2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Kurt Busch

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Driver Name: Kurt Busch

Car #: 41

Make: Chevy

Aka:

Rookie Season: 2001

Number of Championships: 1

# of Career starts: 507

# of Career Poles: 16

# of Career Wins: 25

# of Career Top 5s: 106

# of Career Top 10s: 201

# of Career DNFs: 58

# of Career laps led: 7832

Career Average Finish: 17.3

Career Average Start: 15.7

# of 2014 Wins: 1

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 6

# of 2014 Top 10s: 11

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 6

# of 2014 Laps led: 220

2014 Average Finish: 18.9

2014 Average Start: 13.5

2014 Reap: Busch struggled for the most part in 2014. He was terrible in the first 20 races. Almost didn't realize he had SHR equipment. Then as the chase grow closer , Kurt seem to get in a rhythm. But overall not very impressive in the chase. Had a few bad finishes. If there was any upside , it was under new Crew Chief Gibson his worst finish  was 11th in the final 3 races.

Strong tracks: Sonoma , Bristol and Atlanta

Weak tracks: Las Vegas and Michigan

Additional info on Kurt Busch: Kurt I think will be undervalued early in the 2015 season. Honestly the addition of Gibson gonna be awesome in 2015. Kurt & Tony G was clicking in 2014 after they were paired together. Kurt seems to like Gibson style. Most will overlook Kurt Busch due how unreliable he was last season.
Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Inconsistency with mix of upside & top 10 potential

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Kurt is one of the drivers I am relatively high on going into 2015. A lot to like about Kurt. He's a solid driver will a solid crew chief. Gibson will help Kurt a lot in 2015. His best days will likely come on certain intermediate and short tracks. As well on the road courses. Expect inconsistent results from vary stench of races. But Kurt will almost always have potential to finish top 10. Last season he was trying to settle in at SHR. Fortunately he won't have to deal with that issue in 2015.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Reed Sorenson

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Driver Name: Reed Sorenson

Car #: 36

Make: Chevy

Aka: RD

Rookie Season: 2006

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 225

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 0

# of Career Top 5s: 5

# of Career Top 10s: 15

# of Career DNFs: 49

# of Career laps led: 158

Career Average Finish: 27.8

Career Average Start: 29.0

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 0

# of 2014 Top 10s: 0

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 5

# of 2014 Laps led: 7

2014 Average Finish: 29.8

2014 Average Start: 35.3

2014 Reap: Reed wasn't terrible in 2014 , but most times he was a back of the pack type driver. Sorenson only scored 2 Top 20s. But many would be surprised to hear 2014's 29.8 average finish was his best since 2010. Reed almost always finished better then he started.

Strong tracks: Watkins Glenn and Daytona

Weak tracks: Martinsville and Pocono

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: C Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Mildly consistency with little upside

2015 Fantasy Outlook: It unknown weather Reed will return to TBR in 2015. In fact , it widely unknown who will be in any of the TBR rides. Regardless of who entered in the 36 car , he will likely be most useful in salary cap leagues. As the 36 car is known to be a good glue option for fantasy lineups.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile:Ryan Newman

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Driver Name: Ryan Newman

Car #: 31

Make: Chevy

Aka: RN , Rocketman

Rookie Season: 2002

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 476

# of Career Poles: 51

# of Career Wins: 17

# of Career Top 5s: 98

# of Career Top 10s: 200

# of Career DNFs: 58

# of Career laps led: 4658

Career Average Finish: 16.2

Career Average Start: 11.2

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 5

# of 2014 Top 10s: 16

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 1

# of 2014 Laps led: 41

2014 Average Finish: 12.7

2014 Average Start: 13.3

2014 Reap: Newman was pretty consistent in 2014. His impressive stats tell the story. Newman since leaving Penske been more a consistent individual then a race winning contender. And 2014 was no different. He had 32 Top 20s in 36 starts. Crazy good I will tell you what. Even more impressive he finished 2nd in points without winning a win. He proved no points system is flawless. The fans need to acceptable it and embrace it. Newman had a good year.

Strong tracks: Pocono , Michigan , Chicago and Richmond

Weak tracks: Kansas and Watkins Glenn

Additional info on Newman: For us fantasy folks who played in the pre-chase era , we saw a great decline in production when he left Penske racing. But the void was filled by a more consistent outlook by Newman. Something which I find to be rather smoothing honestly from a fantasy vantage point.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A  Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Consistent with mix of upside/predictable outlook

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Newman in 2015 should remain consistent unless something dramatically changes. His fantasy value will like be attached to his consistent finishes. Most leagues formats his value is questionable early in the year due how he finished 2014 off. Especially in salary cap. By second Daytona , look for his price to be more realistic to his overall value. Also feel like Newman will be useless in Yahoo. Mainly because he will most likely be promoted to A. Like Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer , I believe Newman isn't an A grouping tier caliber driver.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits (WK16)

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Welcome to the final Fantasy Football article of the 2014 season. Myself and Matt Aleza have put in countless sleepless nights to deliver top quality fantasy football content on a weekly basis. Usually Matt cover the starts/sits portion. Unfortunately Matt recovering in a LA hospital this week. So lets get started. It Week 16 champions will crowned and bets will fulfilled! How exciting..here's today starts/sits:

***Scoring Format: CBS Sports

Starts -

Quarterbacks:

Matthew Stafford- Staff haven't been super impressive this season , but he ranked 14th among QBs in fantasy points. While the Bears have pretty much allowed anything that move look good. Trust me that isn't a compliment. They have allowed 25.2 points per game vs Quarterbacks. The most in the NFL.

Matt Ryan - Ryan will once again probably  be without WideOut Julio Jones. The Saints defense probably will help Atlanta out though. The Saints have allowed the 6th most fantasy points per game (22.4) vs Quarterbacks. Ryan is the 6th ranked Quarterback in 2014. With 27 Touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the season.

Mark Sanchez- I think Sanchez sucks. Excuse my language , but that's exactly how I feel. But not even Sanchez can screw up an juicy matchup like Washington. Okay he can , but I see it unlikely though. Washington have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (25.1) vs Quarterbacks. Start Mark if you're in a pinch.

Running backs:

Steven Jackson- Jackson haven't been stellar in 2014. But been a nice value considering where he was draft and how slow he started. In 2014 , SJax ranked 18th among all running backs in total fantasy points. The Saints have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game (22.7) vs Running backs in 2014 so far. SJax should be good for least 50 yards & 1 TD.

CJ Anderson- No Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman will once again make Anderson an very good option in an high powered Denver offense. The Bengals have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game (21.8) vs Running backs. I would recommend starting him. I expect 103 yards and 1TD vs Cincy.

Demarco Murray- Murray had surgery earlier this week , but is expecting to play in week 16 as he is practicing as of Wednesday. My piece of advice is to have an back option in place. But you cannot sit your stud. There no way I would sit. Unless you're super loaded at running back and have another great option to start instead.

Wide Receivers:

DeSean Jackson- DJax can burn a defense quicker then you and I can say "who". DeSean is super dangerous in open space. The Eagles won't be able to contain him. They have allowed the most fantasy points this season vs Wide Outs. Expect Washington to pass a lot vs Philly. Mainly because they will be playing from behind. Should lead to a good points day for Mr. Jackson.

DeAndre Hopkins- Hopkins been pretty good this season ,wouldn't ya'll agree. 13th among all Wide Outs in fantasy points. In week 16 , Hopkins get another fantastic matchup vs Baltimore. Ravens have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points per game (27.1) vs Wide Outs. Ravens have allowed 15 Touchdowns and 2822 yards on 214 receptions in 2014.

Roddy White- Word is Julio Jones maybe doubtful to play vs New Orleans. If that the case , White automatically become an top 20 option in my books. And we all know the Saints cannot cover wide outs. Expect White to have a solid outing vs Saints. Saints have allowed the 8th most fantasy points per game (25.1) vs Wide Outs in 2014.

Tight Ends:

Dwayne Allen - Allen still in my opinion the Tight End to own in Indy. Having both isn't a bad idea though. In week 16 ,Allen get a fantastic matchup vs Dallas. Who have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points per game (10.2) vs Tight Ends in 2014.

Jason Witten- Witten isn't an top notch Tight end anymore. But this position is so slim ,any relevant option is worth consideration. Indy have allowed the 5th most fantasy points per game vs Tight Ends. Start him.

Sits-

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler- Cutler is like a bad batch of brownies. There usually an soft spot and the rest is rough and difficult to eat. Majority of Jay Cutler games this season represents the rough portion. The Lions will eat well on Sunday before their showdown with Green Bay in week 17. Lions have allowed the 4th fewest fantasy points per game (16.0) vs Quarterbacks in 2014.

Phillip Rivers- Rivers have been a terrific value this season. But he have a very unfavorable matchup in week 16 vs 49ers. 49ers have allowed the 6th fewest fantasy points per game vs Quarterbacks so far in 2014. They have only allowed 6 more Touchdowns(23) then interceptions (17). Also only have allowed 218 yards/per game this season.

Eli Manning- Manning been inconsistent all season long. That unlikely to change vs the Rams who haven't surrendered a Touchdown in past 3 game and only allowing combine 12 points (4.3 per game) , pretty impressive in my opinion. Manning probably shouldn't be started outside of 14 tm league or deeper.

Running backs:

Andre Williams- Um No..not a chance would I start Williams vs the Rams. Realistically speaking , the Rams have only surrendered 11.2 fantasy points per contest in the past 3 games. Where this defensive unit have only allowed 4 field goals. Expect the rookie to have difficult time. Last week , AW had 18 carries for a awful 44 yards. Which is 2.2 yards per carry vs Jacksonville.

Doug Martin - Martin haven't impressed me even when healthy. Outside a few great runs , Martin been at best average. Green Bay will eat him for lunch. The Packers run defense isn't stellar , but Tampa will be playing from behind anyhow. So it won't really matter honestly. I don't trust him.

Trent Richardson- Richardson isn't a good option to roll with in your championship matchup. Not a terrible matchup. Unfortunately TRich doesn't have the abilities to be fantasy starter. Least not in a timeshare backfield. In my opinion ,Trent never have been or will be a fantasy star. Sit him.

Wide Receivers:

Larry Fitzgerald- Seattle vs any offensive unit usually equals terrible results. Arizona have an 3rd string QB starting undercenter. Yeah I cannot see how this end badly for any fantasy relevant option. Just sit pretty much any Arizona option outside of their defense. Enough said!

Michael Crabtree- Crabtree been terrible this season. Over past 5 games , MC have averaged 46 yards per contest. While only having one score. The Chargers aren't a fantastic unit , but doesn't really matter. The whole 49ers offense is terrible. I don't trust anyone. Not necessarily their fault though.

Josh Gordon- Gordon vs Carolina secondary is like some monster. Realistically I think Gordon is a bad play. Especially if Johnny Football doesn't dramatically improves in start number 2. Gordon haven't been setting the world on fire either. Only 1 standout performance since returning. There better options to consider.

Tight Ends:

Larry Donnell- Donnell was a nice option early in the season. Ever since , OBjr entered in the Giants offense..Donnell been well almost useless. Donnell was unable to take advantage of Washington. The Rams will likely beat up on Larry D all game long. He's too inconsistent anyhow to be trusted.

Jordan Cameron- Cameron was a major bust in many people eyes. You could blame injuries , but even when he was healthy the production was lacking. Last week he failed to top 50 yards receiving in his return. Sit him vs Carolina.

**All stats from FFToday

My Fantasy Football Rankings

Link to previous Starts/Sits:

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits -WK 1

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits -WK2

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK3

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK4

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK5

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK6

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK7

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK8

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK9

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK10

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK11

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK12

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK13

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK14

Fantasy Football Starts/Sits - WK15

Twitter - William Frang

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Paul Menard

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Driver Name: Paul Menard

Car #: 27

Make: Chevy

Aka: P Daddy Menard , Nard Ship

Rookie Season: 2007

Number of Championships: 0

# of Career starts: 291

# of Career Poles: 1

# of Career Wins: 1

# of Career Top 5s: 15

# of Career Top 10s: 47

# of Career DNFs: 20

# of Career laps led: 282

Career Average Finish: 20.9

Career Average Start: 20.8

# of 2014 Wins: 0

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 5

# of 2014 Top 10s: 13

# of 2014 Poles: 0

# of 2014 DNFs: 2

# of 2014 Laps led: 45

2014 Average Finish: 17.7

2014 Average Start: 16.7

2014 Reap: Menard was up and down all season long. He scored 13 Top 10s which was a surprise to many probably. Big reason why was how under the radar he was. Rarely did Menard have an top 10 car , but always was there in the end. He also scored 5 Top 5s which was more then he had in 2013 and 2012. His 13 Top 10s were also best in his Nascar career.

Strong tracks: Las Vegas , Michigan and Kansas.

Weak tracks: Darlington and Watkins Glenn

Additional info on Menard: Menard in my opinion will never get any type of credit as an useful fantasy option. Typical Menard is a fantastic early to mid season ,then really falls off the grid. The fantasy players who like start saving early in the season , this is a guy to keep an eye on.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: B Grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Trendy with mix of inconsistency

2015 Fantasy Outlook: Menard isn't a realistically a overly great option. Menard will have the most value early to mid season at intermediate racetracks. Menard will be at his worst on the flats and larger size Intermediate racetracks. I expect 0 wins  4 Top 5s and 11 Top 10s in 2015 from Menard.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Football Rankings (WK16)

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Rankings -

Quarterbacks:

1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Andrew Luck
3. Tom Brady
4. Peyton Manning
5. Drew Brees
6. Phillip Rivers
7. Matthew Stafford
8. Big Ben
9. Tony Romo
10. Matt Ryan
11. Andy Dalton
12. Russell Wilson
13. Eli Manning
14. Colin Kaepernick
15. Mark Sanchez

Running backs -

1. Le'Veon Bell
2. Arian Foster
3. Marshawn Lynch
4. Eddie Lacy
5. Demarco Murray
6. Matt Forte
7. Jammal Charles
8. Lamar Miller
9. Justin Forsett
10. Alfred Morris
11. LeSean McCoy
12. Jeremy Hills
13. CJ Anderson
14. Frank Gore
15. Joique Bell

Wide Receivers-

1. Antonio Brown
2. Demaryius Thomas
3. Jordy Nelson
4. Aj Green
5. Julio Jones
6. Randall Cobb
7. Dez Bryant
8. Calvin Johnson
9. Alshon Jeffery
10. Odell Beckham Jr.
11. Jeremy Maclin
12. Mike Evans
13. Golden Tate
14. Emmanuel Sanders
15. Ty Hilton

Tight Ends -

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Julius Thomas
3. Jimmy Graham
4. Greg Olsen
5. Antonio Gates
6. Martellus Bennett
7. Delanie Walker
8. Heath Miller
9. Dwayne Allen
10. Jason Witten

Twitter - @WilliamFrang

2015 Fantasy Nascar Profile: Jeff Gordon

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Driver Name: Jeff Gordon

Car #: 24

Make: Chevy

Aka: Big Daddy

Rookie Season: 1993

Number of Championships: 4

# of Career starts: 763

# of Career Poles: 77

# of Career Wins: 92

# of Career Top 5s: 320

# of Career Top 10s: 454

# of Career DNFs: 98

# of Career laps led: 24,652

Career Average Finish: 10.2

Career Average Start: 12.4

# of 2014 Wins: 4

# of 2014 starts: 36

# of 2014 Top 5s: 14

# of 2014 Top 10s: 23

# of 2014 Poles: 3

# of 2014 DNFs: 0

# of 2014 Laps led: 1083

2014 Average Finish: 10.4

2014 Average Start: 9.0

2014 Reap: I was quite surprised on how fast Gordon was in 2014. To be honest , a lot of the fantasy nascar community was. Only once since 2007 , have Gordon scored more then 2 wins in a season. In 2014 , he scored 4 wins. Gordon also scored 14 Top 5s and 23 Top 10s. Not a bad season at all. Winning the championship may have been the only disappointment. An year where on fatal mistake cost Gordon potentially championship number 5.

Strong tracks: Dover , Martinsville , Sonoma and Indy

Weak tracks: Watkins Glenn and Las Vegas

Additional info on Gordon: Gordon fans had a dream season in 2014. Almost everything went Gordon way. With that being said , I see Gordon being a letdown in 2015. The 2015 package doesn't suit Gordon too well. Of course that is pure speculation. But don't be surprise if that the case. Also drivers not named Jimmie Johnson , have had a difficult time repeating stellar seasons back to back.

Yahoo Grouping Prediction: A  grouping Tier

Overall Value Prediction: Trendy Option

2015 Fantasy Outlook: I don't think Gordon will back up his 2014 performance. But mark my words , JG will be a contender all season long. Expect Gordon best results to come on the flats tracks like Martinsville , New Hampshire , Indy , Pocono, etc. Kinda interested how Gordon does on Intermediate racetracks. Over past 5 seasons ,Gordon been pretty inconsistent. Excluding last season of course. I expect 2 wins , 13 Top 5s and 18 Top 10s in 2015 from Gordon.

Twitter - @JeffNathans