honestly I think it will be someone else as Burton is semi retired. The big unknown is Smoke. Is Smoke ready to come back? If it was me , I would take the year off to clear my head. But that me. Smoke will come back , only when he feel its right.

15-Clint Bowyer: I don't trust Bowyer. He always good , but never great in 2014. And that the big problem. Bowyer a big time name , so most formats he useless. Because his average overall performances on a weekly basis aren't cutting it. In other words , he doesn't bring enough upside to warrant heavy consideration.

16-Greg Biffle: The Biff finished 10th at Michigan. Not a bad run overall. Bristol is another going track for Biff. Unfortunately he used to be good here. Biff struggled greatly here in March. Used a little pit strategy to get decent track position late. Over the past 5 races here , The Biff have compiled 12.8 average finish , 1 Top 10, 5 Top 20s , 82 laps led and 84.7 driver rating.

18-Kyle Busch: I cannot remember the last time I left Kyle off at Bristol. Don't think I ever have. Well there a first time for everything. Busch been horrible last three races. Its almosted like a script really. Busch so good at Bristol, but he cannot be trusted right now. Over the past 5 races here , Busch have compiled 16.0 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 129 laps led and 86.7 driver rating. In 19 career starts , Rowdy holds 10.8 average finish , 5 wins , 8 Top 5s , 12 Top 10s , 15 Top 20s and 1503 laps led. Busch finished outside the top 20 for only the fourth time in 19 attempts in March.

20-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth is one of those guys which never get much attention , unless he is dominating races. Kenseth will likely look average in practice and finish top 10 on Saturday. Back in March , MK had the car to beat. Unfortunately got damaged and finished 13th after leading the most laps. Over the past 5 races here , MK have compiled 15.2 average finish , 1 win , 2 Top 5s , 2 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 469 laps led and 111.9 driver rating. In 29 career starts , MK holds 12.5 average finish , 3 wins , 11 Top 5s, 18 Top 10s , 23 Top 20s and 1321 laps led.

22-Joey Logano: JoLo have gotten a second wind after struggling for a stench of races earlier this summer. Logano been fast since Indy. Zero finishes outside the top 6. Logano had a car to win in March , but lost power steering I think. I could be thinking of different race though. Anyhow JoLo been solid at Bristol lately. Over the past 5 here , JoLo have compiled 13.2 average finish , 1Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 5 Top 20s , 152 laps led and 95.3 driver rating.

24-Jeff Gordon: I have two theories on Gordon. We are back in 1998 or Gordon found the fountain of youth. Either way I am loving the way he is pumping out the points for my fantasy teams. Gordon yet again is my early pick to win. Gordon been very stout in the Bristol summer races. He been solid in the past 5 races at Bristol. Which includes 17.2 , 1Top 10, 3 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 67 laps led, 1 DNF and 101.6 driver rating.

27-Paul Menard: How about some love for old Menard. He been unbelievable on Intermediate tracks (a lot of those coming). Unfortunately haven't been good at short tracks. His only top 10 came at Martinsville (10th finish) in 2014. Even though Menard holds 11.2 average finish and 4 Top 10s in the past 5 races.

31-Ryan Newman: Newman is quietly having a fantastic season. He isn't dominating , but he keep knocking off top 12 finishes. Back in March, Newman finish 16th. Should have finished better , but got a flat tire around halfway. Like his teammate (Menard) , Newman seems to excel on Intermediate racetracks. Short tracks remains a question mark still. As he have posted inconsistent results. Over the past 5 races here , Newman have compiled 18.4 average finish , 1Top 10 , 3 Top 20s , 0 laps led , 1 DNF and 75.5 driver rating.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson finished dead last at Michigan. Had to hurt if you started him. Nevertheless Larson finished 10th last time. Had much better car then that. Larson had a car capable of finishing Top 3. Unfortunately he lost track position on one of the final pit stops. Here or Atlanta been the racetracks I been circling as possible wins for the young rookie. Use him if got it. That my best advice in Yahoo.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson been off lately. Things doesn't get any easier for the 6 time Cup Series Champ at Bristol. Bristol haven't been a good track for Double J. Over the past 5 races here , JJ have compiled 17.6 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 96 laps led and 85.6 driver rating. In 25 career starts , JJ holds 15.2 average finish , 2 wins , 7 Top 5s , 13 Top 10s , and 17 Top 20s.

55-Brain Vickers: Not high on Vickers. He is too inconsistent for my taste. He could finish in the top 10 on Saturday night , but I wouldn't count it. Vickers haven't proven he can translate solid practice into solid race results. Despite a solid record here , Vickers is questionable on short tracks in 2014. Inconsistent results make him a somewhat risky pick.

88-Dale Jr: Dale Jr wasn't very good here in March. Never truly contended for a win. Finished outside the top 20 in March. Dealt with a few issues which costed Dale Jr a few laps. Believe he had a tire go down. Over the past 5 races here , he have compiled 13.4 average finish , 2 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 47 laps led and 92.5 driver rating.

99-Carl Edwards: Edwards sucked it up at RFR. As I figured he would. As Jack is giving him lesser equipment lately. Especially since Biff haven't locked himself in the chase. Edwards won back in March, but won with some track position late in the race. Edwards is overrated. His 23.8 average finish , 1win , 1 Top 5 , 1 Top 10, 2 Top 20s , 242 laps led , 1 DNF and 79.7 driver rating over the past 5 races back that up. A driver rating is a true teller of a driver's overall performance.

*All stats from www.driveraverages.com/.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Update (MIS)

Welcome to TimersSports

Notes -

1-JMac: JMac wasn't horrible , but didn't scream top 10 potential either. JMac starts just inside the top 10. So I expect a top 15 run , but that about it. Fall off too much on a long run on what I saw.

2-Brad Keselowski: Kes was pretty good overall. BK starts from 5th and should be able to finish there as well. He was solid on a long run. Didn't have the car to beat on Saturday nor Friday. He an 3rd - 7th place car in my opinion.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon was impressive in every practice session. Which is saying a lot. Since Dillon barely ever looks great in practice. This is really bad for team 3 or really good for the competition.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick had the best car outside of Jeff Gordon on Saturday. Harvick seems thrilled about his chances on Sunday. Harvick qualified 6th on Friday. Posted the best lap on the opening session. Followed it up with another strong final practice in later morning.

5-Kasey Kahne: Kahne wasn't bad , but doesn't look top 10 based on practice. Kahne should be able to finish top 15 with being in HMS equipment. To me Kahne isn't a valid option. I would try to avoid using him.

10-Danica Patrick: Patrick was pretty bad in final practice. I was optimism about her after  the morning session. Then she posted the 32nd fastest lap in final practice. A single fast lap isn't important , but a single slow fastest lap is alarming.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was not very good overall. None of the Gibbs cars were actually. Denny was the worst though. He wasn't as bad as June. Still enough to be noticed. Save Hamlin for Bristol.

14-Jeff Burton: Early Thursday evening , SHR announced that Jeff Burton will sub for Tony Stewart at Michigan. Burton qualified 27th and was overall okay. Not nothing to brag about though. He could finish inside the top 20 on Sunday based on final practice.

15-Clint Bowyer: Bowyer wasn't too bad. Probably top 10 at best. Not really realistic about his chances for a top 10 though. The Toyota cars struggled much more then the Chevy and Ford cars in race trim.

16-Greg Biffle: The Biff been fast all weekend. An top 10 isn't out of the question. At first glance , the biff looked awesome based on fastest lap times. Later in a run , the 16 seems to fall off. I noticed that in final practice.

18-Kyle Busch: Busch was just outside the top 10 in practice on Saturday. Rowdy haven't been competitive all weekend really. Like the other Toyota cars ,Rowdy seems to be off compared to the competition.

20-Matt Kenseth: Same as Busch.

22-Joey Logano: Logano have been good all weekend and will start 2nd on Sunday. JoLo have the third best car overall this  weekend. Logano have at a legit shot a top 5. Gordon and Harvick were in their own zip code it seems. Logano still should make a nice option though.

24-Jeff Gordon: Gordon starts on the pole for Sunday race. He posted a blister fast lap late in qualifying. Gordon came back Saturday and posted some wicked fast laps in race trim. Posted the best lap in final practice.

27-Paul Menard:  Menard was pretty good in every practice session. PM starts 7th for Sunday race. I didn't get to see him make a long run , but i suspect he didn't fall off too much. He will have a shot at a top 10.

31-Ryan Newman: Newman wasn't bad at all. He was the worst of the RCR cars which is unusual. Nevertheless he will have a shot a top 10. Realistically an top 15 is in order. I have him finishing 12th on Sunday.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson starts from just outside the top 12. Looks to be an top 10 option after being bad fast in final practice. Larson finished 8th earlier this season. He posted the best ten lap average in Saturday first session. Note only 3 drivers posted an ten lap average though.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is clearly testing and been testing since New Hampshire. With that being said , avoid Johnson if all possible. Johnson wasn't nothing special in practice either. At best an top 10 option. The golden rule with Johnson is: Only start him , if he look dominated.

55-Brain Vickers: Vickers starts 4th , but its unlikely for him to stay there. He didn't stand out in race trim. Fell off too much unfortunately. I have Vickers crossing the line at 17th.

88-Dale Jr: Dale starts outside the top 20. Clearly didn't post a strong qualifying lap. Doesn't have strong short run speed. Like his teammates , longer a run goes the fastest his car get. Dale jr should be a top 10 guy. But his poor starting position is against him. Back in June, no driver started outside of the top 15 and was able to finish inside the top 10.

99-Carl Edwards: Edwards starts 5th. Wasn't bad in race trim. Lost power steering during practice 1 on Saturday. Reported the problem was gone in final practice. Complained about being loose later in final practice.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Final Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Joey Logano
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Kyle Larson
6. Dale Jr
7. Greg Biffle
8. Ryan Newman
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Jimmie Johnson
11. Carl Edwards
12. Paul Menard
13. Kurt Busch
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Kyle Busch
16. Austin Dillon
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Brain Vickers
19. Jamie Mac
20. Jeff Burton
21. Denny Hamlin
22. Danica Patrick
23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
24. Aj Dinger
25. Marcos Ambrose
26. Aric Almirola
27. Trevor Bayne
28. Martin Truex Jr
29. Michael Annett
30. Casey Mears

Twitter - @MattAleza1

Fantasy Nascar Raceday Thoughts

Welcome to TimersSports

Happy Raceday. Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on day race (Including their final picks).

Michelle Rizzo (@MichelleRizzo5):

-Track position is important here. If not huge. Look at the top 10 finishers in June. All started inside the top 15.

- Jeff Burton is a value deal in Yahoo. Its unknown how long Stewart will be out. In my opinion. , we have to use this week as a huge opportunity in grouping c.

- Trevor Bayne is useless this week with zero practice and qualifying time. At best he is a top 25 option.

- Kyle Larson have a great shot at victory lane.

Garry Briggs (@Gbriggs12):

-The Roush cars caught me off guard overall. Much improved from last time.

-Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick seems like the two to beat overall. It could definitely come down to pit strategy.

- Austin Dillon will have a shot at a top 10. If not a top 5.

- Paul Menard and Ryan Newman also caught my eye. I like both of them.

Matt Aleza (@Mattaleza1):

-Passing shouldn't be a problem. Track position will be the bigger factor.

- Ryan Newman , Matt Kenseth , Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson all are winless in 2014. All will be point racing. Which means they are safest bets to finish well.

- Jimmie Johnson will be one of the most risky options this weekend. Team 48 are clearly testing.

- Jeff Gordon will notch his 3rd win of 2014. I am convinced Gordon is one of the guys to beat.

Sleeper and Bust Picks:

Michelle - Paul Menard is my sleeper. Brad Keselowski is my bust. Menard not getting enough attention. BK just cannot finish.

Garry- Annett and Edwards. Annett is under the radar. Nice option in fantasy live. Edwards just haven't impressed me enough. I think he a bit overvalued.

Matt - Kurt Busch and Bowyer. Busch is under the radar. Way under the radar. He a sneaky play. Bowyer haven't looked good enough to be a top 10 guy.

Yahoo Lineups -

Michelle: Gordon , Biffle, Edwards and Dillon

Garry: Gordon , JMac ,Logano and Larson

Matt: Harvick , Menard , Newman and Burton

Fantasy Live-

Michelle: Gordon , Harvick , Annett, Sorenson and Dale Jr

Garry: Gordon , Keselowski , Harvick , Annett and Cassill

Matt: Logano, Harvick , Gordon , Mears and Annett

Race Winner-

Michelle: Kevin Harvick

Garry: Jeff Gordon

Matt: Jeff Gordon

Twitter -

@MichelleRizzo5

@MattAleza1

@Gbriggs12

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts

Welcome to Timerssports

We are at Michigan this weekend! I grow up near Plymouth , Indiana and every summer the family would take a yearly trip to Michigan for the August race. Almost every race comes down to fuel mileage. The winner could come out of nowhere. In 2013, Logano took his Ford to victory lane after Mark Martin fuel mileage gamble failed in the closing laps.

Sleeper -

27-Paul Menard: Good ole Nard Ship have had some bad outing since Kentucky. But luckily his solid record at Michigan gives him some fantasy value this week. Menard have been strong on Intermediate racetracks. There been zero races at this type racetrack since Kentucky. There been a road course , plate track , and flat tracks. Zero top 10s in that span. Upside is Menard have struggled on those tracks in 2014. Menard have scored top 10s at Las Vegas , Auto Club , Dover ,Martinsville , Texas , Charlotte , Talladega, Sonoma and Michigan. 6 of those 9 are Intermediate racetracks.

Bust -

99-Carl Edwards: RFR was a joke in June. They were so bad , I could not think of a proper joke to describe them. Almost two months later , I seen little improvement from the organization. Least on Intermediate tracks. Currently 45% on Yahoo have Edwards selected. Which is almost 10% up from Watkins Glenn. I smell disappointment like I did back in June.

Sleeper -

1-JMac: JMac rarity have made my sleeper list in 2014. But when he have , I been spot on. Looking back at my predictions , I am 4 for 5 with JMac as a sleeper. And 4 for 5 on JMac as a bust. Okay not confident in my prediction skills? Take into consideration , Jamie was strong back in the first race and finish 12th. Terrific start save option with nice upside.

Bust -

16-Greg Biffle: There no secret , I hate Greg Biffle. I think he is overrated on Intermediate racetracks. RFR as a whole get way too much credit. There no way the Biff should be rostered by 35% or more. No disrespect , but Biff haven't been relevant enough to be selected over more deserving individual. Such as Ryan Newman , JMac , Paul Menard. Heck Brain Vickers and Aric Almirola from time to time have shown more promise. Point being , Biffle have upside with a solid past track record. Unfortunately current season data is more important.

Sleeper -

31-Ryan Newman: Newman actually have gone unnoticed this week. Quite surprised to be honest. Michigan have been a good track for the local northern Indiana native. As of right now ,less then 35% have selected Newman. My theory is bad finish at Watkins Glenn have people steering away from Newman. I think that a mistake. Newman finished strong a few months ago here. No reason he cannot repeat. In fact , I would put money on a improvement.

Bust -

Denny Hamlin: Not gonna say much about Hamlin. As there isn't a lot to say. Hamlin and team 11 have performed solidly since Kentucky. Back at the first Michigan race , he was not very impressive to me. He looked lost and confused. Started outside the top 25 and lost a lap early. Never really recovered and eventually lost another lap in the process. Too many good tracks coming up for Denny to use him. Especially since his record seems to be trending down lately here.

Twitter - @Gbriggs12

Fantasy Nascar Picks

Welcome to TimersSports

Watkins Glenn recap: The trip to Watkins Glenn ended like I exactly dreamed of. Super high scores across the board. Fantasy Live was plagued by Kyle Busch wreckless actions. Luckily Ambrose and Dinger dominated like I thought. Danica and Biffle greatly improved their starting positions. In Yahoo, my last minute swap of Harvick - Busch was critical. An 350 points day was icing  on the cake. Ambrose, Harvick , Aj Dinger and Alliager all finished top 17. Its helped move me into the top 2200 overall.

Look ahead to Michigan: Michigan is a difficult track to predict. Especially with fuel mileage and pit strategy being a huge factor. Selecting a lineup can be quite difficult. Expect me to select a combo of safe and under the radar drivers.

Yahoo-

A:

Start: Kevin Harvick (4)

Bench: Dale Jr (7)

Reason: Honestly I wanted to save myself an Harvick start this week. I really did. As I need to get 2 start from someone else NOT named Gordon/Harvick/Johnson to make the math work correctly in A. Dale Jr starts outside the top 20 and honestly I like going with the majority in A. The majority will start Harvick or Gordon.

B:

Start:

Ryan Newman (3)

Paul Menard (7)

Bench:

Jamie Mac (9)

Brad Keselowski (4)

Reason: Menard and Newman were good enough overall to be top 12 options in practice. Hoping that translates into Sunday race. JMac really interests me. I thought he was solid and have a shot at the top 10. If I was in a deep hole points wise , I would take a chance with him.

C:

Start:  Jeff Burton (7)

Bench: Danica Patrick (5)

Reason: Burton in the 14 should lead to a nice start save option in Yahoo. Burton should contend for a top 20. Danica just unreliable. I see no reason to start her. I will save her for Bristol.

Fantasy Live:

Gordon ,Harvick , Annett , Logano and Mears.

Dark Horse: Kurt Busch

Race Winner: Jeff Gordon

Fantasy Football Stock Watch

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We have one week of preseason under our belts and players stock values are already dropping and rising. An stock value is most commonly known as ADP (Average Draft Position). Figuring out the difference between a great value and a bad value is key. Injuries , position battles , poor/brilliant  play making  , etc all can kill or hype up a ADP.

Stock Rising:

Brandin Crooks - Crooks have been unbelievable so far. He have been very impressive since making his NFL arrival. Everyone around the Saints camp been raving about this young man. His blasting speed is top notch. Expect his value to continue to rise.

Jay Cutler: Cutler value have consistency gone up since signing a new deal with the Chicago Bears. His APD rising will be his ultimate downfall. Right now , Cutler is an QB2 caliber player with possible QB1 numbers from time to time. Unfortunately owners are reaching for him as their starter in round 5 or 6. Not the best idea. Try to get Cutler within his ADP. Unless you're in a deep format (Ex: Like multiple QBs leagues).

Lamar Miller: Coming into training camp , the only competition Miller was face with was Moreno. Well fortunately for Miller , Knowshon have yet make it on the field. Mainly due to off season surgery and being out of shape upon arrival in Miami. Miller stock have seen a steady rise since camp started. He can be found in most draft in round 8.

Fallen stock value:

Arian Foster: I said it back in March. Foster value gonna drop like rock in the summer months. As I wasn't convinced he could stay healthy (not even during training camp). Rightfully so , Foster not even ranked inside my current top 15 backs for week 1. Foster can carry any team when healthy. Unfortunately that is a huge risk for any owner.

Nick Foles: After being manhandled by the Chicago Bears Defense , the doubt is starting to surfaced. To no surprise , the value of Foles have take a small hit. Not enough to make him undraftable though. Foles still have enough upside to be an assertive asset in drafts.

Andre Johnson: Much like teammate Foster , Johnson stock have dropped due to missing time in training camp. Johnson who was far from productive last season. Doesn't seems happy in Houston. Especially with a below average quarterback. Fitzpatrick struggled in the preseason opener. Its may suggest to avoid Johnson unless his ADP drops big time in the upcoming weeks.

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Early Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Joey Logano
5. Dale Jr
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Tony Stewart*
9. Ryan Newman
10. Clint Bowyer
11. Carl Edwards
12. Jamie Mac
13. Kyle Busch
14. Brian Vickers
15. Kyle Larson
16. Greg Biffle
17. Kasey Kahne
18. Martin Truex Jr
19. Aric Almirola
20. Denny Hamlin
21. Marcos Ambrose
22. Paul Menard
23. Kurt Busch
24. Austin Dillon
25. Danica Patrick
26. Aj Dinger
27. Justin Alliager
27. Ricky Stenhouse jr
29. Trevor Bayne
30. Michael Annett

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Nascar Preview (MIS)

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We are at Michigan this weekend. For those asking , no I won't be attending this weekend race. But my sister will (Yeah I am jealous). Anyhow Michigan isn't your typical oval shape track. Its wide and lengthy for some great racing. Teams always try to stench fuel mileage here. Jimmie Johnson won here last time on fuel mileage. This is a horsepower track. Anything with a chevy (preferably a HMS) engine will be fast. In Yahoo , expect me to be focus on start save. In simpler terms , I will use Michigan to benefit my long term game.

1-Jamie Mac: JMac is a nice sleeper. He was pretty fast earlier this season here. Ran inside the top 15 all day and finish there as well. Over the past 5 races at MIS , JMac have compiled an 19.0 average finish , 3 Top 20s , 26 laps led and 73.7 driver rating.

2-Brad Keselowski: BK is a in a huge slump. Funny that he  consistency shows up with a fast racecar , but cannot match the results. Michigan been a great track in the past for BK. Finish 3rd back in June. He wasn't dominate though. Over the past 5 races here , BK have compiled 8.4 average finish , 2 Top 5s , 2 Top 10s , 5 Top 20s , 41 laps led and 104.3 driver rating. His worst finish is 13th in that span. Since 2012 , Brad holds an 12.2 average finish on similar tracks.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon best track is Michigan without question. He was really strong back in June. I have 5 starts left and Dillon almost a lock to start. Don't be fooled by his ill finish earlier this season. He was much better then 30th.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick is bad fast every single week. Yet people consistency avoid him because of his consistent bad luck. News flash he been the most reliable driver at Intermediate tracks since 2012. Over the past 5 races here , KH have compiled 6.4 average finish , 3 Top 5s , 4 Top 10s , 63 laps led and 103.9 driver rating. No driver been better then stupid freaky fast Harvick recently at MIS.

5-Kasey Kahne: Okay there really no need to even consider to Kahne this week. But I am sure there some bonehead out willing to gamble. Kahne just isn't worth the reward. Since he have only one more lead lap finish then DNFs over his last 5 races at Michigan.

10- Danica Patrick: Patrick actually isn't a horrible choice this week. Michigan is statically her best track. She also finish 18th earlier this season. Which enhances her nice value this week in Yahoo. Expect something like 20th place run out of her. If not more.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin have mightily struggled recently at Michigan. He looked completely lost the first time around. Didn't even finish on the lead lap. JGR cars all had a hard time performing. I expect a improvement , but how much is the question. Over the past 5 races here , DH have compiled 24.8 average finish , 2 Top 20s , 10 laps led and 66.2 driver rating.

14-Tony Stewart: No official word on Smoke weather or not he will be racing at Michigan. So he really a question mark. Anyhow if he races this week , Smoke should be a lock to make my team. Over the 4 past races at Michigan , Smoke have compiled 12.5 average finish , 2 Top 5s , 2 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 19 laps led and 92.1 driver rating.

15-Clint Bowyer: To be completely honest , I see no reason to use Clint this week. Or any other week. Bottom line is he doesn't bring enough to the table. Even though his recent stats at MIS are stout. 7.2 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 5 Top 10s ,  20 laps led and 93.1 driver rating over the past 5 races.

16-Greg Biffle: Old Biff have been very reliable as a top 15 option since wrecking at Daytona. In fact , he have an 9.0 average finish since Indy. Never hurt to have some momentum. RFR was horrible earlier this season at Michigan. Its was like watching a bad game of tennis. Expect them to better the second time around though. Over the past 5 races here , The Biff have compiled 7.0 average finish , 2 wins, 3 Top 5s , 4 Top 10s , 140 laps led and 111.1 driver rating.

18-Kyle Busch: I feel for ya if you started Rowdy at the Glenn. Don't make that same mistake in back to back races. Rowdy been a wrecking ball at Michigan recently. Nothing goes right for him it seems. Normally Busch is completely boom or bust at MIS. His below average finish and other stats back that up. 24.2 Average Finish and 1 top 10 in the past 5 races here. In 19 career starts at MiS , Busch have 17.7 average finish, 1 win (.05%) , 4 top 5s (21%) , and 6 top 10s (31%).

20-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth is historically one of the best drivers ever at Michigan. Unfortunately majority of his starts came when driving for Roush. He been good with JGR ,but not great. Over the past 5 races here , MK have compiled 11.0 average finish , 1 top 5 , 2 top 10s , 5 top 20s , 24 laps led and 103.8 driver rating. In 30 career starts , MK holds 9.7 average finish , 2 wins, 12 top 5s (40%) , 18 top 10s (60%) and 29 top 20s (97%).

21-Trevor Bayne: Bayne will be moving to Cup Series in 2015. Bayne haven't shown consistency at the larger tracks in a underfunded team. But then again he just a limited scheduled driver too. Bayne won't contend for a top 10 or nothing. Fortunately we aren't looking for that. Anywhere from 18th - 23rd is a good enough in Yahoo. Also it would help if Dillon and Larson have a few mistakes as well. Either way Bayne a nice option in Yahoo. Could be a nice option in Fantasy Live as well. Given he qualifies poorly.

22-Joey Logano: Logano was pretty  strong the first time around. Never was dominated though. Was about a top 10 car and finish there. With 3 starts with Penske , JoLo have a 6.3 average finish and 33 laps led per race (101 in total). He have one win and two 9th place showings. If the trend continues , he should go to VL this week. As his two 9th place finishes were in June.

24-Jeff Gordon: Last week , we said it time and time again. To avoid Jeff Gordon. Well we weren't wrong. Even though he had a dominated racecar to only lose battery power. Gordon is once again my early pick to win. Shouldn't be shocked. He had a awesome car back in June. Much better then 6th place. Which is saying something. Over the past 5 races here , Gordon have compiled 19.2 average finish , 2 top 10s , 3 top 20s , 40 laps led , 2 DNFs and 76.7 driver rating.

27-Paul Menard: Menard is a puzzle to me. After being a great option from Texas to Kentucky , he have cooled big time. The positive is he was strong at Michigan and finish inside the top 5. Also been a consistent finisher at Michigan as well. But I cannot ignored his current slump neither. Over past 5 races here , Menard have compiled 10.6 average finish , 2 top 5s , 3 top 10s , 4 top 10s , 8 laps led and 93.4 driver rating.

31-Ryan Newman: Newman is one of the better individual at Michigan. His career record doesn't look impressive , but he had a pretty good car earlier this season here. Wasn't good as teammate Paul Menard, nevertheless relevant enough to be heavily considered. I am down to 3 starts in Yahoo , and I plan to burn least one more before the chase (if not more).

41-Kurt Busch: Busch doesn't stand out much to me. He been as bad as brother Kyle Busch. Never seemed to fully master this high speed racetrack. His numbers back that. 22.2 Average in the past 5 Michigan races. With only one top 10. In 20 career races, Kurt have 2 wins , 4 top 5s , 9 Top 10s , and 20.9 average finish. Boom or bust really.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson is a phenomena of young drivers. He setting the pace for the  Dillon bros , Trevor Bayne , Chase Elliott , and other young drivers. This kid is already a star as a rookie. Reminds of Kyle Busch in his rookie campaign as a Cup guy. Michigan isn't a track I would want to use him at though. Fuel mileage always seems to be a factor. Let be honest , Larson is typically aggressive with his equipment.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is in a major slump right now. Since his win at Michigan and top 10 at Kentucky , Johnson have zero top 20 finishes. They did the same thing last season. It called testing. Avoid Johnson if possible because I don't think team 48 is done quite yet.

55-Brian Vickers: I am not touching Vickers. You couldn't even pay me $1M. Especially after wrecking on lap 1 last time. Vickers just isn't consistent enough to be a useable option at the moment.

88-Dale Jr: Dale Jr will be a popular pick this week. You can count on it. His stats at Michigan have been consistency good. Dale Jr is having his best season to date. Over the past 5 races here , Dale Jr have compiled 17.0 average finish ,  1 win , 2 top 5 , 3 top 10s , 175 laps led, 1 DNFs , and  106.6 driver rating. Dale finish 7th earlier this season.

99-Carl Edwards: Not high on Edwards this week. Even though I believe Roush as a whole is improving. I also believe Roush is giving Greg Biffle the best equipment. Since Edwards decided he no longer wanted to be a part of the organization.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Final Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Marcos Ambrose
4. Aj Dinger
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Joey Logano
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Kyle Busch
10. Dale Jr
11. Tony Stewart
12. Brian Vickers
13. Carl Edwards
14. Ryan Newman
15. Matt Kenseth
16. Paul Menard
17. Greg Biffle
18. Jamie Mac
19. Kasey Kahne
20. Kurt Busch
21. Kyle Larson
22. Denny Hamlin
23. Austin Dillon
24. Justin Alliager
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
26. David Gilliland
27. Aric Almirola
28. Casey Mears
29. Danica Patrick
30. Boris Said

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Nascar Raceday Thoughts

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Happy Raceday. Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on day race (Including their final picks).

Michelle Rizzo (@MichelleRizzo5) :

- Track position will be huge. 70% Of the winners came from the top 10 starting positions at WGI. Insane.

- There isn't a clear cut favorite. But Ambrose may be the closest to sure thing for today's race. He starts 2nd. Almost everyone will start him on their team.

- Keep an eye on Kyle Busch. He starts 19th. The furthest back he have started here. Could be interesting if he get impatience with other cars.

- Justin Alliager starts 15th. He could be a nice sleeper for today's race.

Garry Briggs (@Gbriggs12) :

- Avoid Danica Patrick in Yahoo if possible. Starts 43rd in a backup car. The only thing worse then 43rd starting position is being in a backup. Going through the field can be a challenge.

- Aj Dinger may just end in VL today. He been fast all weekend. The Dinger starts 6th. He led the most laps at Sonoma. Been near the top of the charts all weekend long.

- Michael McDowell , Kevin Harvick , Casey Mears and David Gilliland all are underrated road course drivers. I like all of them to do well today.

- For Yahoo , the C-list is a complete mess. Boris , Dillon , Larson and Patrick all starts outside the top 20. None of them really warrants start consideration based on practice/qualifying efforts.

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza1) :

- Greg Biffle is a terrific deal in Fantasy Live. He starts 28th and is capable of finishing well inside the top 20.

- Someone from inside the top 10 will likely win. So in leagues with extra rewards for improving your starting position  , stack half of your drivers with winning potential drivers. Other half with drivers starting near the back.

- Don't buy into Vickers solid starting position. He wasn't top 10 material in practice. At best an top 15 value.

- Start save in Yahoo. Road courses to me are all about starts saving. No need to use logano or Kes , when Ambrose and Dinger are available at a better value.

Sleeper -

Michelle: Greg Biffle. I like the Biffle. Top 10? No. Anywhere from 13th - 20th is reasonable. He might make a nice option in certain formats.

Garry: Newman. My hometown bro Ryan Newman looked pretty darn good in practice and qualified solidly. Unfortunately he will be overlooked.

Matt: JMac. JMac didn't look too bad in my honest opinion. He should finish around 15th. Makes a nice option in deeper formats.

Yahoo Lineups:

Michelle - Gordon , Ambrose , Edwards and McDowell

Garry - Harvick , Edwards , Ambrose and Boris.

Matt - Harvick , Ambrose , Dinger and Alliager

Fantasy Live Lineups:

Michelle: Ambrose , Dinger , Kahne, Harvick and Danica

Garry: Ambrose , Gordon , Dinger , Annett and Busch.

Matt: Ambrose , Dinger , Busch , Biffle and Danica.

Race Winner -

Michelle: Ambrose

Garry: Dinger

Matt: Dinger

Fantasy Nascar Post Practice Notes

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Notes-

A:

Kevin Harvick - Harvick looked like the top guy in A. Fast in race trim and stout on long run. Posted a sick qual trim lap in practice one. He was one of my sleepers heading into Friday. He didn't disappoint. If Harvick starts up front use him. If not , save him for Michigan.

Kyle Busch - Busch was pretty good. Not sure if he looked winning potential , but still good enough to be top 5. Him and Gordon were pretty darn close overall. I like Busch over Gordon because of starts.

Jeff Gordon - Gordon was pretty good. Difficult to say who deserves the second spot though.Thought Gordon was among the best two or three based on long run speed. Wasn't quite as good on a short run though.

Clint Bowyer - Bowyer was okay. But not what I was quite expecting. He was around 8th best in practice. There are better choices in A. Probably wouldn't consider anyone outside the three listed above.

B:

Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was awful strong in both sessions. His lap times in race trim were off the charts. He made some of the guys in qual trim look slow. I was impressed. Also Brad K was excellent in qual trim.

Aj Dinger: The Dinger looked pretty good overall. Posted consistent lap times. Probably have a top 10 car , with top 5 upside. I absolutely love Dinger as a sleeper. Don't sleep on this guy.

Joey Logano: Logano was solid. He could definitely be a contender when it all said and done. Didn't see him in race trim much (wasn't paying attention to him either). But I know he posted a blistering fast qual trim lap.

Marcos Ambrose - To be honest , I thought he was a bit off which was a bit surprising to me. He wasn't horrible. But not what I am used to from Marcos. Luckily he was stout during qual trim. Should be able contend for the pole without much issues.

Martin Truex Jr: Truex was not very good. Thought he struggled for the most part. There are better choices to use in my opinion.

C:

Austin Dillon - Dillon was pretty good overall. Wouldn't start him ,unless you have 7 plus starts left. Dillon offers up the best possible finish with a safety net alongside.

Kyle Larson - Larson was okay I guess. He is still trying to learn Watkins. Give him three days and he will definitely have Watkins figured out. For now , he doesn't bring enough upside to be considered. Especially with some good tracks coming up.

Best of the best C -list : McDowell was probably the best. Thought he much better then anyone else. Alliager wasn't bad, not someone I overly trust though. Danica starts dead last and in a backup. Do I need to say anymore? Don't think so either. Boris Said..well he being Boris Said.

Twitter - @Gbriggs12

Thanks for reading ,

Garry Briggs

Fantasy Nascar Picks

Welcome to TimersSports

Recap Pocono: Pocono was overall solid outing in Yahoo and Fantasy Live. In Yahoo , I was able to save both Keselowski and Logano. In an 281 points day. Closing the overall points lead down to 12 points was a huge plus for me. In Fantasy Live , I had solid scores across the board. Nothing to brag about though.

Look ahead to Watkins: We are at Watkins Glenn this weekend. This race to me is about survival then anything. Gaining on the competition is always a goal. But minimum damage to your championship hopes may be more important. So look for me to play it safe with my selection of picks. As road courses are typically unpredictable. Remember Ambrose last year? Dominating performance , but got caught back in traffic and finish 30th-ish.

Yahoo:

A- Start: Kyle Busch (7) Bench: Kevin Harvick (5)

Reason: My plan was to use Busch for Sunday race. I will stick to it. For multiple of reasons. The main one is Harvick will be useful at other upcoming tracks. I will bite the bullet and hope for the best.

B -

Start: Marcos Ambrose (8) , Aj Dinger (8)

Bench: Joey Logano (5) , Brad Keselowski (4)

Reason: My plan was to use Keselowski and Logano for possible qualifying points. It didn't work out. So I will take the safe route with Ambrose and Dinger.

C: Start: Justin Alliager (9)

    Bench: Michael McDowell (9)

Reason: Pretty logically here. Justin starts 15th and Michael starts 29th. Track position is huge. McDowell equipment is questionable as well.

Fantasy Live - Ambrose , Dinger , Busch , Biffle and danica.

Dark Horse - Jamie Mac

Race Winner - Aj Dinger

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers and Busts

Welcome to TimersSports

Last week I went 4 for 6. Only missing Hamlin and Rowdy. While nailing down Danica , Smoke , Kahne and Harvick (another sleeper who finish 2nd). It quite funny how 4 of the past 5 races , I have correctly predicted the 2nd place finisher as a sleeper. Got to love trends. Anyhow this week we are Watkins Glenn. Watkins is a great track to gain on the competition. Unfortunately trying to go too far off sequence could end very bad. There will be several non superstars names which could  run up front this week.

Sleeper -

AJ Dinger: The Dinger solid record and tremendous performance at Sonoma was enough alone to make him a great option this week. Unfortunately he won't get the credit he deserves. Because most people will look where he finished in June. Don't make that mistake. Might be a costly one. Facts remains , Dinger is better at Watkins then Sonoma. Which is saying something , since he was extremely impressive in June.

Bust -

Jeff Gordon: For the record , I am a huge Gordon fan. Unfortunately he lands on the bust list for Watkins. For two reasons: 1) Only two Top 10s since 2001 (best of 9th). 2) Better places to use him. No disrespect to Gordon , but I need to see him be dominate in Friday's practices. There are some good tracks coming up like Michigan , Bristol and Atlanta.

Sleeper -

Martin Truex Jr: Back at Sonoma , Truex was able to salvaged an respectable finish. To me was a surprise since he had to make a unscheduled pit stop in the in first few laps. Truex is a excellent road course racer. He finished top 5 last season here. I don't expect a repeat finish , but a top 10 is pretty reasonable to me.

Bust -

Tony Stewart: I been unimpressed by Smoke for weeks and weeks now. I had it after last week. He ran about 15th most of the day before getting involved in the big one which was trigger by Hamlin getting bent out of shape. Point being , he haven't had a legitimate performance since June Pocono race. At this point , Smoke is probably taking lesser equipment to help Harvick out.

Sleeper -

Kevin Harvick: Say hello to the most underrated driver in the field this week. Harvick actually been pretty reliable on road courses lately. His career average finish backs that up. An solid 13.08 is better then some noticeable names. Not to mention , he had the car to beat at Sonoma. I love Harvick this week. Don't be shocked to sed him on my team this week.

Bust -

Boris Said: Said will likely be a popular pick this week. Unfortunately I am not buying into the Boris Said project. As I didn't back in June. Said is a above average driver on road courses. But he cannot qualify poorly again. Or Said is doomed for the get go. Having poor track position + below average equipment could be a nightmare for a limited scheduled driver. I rather have a full time driver over a limited scheduled driver. As the full time driver will have more respect for their equipment.

Twitter - @Gbriggs12

Fantasy Football Love 'em / Hate 'em

Welcome to TimersSports

What exactly is Love 'em / Hate 'em? Good question. Thanks for asking. This specific article will featured on this blog by your truly. Its basically another version of sit/start 'em. Of course I just decided to rename it. Mainly because its an common article name. Plus I can do a lot more with these articles then name off starts/sits for the week. We will get into that topic another time though. Today we will look at 3 players I hate and love heading into your upcoming draft.

Love 'Em:

Brandin Crooks - The Saints Rookie WR have been phenomenal so far. He is a legitimate flex option and possibly more. Drew Brees absolutely love him. He just may be Brees go to guy outside of Jimmy Graham. This young man have showcases unbelievable blistering  speed in the Saints training camp. Dynasty owners better really take notice of this guy. If you don't have him , try convince the owner of him part ways with him. Lie like life depended on it.

Jordan Reed - I love Reed. He brings a lot to the table. There is concern with past injuries. As there is with most Nfl players. Reed brings major upside. Robert Griffin III absolutely love this guy. The new Washington offense should only benefit Reed fantasy value. The addition of Jackson should only give Reed more opportunities. Also RGIII is expected to pass more and have  minimal design runs. Another valid point which should solidify Reed case as a nice sleeper.

Ray Rice - Despite a 2 game suspension, Rice could be a awesome selection in the later rounds. The word around training camp Ray Rice is looking sharp thus far. Rice wasn't very impressive in 2013. But being deep at running back is a must. Rice may not resemble his old 2012 self where he was considered an elite back. At the same time , its hard to pass up an 8 or 9 round player with top 20 potential.

Hate 'Em:

Stevan Ridley - "Stevan Ridley is like a ticking time bomb" is how TimersSports blog owner Garry Briggs (@Gbriggs12) described Stevan Ridley on a fantasy football talkshow. And that pretty much fits Ridley to a tee at this point in his career. Ridley is very talented , but cough up the ball too much. His big problem is how he holds onto the ball. Most ball carriers tuck it under their arms to secure it. Ridley doesn't. He have the ball exposed for defenders to swipe it out. Ridley needs to change his methods.

Vernon Davis - Not that high on Davis. He scored 13 times in 2013 and topped 1000 receiving. Sounds great , right? Unfortunately he barley got the ball after other members of the 49ers receiving core got healthy. Davis was pretty much a dud unless he scored a TD. So taking a chance on a high Tight End draft pick such as Davis could be a horrible idea. Where there many underrated options waiting in the later rounds.

Percy Harvin - I am not high on Harvin either. Percy bring a ton of upside. Sadly he cannot stay on the field long enough to be true starter for any fantasy team. We all saw what he could do in Minnesota that one year he stayed somewhat healthy. Until Harvin could prove , his health isn't a factor. He will always be a risky fantasy pick.

Twitter - @Mattaleza1

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings

Welcome to TimersSports

Early Rankings -

1. Marcos Ambrose
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Carl Edwards
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Aj Dinger
9. Greg Biffle
10. Tony Stewart
11. Jeff Gordon
12. Ryan Newman
13. Joey Logano
14. Paul Menard
15. Dale Jr
16. Kasey Kahne
17. Jamie Mac
18. Kyle Larson
19. Martin Truex Jr
20. Matt Kenseth
21. Denny Hamlin
22. Kurt Busch
23. Danica Patrick
24. Austin Dillon
25. Aric Almirola
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
27. Justin Alliager
28. Boris Said
29. Michael Annett
30. Casey Mears

Thanks for reading

Michelle Rizzo

Fantasy Nascar Preview (Glenn)

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We are at Watkins Glenn this weekend. One of my favorites racetracks. I live very close to the track , so I will be at the racetrack this weekend (again). Most people assume drivers success automatically translates from Sonoma to Watkins. Unfortunately that is a common mistake. The two road courses are quite different. The only comparable thing is the same type of track. Watkins is longer , faster , and have more difficult turns to conquer.

1-JMac: JMac finished 4th at Sonoma. Don't expect a successful encore from JMac though. Watkins haven't been overly kind to him. Over the past two races here , Jamie have compiled an 25.0 average finish ,0 Top 5 , 0 Top 10, 1 Top 20, 1 lap led and 83.0 driver rating. In 11 races , Jamie Mac holds an 19.45 average finish.

2-Brad Keselowski: I feel for anyone who started BK at Indy or Pocono in limited start leagues. It like getting a nail drilled in your foot. Very painfully to waste such a useable driver like Brad. Brad have had great runs here recently. Over the past two races here , BK have compiled an 2.0 average finish , 2 Top 5s , 2 Top 10s , 37 laps led and 117.1 driver rating. In 4 career races at Watkins , BK holds an 6.75 , 3 Top 5s (75%) , 3 Top 10s (75%) , 4 Top 20 (100%) , and 39 laps led.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon finish 17th at Sonoma. But is it really worth it? Especially with Dillon having some great tracks coming up. Honestly I wouldn't use him here. This can be a unpredictable track at times. I am eyeing Dillon for Michigan. As he been solid on larger tracks so far.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick was bad fast at Sonoma. Had a winning car to top 5 car. But got involved in the JMac/Bowyer deal. Nevertheless I expect him to be bad fast and to be overlooked by most this week. Over the past two races here , Harvick have compiled 14.0 average finish , 2 Top 20s , 8 laps led and 85.4 driver rating. In 13 races , Harvick holds an 13.08 average finish. Harvick is a very underrated road racer.

9-Marcos Ambrose: Ambrose is the first guy that comes to mind at road courses and rightfully so. Back at Sonoma , he wasn't that impressive. Even though he finish top 10 at end of the day. He been better at Watkins then Sonoma in career anyhow. Over past two races here , Ambrose have compiled an 16.0 average finish , 1 win , 1 Top 5 , 1 Top 10 , 59 laps led and 124.3 driver rating. In 6 career races , Ambrose holds an 6.83 average finish and 2 wins. Only once have Ambrose finish outside the top 5. That race was the most recent one held here.

10-Danica Patrick: Danica Patrick killed several fantasy teams over the past few races (not mine). Anyhow she probably your best option this week though. In 2013 , she finished 20th here. Earlier this season , she finished 18th at Sonoma.

14-Tony Stewart: Smoke killed my score at Indy (sort of) and murdered my day at Pocono. But I am trying use my Tony(s) before the chase. As its unlikely for him to make the chase at this rate. So I will likely put him on my team this week. He only have one start since 2012. Which resulted in a 19th. So stats aren't very useful. Just carefully watch him in practice before Saturday morning lockdown.

15-Clint Bowyer: Bowyer have been one of the best road course racers over the past few seasons. He is still underrated though. Evidence of that showed back in Sonoma. Over past two seasons here , Bowyer have compiled 5.0 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , and 107.6 driver rating. Since 2012 , Bowyer holds the best average finish of full time drivers (5.2) and 111.9 driver rating (series-best) on road courses.

16-Greg Biffle: Two weeks ago I tabbed The Biff as a sleeper (finished 13th). Same thing at Pocono (finish 5th). Now we are headed to Watkins and he is again a sleeper. Not gonna spend a lot of time on the Biff. Just know since 2012 , he holds an 9.2 average finish on road courses. Which is better then: Jeff Gordon , Marcos Ambrose , Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski and few other noticeable names. Point being he is extremely underrated.

18-Kyle Busch: Rowdy is one of the best drivers at Watkins. He been extremely strong here. Likely will be a popular pick. He will be fast all weekend long. Over the past two races here , Rowdy have compiled 4.0 average finish , 1 win , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 72 laps led and 136.0 driver rating. In 9 career races , Rowdy holds 8.1 average finish and 2 win.

20-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth always been a okay road racer , but never good enough to be contender. Earlier this season  at Sonoma , MK day was ended after Dale Jr turn him around. Over the past two races here , Kenseth have compiled 15.5 average finish , 1 Top 10, 1 Top 20, 0 lap led and 83.6 driver rating. In 14 career races , Kenseth holds an 15.57 with 4 Top 10s (28%).

22-Joey Logano: Logano is very underrated. Joey actually is a accomplished road racer. But haven't yet put together a strong run to get some respect. Over the past two races here , JoLo have compiled 19.5 average finish , 1 Top 10 , 1 Top 20, 0 lap led and 78.7 driver rating. I would save him for another week in limited start leagues.

24-Jeff Gordon: After being dominate early in his career at Watkins. Gordon have became VERY overrated. Meaning people don't realize how bad he been here since 2001. In his last 12 races at Watkins , Gordon have only 2 Top 10s (0 Top 5s). Of couse he been bad fast all year and likely will be same at Watkins. Nevertheless I need to see strong practices from the 24 before I give him a slot on my team this week.

27-Paul Menard: Menard is actually been consistent on road courses which would be a surprise to many. In fact , he finished in the top 5 at Sonoma . Since 2012 Menard holds 13.6 average finish on road courses. Menard is better then most would give him credit for.

31-Ryan Newman: Not gonna spend a lot of time on Newman. Newman is middle of the road as a legitimate road racer. He always been good , but never great. Over the past two races here , Newman have compiled 12.5 average finish , 2 Top 20s , 0 laps led and 78.4 driver rating. Since 2012 , Newman holds an 13.8 average finish on road courses.

41-Kurt Busch: Busch is much better at Sonoma then he is at Watkins. Even though he was able to put together a nice run with the 78 last season (top 10). Over the past two races here , Kurt have compiled 20.0 average finish , 1 top 10 , 1 top 20, 0 laps led and 81.4 driver rating. There are better gambles this week.

42-Kyle Larson: Okay let keep it simple. Larson will likely start near the front , look impressive in practice and finish well ahead of any other rookie. The kid is that good. With that being said , he will be more useful at other tracks as well. So I will likely keep him off this week (least in Yahoo).

47-Aj Dinger: I am still feeling bitter towards Dale Jr. After he turn the Dinger on a restart at Sonoma. Nevertheless Aj had a top 5 car and easily led the most laps in that race. He finish top 10 last year here. Dinger could be a terrific sleeper for Sunday race.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is actually overlooked at road courses. Surprising he been very effective as a fantasy pick. Unfortunately he is in a major slump at the moment. Since his win at Michigan , there been nothing but bad luck. 4 Finishes outside the top 35. You cannot use him right now. Even though his average finish on road courses since 2012 is 6.4 (2nd best among full time drivers).

51-Justin Alliager: The only rookie I would consider using in Yahoo. Mainly because his solid record in the NNS on road courses. Sadly he was a disappointment at Sonoma in June. Practice will likely tell weather or not roster worthy for Sunday race.

78-Martin Truex Jr: MT Jr had some great runs at the road courses races. Including an solid run earlier this season at Sonoma. His inconsistent runs in 2014 drag down his value though. Carefully watch Truex in practice on Friday before lockdown.

99-Carl Edwards: Edwards won earlier this season at Sonoma. I still think he be overlooked , even after posting a win at Sonoma. Over the past two races here , Edwards have compiled 9.0 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 1 Top 10, 2 Top 20s , 1 lap led and 98.6 driver rating. Since 2012 , Edwards holds 8.6 average finish and 1 win.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

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Jeff Nathans