Wednesday, December 30, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Preview: Danica Patrick

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Danica Patrick enters 3rd season as a full-time driver with SHR and the 10 team. Recently she signed a extension with SHR and have locked up some sponsors for the 2016 season and beyond. Patrick is not a very talented driver nor a driver that will blow you away with her consistent finishes. But she have proven in the past she can get quality finishes at certain tracks and tend to luck into some real strong finishes at times. However most weekends a top 25 is a good finish for her though. Her biggest flaw is finishing out races on the lead lap. Often she tend to finish off the lead lap and usually finish poorly if she get frustrated with her fellow competitors.

Danica will be at her best on the intermediate racetracks and should have a car capable of finishing inside the top 20 on most race weekends. Typically if she keep her car out of trouble, she will finish in the 17th-22nd place range. Michigan is her best racetrack probably. It the one track where she really haven't had a really great race, but she also haven't had a bad one either. She been consistent there for her short cup career so far. She did finish 25th the last time we where there, but I think that was a fluke overall. 4 of her 5 other finishes have ended in 16th or better. I like those odds! I think she really likes racing at Michigan so that definitely helps her. I think Atlanta is another good racetrack for her. She only have raced there 3 times, but she have gotten some quality finishes so far in her career. Minus her debut in 2012 (29th place finish), she have finishes of 21st, 6th and 16th. Those are some strong finishes. What even better? Her past two finishes have ended inside the top 16. I think those are best two intermediate racetracks (based on numbers) by far and quite frankly it isn't very close either. I think there a lot of tracks she have been just decent at. Chicago would be one of them. When I look at her stats there, I am not blown away. However I am not disappointed either. In 3 career starts, she have never finished worse than 26th. But her best finished have resulted in 19th place. Homestead and Cali are the same way. She haven't been great, but she haven't been bad either. I think that is something you are looking for with Danica. She will never be great on most racetracks, but she doesn't have to be. All she have to do is not make a mistake and she will serve him purpose for your fantasy team. Not saying it always going to be top 15 finishes or anything, but a finish from 17th-22nd is more than respectable.

There are some intermediate racetracks that have me on the fences about Danica. Kansas comes to mind. Back in 2013 (spring), she finished a career high 7th at the 1.5 mile racetrack. She came back in the fall and finished 16th. Last season she had finishes of 22nd and 27th. So there really been mixed results on this type racetrack. Two really solid finishes and then two meh type finishes. It will be interesting how she performs at Kansas. I think she is pretty good on tracks like Kansas, so I think it a good idea to keep a eye on her.

I think she will struggle more on the flats in general than most tracks. I think this is a weak spot for her, especially the large flats track. Even though the shorter flats are directly behind. From a career point of view, she have historically terrible at the flat tracks of Pocono, Indy, New Hampshire and Phoenix. On the two large flats (Pocono and Indy), she have only 1 top 20 finish in 9 races. In fact that 16th place finish at Pocono remains her lone top 25 finish as well. Combined she have an 31.83 average finish on the two larger flat tracks.Yeah pretty ugly! On the shorter flats, she been slightly better but that not saying very much though. In 13 races on the shorter flats (Phoenix and New Hampshire), she only have managed 3 Top 20 finishes and 6 Top 25 finishes with 27.58 average finish. Overall flat tracks have been a real troublesome spot for her. 4 of her 6 worst tracks are either short flat or large flat racetracks. Based on that, I think we should avoid her in 2016 on the flats tracks in general. Until she proves otherwise, she will be a heavy risk for fantasy players.

Short tracks have been questionable for Danica, but she have got some decent finishes at times though. Martinsville stands out as one of them. She have a top 10 finishes and 3 top 20 finishes in 6 races, but she only have a few DNFs as well. At Martinsville, she have made 6 starts with 3 top 17 finishes and 2 DNFs. Over her past three races at Martinsvlle, she one top 10 finish (7th - March 2015) and 2 DNFs (34th and 40th - October 2014 and October 2015). Like I said she been very questionable on the short tracks. With that said, Martinsville been her best track probably. She been okay at Bristol, but I wouldn't call it great though. Her career best finish at this venue came earlier this season in that screwy wreck-filled race, where she came across the line in 9th. Otherwise her best career finish here is 18th back in 2014. Outside of 9th and 18th finishes, she have finished 26th-29th in every other start. Not exactly numbers I want to see as a fantasy option. Richmond been a very questionable track for Danica so far in career. With 4 of her 6 starts ending in 25th or worse. However she have 2 Top 20 finishes in her past 3 starts at the 0.75 mile short track. While she haven't done great here in her short career, she is starting to turn it around. Overall short tracks have been pretty iffy for Danica, but a top 25 finish is probably a good day. A top 20 finish is a great day at the office. Most times she will probably finish somewhere in the lower twenties though.

Road courses will be a place where Danica is a good but rarely run anything better than top 20 and for her that a pretty good day. She been at her best Watkins Glenn. In 3 career starts, she have never finish worse than 21st. However her best finish is 17th. So she been really consistent at the Glenn. Even though she haven't really performed all too well during the race.Her best race was last summer (2015) and she only held 64.7 driver rating. That would only be good enough for 25th best for the event. She been decent at Sonoma, but her best race came in 2014 where she finished 18th. Honestly that probably her best race on the road course. She had career best driver rating (69.1) and career-best starting position (11.0). I think her starting position really benefited her and padded her performance stats though. She was about 22nd or 23rd place car for that event. So not like she is blowing away her competition on the road courses or anything. Personally I would expect a top 25 finish from her on the road courses and hope for a finish in the top 20 range.


Restrictor Plate tracks have been either hit or miss for Danica in her young career. Her best race came back in her debut at Daytona in 2013 during her rookie season! She started first, led 5 laps, finished 8th, held 113.2 driver rating and 5.0 average running position. She was 2nd to Jimmie Johnson in both categorizes. That been by far her best performance at Daytona. She also finished 8th in 2014 summer race at Daytona. But there were only like maybe 12 cars left on the lead lap. That was a wacky race with all the rain and wreck though. Actually it was called after 112 laps. Otherwise most of her finishes been in the 30s and 40s finish wise. Talladega been much harder on Danica than Daytona though. She only have one top 20 finish in 6 races. She finished 19th in 2014 October race where she led 7 laps and held 79.9 driver rating. Danica will be a hit or miss like I said on the Restrictor Plate tracks!

Danica will be a top 25 driver with possible top 20 upside on certain weekends, but typically she doesn't live up to what expected of her. She have a habit of being caught up in wrecks or incidents that ruin her day. Truthfully I would only use her at the intermediate racetracks and try to avoid her at the flat tracks at all cost. She will have some value on the road courses and restrictor plates tracks, but I could live without using Danica there though. Overall I expect Danica to struggle to be consistent and don't really look for her to be anything beyond top 17 or top 18 finisher. And that probably on a good weekend too. An average Danica perform will be running somewhere between 22nd-25th and finishing around 20th. Even though she will probably knock off some top 10 and top 15 finishes on her very best days.


Twitter - @CrazyKateNascar


Sunday, December 27, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Preview: Brian Scott

Welcome to TimersSports

Brian Scott will drive the #9 car for RPM in his rookie season! Personally I am was not very shocked when this news broke that RPM have choose Scott to replace Hornish in the 9 car. I thought it made a lot of sense. Scott brings a ton load of cash and he is a enough driver who wants to proves himself. But don't get carried away with Scott potential. I view him as nothing more than a top 25 driver on a weekly basis. Since he was nothing more than a top 10 to top 15 driver in NXS. I think his equipment will hold him back often. His inexperience will also be a big factor in his limited success.

There also no real race data on Scott as last few seasons he have ran part time for 33 team (powered by RCR). Anything with RCR backing is pretty solid. But in 2016, he won't be backed by RCR. So there really no relevant data to go on. So we have no idea where he could be strong at and where he could be weak at. Therefore we will have to guess based what we already know about RPM typical performance. RPM doesn't really have the speed to contend for anything beyond top 20 finishes (sometimes top 15 finishes) and for Scott it will likely be more in the top 25 place range. Maybe worse some weekends. I think Scott will struggle the most on the intermediate racetracks. I think his equipment will make him struggle and combined with inexperience, it will hamper his fantasy value. I think he will be a mid to high-twenty driver most weekends, especially early in the season. I think as the season progress, we could see his upside rise to closer the top 20. But I wouldn't bank on it though. I think he only goes far as his equipment will take him. Young drivers tend to make more mistakes and Scott will likely have plenty of them.

On short tracks (Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond) and the smaller flat tracks (Phoenix and New Hampshire), I think he will be at his best due to this seems to be strong suits for RPM. He performed his strongest on the short tracks and small flats last season in the NXS as well. In fact, 4 of his 6 Top 5 finishes came on tracks less than a mile in length. He finished in the top 10 in all of the short tracks races and finished inside the top 11 in all of but one short flat track. In basic terms, he was pretty good last season. I think some of his best finishes will come on the short tracks and shorter flats tracks. It is hard to say what his outlook is, but I think he would be a low-twenty to high-teen driver at his best. Since we don't have any real race data on him at the cup level, I don't really know where he will be his best at. Looking at his NXS stats, I would say Richmond is his best racetrack. Over the past 3 seasons (6 races), he have managed 4 top 5 finishes and only once have he finished worse than 10th. That would probably translate into a low to mid teen like finish, if he was in better equipment. Since he is not, he more of a low twenty capable type of driver at Richmond. I think he will struggle much more on the larger flats than the shorter flats. I think the lack of horsepower will put him at a disadvantage which will not give him very much fantasy value. He have some decent Indy stats in NXS, but I think they are worthless though. Pocono is even a bigger question mark as he have never raced at Pocono at the Cup level. In fact, he have never raced at Pocono in the top three series at the Nascar level.

I think he may surprise us at the road courses in 2016. His NXS stats are not too bad at all. He haven't ever won a road course race, but he never really had a bad race either though. At the Cup level, I think he will flirt with a top 20 finish. He made three starts in NXS at Watkins Glenn. So I think that will help him with getting around that place. I think experience means a lot at road courses, so it should be beneficial for him. Sonoma is the tougher road course for young drivers it seems. I think that the track that takes more skill to run well at. So I am not as high on him at. On the plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega), I think he will have some mix results at. I think he will have good shot as anyone to finish well. I also think Scott will have a DNF or two on the plates. I personally think he will knock off a top 10 or a top 15 finish in 2016 and I willing to bet it comes at either Daytona or Talladega.

There isn't a lot to discuss regarding Brian Scott. There is a lot of guess work with him because we have basically no relevant data on him for 2016. I think that the hardest thing with a young driver switching teams. We are really going in blind and not knowing how we will do. Personally I don't have high goals for him and that's just me. I don't think he will have many quality finishes in 2016 but with more experience I think he will get better and better. I think his best days will come on the short tracks and shorter flats. I think he will not only perform his best but have his best results as well. His worse days will probably come on the intermediate and large flat racetracks. I think horsepower will put him at a disadvantage, that he will not be able to overcome. His inexperience will only hamper his fantasy value further on these type of venues.

2016 Brian Scott Fantasy Nascar Profile 

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Fantasy Football Rankings (Week 16)

Welcome to TimersSports

Quarterbacks -

1. Cam Newton
2. Russell Wilson
3. Big Ben
4. Tom Brady
5. Blake Bortles
6. Carson Palmer
7. Aaron Rodgers
8. Drew Brees
9. Matthew Stafford
10. Kirk Cousins
11. Eli Manning
12. Tyrod Taylor
13. Ryan Fitzpatrick
14. Jameis Winston
15. Matt Ryan
16. Teddy Bridgewater
17. Sam Bradford
18. Ryan Tannehill
19. Alex Smith
20. Jay Cutler
21. Brock Osweiler
22. Matt Hasselbeck
23. Johnny Manizel
24. Brandon Weeden
25. Blaine Gabbert

Running Backs -

1. Adrian Peterson
2. DeAngelo Williams
3. David Johnson
4. Devonta Freeman
5. Doug Martin
6. Matt Forte
7. Darren McFadden
8. Charcandrick West
9. Todd Gurly
10. Lamar Miller
11. Tim Hightower
12. Chris Ivory
13. Karlos Williams
14. Frank Gore
15. Eddie Lacy
16. James White
17. Christine Michael
18. Jeremy Hill
19. Cameron Artis-Payne
20. Javorius Allen
21. Gio Benard
22. Ryan Matthews
23. Rashad Jennings
24. Matt Jones
25. Ameer Abdullah

Wide Receivers -

1. Antonio Brown
2. Allen Robinson
3. Julio Jones
4. DeAndre Hopkins
5. Martavis Bryant
6. Mike Evans
7. Brandon Marshall
8. Brandlin Cooks
9. Doug Baldwin
10. Jeremy Maclin
11. Eric Decker
12. Sammy Watkins
13. Demaryius Thomas
14. Jarvis Landry
15. DeSean Jackson
16. Calvin Johnson
17. Larry Fitgerald
18. AJ Green
19. Emmanuel Sanders
20. John Brown
21. Randall Cobb
22. Michael Floyd
23. Golden Tate
24. Kamar  Aiken
25. Allen Hurns

Tight Ends -

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Greg Olsen
3. Jordan Reed
4. Julius Thomas
5. Delanie Walker
6. Gary Barnidge
7. Benjamin Waston
8. Travis Kelce
9. Richard Rodgers
10. Zach Ertz
11. Zach Miller
12. Jason Witten
13. Heath Miller
14. Will Tye
15. Eric Ebron

Thanks for checking out my Fantasy Football Rankings this season! See you all next season

Twitter - @WilliamFrang 

2016 Fantasy Nascar Preview: Chase Elliott

Welcome to TimersSports

I think Chase Elliott is a very consistent and much mature driver than his age  indicates. But I don't think he is super talented, least not yet anyways. He doesn't go out and blow you away with a monster performance. That never have been his style and I don't think it ever will be. Elliott will have a tough task to be replacing a legend like Jeff Gordon. But I do think this kid does have what it takes to be a solid replacement for HMS.  He is not very tough on his equipment and he understands what he needs to do in order to get a quality finish. Like I said, he is a very mature driver!

In 2016, I expect him to struggle early in the season. He will have the typical growing pains with a new team and he will undoubtedly have some difficulty adjusting to full-time at the Cup level. But overall I think he will be able to contend for top 20 finishes right off the bat on a weekly basis. As the season goes on, I expect his fantasy production to increasingly climb as he get more experience and more time behind the wheel. I think the first half of the season, it will be more about getting Chase comfortable in the car and getting him to know the tracks better. As we hit these tracks for the second time, that is when I really think he will take off and really become a threat.

I expect Chase to be at his best on the intermediate racetracks and I could see him knocking off some top 10s in the process. This been his bread and butter type racetrack in the NXS and I don't expect that to change with HMS power under the hood. I think most weekends on the intermediate racetracks, I think he will be least good for a mid to high teen finishes, especially early in the season. After awhile I expect him to be a top 15 driver as his equipment should give him a leg up on most of the drivers back there. With some additional experience, I don't think he will have much problems finishing around of guys like Paul Menard, Austin Dillon, Aric Almirola,etc.

I also expect Elliott to be strong on the larger flats of Indy and Pocono. These tracks take horsepower and that shouldn't much of a problem for the young HMS driver. I think he will be capable of low to mid teens finishes mainly though. But still that would be huge if he could finish well at the larger flats. Not always easy to finish well at Pocono and Indy. Elliott finished 18th in his lone start on the larger flats in 2015. He was more of a 20-ish place driver though. I think his horsepower advantage will give him the edge over most of the guys he will be racing in the low twenties and low teens. So you can expect top 15 potential from him at both Pocono and Indy.  I think he will struggle more at Pocono though. Especially the first time around because he never have raced there at the Cup level. Plus Pocono is a very tricky track, but he should be just fine though. On the shorter flats, I think he will struggle a lot more than on the larger flats. I think tracks like New Hampshire and Phoenix will be more troublesome because horsepower isn't as much of a factor. He didn't make any starts on the shorter flats in 2015, so the data is very limited, but I would say based on NXS record it would translate into finishes somewhere in the mid to high teens though.


On the short tracks (Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond), I think Elliott will be a decent driver. However I don't think any of his best results will come on this type track. No disrespect to Elliott, but he will be lucky to be a mid to high teen driver on the shorter tracks. I think he will be better on the intermediate and larger flats racetracks. I think he best days will be near the top 10 and I don't see him coming close to that. His short track will be Richmond (for now) and that the only track he have any real experience. He also made a start back at Martinsville, but he finished almost 100 laps down after wrecking very early in the race. He had to go to garage and make repairs to his car. I think Bristol is the big unknown for Elliott! He have never raced at this venue at the NSCS level and that is more worrisome because Bristol is a very tough track to master. Especially for a young driver like Chase Elliott.

I think Elliott have the skill-set (evidence by his NXS record) and equipment to be a respectable driver on the short tracks. I also believe he will be a risky fantasy choice as well. He will be racing at the highest level in Nascar with the toughest competition too. I think experience will be something that hurt him at the short tracks in 2016. I think this type track is a difficult one for younger drivers because they don't know how to react sometimes. So they tend to make mistakes easier then other drivers will. Looking back at Martinsville last season, that what happened to him. If Elliott can keep his car clean and on (or least near) lead lap, then top 20 finishes should follow.

On Road Courses, I am torn on what to think about Elliott. Part of me, think he will struggle at Sonoma and Watkins Glenn. While the other part of me, think he will be one of the better road courses surprises. He found a decent amount of success on this type track in the lower series and should translate into quality finishes at the Cup level. Then again, he is a rookie and he have never raced on either of these tracks. I think he will have more success at Watkins Glenn than Sonoma. I think Sonoma is the more skill required track and that could be challenging for him. It about hitting your marks and that may not be the best thing for a driver making his track debut. Overall I think he will contend for top 20 finishes at both tracks since HMS builds fast cars for the courses! Anything beyond that may be asking for too much though.

I think the plates will give Elliott the most problems. This is the most unpredictable type of racetrack. I don't think there is any way else to put it. Daytona and Talladega are true wildcards and anyone can win it and anyone wreck out. I think Elliott might knock off a few lucky finishes, but overall I don't think he holds too much value. There so many better tracks to use him at, so I don't use any real reason to waste a start with him at either track. Personally I don't want no part of Elliott at Daytona and Talladega.

In 2016, I think Chase Elliott will have a very successful rookie season. I think he will be a consistent driver with more upside as the season progress. Like any young driver, I expect him to have his bad and good days. Elliott is a very mature driver, so I think his bad days will be far in between. But as we saw in 2015, he will make mistakes. I think early in the season, I think he will have a lot of finishes from 17th-25th place range. But as the season goes on I think he have the equipment and skillset to be a top 20 driver on a weekly basis.  He should eventually have the potential to challenge for top 15 finishes and maybe even top 10 finishes later in the season. I am not sure if he will have a rookie season like Kyle Larson did in 2014, but I think he can have a big impact at certain tracks. It will be very interesting to find out how he does in 2016!

Chase Elliott Fantasy Nascar Profile

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Thursday, December 24, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Dale Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Car #: 88

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2000 (First-Full Season)

# of Career Races: 577

# of Career Poles: 14

# of Career Wins: 26

# of Career Top 5s: 143

# of Career Top 10s: 246

# of Career DNFs: 56

# of Career Laps Led: 8,136

Career Average Finish: 15.5

Career Average Start: 16.0

# of 2015 Wins: 3

# of 2015 Top 5s: 16

# of 2015 Top 10s: 22

# of 2015 Poles: 1

# of 2015 DNFs: 1

# of 2015 Laps Led: 287

2015 Average Finish: 11.3

2015 Average Start: 13.8

2015 Fantasy Recap: Dale JR had a very consistent season during 2015, but he never really was a true race winner contender most weekends. He had his car top 5 good by end of most races, or least top 10. However he never seems to have the ''it factor'' to him. Like oh damn he bad fast. Outside of the plates, he never really dominated any races. I felt like that gave him much less value compared to guys like Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Logano, Johnson who often got up front and led laps on weekly basis. Besides that, he was a very solid driver in 2015. I don't think you will find a more consistent driver over the past 3 seasons. Overall hard to complain about his fantasy production. Almost every week, he would have some type of fantasy value and that all we can ask for really.

Strong Tracks: Daytona, Pocono, Phoenix and Las Vegas

Weak Tracks: WGI and Charlotte

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I expect Dale Jr to be consistent like he have in seasons past and I think he can have his best season yet with HMS. I think that may depend on how HMS performs as a whole. These past few seasons, I felt like they have fell off a little in the second half. I think Dale can match his totals from 2015 and maybe a little more, if he can get on a few hot streaks. He will be at his best at the plate tracks. I think he is the best at Daytona. While he haven't been terrible at Talladega, he haven't had the same type of impact either. He will perform very well on the intermediate racetracks, especially on the 1.5 mile racetracks in length. As far as the flats, I am not sure how he will do. He have shown inconsistency these last few seasons with mix of top 5 finishes and outside of top 30 finishes. More so on the short flats though. I would say his best two flats would be Pocono (large flat) and Phoenix (short flat). I think short tracks will be tricky. Since joining HMS, he always been a hit or miss. I have had a tough time figuring him out. At times he looks like a top 5 driver and others well not so much. Personally I would take a wait and see approach with him. Overall Dale Jr should be a really consistent driver with top 5 to top 10 fantasy potential on a weekly basis.

Twitter - @JeffNathans


2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Martin Truex Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Martin Truex Jr

Car #: 78

Make: Toyota

# of Career Races: 369

# of Career Poles: 7

# of Career Wins: 3

# of Career Top 5s: 40

# of Career Top 10s: 117

# of Career DNFs: 42

# of Career Laps Led: 2,452

Career Average Finish: 17.6

Career Average Start: 16.3

# of 2015 Wins: 1

# of 2015 Top 5s: 8

# of 2015 Top 10s: 22

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 2

# of 2015 Laps Led: 567

2015 Average Finish: 12.2

2015 Average Start: 12.5

2015 Fantasy Recap: Truex had a great season and was impressive all season. He started off very strong and was by the far the best surprise of 2015. I thought after his win at Pocono, he became inconsistent in his finishes. I felt like the 78 team took more risks which resulted in the inconsistency in performance. But overall I was pretty impressive they were able to make it all the way to the final four down in Miami. In the end, they just didn't have the needed speed to outrun Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick. Still a very successful season for the one-car team out of Denver.

Strong Tracks: Homestead, Texas, WGI and New Hampshire

Weak Tracks: Martinsville and Daytona

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: A lot of people are unhappy that the 78 team is dumping Chevy for Toyota in 2016. To me brand loyalty means shit in racing. FRR only had a partnership with RCR and getting funded by them, not directly from Chevy. So they have to depend on RCR for financial assistances. Toyota on the another hand can offer them the required financial assistances to expand their team and be competitive. Easy decision if you ask me! For 2016, I don't expect Truex to repeat his season from one year ago. I personally don't think he will return to victory lane in the first season back with Toyota. I think it may take a little while for the 78 team to get going since they switched brands in the offseason. I still think he makes the chase, but I don't think he will wrap it up early like 2015. I think Martin's biggest challenge will be ignoring the haters. He cannot let people get in his head. Last season he had the best season of his career. How will he respond in the very next season? That is the question I am wondering.

Twitter - @JeffNathans
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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Clint Bowyer

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Clint Bowyer

Car #: 15

Make: Chevy

# of Career Races: 361

# of Career Poles: 2

# of Career Wins: 8

# of Career Top 5s: 58

# of Career Top 10s: 164

# of Careepr DNFs: 28

# of Career Laps Led: 2,335

Career Average Finish: 15.0

Career Average Start: 17.0

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 2

# of 2015 Top 10s: 12

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 3

# of 2015 Laps Led: 11

2015 Average Finish:18.7

2015 Average Start: 20.5

2015 Fantasy Recap: Bowyer had a decent season with MWR in 2015, but he haven't ever a race winning threat and that killed his fantasy value in most fantasy formats. His lack of qualities top 5 and top 10 finishes further hamper his fantasy value. But his biggest problem was being consistent for more than a few races. I could never really get a good read on Clint and that what really drove me away from him. A good weekend for Bowyer was a teen like finish and finishing on the lead lap. He often contended for top 10 finishes at certain stages of the season. But I think overall he struggled for most of the season, even though it not all his fault. I think MWR was a reason for his struggling, if they were quicker I think his fantasy production would have been better.

Strong Tracks: Sonoma, WGI, Martinsville and Richmond

Weak Tracks: Darlington and Phoenix

Yahoo Grouping Prediction:  B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I don't expect a lot from Bowyer in 2016 since he with HScott Motorsports. Formerly the 51 team (Bowyer will drive the 15 car again), I don't think he is talented enough to make this team a every race weekend contender. He will contend for top 10 or top 15 finishes at certain tracks though. Mainly at the shorter tracks in length and the road courses. He also will have a chance to shine on the plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega. I think he will struggle more so on the intermediate racetracks and large flats tracks. I think the intermediate tracks always been a troublesome spot for him and his equipment won't do him any favors. There will be races where Bowyer will have some sort of fantasy value, but I think he will also hold a lot of risk. Overall I don't think this is a downgrade from MWR, since we know where HScott is getting their engines and stuff. But it isn't really a upgrade either though. He will be inconsistent in his finishes, but I wouldn't rule out some quality finishes though. Esepcially on the road courses. I think that where he will have the most value at.

Twitter - @JeffNathans


2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Jimmie Johnson

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Jimmie Johnson

Car #: 48

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2002

# of Career Races: 507

# of Career Poles: 33

# of Career Wins: 75

# of Career Top 5s: 207

# of Career Top 10s: 314

# of Career DNFs: 44

# of Career Laps Led: 17,696

Career Average Finish: 11.9

Career Average Start: 11.0

# of 2015 Wins: 5

# of 2015 Top 5s: 14

# of 2015 Top 10s: 22

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 1

# of 2015 Laps Led: 558

2015 Average Finish: 12.8

2015 Average Start: 12.1

2015 Fantasy Recap: Johnson started the season off very well and gathered 4 wins in the first 15 races, but much like in 2014 he fell off with fantasy production. And much like 2014, he also won at Texas during the chase. I felt like HMS as a whole fell off in the summer months and into the chase. They were just not quite on the same level as JGR and Penske. They didn't really get worse, but I felt like the competition improved greatly. Big reason why we saw Johnson's fantasy production just drop like a rock. Even in the chase, he struggled. The key to Johnson over the past two seasons is to use him early in the season and hope like hell he does not get hot late in the season. He typically becomes inconsistent in the summer months leading up to the chase. In 2015 that held true and seemed to rollover into the chase. I think Johnson had a really good season, but he wasn't great because of how he performed in latter part of the season.

Strong Tracks: Texas, Charlotte, Martinsville, Dover, Datyona and Pocono

Weak Tracks:  Michigan and Bristol

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I expect Johnson to post multiple wins in 2016, but like the previous two season I expect it to happen in the first handful of races. I think the 48 team is more suited for a strong start and seems to become more inconsistent in 2nd half the season. I would try to use him much as possible early in the season, especailly at the 1.5 mile racetracks. They seems to be his strong suit early on, long with tracks like Martinsville and Dover. He also seems to run very well at Daytona. So try to employ at the 500. Also I would try to use him on the road courses as he is probably the most underrated road course driver in the series. Overall you can use Johnson pretty much at any track you want. I think the key is to know when to use him and for how long. As he shown us the past few seasons, he tend to go on hot streaks and cold streaks. I think you need to use him soon as possible. Typically Johnson win a race and then knock off 2 or 3 more within a short time frame. That is when you have to jump on the Jimmie bandwagon. I think the last few seasons, HMS as a whole have taken a step back during the middle of the season. I don't feel like they are as strong as they once were. I think that something we will have to watch for early part of 2016, and that will have a heavy impact on Johnson's fantasy value. The even bigger question is will Johnson fantasy production dip in the 2nd half of the season like in previous seasons? All good questions that will be answered soon.

Twitter - @JeffNathans



Tuesday, December 22, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: AJ Dinger

Welcome to Timerssports

Drive Name: AJ Dinger

Car #: 47

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2008 (First-Full Season)

# of Career Races: 264

# of Career Poles: 4

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 7

# of Career Top 10s: 38

# of Career DNFs: 24

# of Career Laps Led: 465

Career Average Finish: 21.3

Career Average Start: 20.3

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 3

# of 2015 Poles: 2

# of 2015 DNFs: 3

# of 2015 Laps Led: 55

2015 Average Finish: 23.1

2015 Average Start: 21.6

2015 Fantasy Recap: AJ Dinger didn't have the season, that many of us were expecting. He held the most value on the road courses. However he failed to finish inside the top 20 in either road course races, making his fantasy value pretty much worthless. Minus a few good runs on some shorter racetracks. Overall it tough to find fantasy value out of a driver such as AJ. He really struggled on the intermediate racetrack, even though he had a few quality finishes. His big problem is being consistent and his equipment. I think his equipment holds him back most weeks and makes him nothing but a top 25 driver. In 2015, he lacked consistency, speed and upside. He had a few good runs at Martinsville, Richmond,Sonoma and WGI though. He didn't always get the results, but we saw the potential.

Strong Tracks: Sonoma, WGI, Martinsville, New Hampshire and Richmond

Weak Tracks: Pocono and Dover

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I don't expect a lot from Dinger.  I think he will run well at certain tracks like Sonoma, Watkins Glenn, Martinsville, Richmond,etc. He will be at his on the road courses, he is a road course ace and the 47 team have a history of running well at both courses. His equipment is what holds him back. Over the past two seasons, we have seen how strong he was at both Sonoma and Watkins Glenn. But he have finished 3 of those 4 races outside of the top 20. That's not good enough for what we are expecting out of him. The courses will give Dinger the most fantasy value, but he will also run well on the shorter flats. Martinsville is probably his best racetrack not a road course-type track. Dinger also will run well at the shorter flats of Richmond and New Hampshire. He is a deep sleeper at Bristol. He ran very well here last spring and was running top 15 before running into Smoke. Last fall, he struggled but came on strong in the later stages. Like I said a deep sleeper. I expect him to struggle the most on the intermediate racetracks. He may knock off a finish here or a finish there in the mid teens, but mostly I expect him to finish from 22nd-27th. Overall, there will be opportunities to use Dinger at certain tracks. I don't think there is a large window to use him, but there will be places to unload him. I will also add that, he will be a risk every time you use him.

Twitter - @JeffNathans



Monday, December 21, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Aric Almirola

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Aric Almirola

Car #: 43

Make: Ford

Debut: 2012 (First-Full season)

# of Career Races: 179

# of Career Poles: 2

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 8

# of Career Top 10s: 25

# of Career DNFs:  25

# of Career Laps led: 173

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 3

# of 2015 Top 10s: 6

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 2

# of 2015 Laps Led: 3

2015 Average Finish: 17.9

2015 Average Start: 22.4

2015 Fantasy Recap: Almirola showed promise throughout the season, but he never could go from a really consistent driver to a top 10 driver. Then the 2015 Chase came and he contended for top 10 finshes. 5 of his 6 Top 10 finishes in 2015 came during the final 11 races. In fact both of his top 5 finishes (Richmond and Dover) came during the final 11 races of the season. Overall Almirola was very consistent, while putting together 28 Top 20 finishes. He never got any respect as a elite fantasy sleeper though. He was almost a lock every week to make my sleeper list starting at Texas. Even before that I had him on my radar, he just seems to get better and better as the season went on. I was very impressive by Aric and this 43 team. He wasn't going to win a fantasy championship for you make you win your league, but he was undervalued all season. That alone will give you the advantage, given you know how to employ him properly. Solid season by Aric. It will be interesting how he does in 2016!

Strong Tracks: Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, Phoenix and Dover

Weak Tracks: Pocono and Vegas

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: Aric quickly became one of my go-to-sleepers last season and I expect him to have a even better 2016 season. I think he really hit his stride in latter part of 2015 and I believe he will use that as momentum for the upcoming season. He will have his good days and bad days. I think a lot of tracks, he will be just consistent. Like most of the large flats and intermediate racetracks. He won't blow you away, but he will have the opportunities to be a fantasy steal at certain tracks. Just by looking at his numbers from previous seasons, he you can tell he excel on the shorter racetracks in length. He tend to run  his best on the shorter flats. His best track on the schedule is probably Bristol. Trust me when I say this, and that Aric Almirola is the most underrated driver in the series at Bristol. He absolutely loves that place. I believe he said it is his favorite racetrack. I will go into much greater details on that next month when I write up the fantasy preview. Overall I expect Aric to have a breakout season with RPM. Will it happen? I don't know. I will have my eyes pinned on him early in the season to see how he does.

Twitter - @Garryy12

Saturday, December 19, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kyle Larson

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Kyle Larson

Car #: 42

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2014

# of Career Races: 75

# of Career Poles: 2

# of Career Top 5s:10

# of Career Top 10s: 27

# of Career  DNFs:  11

# of Career Laps led: 169

Career Average Finish: 17.3

Career Average Start: 15.1

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 10

# of 2015 Top 5s: 2

# of 2015 Poles: 1

# of 2015 DNFs: 5

# of 2015 Laps led: 115

2015 Average Finish: 19.3

2015 Average Start: 13.3

2015 Fantasy Recap: Every time that could wrong went wrong for Kyle Larson during the 2015 season. If someone didn't curse him for the 2015 season, then he just had bad luck. So yeah he hit the sophomore slump and quite frankly a lot of people were very disappointed. I was too as I had very high hopes for the young CGR driver. Truthfully I kept waiting for him to break out, but he never did. If there was race that could sum up his season, then look no further than final race of the season at Homestead. He had the car to beat (by far) on the long run. He was rapidly closing the gap on leader Brad Keselowski and with 10 to go the caution came out. Just his luck, right? Overall it was a difficult season for young Kyle Larson, but it was a learning curve. All the great ones least had one bad season. I think he will be just fine in the future!

Strong Tracks: Homestead, Chicago, Dover and Pocono

Weak Tracks: Martinsville and Daytona

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: Kyle Larson is entering his 3rd full season at the cup level in 2016. I think CGR has realized that he should have already been to victory lane several times. The Crew Chief change had a lot to do with that, as something had to change for 2016. For 2016, I am not exactly sure what to expect from him. I think a lot of that will have to do with how well he and Chad Johnston get on the same page. A lot of people giving this Crew Chief change a lot of negativity, because of Johnston lack of success with Stewart. Personally I think that's unfair as Smoke haven't been himself the past few seasons. Larson is young and hungry. I think a change of scenery will be good for them both.I expect both of the CGR cars to be faster in 2016 and the I think new package will be beneficial to Larson style of driving. From a fantasy point of view, I think Larson will be a really good sleeper to start the season off. There so many unknowns with him, I expect most fantasy players to back away and take a safe approach. The big question is: Will he finally get his first cup win? Honestly I don't know. I think there a potential of that happening. For that to happen, I think CGR will need more speed than they had in 2015.

Twitter - @JeffNathans


Fantasy Football Rankings (Week 15)

Welcome to TimersSports

Quarterbacks -

1. Russell Wilson
2. Tom Brady
3. Cam Newton
4. Aaron Rodgers
5. Carson Palmer
6. Matthew Stafford
7. Big Ben
8. Drew Brees
9. Blake Blortes
10. Tyrod Taylor
11. Ryan Fitzpatrick
12. Phillip Rivers
13. Eli Manning
14. Derek Carr
15. Matt Ryan
16. Alex Smith
17. Kirk Cousins
18. Ryan Tannehill
19. Jay Cutler
20. Marcus Mariota

Running Backs -

1. Adrian Peterson
2. LeSean McCoy
3. DeAngelo Williams
4. Lamar Miller
5. David Johnson
6. Eddie Lacy
7. Devonta Freeman
8. Chris Ivory
9. Matt Forte
10. Charandrick West
11. Denard Robinson
12.Tim Hightower
13. Darren McFadden
14. Jeremy Hill
15. Latavius Murray
16. Frank Gore
17. Brandon Bolden
18. Javorius Allen
19. Jeremy Langford
20. Gio Bernard
21. Matt Adams
22. Bryce Brown
23. CJ Anderson
24. James White
25. James Straks

Wide Receiver -

1. Julio Jones
2. Odell Beckham Jr
3. DeAndre Hopkins
4. Calvin Johnson
5. Brandon Marshall
6. AJ Green
7. Antonio Brown
8. Doug Baldwin
9. Larry Fitzgerald
10. Allen Robinson
11. Alshon Jeffery
12. Sammy Watkins
13. Eric Decker
14. John Brown
15. Jeremy Maclin
16. Demaryius Thomas
17. Randall Cobb
18. Michael Crabtree
19. Amari Cooper
20. Danny Amendola
21. Martavis Bryant
22. Jarvis Landry
23. Michael Floyd
24. Ty Hilton
25. Golden Tate

Tight Ends -

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jordan Reed
3. Greg Olsen
4. Delanie Walker
5. Antonio Gates
6. Gary Barnidge
7. Julius Thomas
8. Travis Kelce
9. Richard Rodgers
10. Benjamin Waston
11. Zach Ertz
12. Zach Miller
13. Jason Witten
14. Eric Ebron
15. Heath Miller

Twitter - @WilliamFrang


2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kurt Busch

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Kurt Busch

Car #: 41

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2001

# of Career Races: 540

# of Career Poles: 19

# of Career Wins: 27

# of Career Top 5s: 116

# of Career Top 10s: 222

# of Career DNFs: 58

# of Career Laps led: 8,620

# of 2015 Wins: 2

# of 2015 Top 5s: 10

# of 2015 Top 10s: 21

# of 2015 Poles: 3

# of 2015 DNFs: 0

# of 2015 Laps led: 778

2015 Fantasy Recap: Kurt Busch had a very good season in 2015 and I wasn't shocked one bit either. I had very high hopes for him last offseason and said that Kurt would have a huge season with crew chief Tony Gibson. He put together 2 wins, 3 poles, 11 Top 5s and 21 Top 10s in 34 races. Kurt wasn't as strong as teammate Kevin Harvick, but I do think he was as competitive at certain races. He didn't dominate races, but he did often have a top 5 car. That's all you can ask for from a fantasy vantage point. I think 2015 season have re-energized Kurt's career. In seasons past, he been good but not great. It was refreshing to see him return to victory lane multiple times and see the 41 race back up front. Overall a very good season by Kurt, despite his off the track struggles early in the season.

Strong Tracks: Cali, Chicago, Sonoma and Phoenix

Weak Tracks: Kansas and Michigan

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I expect big things from Kurt Busch and the 41 team. In fact, I expect Kurt Busch to have a better season than teammate Kevin Harvick (yes, I know bold). I think Kurt can lead the 41 team to a championship, if they play their cards right. SHR proved how strong can could be with two top 5 drivers and I don't think that will change in 2016. The Kevin Harvick-Kurt Busch one two punch is a devastating combo. They make each other better by being teammates. I think Kurt will win multiple times in 2016 and be a top 5 threat on a weekly basis. He will have his bad days, but they won't be that often. He will be at his strongest on the short tracks and intermediate racetracks. Especially the 1.5 high-speed intermediate racetracks. I feel like that is a major strength for these SHR cars. He will also have good runs on the plates and road courses. He will probably be hit or miss on the flats. He been alright on them, but I don't think he is automatic though.

Twitter - @JeffNathans 

Friday, December 18, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Ryan Newman

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Ryan Newman

Car #: 31

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2002 (First-Full Season)

# of Career Races: 512

# of Career Poles: 51

# of Career Wins: 17

# of Career Top 5s: 103

# of Career Top 10s:  215

# of Career DNFs: 59

# of Career Laps Led: 4,678

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 5

# of 2015 Top 10s: 15

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 1

# of 2015 Laps Led: 20

2015 Fantasy Recap: Newman didn't live up to the hype of his first season with RCR (where he was one position away from a championship), but looking at the numbers he was still very solid. Never seen him turn the corner like he did in 2014. But he was very consistent though. He had 15 Top 10s and 31 Top 20 finishes. He had 16 Top 10s and 32 Top 20s in 2014. So his numbers didn't dip and that was my main concern headed into the season. Newman made the chase and did everything he could to be a championship threat. He was at his strongest on the intermediate racetracks probably. Especially since RCR seems to excell at them more than most tracks on the schedule. At end of the day, Newman is the poster boy for consistency and long as he have that, then he will be relevant in the fantasy world.

Strong Tracks: Pocono, Charlotte, Richmond and Chicago

Weak Tracks: WGI and Daytona

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook - Ryan Newman will enter his third season with RCR and the 31 team. He is coming off two solid season and should make it a third solid season too. Now look, Newman doesn't do anything special. He won't go out and run up in the top 5 all day or lead laps. However he will have the consistency to be a very solid fantasy option, just about every track we go to. That really what RCR does a whole. They don't really have the speed to beat you straight up, but don't ever underestimate the power of a consistent driver. As consistency is the foundation of fantasy success. Newman proved that to us in 2014 with his strong run deep into the chase. I am a big Newman believer. If he can a few more top 5 and top 10 finishes, then I really think he could be taken more serious in the fantasy racing. Headed into the season, I think he will be under the radar. A quick start by Newman would be fine with me. In fact, I am thinking that what will exactly happen. I would use Newman on the 1.5 mile intermediate tracks and the short tracks mainly. He also will be pretty decent on the flats and the road course of Sonoma.

Twitter - @JeffNathans 

Thursday, December 17, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Paul Menard

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Paul Menard

Car #: 27

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2007 (First-Full season)

# of Career Races: 327

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 17

# of Career Top 10s: 52

# of Career DNFs: 21

# of Career Laps Led:  292

Career Average Finish:  20.5

Career Average Start: 20.5

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 2

# of 2015 Top 10s: 5

# of 2015 of Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 1

# of 2015 Laps Led: 10

2015 Fantasy Recap: Menard had a decent season and made the chase for the first time. His numbers overall don't jump off the page, but they were good enough early in the season to help him make the chase. Menard always seems to fall off in fantasy production during the 2nd half of the season. In 2015 that was no different. Especially just before the chase. During the final 3 races before the chase cutoff, he finished 24th-26th from Bristol to Richmond. Other than that, he never really fell off like I was expecting during the Nascar regular season. He had 17 Top 15 finishes in the first 26 races. He added 5 more Top 15 finishes during the chase. His major downfall was his lack of production beyond that. Of those 22 Top 15 finishes, only four times did he finished inside the top 10. Two of those ended in the top 5. In the final 22 races of the 2015 season, he only had 2 Top 10 finishes. Resulting in 6th at Talladega and 8th at Michigan. He also had top 5 finishes at Talladeaga again (5th) and his best result of the season at Cali (4th) earlier in the season. All and all, it was a good season for the RCR driver. It wasn't great, but he was consistent and he was fast most weekends.

Strong Tracks: Vegas, Cali, Michigan, Kansas and Bristol

Weak Tracks: Pocono and Daytona

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: If you have followed this blog or played in Yahoo Fantasy Racing against me, then you know how much I love employing Paul Menard early in the season. He full of fantasy value and he is known to get off to quick starts. One of my personal favorite reasons why I use him so much early on. I expect 2016 to be no different. If you give me a intermediate racetrack, I am pretty sure I can make a strong case why he is a solid fantasy sleeper on any given weekend. And that what you are getting with Paul. A good driver in solid equipment. He won't blow you away with his number of top 5 or top 10 finishes, but brings two things I like: Consistency and Value. Most weekends, he will finish inside the top 15 and have enough upside to threaten the top 10. The last few seasons he have kept his cars in solid racing conditions which have led to more lead lap finishes. I think CC Justin Alexander will have a bigger impact than he did in his rookie season as Crew Chief for the 27 team. He made some really good calls last season and I am excited to see how he does in year 2. Overall Paul should be a threat to finish in the top 15 anytime we are at a intermediate ractrack. He also have turned into a underrated road course driver (yes I am surprised as anyone) and have proven to have some good runs on the short tracks and flat tracks from time to time. But don't think the flats or shorts are a real strong suit though.

Twitter - @Garryy12


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Joey Logano

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Joey Logano

Car #: 22

Make: Ford

# of Career Races: 255

# of Career Poles: 13

# of Career Wins: 14

# of Career Top 5s: 65

# of Career Top 10s: 110

# of Career DNFs: 20

# of Career Laps led: 3,084

Career Average Finish: 15.7

Career Average Start: 13.9

# of 2015 Wins: 6

# of 2015 Top 5s: 22

# of 2015 Top 10s: 26

# of 2015 Poles:  5

# of 2015 DNFs: 0

# of 2015 Laps led:  1,431

2015 Average Finish: 9.2

2015 Average Start: 6.9

2015 Fantasy Recap: Logano was my preseason pick to win the championship in 2015 and for a long time looked like he was in the driver seat. Until what happened at Martinsville, otherwise he had a flawless season. He was the best driver for most of the season and probably would have won it all, if he escaped Martinsivlle. Overall 6 wins, 22 top 5s , 26 Top 10s and 5 poles is a dream season. His fantasy production was real solid all season and I took noticed of that very early in the season. He was one of my favorite fantasy plays on a weekly basis. If Joey can repeat anywhere close to this type of production every year, then he going to be very good for a long time.

Strong Tracks: Dover, Charlotte, Kentucky and Kansas

Weak Tracks: Darlington and Talladega

Yahoo Grouping Tier: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: The past two offseasons, I have picked Joey Logano to win the championship. In 2014, he came up short. Last season he came up even shorter. Guess what? I am picking Joey Logano to win the championship again. He will eventually win a championship and 2016 could be it. Penske Racing is primed to have another big season and I think they are a good position headed into the season. Logano is one of the most talented drivers in the series. So young but so accomplished already. The scary thing is he have some much time to improve still. I expect big things from the 22 team and I think he ends in victory lane least three times. Somewhere around 15 to 20 Top 5s and 22 Top 10 finishes sounds like a realistic season goals for him. As high I am on him for 2016, I think it will be very difficult for him to repeat last season numbers. I said this about Jeff Gordon last offseason. This sport is always changing, so consistency putting up big numbers is difficult. We see very few who can time and time again top what they did the previous season. Logano could be a exception, but 6 wins and 22 Top 5s is a tall feat to chop down. We will see how he fairs once we get into the season though.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Monday, December 14, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Chase Elliott

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Chase Elliott

Car #: 24

Make: Chevy

Debut: 2016

# of Career Races: 5

# of Career Poles: 0

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 0

# of Career DNFs:0

# of Career Laps led: 0

Career Average Finish: 26.2

Career Average Start: 24.2

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 0

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 0

# of 2015 laps led: 0

2015 Average Finish: 26.2

2015 Average Start: 24.2

2015 Fantasy Recap:Elliott raced 5 times in 2015 and was fairly successful doing so too. He started off slow with a poor showing at Martinsville but bounced back in his second and third starts at Richmond (16th) and Charlotte (18th). He followed that up with a 18th at Indy. Then he ended the season at Darlington with his worse effort of the season of 41st. So he was decent but he wasn't great and that what many expected from him. HMS needed him to get laps during the 2015 season and he did just that. It was a successful season from the young HMS driver.

Strong Tracks: TBD

Weak Tracks: TBD

Yahoo Grouping Tier: C-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I think Elliott is more hype than anything for the 2016 and I don't mean for that to be a bad thing, but c'mon the expectations that people have for this  kid is pretty high. He will undoubtedly have a decent season, but let not forget about all the factors. He will be on a new team as a rookie, trying to replace a legend. No pressure, right? Add in he have never raced majority of these tracks at the NSCS level. Now I am not saying Elliott won't have success, as I do believe he will hit his stride later in the season. Think about recent young drivers to hit the Cup ranks like Stenhouse, Dillon and Larson. They all did their best work later in the season. Because the theory is, the teams wants the driver to get comfortable. That what I expect to happen with Elliott. Make him get laps earlier in the season, so the setup in his cars won't be as aggressive later in the season. Trust me, he will have opportunities to make his mark. Especially on the intermediate tracks. If you don't watch NXS, then here a few things I noticed about Chase. He is consistent, takes care of equipment and he tend to improve throughout the race. He won't blow you away with a dominating performance, but that not his style.

Twitter - @JeffNathans


Sunday, December 13, 2015

Fantasy Football Rankings (Week 14)

Welcome to TimersSports

Quarterbacks -

1. Russell Wilson
2. Tom Brady
3. Big Ben
4. Cam Newton
5. Aaron Rodgers
6. Blake Bortles
7. Tyrod Taylor
8. Eli Manning
9. Andy Dalton
10. Drew Brees
11. Ryan Fitzpatrick
12. Jameis Winston
13. Matthew Stafford
14. Brian Hoyer
15. Alex Smith

Running Backs -

1. Doug Martin
2. LeSean McCoy
3. Jonathan Stewart
4. Thomas Rawis
5. DeVonta Freeman
6. DeAngelo Williams
7. Todd Gurley
8. Matt Forte
9. Lamar Miller
10. Chris Ivory
11. T.J Yeldon
12. Charcandrick West
13. Frank Gore
14. Darren McFadden
15. Ronnie Hillman

Wide Receivers -

1. Antonio Brown
2. DeAndre Hopkins
3. AJ Green
4. Alshon Jeffery
5.  Calvin Johnson
6.  Brandon Marshall
7. Allen Robinson
8. Odell Beckham Jr
9. Julio Jones
10. Mike Evans
11. Martavis Bryant
12. Sammy Watkins
13. Eric Decker
14. Jarvis Landry
15. Jeremy Malcin

Tight Ends -

1. Greg Olsen
2. Delanie Walker
3. Tyler Eifert
4. Travis Kelce
5. Julius Thomas
6. Jordan Reed
7. Gary Barnidge
8. Scott Chandler
9. Antonio Gates
10. Richard Rodgers
11. Benjamin Waston
12  Jacob Tammie

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

Friday, December 11, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Brian Scott

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Brian Scott

Car #: 9

Make: Ford

Debut: 2016 (First-full season)

# of Career Races: 17

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 0

# of Career DNFs: 4

# of Career Laps led: 0

Career Average Finish: 28.2

Career Average Start: 22.2

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 0

# of 2015 Poles:0

# of 2015 DNFs: 3

# of 2015 laps led: 0

2015 Average Finish: 27.9

2015 Average Start: 22.8

2015 Fantasy Recap: Scott drove the #33 car (RCR funded) in 2015 in 10 races (mostly intermediate tracks), and he did fairly well. He didn't always get the finishes he deserved, but he did perform well most races he was entered. I think it was obvious that Scott was on the move after the season, due to the bump up in number of races he ran. Personally figure this was his last season as a part timer. But i will save that for another time. All and all, Scott did what he was needed and that was logging laps for experience. His numbers weren't impressive, but nobody really expected them to either.

Strong Tracks: TBD

Weak Tracks: TBD

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: Scott is a very tricky guy to figure out because he moving from part time in the Cup series with RCR to Full-time with Richard Petty Motorsports. It's tricky because he have little experience at the cup level and now will be with a complete different team. More specially in the 9 car. When I am looking at recent history, RPM haven't produced very well with the 9 car. It get more concerning because of his lack of success at the NXS level. He was most often a top 10 or top 15 driver, but that was in top tier equipment in a secondary series.That aside, I would say he is a top 25 driver on a weekly basis. RPM is really middle of the road equipment. And that will be the main thing holding him in 2016 and moving forward. Equipment is key. Add in lack of experience and other unknown factors, I am holding back on Scott until he proves himself. 

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Ryan Blaney

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Ryan Blaney

Car #: 21

Make: Ford

Debut: 2016 (First-Full season)

# of Career Races: 18

# of Career Poles: 0

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 1

# of Career Top 10s: 2

# of Career DNFs: 5

# of Career laps led: 20

Career Average Finish: 25.2

Career Average Start: 14.3

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 1

# of 2015 Top 10s: 2

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs:  5

# of 2015 Laps led: 5

2015 Average Finish:  25.3

2015 Average Start: 14.5

2015 Fantasy Recap: Blaney season can be easily be summed by rain outs and blown engines! Seriously that how most of his season played out. He either missed the race or had engines blow up. Okay that not entirely true. He had some solid runs mixed in there and when he did get on the track, he was very fast. It didn't always lead to the results (due to issues during the race), but the potential was there every weekend. Personally I think the fact that the 21 team ran a part-time itself threw them off. One week they would race, then Blaney wouldn't be on the track for a few weeks. Kinda hard to get any momentum. Will be interesting in 2016 how he fairs with a full-time schedule.

Strong Tracks: Kansas and Indy

Weak Tracks: Texas

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: There isn't a lot of data on Blaney which is why it is harder to get a good idea what to expect from him. Look above under strong and weak tracks. Those probably aren't even accurate, but don't really have anything to go on. That's the big problem with young drivers when it comes to profiling them in the offseason. Personally I expect Blaney to be a top 10 contender from time to time. Most weekend I would expect a result in the teens. The fact that the 21 team is aligned with Penske alone gives him solid upside. Last season we saw flashes of what this kid could be. In 2016, I think we see more flashes of that. He could have a rookie year much like Kyle Larson did in 2014, if his cards are played right.

Twitter - @JeffNathans  




Thursday, December 10, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Matt Kenseth

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Matt Kenseth

Car #: 20

Make: Toyota

Debut: 2000 (First-Full season)

# of Career Races: 578

# of Career Poles: 14

# of Career Wins: 36

# of Career Top 5s: 163

# of Career Top 10s: 290

# of Career DNFs: 25

# of Career laps led: 10,382

Career Average Finish: 14.1

Career Average Start: 17.8

# of 2015 Wins: 5

# of 2015 Top 5s: 12

# of 2015 Top 10s: 20

# of 2015 Poles: 3

# of 2015 DNFs: 4

# of 2015 laps led: 927

2015 Average Finish: 14.3

2015 Average Start: 11.5

2015 Fantasy Recap: Matt Kenseth had a interesting season to say the least. He was very producive though. He scored 5 wins, 12 Top 5s and 20 Top 10s in 34 starts. His most productive stench of races was from his win at Pocono to his win at New Hampshire. He won 4 times in that span of races and finished in the top 5 in 6 races (8 race span). I think the most memorable races were probably Richmond and Michigan. Flat out dominated both tracks with ease. Overall it was very good season for Matt and the 20 team. Question is can he repeat that in 2016?

Strong Tracks: Michigan, Bristol, ACS and Kentucky

Weak Tracks: Sonoma and Pocono

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I have high hopes for Matt Kenseth and JGR as a whole in 2016. I think they will benefit from the 2016 package. I think Kenseth have a lot to prove in 2016. He wants to be a championship again and with his teammate winning it in 2015, I am sure he will be extra motivated this season. He have the talent and equipment to do it. He will be very useful on the intermediate and shorter tracks. He also will have some fantasy value at the flat tracks. More specially Martinsville (he is very underrated there) and Indy. Ironically he struggled at those tracks for most of his career. Comes to JGR and have been a top driver.

Twitter - @JeffNathans



2016 Fantasy Nascar OffSeason Content Schedule

Welcome to TimersSports

2016 Fantasy Nascar OffSeason Content Scheudle:

12/10 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Matt Kenseth)

12/11 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Brian Scott)

12/11 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Ryan Blaney)

12/14 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Chase Elliott)

12/16 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Joey Logano)

12/17 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Paul Menard)

12/18 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Ryan Newman)

12/19 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Kurt Busch)

12/19 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Kyle Larson)

12/21 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Aric Almirola)

12/22 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (AJ Dinger)

12/23 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Jimmie Johnson)

12/23 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Clint Bowyer)

12/24 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Martin Truex Jr)

12/24 - Fantasy Nascar Profile (Dale Jr)

12/26 - Chase Elliott Preview

12/27 - Brian Scott Preview

12/30 - Danica Patrick Preview

1/2/16 - Trevor Bayne Preview

1/4/16 - Ryan Blaney Preview

1/5/16 - Casey Mears Preview

1/7/16 - Tony Stewart Preview

1/9/17 - AJ Dinger Preview

1/11/16 - Austin Dillon Preview

1/13/16 - Kasey Kahne Preview

1/15/16 - Greg Biffle Preview

1/17/16 - Jamie McMurray Preview

1/19/16 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr Preview

1/20/16 - Paul Menard Preview

1/22/16 - Kyle Larson Preview

1/24/16 - Denny Hamlin Preview

1/26/16 - Aric Almirola Preview

1/28/16 - Ryan Newman

1/31/16 - Dale Jr Preview

2/2/16 - Carl Edwards Preview

2/4/16 - Brad Keselowski Preview

2/6/16 - Kurt Busch Preview

2/7/16 - Jimmie Johnson Preview

2/9/16 - Matt Kenseth Preview

2/11/16 - Martin Truex Jr Preview

2/12/16 - Kyle Busch Preview

2/15/16 - Kevin Harvick Preview

2/15/16 - Joey Logano Preview

*Subject to change
 

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Carl Edwards

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Carl Edwards

Car #: 19

Make: Toyota

Debut: 2005 (First-Full season)

# of Career Races: 409

# of Career Poles: 16

# of Career Wins: 25

# of Career Top 5s: 125

# of Career Top 10s: 202

# of Career  DNFs:  25

# of Career Laps led: 5,226

Career Average Finish: 13.5

Career Average Start: 14.8

# of 2015 Wins: 2

# of 2015 Top 5s:7

# of 2015 Top 10s: 15

# of 2015 Poles: 3

# of 2015 DNFs: 2

# of 2015 laps led: 376

2015 Average Finish: 14.0

2015 Average Start: 9.1

2015 Fantasy Recap: If you read my Fantasy Nascar Update ever week (you can check them out on the homepage), you probably noticed my big complaint was not being able to get a reliable read on Edwards. He was never really consistent throughout the 2015 season. He could be a top 5 guy one week and look like a top 15 guy the next. He really made it quite difficult to pinpoint. Overall a decent season, considering he didn't score his first top 10 finish until Texas. After that he started to put together so runs. I think a lot of that was because the 19 team was a new raceteam. Remember the trouble Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick had when he first started off at SHR? Edwards had similar problems. Those are growing pains. Every driver have them. He was able to have a solid year. 2 wins, 7 top 5s and 15 Top 10s isn't too bad. Not much improvements when looking at the number in comparison to with RFR in 2014. But still he ran more competitive and that was expected.

Strong Tracks: WGI, Charlotte, Texas and Michigan

Weak Tracks: Pocono and Daytona

Yahoo Grouping Tier: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I expect big things from Carl Edwards in 2016 and I think he will exceed most of our expectations and standards. JGR really came on last season and I think all of those JGR Toyotas will be able to excel with the 2016 package. I think Edwards will be very beneficial from being with the 19 team for a entire season. Last season my concern was he would get off to a crappy start with his new team (I was absolutely right), but this season he don't have that issue. He should be able to take off and have a great season. Edwards best days will be on the intermediate tracks and some shorter tracks as well. Him being with JGR alone will make give him the potential to perform well on the shorter racetracks. JGR seems to excel on this style of track. Edwards should also run well on the road courses as well. A lot of good days ahead of Carl Edwards.

Twitter - @JeffNathans


Wednesday, December 09, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kyle Busch

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Kyle Busch

Car #: 18

Make: Toyota

Debut: 2005

# of Career Races: 390

# of Career Poles: 16

# of Career Wins: 34

# of Career Top 5s: 130

# of Career Top 10s: 194

# of Career DNFs: 41

# of Career laps led: 10,980

Career Average Finish: 14.9

Career Average Start: 13.5

# of 2015 wins: 5

# of 2015 Top 5s: 12

# of 2015 Top 10s: 16

# of 2015 Poles: 1

# of 2015 DNFs: 2

# of 2015 laps led: 736

2015 Average Finish: 10.8

2015 Average Start: 8.2

2015 Fantasy Recap: Kyle Busch was impressive in 2015. He accounted for 25% of the wins when he was able to be on the track. He struggled to to be consistent in the first few races back, but Sonoma was a turning point for Kyle Busch. Not only Kyle himself, but JGR as whole. I felt like something clicked with Kyle being back in the car. As a whole that entire organization just went off on a impressive run. It was fun to watch. To me, Kyle always been a streaky driver with the potinal to cause a lot of damage. He never really cooled off last season. He had a few bad finishes, but he never messed up. I think that was key in him winning the championship. Especially in the chase. He never had a bad race, least not one he couldn't make up. He ended the chase with 6 straight top 5 finishes. When he won at Homestead, he also scored his 100th top 5 finish with JGR. Pretty cool in my opinion.

Strong Tracks: Indy, ACS, Richmond and Kentucky

Weak Tracks: Michigan and Kansas

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I have high hopes for Kyle Busch in the 2016 season. He is the defending Nascar champion and I am sure many people will expect elite numbers from him. That never been a problem for Kyle. He always have put up top tier numbers. Since joining JGR in 2008, he have gone to victory a total 30 wins. In those 8 seasons, he have gone to victory lane three or more times in 6 seasons. I think there a good chance he makes that 7 of 9 seasons. As much I think Kyle will perform very well, I also know he can be inconsistent at times. Like any other will be. Like I mentioned earlier, Kyle is a streaky driver. When he is hot, he is hot. We have seen it in the past. He also have cold streaks at times. Those are the ones you have to worry about. That when we will find out how much Kyle have matured. Will he lash out and complain or will he make the best of a bad situation.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Monday, December 07, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Car #: 17

Make: Ford

Debut: 2013 (first-full season)

# of Career Races: 112

# of Career Poles:  1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 3

# of Career Top 10s: 11

# of Career DNFs: 7

# of Career Laps led: 38

Career Average Finish: 21.9

Career Average Start: 21.2

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 1`

# of 2015 Top 10s: 3

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 3

# of 2015 laps led: 3

2015 Average Finish: 24.2

2015 Average Start: 23.6

2015 Fantasy Recap: Look at his numbers as a whole, they are not very good. His 24.2 average finish is ugly, but let not judge a book by the cover. He was very productive fantasy option in 2nd half of the season and was often a top 20 finisher. In the final 21 races of the 2015 season, he had 11 Top 20 finishes. He had 4 in the first 15 races of the season. If there was a high point for RFR in 2015, then it had to be the streak of top 20 finishes that Stenhouse had from Richmond to Talladega (7 races). He also rolled off 5 straight top 13 finishes from New Hampshire to Talladega. Those stench of races was glances of what he potentially could be. Those were flashes of the 2013 Ricky who contended for top 10 and top 15 finishes on a weekly basis. Maybe we will see him again sometime?

Strong tracks: Phoenix, Bristol and Chicago

Weak Tracks: Martinsville and Indy

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I have higher hopes for Ricky Stenhouse Jr (I will go deeper into details in the 2016 Sleeper list in January) than most probably do. I do expect Ricky to be inconsistent like he was in 2015. But I do believe that RFR will be better off as i stated with Biff's profile.  i don't expect the world from Ricky, but i do think he has the potential to get back to a top 20 driver. Most weekends that will be his limitations. However certain tracks, he will have a chance to be a top 15 driver. Most of these tracks are smaller like Bristol, Phoenix, etc. Last season we saw, he was able to get something going late in the season with some quality finishes. Maybe he could use that as momentum and build on 2016 with it. How he does in 2016 is unclear, but he will be one of the drivers i watch early in the season.  You all know how I love employing sleepers early in the season.

Twitter - @Garryy12

Sunday, December 06, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Greg Biffle

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Greg Biffle

Car #: 16

Make: Ford

Debut: 2003 (First-full season)

# of Career Races: 474

# of Career Poles: 12

# of Career Wins: 19

# of Career Top 5s:  91

# of Career Top 10s: 172

# of Career DNFs: 34

# of Career laps led: 5,736

Career Average Finish: 16.7

Career Average Start: 15.7

# of 2015 wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 3

# of 2015 top 10s: 4

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 0

# of 2015 laps led: 40

2015 Average Finish: 20.0

2015 Average Start: 19.9

2015 Fantasy Recap: Biffle didn't really have a good season in 2015 and was really the 2nd best RFR driver to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. With Biffle I think it is a combo of lack of speed and age that is affecting him. He is now 46-years old in middle of the road equipment, that usually leads to top results right? Wrong. On the plus side, he did have some decent results in second half of the season. Still there was a lot missing with him in 2015. People are still wondering what wrong with RFR and I think it goes back to 2012 when Matt Kenseth left the organization. He took something from the organization that they cannot seem to replace and I think they lost even more when Edwards left. That's not important though. The point is RFR is not what it use to be and Biffle have suffer the most of the current drivers.

Strong Tracks: Pocono, Texas and WGI

Weak Tracks: Martinsville and ACS

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with mix of potential

2016 Fantasy Outlook: Call me crazy but I think RFR takes the step in the right direction in 2016 on the cup side and become more competitive than they were in 2015. But I don't think they become contenders though. I think Biffle will have the potential to finish well at certain track. More specially the tracks that require less horsepower. He isn't going to have his best results on the intermediate tracks like we were once custom to seeing. Instead the road courses and shorter ractracks will be his best days. If you want to pin a race to use on the larger and faster tracks, then I would use him at Pocono. This is his best track over the past 3 seasons. While I think Biff will have his chances to finish well, I also think he will be inconsistent more often than not. In simpler terms, know the risk that  comes with Biff. Because if you use him, he may burn you. Many of you probably learned that last season. For him to be a asset to fantasy teams, I think he will need to prove himself.

Twitter - @Garryy12

Saturday, December 05, 2015

Fantasy Football Rankings (Week 13)

Welcome to TimersSports

Quarterbacks -

1. Tom Brady
2. Cam Newton
3. Big Ben
4. Carson Palmer
5. Eli Manning
6. Andy Dalton
7. Ryan Fitzpatrick
8. Russell Wilson
9. Drew Brees
10. Derek Carr
11. Phillip Rivers
12. Ryan Tannehill
13. Jay Cutler
14. Blake Bortles
15. Marcus Mariota
16. Matt Ryan
17. Matt Hassleback
18. Alex Smith
19. Tyrod Taylor
20. Kirk Cousins

Running Backs -

1. Adrian Peterson
2. LeSean McCoy
3. DeVonta Freeman
4. DeAngelo Williams
5. Jonathan Stewart
6. Todd Gurley
7. Matt Forte
8. Doug Martin
9. Darren McFadden
10. Thomas Rawis
11. LeGarrette Blout
12. Chris Ivory
13. David Johnson
14. Mark Ingram
15. CJ Anderson
16. DeMarco Murray
17. Charcandrick West
18. Javorius Allen
19. Gio Benard
20.  Lamar Miller
21. Lativius Murray
22. Jeremy Hill
23. TJ Yeldon
24. Frank Gore
25. Ronnie Hillman

Wide Receivers -

1. Antonio Brown
2. Julio Jones
3. DeAndre Hopkins
4. AJ Green
5. Odell Beckham Jr
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Alshon Jeffery
8. Allen Robinson
9. Larry Fitzgerald
10. Ty Hilton
11. Eric Decker
12. Demaryius Thomas
13. Martavis Bryant
14. Jarvis Landry
15. Danny Amendola
16. Dez Bryant
17. Mike Evans
18. Amari Cooper
19. Jeremy Malcin
20. Michel Crabtree
21. Emmanuel Sanders
22. Sammy Watkins
23. Brandon LaFell
24. Brandin Cooks
25. John Brown

Tight Ends -

1. Greg Olsen
2. Travis Kelce
3. Delanie Walker
4. Jordan Reed
5. Gary Barnidge
6. Scott Chandler
7. Antonio Gates
8. Julius Thomas
9. Benjamin Waston
10. Matrtellus Bennett
11. Jason Witten
12. Jacob Tamme
13. Kyle Rudolph
14. Coby Fleener
15. Vance McDonald

Twitter - @WilliamFrang 
 

Thursday, December 03, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Tony Stewart

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver Name: Tony Stewart

Car #: 14

Make: Chevy

Season Debut: 1999

# of Career Races: 534

# of Career Poles: 15

# of Career Wins: 48

# of Career Top 5s: 182

# of Career Top 10s: 300

# of Career DNFs: 48

# of Career laps led: 12,751

Career Average Finish: 13.9

Career Average Start: 15.6

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 3

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 5

# of 2015 laps led: 24

2015 Average Finish: 24.8

2015 Average Start: 18.3

2015 Fantasy Recap: Smoke struggled in 2015 and probably had his worst year ever. Much like 2013, I think some expected him to heat up during the summer months. And we never saw that from the 14 car. I just got the feeling early on in the season it would be a very long year for Smoke. It was obvious that he didn't agree with the current race package. When they first tested it out, he wasn't much of a fan of it. So wasn't too shocked how he performed, but I did expect more 3 top 10 finishes though. Overall it was very forgettable season.

Strong tracks: Martinsville, Pocono and WGI

Weak Tracks: Kansas and Talladeaga

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: : Limited

2016 Fantasy Outlook: I am not very high on Tony Stewart headed into the 2016 season. Yes I know everyone expecting the magical one last season from him. Sorry but I don't see it happening. His comments were very negative towards this package last season when they tested it , I believe if my memory serves me correctly. Unless there some major changes, I don't think that will change with a crew chief. Smoke may have a few good runs throughout the 2016 season, but otherwise I expect a lot of midpack finishes. Not much else to say about Smoke. There really a lot of unknowns about him. The big is was Chad Johnston that bad of a crew chief? Or have Smoke just lost his competitiveness? I think we learn both of those questions before half the season is over.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Casey Mears

Welcome to TimersSports

Driver name: Casey Mears

Car #: 13

Make: Chevy

Season Debut: 2003

Number of Championship: 0

# of Career Races: 452

# of Career Poles: 4

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 13

# of Career Top 10s: 51

# of Career DNFs: 59

# of Career Laps led: 477

Career Average Finish: 23.4

Career Average Start: 24.1

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 1

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs:  4

# of 2015 laps led: 4

2015 Average Finish: 23.1

2015 Average Start: 23.9

2015 Fantasy Recap: Mears was a solid driver in 2015. He didn't run up front, but a top 20 run was considered a good day for the 13 team. He more often than not finished inside the top 25 though. He finished 23 of 36 races inside the top 25. He was at his best on the short-flat racetracks, road courses and certain short tracks. He also ran very well at Daytona! So there a lot to like about him from the 2015 season. As I pointed out on twitter, he posted his best average starting position since the 2008 season. He scored less top 10 finishes than he did in 2014. But remember all of those have came on the plate tracks. When I look at Mears up close, he was very effective in fantasy production. In 8 of the 11 races, he finished 24th or better. Including 4 Top 20 finishes. Notable finishes would be 18th at Charlotte, 18th at New Hampshire and 17th at Martinsville.

Strong Tracks: WGI, Daytona, Martinsville and Sonoma

Weak Tracks: Darlington and Indy

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B-list Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Limited & Consistent

2016 Fantasy Outlook: Casey Mears is one of those guys are always get overlooked because he doesn't driver for a top-tier team. And it's true that Mears doesn't offer a lot when looking at the numbers. But over the past two seasons, he have been pretty consistent. He have gotten a lot of top 25 finishes since the 13 team have switched over to Chevy before the 2014 started. It have worked pretty well for him too. Mears won't surprise you with a top 10 finish (outside of Daytona), but certain tracks he will be very usable. The key is to know where to use him and know which fantasy formats to use him in. At shorter-flats (Martinsville, Phoenix and New Hampshire), he will be very useful. I would consider the road courses skills his best asset. He have ran very well at Sonoma, but doesn't always get the finishes. The WGI is his best track though. He have 8 straight top 20 finishes entering 2016.

Twitter - @JeffNathans






2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Denny Hamlin

Welcome to Timerssports

Driver Name: Denny Hamlin

Car #: 11

Make: Toyota

Season Debut: 2006 (First-Full season)

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career Races:  362

# of Career Poles: 21

# of Career Wins: 26

# of Career Top 5s: 105

# of Career Top 10s: 174

# of Career DNFs: 29

# of Career laps led: 7,598

Career Average Finish: 14.5

Career Average Start: 13.9

# of 2015 Wins: 2

# of 2015 Top 5s: 14

# of 2015 Top 10s: 20

# of 2015 Poles: 2

# of 2015 DNFs: 2

# of 2015 laps led: 529

2015 Average Finish: 13.6

2015 Average Start: 11.7

2015 Fantasy Recap: When looking at Denny Hamlin in 2015, I would divide his season into two halves. The first half, he struggled to find consistency. Despite having a top 10 car on a weekly basis. The second half, he was a absolute machine. From Michigan to Marinsville (11 races), he finished inside the top 5 eight times. He led the series in that span. I think Denny's biggest problem was stabilizing fantasy value in general. He was overlooked most weekends (minus a few), because of his teammates. He never get any attention at JGR because he is really haven't done much winning over the past few seasons. Also he is viewed as the weak link. Especially early in the season. I think people got the impression he was unreliable, so it stuck with him. Doesn't help his stats are pretty crappy because of the 2013 season. He was off his game that season due to injury. All and all a very solid season by Hamlin. 14 Top 5 and 20 Top 10s is a decent year for any driver at the NSCS level.

Strong Tracks: Martinsville, Homestead, Darlington and New Hampshire

Weak Tracks: Sonoma, WGI and ACS

Yahoo Grouping Tier: A-list Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Solid option with upside

2016 Fantasy Outlook: As i stated above under Overall Value prediction, I think Hamlin will be a solid fantasy option. I say solid because he is one of those drivers who usually good for a top 10 finish. But doesn't always deliver the top tier finish on a weekly basis. He will always have the potential to do so though. These last few seasons, I think my biggest problem with Hamlin is that he doesn't dominate races up front. In most fantasy formats, that is a fantasy value killer. Typically you should expect his best finishes to come on the short-flat racetracks and short tracks. He will also perform well on the intermediate racetracks at times, but he will also have questionable finishes. Road course and Plate tracks are the wild card on the schedule. I would expect solid efforts on the plates, but road courses will likely end on the poor side.

Twitter - @JeffNathans