Welcome to TimersSports
Fantasy Nascar Update -
1. Kevin Harvick - Harvick is the odds on favorite to win this weekend at Kansas, in my opinion. He has been a beast on the 1.5 mile tracks this season. And he has scored 4 wins this season in just 11 races. Week in and week out, he has been the dominant car or at least one of the quickest guys out there. This weekend is no difference, either. He is in my opinon the guy to beat and we haven't seen anything that would change that. You can have confidence in the 4 car. Starting up front is also a big help, too.
2. Kyle Busch - Rowdy has been the second-best driver in the series this season behind Harvick. Pretty much every week, we are seeing the 4 or 18 car dominating. 7 of the last 9 races (excluding the plate tracks) this season has been won by Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch. Would you bet against either of these guys? They are easily the two guys. If you look past stats, then you will look what Rowdy has done lately here. In his last 6 races at Kansas, he has compiled 5 top 5 finishes in last three seasons at this track. Don't be shocked to see the 18 car in victory lane on Saturday night!
3. Martin Truex Jr - 78 team just aren't as strong as they were last season or maybe it just that other teams are that much better than last season. I think the SHR cars are better than they were last season. I think Kyle Busch is a little better than the 78 and Kyle Larson is closer to the 78 team than many think. So yeah, teams has gained some. But that does not mean, Truex Jr is that much worse than last season. Then again, his pit crew has a lot to do with that. He has only two returning pit crew members. And we seen many times where Truex has been bitten on pit road. Will that come back into play? It might, but he better than a lot of drivers out there. I just don't think he is in the conversation with the top 2. They are that damn good this season.
4. Joey Logano - Logano is that consistent threat who contend for top 5 finishes on a weekly basis this season. He just does not have that elite speed into put him into the race-winning conversation. I think that can be said about a lot of drivers. Difference is Logano is one of the top drivers after the 18 and 4. Logano always has ran well on the 1.5 mile tracks and he has been fast this season as well. He said they had ok speed in qualifying and he will start in the top 10. I think he will better than ok though. I think that was his way of not overselling it. There are not many safer options than Logano. His track record alone here is impressive, I think everything else is just a bonus with him.
5. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski is in he same boat as Logano. Good, but not that homerun speed to contend for the win. But don't be fooled, these Penske cars are very savvy. They have their ways of finding themselves in great positions in key moments of the race. They might have the 5th or 6th best cars, but know how to steal the lead for awhile. I think track position will be so huge in the race, too. These Penske Fords are pretty good on pit road and that might be a difference maker at the end. Watch out for Keselowski for sure!
6. Ryan Blaney - Blaney has been awesome at Kansas in his young career and he is very fast again this weekend. In 4 of his last 5 races at Kansas, he has finished in the top 7. In last season's races, he swept the top 4 and had a career-high of 3rd at Kansas. The Ford in general has been blazing fast every week it seems and Blaney had a rocket on Friday. Will it translate into Saturday night? I don't know, but I am certain that this will be one of his best races. I love the #12 car.
7. Kurt Busch - Busch has been fast all season along with his SHR teammates, but he is obvious off of the 4 team right now. I think the 41 team is a little off of the 14 team, too. But he is a top 10 driver pretty much anytime we go to a track. The 1.5 mile tracks is where I really expect the speed to show. He qualified in the top 10 on Friday's evening and he should be in the top 10 for the race, too. I don't love him like I do his teammate, but he is a very safe bet to go with. If you are smart, you would be stacking your fantasy lineup with some Ford power. Including Kurt Busch!
8. Denny Hamlin - I am not super excited about Hamlin for Saturday's night. He is one of those drivers that will be top 10 good but that is about it. He has been like that for most of the season. He does not help that he keep getting killed on pit road. It is not always his fault, but it is getting old watching the same stuff happen. It is to the part where, he is becoming a liability by his reputation of pit road. He has speed, don't get me wrong. It been every week. I haven't seen a week where he haven't at least been in the top 10 for a little while. The fact of the matter is, he is consistently beating himself. I don't rust him right now!
9. Aric Almirola - I know a lot of people are very high on the 10 team and so am I! Why is he ninth then? Simply because he haven't gotten that siguture finish yet with the 10 team. For some people, that is no problem. For me, it is though. Aric has showed speed all season, but he is yet to close the deal with a top 5 finish. 9 of his 11 races this season has been between 7th and 14th. See why I placed him in 9th? He haven't gotten over the hump and claimed that first top 5. It is a big deal for drivers on new teams. He is close and I think he has top 5 speed entering the race. If that makes anyone feel better about this ranking.
10. Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson is starting in back of the field, after spinning out in 2nd round of qualifying. He probably would had qualified in the top 5, otherwise. In terms of speed, I think he has a top 3 or 4 car overall. He really displayed it on Friday in practice. He was in the top 2 in best-10, best-15 and best-20 lap averages. They don't mean quite that much, since the track conditions will be way difference. But you cannot overlook it, either. What the one thing that stands out about Larson last three finishes? 7th, 40th and 10th. 2 of those 3 finishes were very impressive. At Richmond, he was 2 laps down with about 20 laps to go. He went from 16th to 7th in the final 12 laps or so on the lead lap. Two races later, he was three laps down and somehow finished 10th on the lead lap. This 42 team is up for the challenge at Kansas. Make no mistake about that!
Just missed -
Erik Jones
Chase Elliott
Clint Bowyer
Paul Menard
Jimmie Johnson
Daniel Suarez
*****All stats are from FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com
Twitter - @JeffNathans18
Fantasy Nascar Update -
1. Kevin Harvick - Harvick is the odds on favorite to win this weekend at Kansas, in my opinion. He has been a beast on the 1.5 mile tracks this season. And he has scored 4 wins this season in just 11 races. Week in and week out, he has been the dominant car or at least one of the quickest guys out there. This weekend is no difference, either. He is in my opinon the guy to beat and we haven't seen anything that would change that. You can have confidence in the 4 car. Starting up front is also a big help, too.
2. Kyle Busch - Rowdy has been the second-best driver in the series this season behind Harvick. Pretty much every week, we are seeing the 4 or 18 car dominating. 7 of the last 9 races (excluding the plate tracks) this season has been won by Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch. Would you bet against either of these guys? They are easily the two guys. If you look past stats, then you will look what Rowdy has done lately here. In his last 6 races at Kansas, he has compiled 5 top 5 finishes in last three seasons at this track. Don't be shocked to see the 18 car in victory lane on Saturday night!
3. Martin Truex Jr - 78 team just aren't as strong as they were last season or maybe it just that other teams are that much better than last season. I think the SHR cars are better than they were last season. I think Kyle Busch is a little better than the 78 and Kyle Larson is closer to the 78 team than many think. So yeah, teams has gained some. But that does not mean, Truex Jr is that much worse than last season. Then again, his pit crew has a lot to do with that. He has only two returning pit crew members. And we seen many times where Truex has been bitten on pit road. Will that come back into play? It might, but he better than a lot of drivers out there. I just don't think he is in the conversation with the top 2. They are that damn good this season.
4. Joey Logano - Logano is that consistent threat who contend for top 5 finishes on a weekly basis this season. He just does not have that elite speed into put him into the race-winning conversation. I think that can be said about a lot of drivers. Difference is Logano is one of the top drivers after the 18 and 4. Logano always has ran well on the 1.5 mile tracks and he has been fast this season as well. He said they had ok speed in qualifying and he will start in the top 10. I think he will better than ok though. I think that was his way of not overselling it. There are not many safer options than Logano. His track record alone here is impressive, I think everything else is just a bonus with him.
5. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski is in he same boat as Logano. Good, but not that homerun speed to contend for the win. But don't be fooled, these Penske cars are very savvy. They have their ways of finding themselves in great positions in key moments of the race. They might have the 5th or 6th best cars, but know how to steal the lead for awhile. I think track position will be so huge in the race, too. These Penske Fords are pretty good on pit road and that might be a difference maker at the end. Watch out for Keselowski for sure!
6. Ryan Blaney - Blaney has been awesome at Kansas in his young career and he is very fast again this weekend. In 4 of his last 5 races at Kansas, he has finished in the top 7. In last season's races, he swept the top 4 and had a career-high of 3rd at Kansas. The Ford in general has been blazing fast every week it seems and Blaney had a rocket on Friday. Will it translate into Saturday night? I don't know, but I am certain that this will be one of his best races. I love the #12 car.
7. Kurt Busch - Busch has been fast all season along with his SHR teammates, but he is obvious off of the 4 team right now. I think the 41 team is a little off of the 14 team, too. But he is a top 10 driver pretty much anytime we go to a track. The 1.5 mile tracks is where I really expect the speed to show. He qualified in the top 10 on Friday's evening and he should be in the top 10 for the race, too. I don't love him like I do his teammate, but he is a very safe bet to go with. If you are smart, you would be stacking your fantasy lineup with some Ford power. Including Kurt Busch!
8. Denny Hamlin - I am not super excited about Hamlin for Saturday's night. He is one of those drivers that will be top 10 good but that is about it. He has been like that for most of the season. He does not help that he keep getting killed on pit road. It is not always his fault, but it is getting old watching the same stuff happen. It is to the part where, he is becoming a liability by his reputation of pit road. He has speed, don't get me wrong. It been every week. I haven't seen a week where he haven't at least been in the top 10 for a little while. The fact of the matter is, he is consistently beating himself. I don't rust him right now!
9. Aric Almirola - I know a lot of people are very high on the 10 team and so am I! Why is he ninth then? Simply because he haven't gotten that siguture finish yet with the 10 team. For some people, that is no problem. For me, it is though. Aric has showed speed all season, but he is yet to close the deal with a top 5 finish. 9 of his 11 races this season has been between 7th and 14th. See why I placed him in 9th? He haven't gotten over the hump and claimed that first top 5. It is a big deal for drivers on new teams. He is close and I think he has top 5 speed entering the race. If that makes anyone feel better about this ranking.
10. Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson is starting in back of the field, after spinning out in 2nd round of qualifying. He probably would had qualified in the top 5, otherwise. In terms of speed, I think he has a top 3 or 4 car overall. He really displayed it on Friday in practice. He was in the top 2 in best-10, best-15 and best-20 lap averages. They don't mean quite that much, since the track conditions will be way difference. But you cannot overlook it, either. What the one thing that stands out about Larson last three finishes? 7th, 40th and 10th. 2 of those 3 finishes were very impressive. At Richmond, he was 2 laps down with about 20 laps to go. He went from 16th to 7th in the final 12 laps or so on the lead lap. Two races later, he was three laps down and somehow finished 10th on the lead lap. This 42 team is up for the challenge at Kansas. Make no mistake about that!
Just missed -
Erik Jones
Chase Elliott
Clint Bowyer
Paul Menard
Jimmie Johnson
Daniel Suarez
*****All stats are from FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com
Twitter - @JeffNathans18
