Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings

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Early Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Joey Logano
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Kyle Busch
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Ryan Newman
9. Carl Edwards
10. Dale Jr
11. Kyle Larson
12. Matt Kenseth
13. Jamie Mac
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Clint Bowyer
16. Tony Stewart
17. Kurt Busch
18. Greg Biffle
19. Brian Vickers
20. Paul Menard
21. Austin Dillon
22. Marcos Ambrose
23. Martin Truex Jr
24. Aj Dinger
25. Justin Alliager
26. Aric Almirola
27. Casey Mears
28. Danica Patrick
29. Ricky Stenhouse jr
30. Reed Sorenson

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts

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We are headed to Phoenix Raceway! Site of race 35 of 36 races in the 2014 season. I have a feeling the craziness isn't over not even close. For us fantasy folks , sleepers & busts are bigger then ever. Some of you are one bad pick away from destroying your championship hopes completely. So make your picks carefully. In fact , I have suggests below!

Sleepers:

Martin Truex Jr: Everyone have their own philosophy in fantasy racing. Mine happens to be riding trendy sleepers. For the first 24 races it was Paul Menard. Last 11 races it been MTJr. Truex been one of the best surprises in the 2014 chase. His consistent finishes have made him a nice asset to any team. Unfortunately very few people are talking about him. I cannot understand that logic. The last flat track we visited was Martinsville. Before Danica punted him , Truex was running top 10. I like him for least a top 15.

Kyle Busch: Hate on him all you want , but you got to admit he heck of a driver. I mean most of us wrote him off months ago. But nope , he keeps on knocking out solid finishes. Phoenix a pretty good track for Rowdy as well. He only have led the 2nd most laps , 4th best driving rating , 5th best average finish since March 2012 here. Few weeks ago , he finished 11th at Martinsville with a top 10 car.

Cole Whitt: Pretty sure 99.9% of you don't have the stones to start Cole Whitt. But worth mentioning , Whitt finished 27th at Phoenix in the spring and 18th at Martinsville recently. Small sample size , but for those dare devils out there here your man. Lets see who respond to the challenge.

Busts -

Matt Kenseth: Not typically high on Kenseth this week. Since 2012 , Kenseth have only one top 10 at PIR! Strangely have a decent average finish (13.80). So doesn't mean Matt terrible at Phoenix. But 5 races is a large sample size to suggest he isn't a top 10 option for PIR. Am I saying he cannot be a top 10 option this week? No of course not. To me making fantasy picks is a probability. Matt's probability suggests it unlikely.

Greg Biffle: Starting to feel guilty about listing the RFR cars on the bust list so much , but most of the races this year they have finished better then actual should have. I cannot name a race when the RFR cars finished worst then they actual were. Biffle probably been the most unpredictable of the three RFR cars. So far in the chase , he been all over the board. This dude pretty unstable. I would want a more consistent option in my fantasy pick. Also his 45% selected as of Tuesday morning way too high on Yahoo. I can name least 5 guys with less %'s selected with more upside and potential value. 

Twitter - @Gbriggs12

Its Racing Folks & I Love It

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We all know what happened on Sunday Afternoon which once again have something to with former Cup Champ Brad Keselowski. This time he got into 4-time champ Jeff Gordon which cause a huge brawl after the race was finished.

I thought about putting my opinion out on Twitter Sunday evening , but decided it would make a great article instead. Remember this is a "opinion". Meaning there no right or wrong answers.

Here mine: Majority of the tweets I have read were basically saying Brad Keselowski a dipshit for wrecking Jeff Gordon. Did he really wreck him? I mean , I would not call what Brad did wrecking. More rubbing then anything.

Secondly , Brad didn't do anything wrong. Gordon went high and Brad take the opportunity any other racer would have. Gordon came back down to block it and the results are Gordon getting damage. How is that Keselowski fault? He just have as much rights to go for the win as Gordon. This in my view was just racing.

If you watch racing back in the 80s and 90s , this sort thing was pretty normal. Big reason I fell in love with the sport. I loved the idea of two individuals beating and banging on each other. And really not giving a damn on the outcome. To me that's real racing. They aren't being paid to make friends. They are paid to race. If that means being aggressive , then so be it. If you want to see two guys be friends , you're in the wrong sport. At end of the day , I think there fault on both sides. Brad may have been a little too aggressive. But Gordon leaving the door of opportunity open was on him.

I myself was once a full time racer (semi retired now) , so I definitely can relate to both sides. I been in Gordon position and Keselowski. In heat of the moment , as a driver you're have so much passion you don't think.

I remember a race at Wangton speedway (1998) , and I got in a similar situation. I slided up high in the turn and the guy behind drove it in deep. We both made contact into the next turn which resulted in both of us wrecking down the the backstench. I thought the dude potentially got into me. His view of it was completely different though.

My point being , as drivers we don't always see from the same vantage point. Our own personal feelings get in the way and we don't handle the situation properly.

Honestly this is the best thing for our sport right now. Slowly but surely , Nascar have losted the fans interest. The latest events on the racetrack have gave the fans a reason to watch more intensely. If you're not excited about the final two races , then there something wrong.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Preview (Phx)

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Crazy Texas race we had! Everyone was complaining about it being boring after 200 laps. Well Nascar gave the fans a ending to remember alright! Lets not get into that since this is about fantasy nascar. Instead lets focus on the task at hand out west. Phoenix is one of three tracks I have never attended a Cup race at (I raced here a few times though.) Anyhow Phoenix is a relatively  short race track (1 mile in length.) Mainly compared with Martinsville and Richmond. Due to their similarities. Even though they all three are different in length and have their differences. Big reason I love using past track data. Instead of comparing tracks.

1-Jamie Mac: JMac looked average in practice at Texas and sneaked out a top 5. Way to go , JMac! His Phoenix record doesn't stand out , but JMac is having a solid chase thus far. Earlier this year , he had a top 10 potential car in practice and finish 15th (I started him so trust me.) Over the past 5 races here , JMac have compiled 22.0 average finish , 1 Top 10 , 2 Top 10s , 2 laps led and 71.3 driver rating. JMac should be a top 15 car with top 10 potential upside.

My Early Overall  Ranking: 12th

2-Brad Keselowski: Yeah I probably wouldn't touch him at Phoenix. I mean Jeff Gordon is ridiculously pissed! At 1 miler like Phoenix , revenge is pretty easy. Nevertheless he should be fast unquestionably. Over the past 5 races here , BK have compiled 5.8 average finish , 3 Top 5s , 4 Top 10s , 5 Top 20s , 59 laps led and 112.9 driver rating. He easily an top 5 guy going in.

My Early Overall Ranking: 3rd

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon is like a younger version of Matt Kenseth. He's all about consistency. Never display his full hand until raceday. Usually Dillon races better then he practices. All year he have done that. Expect no different this week.

My Early Overall Ranking: 20th

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick is headed to his own personal playground! Since the repave , Harvick been..well just dominated! He made the field look silly back in March. Its will be tough to repeat though. Over the past 5 races here , Harvick have compiled an 3.8 average finish , 3 wins , 4 Top 5s , 4 Top 10s , 5 Top 20s , 397 laps led and 129.1 driver rating. Just impressive numbers. He basically been unstoppable in the past three races. I bet he makes that four this week.

My Early Overall Rank: 1st

5-Kasey Kahne: What the hell was Kahne doing at Texas? He was looking good then suddenly he the cause of back-to-back cautions. Sums up his season and his time at Hendrick MotorSports. There absolutely no reason he should on your radar. Especially at Phoenix. Average at best record here.

My Early Overall Ranking: 16th

10-Danica Patrick: Yeah I wasn't impressed at Texas by Danica. Honestly Phoenix may not get much better. She mightily struggled earlier this year in March. Shorter racetracks seems to be a weak point for her anyhow. Not expecting nothing more then a top 25.

Early Overall Ranking: 24th

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin to me was better before the repave. He finished 19th in March. Big reason for that was his how bad his car was on the long run. Even before , Hamlin just haven't been his dominating self. Over the past 5 races here , Hamlin have compiled 10.6 average finish , 1 win , 3 Top 5s , 3 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 125 laps led and 99.2 driver rating.

My Early Overall Ranking: 8th

16-Greg Biffle: Biffle was not that good at Texas until late in the race when he got some additional track position. Anyhow earlier this season , the Biff was just terrible. At best an 20th place car. But manage to gain some track position late. Over the past 5 races here , the Biff have compiled 11.4 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 5 Top 20s , 40 laps led and 85.1 driver rating.

My early Overall Ranking: 19th

18-Kyle Busch: Rowdy who blew a tire in middle of the race and went a lap down finished 4th. Crazy to think outside of Talladega , Rowdy have only one finish outside of top 10. Which is 11th. Consistency folks! Phoenix is another good track for Rowdy. Was about a top 10 car earlier this season in March. Over the past 5 races here , Rowdy have compiled 9.6 average finish , 1 Top 5 ,  4 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 289 laps led and 103.8 driver rating. He is a great sleep with major upside. There aren't too many out there with that fantasy outlook at Phoenix.

My Early Overall Ranking: 6th

20-Matt Kenseth: I don't know how many realize it , but Kenseth finished 25th at Texas. He running top 5 until the late race incident up front. Phoenix been a questionable track for him. Over the past 5 races here , MK have compiled 13.8 average finish , 1 Top 10 , 4 Top 20s , 1 lap led and 90.3 driver rating. Kenseth needs a good run at Phoenix.

My Early Overall Ranking: 11th

22-Joey Logano: Logano was (in January) and still is my championship pick. Back in March , Logano had a top 5 car and eventually finished there. Never had a winning potential car. But nevertheless was strong all day long. I expect a similar performance this time as well. Over the past 5 races here , JoLo have compiled 15.2 average finish ,1 Top 5 , 3 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 104 laps led and 95.8 driver rating. I got him top 5 heading in.

My Early Overall Ranking: 4th

24-Jeff Gordon: I feel for Gordon and his fans. A championship shot was ripped out of their hands. But he isn't completely doomed fortunately. Its anyone game at Phoenix. At least three drivers gets in on points. Assuming a chaser wins at Phoenix. Gordon been decent here. Over the past 5 races here , JG have compiled 13.2 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 3 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 54 laps led and 100.1 driver rating. Gordon should be heavily considered as a favorite. He tested here recently and people have said the 24 was stupid fast during the testing.

My Early Overall Ranking: 2nd

27-Paul Menard: Menard is literally a blank slate. You cannot ever tell how good he is until the checkers wave. But it so Paul Menard. I am not high on Paul though. He recorded only 1 Top 10 on flats in 2014. Not something I want in a fantasy pick. I think he's about a top 20 option with top 15 upside.

My Early Overall Ranking: 18th

31-Ryan Newman: Newman keeps on knocking off solid finishes. Its been impressive! Texas 15th was one of worst since the chase started. But earlier this year at Phoenix ,Newman was very strong and finished 7th. I think he back that up and maybe more. Over the past 5 races here , Newman have compiled 16.6 average finish , 1 Top 5 , 3 Top 10s , 3 Top 20s , 42 laps led and 81.1 driver rating. Newman is much better at Phoenix then the number suggests. I consider Phoenix to be Newman best track or least one of them.

My Early Overall Ranking: 9th

42-Kyle Larson: Larson didn't get to VL at Texas , but added another top 10 to his already impressive rookie season. This kid is something special. He is a younger version of Kyle Busch. Super talented with the willingness to win. He gonna win a lot in the next 20 years. Shorter tracks aren't his strong suit though.

My Early Overall Ranking: 14th

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is coming off a win at Texas! Who seen that coming after a terrible Martinsville? Yep exactly. Phoenix is a good track for Johnson. This was his personal playground before the repave. But been less then dominated since. Over the past 5 races here , Johnson have compiled 9.4 average finish , 3 Top 5s , 4 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 57 laps led and 111.6 driver rating. He should be a great option this week. Top 5 heading in.

My Early Overall Ranking: 5th

88-Dale Jr: Dale may be eliminated from championship contention , but he keeps on having good runs. Like I thought he would. Earlier this season at Phoenix , Dale Jr was extremely strong. Had the second best car overall. Only one who could keep up with Harvick. I don't think he repeats it though. Over the past 5 here , Dale have compiled 9.2 average finish , 3 Top 5s , 3 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 49 laps led and 94.8 driver rating. Dale should be a nice asset to any team this week.

My Early Overall Ranking: 7th

99-Carl Edwards: Edwards looked lost at Texas , but somehow managed score a top 10. Props to him. Carl always been good at Phoenix , but is no longer in a dominating ride (least for a few more races.) Honestly I could see Edwards scoring a top 10 , but realistically I say a top 15 option. Over the past 5 races here , Edwards have compiled 11.6 average , 1 win , 1 Top 5 , 2 Top 10s , 4 Top 20s , 159 laps led and 95.9 driver rating.

My Early Overall Ranking: 13th

***All stats from Driver Averages

Also check out: Nascar Behind The Wall. Great site. Great stuff.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings

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Final Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Joey Logano
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Kyle Busch
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Dale Jr
9. Ryan Newman
10. Kyle Larson
11. Kurt Busch
12. Carl Edwards
13. Clint Bowyer
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Denny Hamlin
16. Jamie Mac
17. Tony Stewart
18. Martin Truex Jr
19. Brain Vickers
20. Greg Biffle
21. Paul Menard
22. Austin Dillon
23. Danica Patrick
24. Aric Almirola
25. Marcos Ambrose
26. Aj Dinger
27. Trevor Bayne
28. Casey Mears
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
30. Reed Sorenson

Twitter - @MichelleRizzo5

Fantasy Nascar Raceday Thoughts

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Happy Raceday. Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on today race (Including their final picks).

Michelle Rizzo (@MichelleRizzo5):

- The race winner will mos likely come from the top 10.

- The Penske boys will both place in the top 5.

- My sleeper is Kurt Busch. I really like him. Thought he showed a lot of promise in practice.

- Least two chaser have poor performances #TimersSportsBoldPrediction

Garry Briggs Jr (@Gbriggs12):

- JGR cars all scores top 10s. They're being overlooked. They looked solid to me.

- Smoke is a sneaky play! I really like him as a potential sleeper. He been good all weekend.

- How about some love for local South Bend Native Ryan Newman?? Watch out for him. He's have a great car.

- Kyle Larson will finish inside the top 5 #TimersSportsBoldPrediction

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza):

- Brad Keselowski is like a golden tickets in leagues which rewards bonus points for improving starting position.

- I am interested to see what Jeff Gordon does today. In Saturday morning session , Gordon did a few laps and said something was wrong with the car. Crew found nothing. But that concerns me. Few years ago he said that during practice and he finished like 38th.

- Kyle Busch is someone I like as a sleeper today. He could finish inside the top 5 when it said and done.

- Jimmie Johnson dominates #TimersSportsBoldPrediction

Yahoo Picks -

Michelle: Johnson , Newman , Logano and Danica

Garry: Kyle Busch , Logano , Hamlin  and Dillon

Matt: Gordon , Keselowski , Logano and Larson

Race Winner:

Michelle - Harvick

Garry - Logano

Matt - Johnson

Fantasy Nascar Update (TX)

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Usually I have some extra time to answer fantasy nascar questions , but unfortunately I am in South Carolina racing at a short track. So in today's update , I will give a rundown of how I thought the drivers faired overall. Since Yahoo fantasy racing is the most popular format , I will put it in grouping tiers. Let get started!

A Grouping Tier:

1. 4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick was the man to beat in my opinion. His lap times were impressive all around. He posted fast laps late in a run. Harvick really likes his car for Sunday. If I had two or starts left , I would use one here.

Overall Ranking: 1st

2. 48-Jimmie Johnson: I think Johnson have one of his best races of 2014 on Sunday. He looked very strong all weekend. The 48 always seems to show up at Texas with an awesome car. This week no different really. Happy hour , comments around the track was that 48 had a super bad fast piece. He starts 3rd. Take a guess what starting position have produced the wins? 3rd. Johnson ironically won from 3rd last November. Johnson had one of the fastest cars on the long runs.

Overall Ranking: 2nd

3. 24-Jeff Gordon: If you follow my fantasy nascar content , then you have realized I been extremely high on the 24 all year. This week I was little disappointed though. I thought he was just pretty good. But not a winning potential car. I say he was about  top 5 overall.

Overall Ranking: 4th

4. 18-Kyle Busch: I like Kyle Busch this week. He was bad fast since unloading. I believe he will be legit contender and least score a top 10 on Sunday. His lap times were very consistent all day on Saturday. I am higher on Kyle then most , but I was pretty impressed. I am sure I am not the only one either.

Overall Ranking: 7th

5. 88-Dale Jr: Dale like his teammates showed nice speed since unloading. The 88 looked top 10 at end of happy hour. I wouldn't rule out a top 5 from Dale futures either though. Dale was pretty good late in a run unsurprising. I really like him as a fantasy pick.

Overall Rank: 9th

B Grouping Tier:

1. 22-Joey Logano: I thought Logano not only had the best car in this grouping , but one of the best in the field on Saturday. Logano was fast all day Saturday. Just didn't look good on the lap average board. He got faster as a run went on. Don't overlook my championship pick from January. He will be a threat all day long. He won earlier this year at Texas.

Overall Ranking: 3rd

2. 31-Ryan Newman: Mr.Consistency doing consistency things. Throughout the chase Newman have been a threat for a top 10. More often then not he delivered a top 10. He looked very fast on Saturday. Posted great laps times throughout a run. Including solid 10 and 15-lap average. Which indicates he should be one of the best guys on the long runs.

Overall Ranking: 5th

3. 2-Brad Keselowski: Okay the 2 car wasn't very impressive on Friday nor Saturday. But you cannot hate Brad as a fantasy pick this week. I mean he been fast all year long on the 1.5 mile layouts. I thought he was pretty good at end of happy hour. Definitely good enough to be a top 10 guy. Wolfe and 2 crew will get Brad to the front. Don't worry about that. The question is do you have starts left with him?

Overall Ranking: 6th

4. 99-Carl Edwards: Edwards to me was good for a short period of time , then faded after that. He didn't make any real long runs in practice , but there a good chance that the case. Edwards and his RFR teammates seems to lack long run speed all season long. Why would that change now? He probably a top 15 option nevertheless.

Overall Ranking: 13th

5. 11-Denny Hamlin: Meh..not crazy about the 11 of Hamlin this week. To me , Denny been off all weekend. Never showed the speed that you need to run competitively here. Most other experts tend to agree with me. Haven't seen a set of rankings that has him inside the top 10 yet.

Overall Ranking: 14th

6. 14-Tony Stewart: Smoke finished 3rd at Martinsville and now got some mojo. As he qualified well at Texas. Usually Smoke doesn't qualified well. But when he does , Smoke typically runs well. In practice he looked very strong. Thought about ranking him higher , but decided give him a high ceiling. I think he's an top 15 option , but with top 10 potential.

Overall Ranking: 15th

7. 1-Jamie Mac: JMac was one of my sleepers in the Preview. Haven't quite lived up to that , but Jamie should be fine. On Saturday , JMac got better as the day went on. By end of Happy hour , Jamie had a top 15 car. Not sure about top 10 though. My only concern is the fall off on the 1 car honestly.

Overall Ranking: 17th

8. 27-Paul Menard: Menard..Menard! Paul loves playing mind games with us fantasy folks. He so Matt Kenseth 2.0! He looked averaged in practice , so I bet he scores a top 10 on Sunday. Lol but who know , he Paul Menard. Take a chance with him , it might pay off. Or the exact opposite.

Overall Ranking: 18th

C Grouping Tier:

1. 42-Kyle Larson: Larson is unbelievable and he gonna be tough to beat. This kid is so fun to watch. He's have close to top 10 car. Usually that alone will get him a shot at a top 5. Larson was very good on the long runs in practice. I been saying for weeks..no months Texas is the place he will win. I wouldn't rule it out either.

Overall Ranking: 8th

2. 3-Austin Dillon: Dillon was about average in my opinion. Didn't stand out too much. But that part of his charm. Look okay in practice and then bang outrace everyone realistic standards. But it so Austin Dillon. I think he finishes inside the top 20 on Sunday. If not better.

Overall Ranking: 20th

3. 10-Danica Patrick: Danica wasn't bad I guess. Wasn't good either though. Usually if she have a top 25 car in practice , then she will have a chance for a top 20. I am optimistic that Danica could score a quality finish for us fantasy folks. I expect a finish between 18th - 22nd realistically.

Overall Ranking: 22nd

4. 51-Justin Alliager: Alliager wasn't bad at all. Not anything special , but I think an top 25 on Sunday possible. The 51 car been running very well lately. He should be able to keep that up at Texas.

Overall Ranking: 24th

Twitter - @JeffNathans