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Fantasy Nascar Update -
1. Martin Truex Jr - It is hard to overlook Martin Truex Jr right now (really the whole season), as he has won both 1.5 mile races in the chase and most of them on the season. All he does is start up front and win. What else is new? Well, he is starting on the pole and seems locked to lead some laps on Sunday's afternoon. I would not say that Truex Jr has a dominant racecar for the race, but he is among the best. I highly doubt we see him put a complete ass whopping on the field like the last time he was on the pole at Kansas. But I think he will be very tough to beat from that number 1 spot.
2. Kevin Harvick - Harvick is pretty good this weekend, that really doesn't come much of a suprise though. He has been the best driver at Kansas the past couple years (as a whole) and has gotten better as the year progressed. I don't think he is the favorite entering the race, but I think he will hang around and contend for a top 5 finish. Harvick has a tendency for delivering big time finishes on the big stage. He can punch his ticket to the next round with a win on Sunday. Harvick will start 2nd and should be between 1st and 6th most of the day.
3. Kyle Larson -Kyle Larson is starting deeper in the field than he should be, but he will be fine for the race though. He looked great on Saturday in practice. Not only was he fast, but I thought he looked like the driver to beat in both practices. There's a lot of speed in that No.42 car and Larson been a top 3 machine on the 1.5 mile tracks all season long. He is starting 13th, but he should easily make his way into the top 5 before end of the first stage.
4. Kyle Busch - Kansas use to be one of Kyle's worst tracks on the scheudle, but that is no longer the case for him. Over the past couple seasons, it is considered at top of his list. He's fast once again this weekend and he will start from 8th. He started off practice with a 16-lap run. I will say that Kyle Busch wasn't as good late in practice, so that is a little concerning. But I think the 18 car will be fine and he is still in the ballpark, too. As I think he is striking distance of the 4,20,78,42, etc. Another thing to like about Kyle Busch? He has led at least one lap in his last 14 races at Kansas. He may not have the car where they want it, but the 18 team usually do a great job of making changes. He has a chance at the top 5 and more.
5. Matt Kenseth - Matt Kenseth haven't done anything to exactly stand out, but he has been pretty consistent overall. He will start from inside the top 5 and is a former winner at this racetrack. His in-race performance at Kansas over the past two fall races are pretty stout, too. In his past two fall races (playoff race) at Kansas, he has led 116 laps or more in each race. He has finishes of 14th and 9th to show for, but he has been amazing the past two seasons here during the playoffs. In practice, he looked good and they even mentioned it on NBCSN's tv broadcast.
6. Denny Hamlin - Hamlin doesn't need a great race on Sunday, but he just need to do his thing. Long as Hamlin doesn't finish mid-pack then I think he will be okay overall. Hamlin have been consistent throughout the playoffs and seemed to have gotten better as the season progressed. I think most of us had a pretty good idea that Hamlin would get hot as we approach the playoff's portion of the season. And that exactly what has happened. This weekend, I don't think he is capable of winning or really challenging for a top 3 finish. But he's good enough to sneak into the top 5. Really, I think 4th-8th is up for grabs entering the race.
7. Jimmie Johnson - All season long I have heard about Jimmie Johnson being ''the guy'' when it matters in the playoffs. And honestly I never really brought into that. Last year, HMS really got back on track with a test session just before Indianapolis' race. They reportedly found something that really found themselves some speed. No such thing occurred. I know a lot of people wanted to believe Johnson is capable of winning in the playoffs, but he isn't. He may nab a top 10 here or there, but that's about it though. Same will go for this weekend. He is in that top 10 grouping!
8. Brad Keselowski - I haven't really watched Keselowski much this weekend, but I am not very high on him though. His team says he will use this race as a test session. No disrespect, but I try to avoid drivers when things like that are going around. I want a driver who will challenge for the win. Not one, who may try to challenge for the win. On top of that, the No.2 car haven't exactly been great this season on the 1.5 mile tracks. At best, he is usually a top 10 guy. I don't see that changing when the race starts.
9. Chase Elliott - I will be honest, I haven't been blown away by the HMS group this week. It has been like this most of the year for the HMS cars. Elliott has had his moments here and there, but he haven't been consistent enough to be a threat for the win. He did look very good in the first two on the 1.5 mile tracks though. With that said, he haven't looked great on Saturday. At least, not where most of us expected him to be. Still, I don't think he will be too far off. Typically, Elliott races better than he will practice.
10. Ryan Blaney - Blaney will start dead last on Sunday afternoon, after his time was disallowed in qualifying. He has good enough car to make through the field and possibly challenge for a top 10 finish. However, Blaney has a habit of finding bad luck this season. Starting in the back is risky, but it could pay off in a big way, too. He has speed in that 21 car. Remember, he almost won this race back in the spring race. If he can make it to the front, then I think he can certainly have something for them. It will be interesting to see him move through the field!
****All stats are from DriverAverages.com and FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com
Twitter - @JeffNathans18
