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Fantasy Nascar Update -
For long as I could remember, I have set up my post-practice (aka fantasy nascar updates) on a Yahoo Fantasy Racing format. You know, the A-B-C tiers with 5-5-3 drivers listed. It was a simple format that easy to understand. However, times are changing. Yahoo is still a very popular game among fantasy players. However, there are a lot more fantasy games out there. Many of them include multi-scoring categories. So I am changing the format to something that better gives more of general feeling to it. Instead of the 5-5-3 broken down into groups. From here on out, I will personally give my top 10 to top 15 drivers on a straight up ranking scale. I thought about making this change last year, but feel like this is the right time to make it. Nothing else will change, except the design and set up. I hope everyone enjoys and of course good luck!
***My Rankings are based on and varies upon qualifying results, practice results, track history, momentum, and of course personal judgement!
1. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski was pretty happy with his car on Saturday and looked pretty good in racetrim in final practice. He's ranked 5th on the speed chart and had the 2nd-best ten lap average to only Ryan Blaney. The No.2 car will also start on the pole, which only further strengthen his case as the top fantasy option for Sunday's race. On top of that, he's the defending race winner of this event and won last weekend's race. So not only does he have a fast car, but has a solid record here and good momentum entering. I don't know about anyone else, but he's pretty much check off every box for me. He is my number one fantasy option for Sunday's race and my pick to win!
My Overall Ranking: 1st
2. Kevin Harvick - Kevin Harvick has another great car this weekend and should challenge for the top 5, despite starting deeper in the field. He will start from the 19th starting position but he has pretty good long run speed as usual. In final practice, the 4 car stood out to number of teams. Chase Elliott's spotter said, ''Harvick is the only one that can make that second hash mark consistently work.'' This is nothing new, that the 4 car is pretty good. I think some people will shy away from him, but I think that is a bad idea. The 4 car will be at the front sooner or later, he will be one of the drivers that make it to the front, no doubt. In final practice, he's posted the 7th-best ten lap average. As always the 4 car should be one of the stronger cars on the long run. I expect more of the same on Sunday's afternoon.
My Overall Ranking: 2nd
3. Joey Logano - I really like Logano this weekend. I am sure if he has the speed of his teammate. But the Penske Fords were fast last weekend and look great again this weekend. Also, Logano has a great record here since joining Penske. In 4 starts, he has finished 12th or better. Including 3 straight Top 10 finishes, while 2 of the 3 ended in 4th or better. He's finished 2nd in last season's race. This weekend, he looks pretty good overall, I would say. He was 11th-best in terms of best-ten lap average in final practice. On top of that, it is also hard to overlook the fact that Penske been so strong on the 1.5 mile tracks and here at Vegas. Not to mention, the Penske cars been awesome with this package so far. Logano have enough speed to challenge for a top 5 run on Sunday.
My Overall Ranking: 3rd
4. Matt Kenseth - Matt Kenseth is someone I am higher on than most people are honestly. He spent 75% of the race a lap down and then turned it around. I was blown away that, he's finished 3rd and looked like a top 5 car in the final two runs. This weekend, he's looking great overall and shown a lot of speed since unloading. On Saturday, he's sweep the top 5 in both practices. While posting the 13th-best ten lap average in the final practice session. It should be noted that 9 of the first ten drivers lay down their best-ten lap average in the first 11 laps. Matt Kenseth put his best-ten lap average down from laps 21 to 30. So much later in the practice session than 10 of the first 12 drivers did. I like Kenseth a lot this weekend. He has good speed and always been pretty good here at Vegas. I think he has been the best JGR car so far this weekend and also qualified the highest among them as well. Kenseth is one of those drivers that never get enough respect, but usually has something for a top 5 or close to it!
My Overall Ranking: 4th
5. Chase Elliott - Elliott been very fast this weekend and qualified 12th for Sunday's race. On Saturday, the #24 car was a standout on Saturday. In the first session, he was lightsout and had one of the best cars. In final practice, he was still pretty stout. Very solid overall. He had the 5th-best ten lap average at 184.732 mph. The 3rd-best ten lap average was 184.792 mph. So yeah still pretty close in the lap averages. Elliott also been impressive with this race package. He has ran top 5 every race, minus the Kentucky race last season. Elliott is very close to winning a race in the Cup series. He was impressive last weekend and may be even better for this weekend's race. He's very fast and is very capable of finishing inside the top 5 on Sunday.
My Overall Ranking: 5th
6. Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson has been simply awesome with this race package. Great at both Michigan races last season and top 5 most of the Atlanta race. To no shock, he is strong once again this weekend. The No.42 CreditOne Chevy been near top of the board since unloading in everything. He's qualified 5th for Sunday race and looked very good on Saturday. During final practice, he was 6th on the board and had the 4th-best ten lap average. His spotter said that both the CGR cars has good speed, after the first practice session was over. With having a fast car, he also raced in Saturday's race. They are using the same tire in both races, I believe. Good news for Larson, no doubt. The 42 team is buliding fast cars for Larson and has another for Sunday. I think Larson can grab another top 5 finish.
My Overall Ranking: 6th
7. Martin Truex Jr - Truex been near top of the speed charts all weekend long and should be a heavy contender for the win. I think he has the short run speed down, no doubt. The one negative comment I heard about him is that he doesn't have the long speed yet. But I am not too worried about him though. I feel pretty good that he is close to being a top 5 or at worst a top 10 driver. I think if his team is able to get him better on the long runs, then he is a legit top 5 fantasy option. Truex Jr was fast last weekend at Atlanta and seems to be within striking distance on where he's needs to be though.
My Overall Ranking: 7th
8. Kyle Busch - The JGR cars just aren't quite where they need to be, compared where they were at start of last season. I think the Gibbs camp will be fine on Sunday though, I just don't see any of them winning though. I believe Kyle will be good for Sunday's race though. His team seems confident they were heading in the right direction in final practice and he's showed good enough speed to be at least top 10. Busch has some really good long run speed, as well. His team said they were running pretty decent on their longest run in final practice. Busch posted the 8th-best ten lap average in final practice and that later in the session than other other driver did. From laps 18-27, if you were wondering. Rowdy is great here and I expect to see him move forward during the race, too. Don't be shocked to see him score his first top 5 finish of the season.
My Overall Ranking: 8th
9. Jimmie Johnson - Jimmie Johnson didn't get the finish he wanted last weekend at Atlanta, but will try to make a different outcome at Vegas. I thought he has been decent overall. Johnson has a great record here at Vegas and showed good speed on the charts, too. In final practice, he was ranked inside the top 15 on the fastest-single lap and 6th on the best-ten lap average chart. Good signs for Sunday. Last weekend, he was moving quickly through the field before a speeding penalty sent his day south. I like Johnson overall, as I had good feeling about him all week and has a great record overall. But I believe the Penske Cars, Ganassi Cars, Gibbs camp, etc have little more speed. However, you never count out the 48 car. They will be top 10 material at least and have obvious upside.
My Overall Ranking: 9th
10. Ryan Blaney - Ryan Blaney have stoodout on the speed charts this weekend. He was fast on Friday and qualified in the 3rd position. He's followed that up with a pair of strong practice on Saturday. He's swept the top 10 in both practices. While posting the best-ten lap average in final practice. He finished 6th in last season race and held 8.0 average running position for the event. Blaney also seems to run well on similar type of tracks. Such as places like Michigan and Kansas. So no real shock that he been strong this weekend. Ran top 10 in both Michigan races with this package, too. So yeah, you should have expected some good speed out of the 21. He would be a great dark horse pick to go with, if you were looking for one.
Just missed-
11. Dale Jr
12. Kasey Kahne
13. Denny Hamlin
14. Kurt Busch
15. Erik Jones
16. Jamie Mac
17. Austin Dillon
18. Ryan Newman
Twitter - @JeffNathans18
Fantasy Nascar Update -
For long as I could remember, I have set up my post-practice (aka fantasy nascar updates) on a Yahoo Fantasy Racing format. You know, the A-B-C tiers with 5-5-3 drivers listed. It was a simple format that easy to understand. However, times are changing. Yahoo is still a very popular game among fantasy players. However, there are a lot more fantasy games out there. Many of them include multi-scoring categories. So I am changing the format to something that better gives more of general feeling to it. Instead of the 5-5-3 broken down into groups. From here on out, I will personally give my top 10 to top 15 drivers on a straight up ranking scale. I thought about making this change last year, but feel like this is the right time to make it. Nothing else will change, except the design and set up. I hope everyone enjoys and of course good luck!
***My Rankings are based on and varies upon qualifying results, practice results, track history, momentum, and of course personal judgement!
1. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski was pretty happy with his car on Saturday and looked pretty good in racetrim in final practice. He's ranked 5th on the speed chart and had the 2nd-best ten lap average to only Ryan Blaney. The No.2 car will also start on the pole, which only further strengthen his case as the top fantasy option for Sunday's race. On top of that, he's the defending race winner of this event and won last weekend's race. So not only does he have a fast car, but has a solid record here and good momentum entering. I don't know about anyone else, but he's pretty much check off every box for me. He is my number one fantasy option for Sunday's race and my pick to win!
My Overall Ranking: 1st
2. Kevin Harvick - Kevin Harvick has another great car this weekend and should challenge for the top 5, despite starting deeper in the field. He will start from the 19th starting position but he has pretty good long run speed as usual. In final practice, the 4 car stood out to number of teams. Chase Elliott's spotter said, ''Harvick is the only one that can make that second hash mark consistently work.'' This is nothing new, that the 4 car is pretty good. I think some people will shy away from him, but I think that is a bad idea. The 4 car will be at the front sooner or later, he will be one of the drivers that make it to the front, no doubt. In final practice, he's posted the 7th-best ten lap average. As always the 4 car should be one of the stronger cars on the long run. I expect more of the same on Sunday's afternoon.
My Overall Ranking: 2nd
3. Joey Logano - I really like Logano this weekend. I am sure if he has the speed of his teammate. But the Penske Fords were fast last weekend and look great again this weekend. Also, Logano has a great record here since joining Penske. In 4 starts, he has finished 12th or better. Including 3 straight Top 10 finishes, while 2 of the 3 ended in 4th or better. He's finished 2nd in last season's race. This weekend, he looks pretty good overall, I would say. He was 11th-best in terms of best-ten lap average in final practice. On top of that, it is also hard to overlook the fact that Penske been so strong on the 1.5 mile tracks and here at Vegas. Not to mention, the Penske cars been awesome with this package so far. Logano have enough speed to challenge for a top 5 run on Sunday.
My Overall Ranking: 3rd
4. Matt Kenseth - Matt Kenseth is someone I am higher on than most people are honestly. He spent 75% of the race a lap down and then turned it around. I was blown away that, he's finished 3rd and looked like a top 5 car in the final two runs. This weekend, he's looking great overall and shown a lot of speed since unloading. On Saturday, he's sweep the top 5 in both practices. While posting the 13th-best ten lap average in the final practice session. It should be noted that 9 of the first ten drivers lay down their best-ten lap average in the first 11 laps. Matt Kenseth put his best-ten lap average down from laps 21 to 30. So much later in the practice session than 10 of the first 12 drivers did. I like Kenseth a lot this weekend. He has good speed and always been pretty good here at Vegas. I think he has been the best JGR car so far this weekend and also qualified the highest among them as well. Kenseth is one of those drivers that never get enough respect, but usually has something for a top 5 or close to it!
My Overall Ranking: 4th
5. Chase Elliott - Elliott been very fast this weekend and qualified 12th for Sunday's race. On Saturday, the #24 car was a standout on Saturday. In the first session, he was lightsout and had one of the best cars. In final practice, he was still pretty stout. Very solid overall. He had the 5th-best ten lap average at 184.732 mph. The 3rd-best ten lap average was 184.792 mph. So yeah still pretty close in the lap averages. Elliott also been impressive with this race package. He has ran top 5 every race, minus the Kentucky race last season. Elliott is very close to winning a race in the Cup series. He was impressive last weekend and may be even better for this weekend's race. He's very fast and is very capable of finishing inside the top 5 on Sunday.
My Overall Ranking: 5th
6. Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson has been simply awesome with this race package. Great at both Michigan races last season and top 5 most of the Atlanta race. To no shock, he is strong once again this weekend. The No.42 CreditOne Chevy been near top of the board since unloading in everything. He's qualified 5th for Sunday race and looked very good on Saturday. During final practice, he was 6th on the board and had the 4th-best ten lap average. His spotter said that both the CGR cars has good speed, after the first practice session was over. With having a fast car, he also raced in Saturday's race. They are using the same tire in both races, I believe. Good news for Larson, no doubt. The 42 team is buliding fast cars for Larson and has another for Sunday. I think Larson can grab another top 5 finish.
My Overall Ranking: 6th
7. Martin Truex Jr - Truex been near top of the speed charts all weekend long and should be a heavy contender for the win. I think he has the short run speed down, no doubt. The one negative comment I heard about him is that he doesn't have the long speed yet. But I am not too worried about him though. I feel pretty good that he is close to being a top 5 or at worst a top 10 driver. I think if his team is able to get him better on the long runs, then he is a legit top 5 fantasy option. Truex Jr was fast last weekend at Atlanta and seems to be within striking distance on where he's needs to be though.
My Overall Ranking: 7th
8. Kyle Busch - The JGR cars just aren't quite where they need to be, compared where they were at start of last season. I think the Gibbs camp will be fine on Sunday though, I just don't see any of them winning though. I believe Kyle will be good for Sunday's race though. His team seems confident they were heading in the right direction in final practice and he's showed good enough speed to be at least top 10. Busch has some really good long run speed, as well. His team said they were running pretty decent on their longest run in final practice. Busch posted the 8th-best ten lap average in final practice and that later in the session than other other driver did. From laps 18-27, if you were wondering. Rowdy is great here and I expect to see him move forward during the race, too. Don't be shocked to see him score his first top 5 finish of the season.
My Overall Ranking: 8th
9. Jimmie Johnson - Jimmie Johnson didn't get the finish he wanted last weekend at Atlanta, but will try to make a different outcome at Vegas. I thought he has been decent overall. Johnson has a great record here at Vegas and showed good speed on the charts, too. In final practice, he was ranked inside the top 15 on the fastest-single lap and 6th on the best-ten lap average chart. Good signs for Sunday. Last weekend, he was moving quickly through the field before a speeding penalty sent his day south. I like Johnson overall, as I had good feeling about him all week and has a great record overall. But I believe the Penske Cars, Ganassi Cars, Gibbs camp, etc have little more speed. However, you never count out the 48 car. They will be top 10 material at least and have obvious upside.
My Overall Ranking: 9th
10. Ryan Blaney - Ryan Blaney have stoodout on the speed charts this weekend. He was fast on Friday and qualified in the 3rd position. He's followed that up with a pair of strong practice on Saturday. He's swept the top 10 in both practices. While posting the best-ten lap average in final practice. He finished 6th in last season race and held 8.0 average running position for the event. Blaney also seems to run well on similar type of tracks. Such as places like Michigan and Kansas. So no real shock that he been strong this weekend. Ran top 10 in both Michigan races with this package, too. So yeah, you should have expected some good speed out of the 21. He would be a great dark horse pick to go with, if you were looking for one.
Just missed-
11. Dale Jr
12. Kasey Kahne
13. Denny Hamlin
14. Kurt Busch
15. Erik Jones
16. Jamie Mac
17. Austin Dillon
18. Ryan Newman
Twitter - @JeffNathans18
