2018 Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Dark Horses (Atlanta)

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Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. It always a fan favorite for fans and drivers alike. However, I am not a fan of this date on the schedule though. It always seems to rain or something for this race. And sadly that what we are dealing with this weekend. The forecast is calling for rain and a lot of rain on Sunday afternoon. I am not saying we won't see no racing is set in stone, but it is looking more likely as we approach the race.

On Friday, we saw one practice session and qualifying. And then on Saturday, we saw another practice session. I am not sure how much it will mean after all of the rain comes through. However, we kinda have to go on the practice data since that is all we can go on right now. I am excited for this race regardless when it is ran. Sunday afternoon, Sunday night or Monday afternoon. I am looking forward to seeing how these teams do.

The question is do you need some good sleeper and dark horses to consider? Well you are luck then because have some in mind that I am going to share! Let's get started!

Sleepers -

Ricky Stenhouse Jr - I loved Ricky on Wednesday when I wrote my initial articles on sleepers. I was very high on him and thought he could have something for the top 10. Guess what? After watching practice and hearing his interview on Saturday, I am even more convinced that he will be a threat to contend for the top 10. In the past two season, he has an average running position of 9.5. In last season's race, he had the 6th-best average running position of 9.0. He was the only driver to complete all of the laps inside the top 15, too. I am not sure what else to say about him honestly. I will have him on more than few of my rosters this weekend.

Paul Menard - I wouldn't call this a Paul Menard track, but he is showing good speed in his No.21 car. The Fords in general are looking pretty damn good this weekend. Harvick, Blaney, Logano, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer all are showing some type of speeding so far this weekend. Obviously some more than others though. I think Menard heading into the race will flirt with the top 15 with enough enough to flirt close to that top 12 area. Remember, the 21 team is still associated with Penske. So they are getting help from them still, even with Menard as their driver. So that will have to help some, too.

 Ryan Newman - The RCR cars were very strong at Atlanta last season. Newman was solid and Dillon was impressive. Both had the same fate at end of the day. Neither finished on the lead lap and both had similar issues happen to them. They had problems with their batteries. So what does Newman do here in 2018? He unloads with some pretty good speed in his No.31 RCR car. He nearly qualified on the pole and topped the practice session on Saturday. If there was a problem with the No.31 car, it is that he doesn't have a ton of long run speed. That where he will run into some problems during the race. I don't think he will be hurt too much though. He will have a shot at latter part of the top 10/low teens finish. So somewhere between 8th and 14th is probably where I see him most likely finishing.


Dark Horses -

Kurt Busch - When looking at past stats at Atlanta, I thought Kurt's number really stood out to me. That was one of the first things I noticed when doing my original research on Tuesday night/Wednesday night. His numbers are incredible. My fellow Timerssports' writer (Jeff Nathans) also pointed this out in his article earlier today. For good reason, too. In 11 of his last 14 races at Atlanta, he has finished 11th or better. In 3 of his last 4 races, he finished 7th or better. In fact, he has 5 top 7 finishes in his last 8 races overall. Those are stupid good numbers. Since the 2010 season, he has won twice at this racetrack. Kurt Busch was ranked 5th on the best-20 lap average in happy hour. I would have to say that his 7th place starting position is just gravy. Kurt is my top dark horse pick to win!

Clint Bowyer - Bowyer wasn't someone that I really considered this week as one of my fantasy picks, but he has a really good car for Atlanta. He showed a lot of speed on both Friday and Saturday. He qualified in the top 10 and looked solid on the longer runs in Saturday's practice. He had the 2nd-best 20 lap average in Saturday's lone practice session. All of the SHR Fords has looked pretty good on both days. Bowyer is good as any of them to consider as a solid dark horse pick for the win. Personally, I am still a little gun shy with him but I am not closed to the idea of using him here. Don't be shocked if he is near top of the board when the checkers waves!

***All stats are from DriverAverages.com and FantasyRacingSheetCheat.com

Have a question or want to chat?

Email - briggs_garry48@yahoo.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

2018 Fantasy Nascar Update (Atlanta)

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Fantasy Nascar Update -

1. Kyle Busch - Between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, it is tough to choose an odds on favorite to win. I think it gonna be a duel between the two of them for much of the event. Kyle Busch has a very fast car for this weekend. He had the best-20 lap average in final practice and he will start on the pole. His lap times were impressive and to no shocker he is one of the drivers to beat. He is a former winner at this track and he has the car to do it again. Don't be suprised to see him lead a lot of laps whenever we go green.

2. Kevin Harvick - Harvick has dominated this place over the years and he might do it again. He does not have the fastest car for a single lap, but over a long green flag run that 4 car will be a serious problem. I tracked his lap times on Saturday and they were awesome. It takes him awhile, but he eventually will be at top of the charts in terms of lap times. He loves taking the short way around the track, it saves his tries, etc. However, it is not the fastest way around the track. You can go faster in the higher grooves. He is losing speed at start of the runs, but his lap times usually remains more consistent on the long runs.Heading into the race, I view him as a top 3 driver.

3. Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson started off practice with just a couple laps run. Then he followed it up with a very long 29-lap run. He was very fast. I tracked most of that run and he kept knocking off the lap times. What stands out most to me? His lap times later in the runs were still very good. At end of that long green flag run, he was still running strong lap times. In fact, at end  of the run his lap times were a little better than his lap times in middle of the run. That could had been traffic or something, but it is still worth knowing. Larson was pretty happy with his car in practice. He really liked the balance in that car and some pretty good speed, too. He was 6th on the 20-lap average according to the guys on Fox Sports 1. Larson finished 2nd in last season's race and he is capable of being a top 5 guy once again.

4. Kurt Busch - The driver of the No.41 car has had a lot of success at Atlanta over the years. He just loves this place and his overall stats are really good. 8 of his last 11 races at Atlanta has ended in 7th or better. In 5 of his last 8 races, he has finished 6th or better. More recently, he has posted 4 top 7 finishes in just his last 4 races at Atlanta. Whatever way you want to slice it, he is just that good here. He is starting from 7th this weekend and he seems to have a pretty good racecar. He was pretty far down the running order in terms of fastest-single lap. But he broke the top 5 in best-20 lap averages according to the guys on Fox Sports 1. I wouldn't doubt that, either. I usually don't rank him this high, but he have the numbers and speed to make it up, in my opinion.

5. Martin Truex Jr - If Truex Jr wouldn't have to start at back of the pack, I would hands down put him ahead of most of these guys. He would be in my top 3 at least. He has a very fast car, but problem is he is starting deep in the field. That would be a major problem next week at Las Vegas. But Atlanta, there are a lot of chances to make passes. There are multiple grooves you can use to get around someone. I have no doubt that the 78 car is good enough to challenge for a top 5 finish, especially after the numbers he posted in 2017 and the speed he showed in practice. Question will he get there? Time will tell!

6. Clint Bowyer - Bowyer has a really good car this weekend. He is starting from inside of the top 10 and he has a really solid car on the long run. He sounded pretty pleased with his car after practice and Jeff Gordon really liked what he saw from the 14 car. He mentioned him a few times during the broadcast. The No.14 car was 2nd on the best-20 lap average chart according to Jeff Gordon. Being high on that chart is important because it shows the strength of a driver on the longer runs. It sets nothing in stone, but it could be something though. Bowyer and his Ford teammates all qualified and practice well.  

7. Ryan Blaney - Blaney I think will be good this weekend at Atlanta. He probably showed the most speed of the Penske cars, in my opinion. Pretty close between him and Logano though. He wasn't nothing super special, but he looks better than any of his other Atlanta weekends so far. This is probably the best he has looked at this track since his rookie season here. There isn't a lot to say about Blaney honestly. He has a good enough car to challenge for a top 10 finish, but he kinda stuck in that 6th-11th range.

8. Joey Logano - I would rank Logano higher, if I knew more what to expect out of him. We all know he is capable of really strong results on the 1.5 mile tracks. Problem is, he is coming off a lackluster 2017 season where he missed the playoffs. I am still iffy on him overall and not sure what to expect. With no real data to go, we are kinda guessing here. I thought he had good speed in that car from the one run that I did track on him. But of course that was only one run, too. At end of practice, his spotter told him his final run held on pretty good. I love that right there. I feel good about feedback like that. If you are looking for a dark horse pick, then he might be your man!

9. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski will start from the 5th position at Altanta, but I am not gonna say that I am super high on him though. After his interview on Fox Sports 1 after practice, I am not feeling too confident in him. He didn't sound like a driver that sounded to happy about his car. I never feel too good when a driver says he doesn't have a good feeling for his car. He might be better in the race than practice, but I am not really counting on that. He just didn't show that much in practice and that is the only thing we are going on right now.

10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Heading into the week, I really like Ricky Stenhouse Jr and I loved what I saw from him this weekend so far. He qualified in 6th and he looked really good with his lap times on Saturday, too. He is a secret at Atlanta for some reaosn and I think he can legit contend for a top 10 finish and maybe then some. His lap times didn't fall on the long runs, either. He remained consistent on a long run and that is exactly what you want to see. The driver of the No.17 car fits perfect into the driving style at Atlanta. I think the slicker it is, the better the pick the 17 car will be.

Just missed

Ryan Newman

Jimmie Johnson

Paul Menard

Erik Jones

Chase Elliott

***All stats are from Driveraverages.com and FantasyRacinCheatSheet.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans18

2018 Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Dark Horses (Atlatna)

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My Daytona sleepers and dark horses were all pretty spot on. For whatever weird reason, I am usually pretty good at nailing my picks at the plate races. Go figure, right? Now, we are turning our attention to the second race of the Nascar season. Oh yeah, we are heading to Atlanta! I know everyone loves different tracks for different reasons, but Atlanta is probably my favorite intermediate track. This will be the first real challenge for the drivers and crews. I think in general none of us really know what to expect out these teams. Drivers that were strong last year may not be as strong out of the gate this weekend. And some drivers that struggled a bit in 2017, may had found something since then. And this weekend's race is also important because we will have some data to look back on for next weekend's race at Las Vegas. Obviously Atlanta and Las Vegas as clear differences in them, but it is still data to study. Not to mention, they are both 1.5 mile tracks. That's something, my friends. Alright, enough of the rambling! Let's get rolling!

Sleepers -

 Austin Dillon - I don't agree with how Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500, but he still won the Dayton 500. There is no taking that away from him. With that said, I think a lot of people will be overlooking him at Atlanta. And I had that mindset before the 500 was even ran. And a lot of that has to do with his numbers overall at Atlanta. In his career, he has only one top 20 finish in five career starts. Why do I think he will do better in 2018 at this track? Well, he has performed very well over the past couple seasons here. He finished 11th in 2016 (he had 13.0 ARP) and in 2017 he finished 32nd. However, he posted 10.0 average running position (ARP) and 80.1 driver rating. He had issues with under 20 to go that caused him to go to the garage. So he has been a top 12 driver in each of the past two seasons. Now, that is nothing super impressive, it is better than what a lot of drivers can say though. He might not be a difference maker, but he is capable of being a nice value. Especially, if he looks good in practice.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Stenhouse Jr is someone that I am very interested in see this weekend in practice. He is definitely someone that I think could be a very nice surprise. He has ran very well at Atlanta over the past couple seasons, so I would not be shocked if he knocked off a top 10 finish. He has been very consistent to start off the last two seasons. And the 1.5 mile tracks has been a strong point, too. And Atlanta been no exception, either. Look at the last two seasons at Atlanta? He has finishes of 13th and 10th. He has average running position of 9.5 for those races. In 2017 event, he was very good. He was legit a top 10 driver for the entire event. He finished 13th for the race. If he based a finish off how a driver's performed, then he would had finished somewhere between 8th-10th in my opinion.

Other Sleepers - Jamie Mac, Aric Almirola and Paul Menard

Dark Horses -

Erik Jones -  I was impressive with Erik Jones in 2017, especially right before the playoffs started. There was a couple races there where I thought he had it in the bag. Like any young driver out there, he just need to learn how to finish the deal. I think Erik Jones will win a race in 2018 in the No.20 car and I think it could come on one of the intermediate tracks. Anytime we go to the intermediate tracks, I would have to think that the Toyotas will have the horsepower advantage, too. A driver with the talent of Erik Jones don't need much of advantage. And that also make me believe that Jone will be a factor this weekend at Atlanta. The cream will rise to the top at Atlanta and Jones should be one of them. He may not go to victory, but we know he is certainly capable of it!

Chase Elliott - I am not a fan of Chase Elliott at all, but I won't lie about that. However, he has a great shot at going to victory lane this season and Atlanta should be considered one of his top tracks. I would say this is one of top 5 tracks where he could go to victory lane to first. In his very first start, he was impressive. He started 24th, finished 8th and posted 10.0 average running position. Those stats doesn't tell you how good he was though. On the long runs, he was inside the top during middle of that race. He was very good. In the 2017 event (last season), he was even better. He was incredible in that race. He was the 2nd-best driver, despite not leading a lap. The only drive with a better average running position or driver rating was Kevin Harvick. Elliott had an amazing 4.0 average running position and 114.1 driver rating. That a small size small of his strength on the 1.5 mile tracks in general. He was very good on them in 2017 and I expect the same at Atlanta.

Dark Horses - Ryan Blaney and Kurt Busch

***All stats are from DriverAverages.com and FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

Have a question or want to chat?

Email - briggs_garry48@yahoo.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

2018 Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings (Atlanta)

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Early Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Martin Truex Jr
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kyle Larson
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Chase Elliott
7. Joey Logano
8. Denny Hamlin
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Kurt Busch
11. Jamie Mac
12. Erik Jones
13. Ryan Blaney
14. Ryan Newman
15. Alex Bowman
16. Daniel Saurez
17. Aric Almirola
18. Clint Bowyer
19. Paul Menard
20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
21. Austin Dillon
22. Kasey Kahne
23. William Bryon
24. Darrell Wallace Jr
25. Trevor Bayne
26. Ty Dillon
27. AJ Dinger
28. Chris Buescher
29. Michael McDowell
30. Landon Cassill

Twitter - @MattAleza
 

2018 Fantasy Nascar Preview (Atlanta)

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Fantasy Nascar Preview -

1-JMac: JMac has fair well at Atlanta and the other 1.5 mile tracks in recent seasons. Over the past two seasons at Atlanta, he has compiled 15.5 average finish with 15.0 average running position and 76.9 driver rating. In those two races, he spent 55% of the events in the top 15. In last season's race, he was stronger than the one in 2016 though. In last season's race, he started 7th and finished 10th. He posted 11.0 average running position with 84.6 driver rating and spent 96% of the event in the top 15. For the most part, he finished where he should had in last season's event. On 1.5 mile tracks in 2017 (minus his lone back result in the playoffs at Kansas - 34th place), JMac posted 9.8  average finish (5th-best in the series) with 10.9 average running position (5th-best in the series) and 90.4 driver rating (9th-best in the series.) He was grossly underrated on the 1.5 mile tracks in general in 2017. That will probably remain the case in 2018 as well.

2-Brad Keselowski: Keselowski has always performed well at Atlanta since becoming a full-time driver at Nascar's top level. Over the past three seasons at Atlanta, he has been an elite driver, too. In his last three races here, he has compiled 6.3 (3rd-best in the series) with 8.3 average running position and 105.7 driver rating. In that 3-race span, he posted finishes of 1st, 9th and 9th. In 5 of his last 7 races at Atlanta, he has finished in the top 9. And to no surprise he was very strong on the 1.5 mile tracks in 2017, too. Excluding  his DNFs at the Coke 600 and Kentucky race, he complied 2nd-best average finish of 6.8, 4th-best average running position of 8.9 and 4th-best driver rating of 105.2. And personally I thought the Penske cars were a little off after that hot start. That just speaks volume how consistent the No.2 car was in 2017 and the years prior.

3-Austin Dillon: I am always hard on Austin Dillon and that is nothing personal on him. I just know that he is capable of more than what he saw in 2017. And what better way to start off the 2018 season than winning the Daytona 500? Of course, he wrecked another driver for the lead to do it, but I guess the final result is the only thing that actually matters. But still, I thought it was pretty shitty though. He has ran very well at Atlanta over the past couple seasons overall. In his last two Atlanta races, he has compiled 21.5 average finish with 11.5 average running position (very nice) with 80.1 driver rating. Dillon finished 32nd in last season's race, but he much better than that. He held 10.0 average running position for the event and completed 84% of the race in the top 15. He finished 32nd because he had a battery issue and couldn't make it to pit road. In 2016, he was strong again and finished 11th. In that event, he posted 13.0 average running position and completed 99% of the laps in the top 15. When you look at his career numbers you aren't very impressed. But if you do some digging, you can see the potential that he has. He might be a nice hidden gem to keep in your back pocket until at least we see some practice.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick has been ridiouclous at Atlanta and his dominance at this place cannot be overlooked. Even if you don't quite understand the more advance stats, there is one thing that you need to know: Harvick has led over 100 laps in 4 straight races. While leading more than 100 laps in 5 of his last 6 races at Atlanta. In his last three races (most relevant races), he has compiled 5.7 average finish with 3.0 average running position and 132.3 driver rating. His average running position and driver rating completely blow everyone else away. And in last season's race, he was so dominant. He led 292 laps on his way to 9th place finish. He posted 2.0 average running position, 137.2 driver rating and 59 fast laps. All were race-highs for that event. Harvick also was stout all year on the 1.5 mile tracks. In 11 races on the 1.5 mile tracks, he posted the 2nd-best average finish (8.2), 2nd-best average running position (6.4), 2nd-most laps led (707), 2nd-most fast laps (364) and 2nd-best driver rating (117.4). That is just incredible considering that Harvick and SHR switched teams in the ofseason and had very little time to prepare for the season. As SHR didn't start working on their cars until the off-season, out of respect to Rick Hendrick Motorsports.

9-Chase Elliott: Elliott has been impressive so far in his career at his home state racetrack and his resume on this type of track in 2017 only further strength his case for this weekend's race. In two career starts, he has compiled 6.5 average finish with 7.0 average running position and 105.2 driver rating. Those are some very impressive numbers for his first two starts at a racetrack at the cup level. His numbers on the 1.5 mile tracks in 2017 were a very strong spot for him. He came close to victory lane a few times, too. He posted 9.8 average finish with 11.7 average running position and 97.3 driver rating in 11 races. He had two bad finishes on the 1.5 milers in 2017. He finished 29th at Kansas and 38th at Charlotte. So obviously, his numbers would be a little better if we would take them out. On 1.5 mile tracks (minus races at Kansas and Charlotte), he posted 4.6 average finish with 7.0 average running position.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin is someone I am gonna be watching early in the season as he has a history of getting off to slow starts, before becoming one of the hottest drivers in the series in the warmer months. And bad news if you are a Hamlin believer at Atlanta. Since going to one race per year in 2015, he haven't finished better than 16th. Over his last three races at Atlanta, he has compiled 30.7 average finish with 15.7 average running position and 76.2 driver rating. Clearly he has had a lot of bad luck lately at Atlanta, judging by his numbers overall. Still, it is concerning though. He never been great at Atlanta to begin with so I am not super high on Hamlin with his latest totals at this track. However, a top 10 finish isn't out of his range though. That might be exactly what will happen. In his equipment, I think he is very capable of that. But he won't have much upside beyond that.

12-Ryan Blaney: Blaney is one of the young promising stars in our sport right now, but he haven't fair well in his two career starts at Atlanta. He finished 25th in his debut in 2016 and followed that up with 18th place finish in last season's race. He haven't really performed super well in either race overall. With that said, he is young and he will have some races like that. Good news? He has plenty of upside and will most likely have a career-day at Atlanta. As I find it hard to believe that he won't run and finish in the top 15 this weekend. There really isn't much to say about Ryan Blaney considering he doesn't have much data with being so young in terms of experience. Right now stats i the main thing we can go on with no relevant data for 2018 yet.

17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr: Atlanta is the exact type of track that fits into Ricky's driving style, in my opinion. He has ran well at this place in recent seasons and could be a very nice sleeper for this weekend. Over the past two seasons at Atlanta, he has compiled 11.5 average finish with 9.5 average running position and 90.6 driver rating. In last season's race, he finished 13th after contending for a top 10 finish all day long. For the race, he led 9.0 average running position and race around that area for most of the race up until the final 50 or laps. He had a few bad races in 2017 on the 1.5 mile tracks. In specific he had three finishes outside of the top 25 at Kansas (playoffs race), Chicago and Las Vegas. Outside of those three races, he has compiled 13.4 average finish with 14.1 average running position. That isn't bad by any means. He will have his moments on the 1.5 mile tracks and Atlanta is at top of the list for me.

18-Kyle Busch: Rowdy is a great pick for this weekend's race. Even if he wasn't great in last season's event. He struggled from the start of the race and was considerably off for the entire event. It wasn't because a mistake in the race, his car was just off. But he finished 3rd in 2016 and won back in 2013. In fact, since joining JGR he is a 2-time winner at this 1.5 mile track. In 2017, he was very good on the 1.5 mile tracks overall. He posted 12.7 average finish with 10.4 average running position in those 11 races. Of course, he had 3 or 4 races where he had a poor result that affected those numbers, too. If there is one thing that I certain about is the 18 car will be a contender almost every time we go to these cookie cutters. You can expect that trend to stay true at Atlanta this weekend. He will be someone that you have to beat to win.

19-Daniel Suarez: I feel like Suarez really got better as the season went on in 2017, after being thrown to the wolfs right off the bat. He wasn't comfortable in these cars yet this time last year. Now, I think he is a lot more confident after fairing very well in his rookie season at Joe Gibbs Racing. He finished 21st in last season's race at Atlanta and he wasn't very competitive. And I don't think anyone expected him to be in his first real test on a non-plate track. He compiled 16.4 average finish in 10 races on the 1.5 mile tracks in 2017. I excluded the Homestead race, since he had a DNF for the event. I think he will be a lot better to start off 2018 and I do believe he will be ea threat for a top 10 finish.

20-Erik Jones: Jones was impressive in his rookie year with the 77 team and now he get rewarded with the No.20 ride. I am excited for this young man and his potential. I had very high hopes for him in 2017, where I predicted he would win a race. That didn't quite work out, but he was close many times. In 2018, I am expecting him to break through to victory lane though. Atlanta will be interesting for Erik Jones. I think with his level of equipment, it is hard to say that he won't challenge for a top 10 finish. I think he will and maybe more. But one thing I know for sure about Jones at Atlanta and any other weekend is that Jones will be inconsistent. He has amazing upside, but you got to remember that Jones brings risk. He will be inconsistent. He is young and he will have certain about risk. But with his talent, I think it is more than worth it though.

22-Joey Logano: Logano is a star in this sport and usually they don't stay down for long. Sure, he missed the playoffs in 2017 but that won't keep him from bouncing back. If anything, I think it will motivate Logano to get back to being more competitive in 2018. Over the past 3 seasons at Atlanta, he has compiled 7.3 average finish with 9.0 average running position and 107.4 driver rating.  In those three races, he posted finishes of 6th, 12th and 4th. In the first 3 races in 2017 on the 1.5 mile tracks, he had no finishes worse than 6th place. Then things kinda went down hill very fast after that. I think Logano has top 5 kinda ponetial for this weekend's race, but if I had to make rankings I would put him somewhere between 6th-12th range. I don't know exactly where, but that seems pretty realistic to me. It always good to give a driver some room in the rankings aspect.

24-William Bryon: Bryon is a stud and he is gonna have a really good rookie year and I am really excited to find out how he does this season. I don't think enough people realize how good this kid is. If you watch Nascar then you know that this kid is a winner, but I think he gonna outproduce his realistic projections for the most part. He doesn't have any stats we can go on for Atlatna, but I think he can surprise us with a very solid run. All he need to do is finish the race on the lead lap. That should be his main focus for any rookie driver in his rookie season if all fails. But then again I don't think he is your average rookie driver, either. I am just excited to see what he can do more than anything.

31-Ryan Newman: Newman has been a great qualifier at Atlanta since joining RCR. In all four career starts, he has started in the top 7. Bad news? He has had problems in each of the past two races and finished outside of top 20. Prior to finishing 35th and 24th in 2016 and 2017, he had 3 straight top 10 finishes from 2013 to 2015. Newman had a terrible year on the 1.5 mile tracks in 2017. He had 4 DNF-like of possible 11 races on this type of track. That is pretty bad overall, but good news it is a new year. Newman most likely will have potential somewhere in the teens. Realistically I say his likely finish range is between 13th-16th.

41-Kurt Busch: Kurt Busch has been very strong in recent races at Atlanta and he is looking for another one this weekend. He loves Altanta and it is considered one of his best tracks. In 9 of his last 10 races, he has finished in the top 13. Over the past two seasons at Atlanta, he has compiled 5.5 average finish with 7.5 average running position and 102.4 driver rating. In those races, he had finishes of 7th and 4th. He is awesome at Atlanta and he is probably a pretty good dark horse pick for the weekend. Not many people think of Kurt Busch here, but that mostly because there so many great drivers at the top, too.

42-Kyle Larson: Kyle Larson had a career-year in 2017, but he has a chance to have a special season in the 42 car in 2018. He is star but he haven't gone to victory lane on a 1.5 mile track, so far in his career. He had a great race here at Atlanta in 2017. He finished 2nd, after starting 6th for the event. During the race, he compiled 6.0 average running position but he couldn't quite hold off a hard charging Brad Keselowski with less than 10 laps to go. His biggest strength in 2017 were on the 1.5 mile tracks. He was a top 5 driver in the series on this type of track. It will be interesting what kind of start that Larson and the other Chevys have to the year.

48-Jimmie Johnson: I am not super high on Jimmie Johnson for 2018, but I think he will pretty good this weekend. As usual, Johnson should be good enough to challenge for the top 10 obviously. But I don't have him as a top 5 driver entering the weekend. Anyone who does is being pretty bold after he had a career-worst season in 2017. Personally, I want to see how the 48 does in the first 4 or 5 races before I make a decision on him. But he is pretty awesome at Atlanta, prior to last season's finish of 19th. In the previous three races, he compiled 3 straight top 4 finishes from 2014 to 2016. Honestly, I am really interested in how all of the Chevys performance right off the bat with their new Camaro for the 2018 season . I think this weekend and next week race will tell us something about that.

78-Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr won the championship last season and one of hte biggest strength he had on the competition was on the 1.5 mile tracks. Will his dominance continues into the 2018 season starting with Atlanta? That is debatable, but I kinda see no reason why not honestly. He was a machine and posted the 2nd-best average finish ever on the 1.5 mile track for a single season. His 2.6 average finish for 11 races on this type of track was just ridiculous. What can I say about Truex Jr that haven't been said over the past two seasons about him? He is the best driver in the series and realistically he probably gonna win at least 2 to 3 races on these intermediate tracks. I wouldn't be surprised at all, if it came at Atlanta. Over the past three seasons at Atlanta, he has compiled 7.0 average finish with 7.3 average running position and 107.6 driver rating.

88-Alex Bowman: Alex Bowman has big shoes to fill with Dale Jr retiring after the 2017 season and I think he will do just fine for the 88 in 2018 and beyond. He is a talented enough kid with a bright future. He may not be contending for top 5 finishes every week or even top 10 finishes some weeks. But he will be in the ballpark. This isn't a rookie driver after all. He has experience in these cars previously, so this isn't new to him. I think he will fair better than what a lot of people are saying about him. At Atlanta, I think he is a top 15 driver entering the weekend. He will have a chance to prove himself this weekend. This is your opportunity Alex, now go and get it.

***All stats are from DriverAverages.com and FantasyRacinCheatSheet.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans18

2018 Fantasy Nascar RaceDay Thoughts (Daytona)

Welcome to TimersSports

RaceDay Thoughts -

Jeff Nathans (@JeffNathans18):

- Man, we are gonna be in a nutty race. I swear, I don't think any of us really know what a shitshow we gonna see today

- The Fords are strong

- Joey Logano has a knack for finishing well in the Daytona 500 in the last 5 years. That is good news for the Joey's believers

- Good luck, you are gonna need it

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza):

- This track always get me nervous and excited at the same time. I cannot be alone there!

- There are a lot of really good drivers that aren't the heavy favorites who could realistically win. Such as Blaney, Dillon, Stenhouse Jr, Elliott, etc off top of my head

- I believe either Hamlin, Keselowski or Logano will end up winning the Daytona 500. I don't know why, but that is what my gut telling me. I wouldn't mind a underdog winning though

- Have fun today and enjoy the race. The disappoint at Daytona is a foregone conclusion

Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet Game -

Jeff's Picks - 22, 3, 17, 34

Matt's Picks - 11,3, 14, 34

Dark Horse -

Jeff's Pick - Clint Bowyer

Matt's Pick - Clint Bowyer

Winner -

Jeff's Pick - Joey Logano 

Matt's Pick - Denny Hamlin 

2018 Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Dark Horses (Daytona)

Welcome to TimersSports

It is nice to get back into the swing of things here in 2018. For me, the offseason went a lot quicker for me than in recent seasons. Regardless, it is good to be looking up Fantasy Nascar stats again for a race. Sleepers and Dark Horses is a very critical and important aspect in Fantasy Nascar. What does these terms mean exactly? Great question. A lot of people have the misconception that they are interchangeable terms. They aren't. They are two different things.

Sleepers are associated with value. Usually sleepers are drivers who are under the radar. They get tagged with that extra value because they generally get overlooked. Which means if things pans out, you will get them at a reduced price. And that is the exact goal when selecting these drivers. Sleepers are headed gems that nobody else has located. Be careful though. Sleepers have a tendency to have a higher risk of backfiring. I can tell you from experience.

Like sleepers, the dark horses aren't expected to win but we wouldn't be too shocked if they did though. Dark Horses are about the potential. They are usually drivers who has stabilized themselves as threats and that can challenge for a win or at least have a strong run. So do you understand the differences? Sleepers are to do with value and dark horses based on high potential. Simple enough, right?

Alright, let's get things rolling!

Sleepers -

 Michael McDowell - McDowell is far from the first driver that we think of at the plate tracks, but his numbers has been incredibly good over the past couple seasons though. In his last four Daytona races, he has finished 15th or better in all four races. In six of his last eight races at Daytona, he has finished 15th or better overall. In one of the two races he finished bad, he had mechanical failure in July 2013 event. For whatever reason, he just seems to finish well at Daytona. Considering he won't get much consideration in most formats, it might be a good idea to grab this nice hidden gem. He tend to stay out of trouble and usually a good bet to keep his equipment in good shape.

AJ Dinger - The Dinger isn't the first driver or a lot of in people top 20 drivers when we come to the plate races. But you wanna know something? I used him in at least one of my fantasy leagues in last season's plate races. And I was pretty happy with my results.Especially here at Daytona. So much, I plan to do it again. It may be some really crazy luck involved, but that is the name of the game sometimes. In last season's races at Daytona, he had 2 top 10 finishes in 2 races. Over his last 6 races at Daytona, he's posted 6 straight top 21 finishes. He may not run up front at the plate tracks, but for whatever reason he always seems to be there when it matters. He has good enough finishes at the plate tracks since the 2014 season. Good enough when I am willing to gamble on him.

Aric Almirola - Almirola is one of the most underrated plate racers in the series at Daytona. For whatever reason, he almost always seem to find ways to survive the big one at these plate tracks. No driver is complete safe, but history is on Aric's side. In 5 of his last 6 races at Daytona, Aric has finished in the top 15. In 4 of his last 5 Daytona 500s, he has finished in the top 15 as well. I know a lot of people aren't gonna jump on the Aric bandwagon, but I have been on it for the past two seasons. And things have worked out pretty damn good so far. I will probably add him to a few of my fantasy games.

Dark Horses -

Austin Dillon - Dillon is one of the best plate racers in the series. He is someone that could easily go to victory lane. His success in the #3 car is pretty impressive. Last season, he had two finishes outside of the top 15 for the first time since coming a full-time driver. In last season's races at Daytona, he had finishes of 19th and 36th. From February 2014 through July 2016 (6 races), he had 8.5 average finish, 16.5 average running position and 82.6 driver rating. During those 6 races, he had 5 top 10 finishes. His lone non-top 10 finish? 14th in February 2015. He may not perform quite as well as the top drivers in the series during the event, however he has a knack for finishing up there though.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Stenhouse Jr has proven in recent seasons that he is one of the best plate racers in the series. We don't expect him to win again like he did twice in 2017, but I wouldn't be surprised about it, either. I kinda see him more of a dark horse pick as he not quite there at the top with some of the other drivers like Keselowski, Hamlin or Busch who has clearly stabilized themselves as the clear-cut guys to beat. Stenhouse Jr is part of that next group of drivers probably though. I think the biggest thing that will scare people away from Stenhouse Jr is his numbers at the Daytona 500. He doesn't have a finish in the top 20 over his last three Daytona 500 races. His best finish in those three races are 22nd place in 2016. Prior to those three races, he had three finishes in the top 20 in his first three Daytona 500 starts though. Stenhouse Jr's skillset on the plate tracks will always give him a chance to finish well, regardless of what the numbers say. I really do believe that!

Joey Logano - It is hard to say that Logano is a dark horse pick, with his already superstar status. But it is also hard to say that he is a favorite. Especially after the year he is coming off, missing the Nascar playoffs for the first time since joining Penske. And his numbers at Daytona is ridiculous! And his Daytona 500 numbers are even better. Over his last 6 Daytona 500 races, he has finished 11th or better in five of those races. He haven't finished worse than 11th place since the 2013 season. He finished 19th in 2013 and that finish is his only worse than 11th. As you can see, Joey is very good at the Daytona 500. He just have a knack for showing up in the big moments. I wouldn't mind taking a shot with Joey Logano. In my opinion, he is gonna be under people radars. Especially with guys like Hamlin, Keselowski, Elliott, Busch, etc taking the spotlight.

Clint Bowyer -  Bowyer has crazy good numbers in Daytona. In his last 10 races at this 2.5 mile track, he has posted 6 Top 10 finishes. He leads the series in top 10 and top 15 finishes overall. In fact, Bowyer all 7 top 15 are actually all in the top 11. Bad news? His numbers at the Daytona 500 are pretty noticeable off. In his last 4 Daytona 500 races, he has 3 finishes of 32nd or worse. I still love Clint as a fantasy pick. He is a very skillful plate racer and could easily sneak into victory lane. But like the other 39 drivers on Sunday, he will need to have a lot of luck on his side.

***All stats are from DriverAverages.com and FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

Have a question or want to chat?

Email - briggs_garry48@yahoo.com

Twitter - @Garryy12