2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

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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

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Greg Biffle

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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

Fantasy Football Rankings (Week 13)

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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 
 

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Tony Stewart

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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

2016 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Casey Mears

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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

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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

2016 FantasyNascar Profile: Danica Patrick

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Driver Name: Danica Patrick

Car #: 10

Make: Chevy

Season Debut: 2013

# of Career Races: 118

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 0

# of Career Top 10s: 6

# of Career DNFs: 15

# of Career laps led: 27

Career Average Finish: 24.7

Career Average Start: 25.9

# of 2015 Wins: 0

# of 2015 Top 5s: 0

# of 2015 Top 10s: 2

# of 2015 Poles: 0

# of 2015 DNFs: 4

# of 2015 laps led: 7

2015 Average Finish: 23.5

2015 Average Start: 22.4

2015 Fantasy Recap: Danica was a tough driver to figure out 2015. She had some qualities run during the season, but they were never back-to-back. One week she could finish top 20 and the next wreck out. Really there was no real pattern in her finishes. Personally I think that killed her fantasy value. Even though she had some solid performances throughout the season. Her best days were on the intermediate racetrack. That actually didn't surprise me at all. Throughout her career, she have performed her best on the faster racetracks. A good result for Danica was 20th place and anything better was pretty much a bonus on most weekends.

Strong Tracks: Michigan and Atlanta

Weak Tracks: Phoenix and Indy

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C-list Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with limited upside

2016 Fantasy Outlook - As I stated above, Danica will be inconsistent. But at times during the 2016 season, I expect her to get solid finishes inside the top 20. Most weekends, she won't be anything better than a 20th place driver. What holds Danica back from being a useful fantasy option is, she more often than not finishes poorly. Time and time again, I have preached on this blog that consistency is key to fantasy success. If Danica can stabilize solid finishes around 20th, then I think she could be more of a reliable option. So far in her career, she haven't proven that. Headed into 2016, she will have the potential to run well at certain tracks. More specifically, her best days will come on the intermediate racetracks. Michigan is her best track and haven't had a bad race at that venue yet. Her worst days will be on the flat racetracks. More commonly it come on the larger flats of Pocono and Indy. Shorts tracks won't be far behind. The road courses and Plates tracks will be where she is either a hit or miss. More often, I would expect her to be more reliable on the road courses.

Twitter - @JeffNathans