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Fantasy NASCAR NASCAR Fantasy Live

NASCAR FANTASY LIVE PICKS, 2015 MARTINSVILLE, GOODY’S HEADACHE RELIEF SHOT 500

Now that the stress and excitement of a playoff restrictor plate track race is over, NASCAR has its last short track of the season at Martinsville Speedway. From a Fantasy Live perspective, your goal should be to capture the laps led statistic this week due to the extra laps. My recommendation would be to front-load your lineup with the three drivers who are still Chase eligible. The bottom two spots should be the two best available budget options.

If you are behind in the standings, this is a good opportunity to swing for the fences. If an under-the-radar driver dominates the race, then you can shoot up the standings. If you are near the top of the standings, I would recommend taking the more conservative lineup below.

Since the playoffs have started, there is no driver with more momentum than Joey Logano. Through 31 races in 2015, Logano’s average finish position of 7.9 is the best of any driver. Earlier this season at Martinsville, Logano led 108 laps on his way to a 3rd place finish. With three top-10 finishes over the last five races at the track, the #22 team will likely stay competitive this week. Logano has seen success on flat tracks this season. In nine races for this track type, Logano has enjoyed seven top-5 finishes and the 2nd most laps led of any driver on flat tracks this season. My only concern with Logano is that he may have lost some friends after spinning Kenseth at Kansas, but this is not enough of a reason to keep him off of my roster.

The next roster recommendation has been a consistent choice on my roster this season. Kevin Harvick has 20 top-5 finishes already in 2015. Over the recent weeks, he seems to be running in the top-5, but is not claiming the same laps led and fast lap points that he earned earlier this season. In the March race, Harvick led 154 laps on his way to a 7th place finish. Over the last five Martinsville races, Harvick has three top-10 finishes and a 13th place average finish position. Harvick has led 772 laps in nine flat track races this season, good for the most in the series. I do not know if Harvick will be the driver who takes the checker this week, but I think he will be near the front and not harm my roster. After a controversial Talladega finish, I expect the #4 team to be have a high chance for fantasy relevance this week.

Originally, I had Denny Hamlin as the third option due to his victory earlier this year. Instead, I want a Chase eligible driver for the third spot. About half-way through the season, I decided not to put Jeff Gordon on my roster in every circumstance. Now, he has advanced to the playoffs, and Martinsville is one of his best tracks. Gordon has a 5th place average finish position over his last five races at the tracking, including earning one grandfather clock during this time span. Earlier this year, he finished a modest 9th place. Although he only maintains a 15th place average in 2015 races, Gordon has an excellent chance for success this week.

With a front-loaded lineup, there was limited cap space for the final two spots. David Ragan finished 5th in the March race with Kyle Busch’s equipment. He maintains a 23rd place average finish position over the last five Martinsville races. His average finish position at flat racks is better than other track types. Ragan should outperform his value this week. Tentatively, the 5th roster spot is set for Matt DiBenedetto. Although he only finished in 31st earlier this season, his team usually performs adequately enough not to damage your roster spot. In the 28 races he started in 2015, DiBenedetto has a 31st place average. As always, make sure to watch qualifying to determine which budget options to use. I would recommend chasing after a driver who can get start-to-finish differential. There should be some close racing this week. A driver who qualifies 43rd can benefit from the DNFs that are likely to accommodate the race.

FANTASY NASCAR LIVE SALARY CAP

Fantasy Live on nascar.com uses a scoring system that combines fast laps, laps led, finish position, and start-to-finish differential. In order to prevent us from starting the five best drivers every week, Fantasy Live uses a salary cap format. Our formula first calculates the average number of points earned by each driver over the last five Martinsville races. Next, we divide that number by the Fantasy Live salary cap figure to determine which drivers provide value. I have a tendency to avoid drivers who are eliminated from the Chase. For this reason, I will not have Jimmie Johnson on my roster. However, he has the most Fantasy Live points of any driver at Martinsville. We will use his numbers to further illustrate our formula.

JIMMIE JOHNSON AT MARTINSVILLE

  • Average finish position last five Martinsville races: 15th equals 29 Fantasy Live points
  • Start-to-finish differential: Negative 11.2 equals (-11.2) Fantasy Live points
  • Laps led: 765 equals 76.5 Fantasy Live points
  • Fast laps: 239 equals 23.9 Fantasy Live points
  • Total Fantasy Live points earned by race: 118.2
  • Fantasy Live Salary Cap Figure: $24.75
  • Fantasy Live points per dollar: 118.2 divided by $24.75 equals 4.78 points per dollar

Below you will find the Fantasy Live points per driver for each driver in Martinsville. Make sure to front-load your lineup this week and set your lineups after qualifying.

GROUP A ($25.00 or higher)

  • Jimmie Johnson 4.78
  • Jeff Gordon 3.36
  • Matt Kenseth 3.24
  • Denny Hamlin 2.57
  • Kevin Harvick 2.26
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2.03
  • Joey Logano 1.99
  • Kyle Busch 1.71
  • Carl Edwards 1.15
  • Kurt Busch 1.14
  • Brad Keselowski 1.10

GROUP B ($20.00 – $24.99)

  • Clint Bowyer 3.10
  • Aric Almirola 1.76
  • Jamie McMurray 1.57
  • Kasey Kahne 1.54
  • Paul Menard 1.28
  • Martin Truex Jr. 0.76
  • Ryan Newman 0.40
  • Kyle Larson 0.11

GROUP C ($15.00 – $19.99)

  • Greg Biffle 2.31
  • Austin Dillon 1.58
  • Sam Hornish Jr. 1.16

GROUP D ($10.00 – $14.99)

  • Trevor Bayne 3.02
  • Tony Stewart 2.47
  • Danica Patrick 2.50
  • Cole Whitt 2.30
  • Casey Mears 1.94
  • AJ Allmendinger 1.53
  • Justin Allgaier 1.43
  • Ricky Stenhouse 0.49

GROUP E ($9.99 or lower)

  • Kyle Fowler 6.00
  • JJ Yeley 3.89
  • Jeb Burton 3.60
  • Landon Cassill 3.46
  • Matt DiBenedetto 3.33
  • Michael Annett 3.31
  • Alex Kennedy 3.17
  • Brett Moffitt 3.00
  • David Gilliland 2.97
  • David Ragan 2.01
  • Alex Bowman 1.13
  • Timmy Hill 0.21
Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2015 Martinsville Speedway, Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500

The field is set for the third round of the Chase, but not with some controversy involved. Kevin Harvick was involved in a wreck with Trevor Bayne on the final restart of the race and the result is Kevin moves on to the next round. The problem occurred when the #4 car couldn’t get up to speed on the restart and the #6 tried to pass Kevin on the outside. It appears that the #4 car drifted up the track a little and caught the rear quarter panel on the Bayne machine causing him to spin and the caution to come out freezing the field.

I for one really don’t have any problem with what happened no matter if it was on purpose or was just an accident. There is so much blocking going on during the whole race, one more incident shouldn’t make any difference. Back in 2009, Carl Edwards tried to block Brad Keselowski at the end of this race and the result was Edwards getting spun and Brad winning his first race. I’m going to say that there is no fault on any of the drivers parts as NASCAR writes the rule book and there is no rule about blocking. Because of this controversy this rule might change in the near future.

GOODY’S HEADACHE RELIEF SHOT 500

We go from the longest to the shortest track as the third round of the Chase will start at Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville is a .526 mile flat oval with a narrow pit road and pits that go all the way around the track. Qualifying is extremely important at this track for just this reason. The better you qualify the better pit box you can choose and that can be the difference between winning and losing at this track. Start towards the back of the field and the leaders will be right behind you in no time.

Jeff Gordon: I am picking Jeff to keep his chances alive for a championship in his final season in NASCAR. I think he will pick up his first win of the season and qualify for the final race of the season at Homestead. Jeff has eight wins at this track and this team has been running consistently well lately. He also has twenty-eight top five finishes in forty-five starts at this track and that is very impressive.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie also has eight wins here and eighteen top five finishes in twenty-seven starts. This team has struggled the second half of the season, but this is a track where they can get back to victory lane and start building some momentum for next season. They might give Jeff a break late in the race as they are already out of the Chase and Jeff is a teammate who is in his final season.

Denny Hamlin: After a disappointing week at Talladega that knocked Denny out of the Chase because of a broken latch on his roof hatch caused this team to lose two laps when they pitted twice to fix the issue even though NASCAR didn’t black flag them which they claim was a miscommunication, this team will be looking for redemption. They have five wins at this track and ten top five finishes in nineteen starts here.

Joey Logano: Joey is the hottest driver in NASCAR right now winning the last three races and sweeping the second round of the Chase. He is still looking for his first win at this track, but he has three straight top five finishes here. That tells me this team knows what they need to do to start towards the front and stay towards the front at this track.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Dale won this race last year and has finished in the top five here in twelve of his thirty-one starts. After coming so close to winning the race at Talladega last week and advancing to this round of the Chase, this team is disappointed, but they will still come to the track and try to win races. I think they have done a lot to improve themselves on all types of tracks this season and that is a good stepping stone for next year.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has one win at this track and has finished in the top ten here in thirteen of his twenty-eight starts. No matter what kind of controversy they were involved in last week at Talladega they will put that behind them and continue to defend their championship. This team is going to be dangerous in every race for the rest of the season.

Brad Keselowski: Brad is another driver looking for his first win at Martinsville, but he has finished in the top ten in six of his eleven start here. This team really runs well on these short flat tracks and should have a car capable of giving them a shot at their first win here. This team never counts themselves out no matter how dismal things might look. I attribute this to the driver and crew-chief trusting each other in all aspects of racing.

Kyle Busch: Kyle fought his way through the second round to just squeak into the top eight in the standings and keep his championship hopes alive. Kyle is still looking for his first win at this track although he has eight top five finishes in twenty starts here. His biggest disadvantage this week is that he missed the spring race here while he was recovering from a broken foot and leg. All of the other drivers in the Chase put in a lot of laps that weekend that Kyle didn’t get to.

Martin Truex Jr.: This will be the telling race for Martin during the Chase. This is the track on the Chase schedule where he has struggled for most of his career. He has only two top five finishes and five top ten finishes in nineteen starts at this track. This team needs to do their best and avoid making mistakes that will drop them further in the field. Maintain this week and then shoot for two really good race in the next couple of weeks.

Carl Edwards: Carl is another driver who has struggled at Talladega during his career with only one top five and five top ten finishes in twenty-two starts here. He stated after the Talladega race that he is looking forward to going to Martinsville as both Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth have given him some good advice on how to get around this track with the speed he will need to finish in the top ten this weekend.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Jeff Gordon
  • Denny Hamlin

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Clint Bowyer
  • Jamie McMurray
  • Casey Mears
  • Kyle Larson

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Danica Patrick
  • Justin Allgaier

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

  1. Jeff Gordon
  2. Denny Hamlin
  3. Jimmie Johnson
  4. Joey Logano
  5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dark Horse: Kyle Larson

Stay Away From: Carl Edwards

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR NASCAR Fantasy Live

NASCAR FANTASY LIVE PICKS, 2015 TALLADEGA, CAMPINGWORLD500.COM

With one more race remaining in the second round of the Chase, NASCAR returns to eastern Alabama for the second time this season. Restrictor plate tracks are a challenge at this time in the season because there is so much on the line. This track type requires vehicles to be close to each other and usually results in a major wreck involving half of the field. Determining who will lead laps is challenging, and it is rare that one driver will stay out front for very long.

Because moving forward and backwards through the field is constant, the best advice for Fantasy Live is to start drivers who qualify at the back of the field and take advantage of pass differential.

One look at the value totals for the budget drivers will show the value available with budget options. This is the best opportunity to gain on the competition, so take chances this week. The suggested drivers below are the preliminary roster suggestions until qualifying. Check back in the comments after qualifying for additional roster advice and hope your team misses “the big one”.

The driver who is a clear choice for restrictor plate tracks in Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior won the May race and led 67 laps. In three restrictor plate races in 2015, Earnhardt Jr. has a 1.7 average finish position and two wins. In these three races, the 88 car has led the most laps and has spend 98% of his laps in the top-15. His history of staying at the front of the field may keep him in front of the inevitable big wreck during the race. In his last five Talladega races, Junior has an average finish position of 15.4 and has led the 3rd most laps of any driver. Expect Dale Earnhardt Jr. to find his way on many lineups; he is not a great options for those needing to gain points in their leagues. My biggest concern is that he needs to win to advance and may take unnecessary risks to try to earn an automatic qualifier.

Due to having the 10th best average finish position of drivers in 2015, I debated the next roster decision. The numbers were too much in the driver’s favor at the track, and I decided to recommend Jimmie Johnson based on track numbers. Jimmie Johnson finished 2nd in the May race and has a 3rd place average in three restrictor plate tracks this year. He has led the most laps of any driver over the last five Talladega races. He has also stayed at the front of the field with 90% of his laps in the top-15. Johnson is not as clear of a roster pick as Junior, and he may be a key to gaining on your competition as he stays under the radar. Johnson is not Chase eligible, but he will still make every effort to win this week’s race. His restrictor plate success is enough to consider him for your roster.

Paul Menard finished in 3rd during the May race and is a sneaky pick for your roster. Although no long Chase eligible, the 27 car has a 15th place average finish position in three restrictor plate races in 2015. Seventy-eight percent of his laps has been in the top-15. Like other drivers, I am hoping that will keep him in front of the big wreck. Over the last five Talladega races, Menard has a 15th place average finish position and three top-10 finishes. With only an 18th place average finish position in 2015, Menard will stay under the radar of many rosters and could be a good play.

Adding Menard to the roster enables additional salary cap to be allocated to the final two roster spots. Casey Mears has a 15th place average finish position for three restrictor plate races in 2015. He did not find much success earlier this year in Talladega and finished 28th. Mears has a 22nd place average so far in 2015, and his salary cap figure is low. David Gilliland finished 20th in the May race. I am slightly fantasy biased against Gilliland because he has a tendency of finishing poorly whenever he has found my roster. Nonetheless, Gilliland has two top-10 finishes in his last five Talladega races and outperforms his average finish position on this track. He will probably be bumped, however, for the lowest qualifier.

FANTASY NASCAR LIVE SALARY CAP

Fantasy Live on nascar.com uses a scoring system that combines laps led, fast laps, finish position, and start-to-finish differential. In order to prevent us from starting the top drivers every week, Fantasy Live uses a salary cap format. Our formula calculates the average number of Fantasy Live points earned by each driver over the last five Talladega races. Next, we divide that number by the driver’s salary cap figure to determine which drivers provide value at a track. For the first time since early in the season, Kevin Harvick is off my roster. We will use his numbers over the past five Talladega races to further illustrate the formula.

KEVIN HARVICK AT TALLADEGA

  • Average finish position last five Talladega races: 15.2 equals 28.8 Fantasy Live points
  • Start-to-finish differential: Plus 10.4 equals 10.4 Fantasy Live points
  • Laps led: 19 equals 1.9 Fantasy Live points
  • Fast laps: 17 equals 1.7 Fantasy Live points
  • Fantasy Live points per race: 42.8
  • Salary Cap figure: $28.75
  • Fantasy points per dollar: 42.8 divided by $28.75 equals 1.49 points per dollar

It is important to check on qualifying before setting your roster this week. Once again, this is a week to take risks as the upcoming tracks may not provide you with the same opportunities to gain points on your competition. Below are the Fantasy Live points per dollar for each driver in the series:

GROUP A ($25.00 or higher)

  • Jimmie Johnson 1.87
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1.75
  • Kevin Harvick 1.49
  • Matt Kenseth 1.43
  • Denny Hamlin 1.08
  • Kurt Busch 1.04
  • Kyle Busch 0.91
  • Carl Edwards 0.67
  • Joey Logano 0.64
  • Brad Keselowski 0.61

GROUP B ($20.00 – $24.99)

  • Clint Bowyer 1.97
  • Martin Truex Jr. 1.65
  • Paul Menard 1.60
  • Jamie McMurray 1.43
  • Ryan Newman 1.30
  • Kyle Larson 1.25
  • Aric Almirola 1.08
  • Jeff Gordon 0.80
  • Kasey Kahne 0.60

GROUP C ($15.00 – $19.99)

  • Sam Hornish Jr. 2.98
  • Greg Biffle 1.46

GROUP D ($10.00 – $14.99)

  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 3.62
  • Justin Allgaier 3.26
  • Cole Whitt 3.17
  • Bobby Labonte 2.65
  • Michael Waltrip 2.55
  • AJ Allmendinger 2.31
  • Ryan Blaney 1.49
  • Danica Patrick 1.30
  • Casey Mears 1.28
  • Austin Dillon 1.19
  • Tony Stewart 0.41
  • Trevor Bayne (-0.34)

GROUP E ($9.99 or lower)

  • Matt DiBenedetto 7.13
  • Travis Kvapil 6.38
  • Josh Wise 6.10
  • Landon Cassill 5.14
  • JJ Yeley 4.63
  • David Gilliland 4.36
  • Michael Annett 2.57
  • Alex Bowman 2.44
  • David Ragan 2.40
  • Michael McDowell 1.75
  • Timmy Hill 0.84
Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2015 Talladega Superspeedway, CampingWorld500.com at Talladega

Congratulations to Joey Logano for winning the first two races of the second round of the Chase. Very tough luck for Matt Kenseth who was trying to hang on for a win after a disappointing finish at Charlotte the week before, Joey was too fast for him late in the race and it looked like Matt got spun trying to block Joey and pick up the win himself.

CAMPINGWORLD500.COM AT TALLADEGA

This week the series heads to Talladega and the biggest wild card of the Chase. This restrictor-plate track gives any team on the track the chance to win a race and there are some teams who are in the Chase that need to win this race or wait until next year to try for another championship.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Sitting thirty-one points out of eight position in the points, Dale almost has to win this race to move on to the next round of the Chase. If you were going to pick any driver to win a race at Talladega, Dale would be the one. With six wins at this track in his career and one of them coming this spring, Dale is the driver that I think could get the job done this weekend and I think he will.

Jeff Gordon: Jeff also has six wins at this track throughout his career and is smart enough to know that all he needs to do this week is stay out of trouble. However, at Talladega, staying out of trouble is easier said than done. I think Jeff will finish this race right where he needs to be and make it to the next round of the Chase.

Matt Kenseth: Matt really needs to win this race move to the next round. At thirty-five points out of eighth place and having three other drivers in front of him for the eighth spot, Matt doesn’t have any other choice. He won this race in 2012 and finished second last year. With the equipment and the teammates he has I think he still has somewhat of a chance this week even if it is a long shot.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has always been very good at Talladega even though he is still looking for his first win here. In twenty-nine start, Kurt has six top five and fourteen top ten finishes at this track. All Kurt needs to do to move to the next round is stay out of trouble and he keeps his hopes alive for a shot at his second career championship.

Kyle Busch: Kyle has won one race at Talladega in his career. This is going to be one of the most nerve wracking weeks and races in his career. Kyle currently sits in ninth place only six points out of the eight place position that he needs to move to the next round. The question is, can he be patient enough to stay out of trouble and come away with a good enough position to gain those six points and move on.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin had to win the last race of the first round to keep his chances of defending his championship from last season alive and he did just that. Now all he has to do is stay out of trouble and he will make it to the third round. I think this team is good enough to know what they need to do and confident enough not to get to excited until late in the race.

Ryan Newman: Ryan is currently in tenth place, eight points out of the eighth place spot in the standings. Hardly anyone gave this team a chance to win the championship last season and no one really has given this team a chance once again this season. I think Ryan will be patient early in this race and try to stay out of trouble and then he will do what he has to do late in the race to try to position himself to make the next round without winning a race again.

Brad Keselowski: Brad already has three wins at this track in his short career. He doesn’t need a win this weekend to move on and that might be the toughest thing for him to overcome. Brad loves to race for wins and it might be tough for this team to just try to stay out of trouble and come away with an average finish and keep their hopes alive.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • Brad Keselowski

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Jamie McMurray
  • Clint Bowyer
  • Aric Almirola
  • Austin Dillon

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Danica Patrick
  • Justin Allgaier

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

  1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  2. Brad Keselowski
  3. Jeff Gordon
  4. Matt Kenseth
  5. Denny Hamlin

Dark Horse: Casey Mears

Stay Away From: Kasey Kahne

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR NASCAR Fantasy Live

NASCAR FANTASY LIVE PICKS, 2015 KANSAS, HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400

With the first race of the second round of the playoffs in the books, the second leg in Kansas offers different strategies for the teams remaining in the Chase. With the unpredictable nature of a restrictor plate tracking looming, teams will feel a lot of pressure to finish near the front of the field this week. You should front-load your lineup, and your roster decisions should reflect your standings in your league.

If you want to take a risk, take a driver like Kenseth or Junior who are behind in the standings. If you are near the top and want to minimize your risk, take Harvick or Carl Edwards since they will try to play it safe. There are only a few weeks left this season, and you need to make a push for the top of your lineup right now.

As a mainstay in my lineup, I will keep Kevin Harvick as the first driver in my lineup. In the May race, Harvick led 53 laps on his way to a 2nd place finish. He has seen success at the track recently, with three top-5 finishes in his last five Kansas races. His 371 laps led and 178 fast laps over the same stretch are good for best in the series. On large oval tracks in 2015, Harvick has seven top-10 finishes and the most laps led of any driver. Through 26 races in 2015, Harvick has seen 17 top-5 finishes and has led the most laps of any driver. With a combination of track success, track type success, and 2015 success, Harvick has a high probability for success in Kansas. Given his current standings in the playoffs, I expect the #4 team to have a conservative approach to the race. This will benefit lineups that are near the top of the standings.

Another driver who has helped fantasy NASCAR lineups to the top of the standings this season is Joey Logano. Logano ended up finishing 5th in the Kansas earlier this season, leading a handful of laps during the race. With four top-5 finishes in his last five Kansas races, starting Logano has a high probability to bring you success this week. In large oval tracks this year, Logano has eight top-10 finishes in nine races of this track type. After 26 races, Logano has passed Harvick for the best average finish position in the series in 2015. With 15 top-5 finishes and the 2nd most laps led in the series, Logano has been one of the most consistent drivers in the series. My only concern with Logano is that the team may take some risks now that they have qualified to the next round of the playoffs.

The third lineup recommendation started the season hot and cooled off slightly as the season continues. He joins my lineup due to his performance in Kansas earlier this season. Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps in the May race en route to a 9th place finish. Truex Jr. reminds me of Kenseth earlier in the season when it seems like he is always running in 9th place. While this is a good run by NASCAR standards, it does no benefit to a scoring system that rewards points for laps led and fast laps. Truex Jr. has three top-5 finishes in his last five Kansas races. He has the 10th best average finish position in 2015 and boasts 16 top-10 finishes through 26 races. I will keep an eye on practice and qualifying, and I am hoping the #78 team repeats their performance earlier this season. Truex needs another solid finish to remain in contention in the playoffs, and I expect a conservative setup from their team as well.

Sometimes recommending budget drivers can be challenging. This week, two drivers stood out from the pack. Michael Annett, due to his low salary cap number, has a tendency to show up at the bottom of my roster. I am usually rewarded with modest numbers that do not help or hurt me. Annett finished 23rd in the May race and has a 24th place average finish position at the track through three attempts. These numbers outperform his 2015 average finish position of 33.4. If Annett comes near his average, you will benefit from having him in your lineup. Matt DiBenedetto finished 25th place in the May Race with a plus-ten start-to-finish differential. This finish outperforms his value and is worth a risk at the bottom of your roster.

FANTASY NASCAR LIVE SALARY CAP

Fantasy Live uses a scoring system that combines fast laps, laps led, finish position, and start-to-finish differential. In order to prevent us from starting the best drivers each week, Fantasy Live uses a salary cap format. Our formula calculates the average points earned per race over the last five Kansas races. Next, we divide the average points by the salary figure for each driver to determine which drivers are likely to provide the most value this week. Jimmie Johnson won the Kansas race, but only led a handful of laps and missed the cut-off for my roster. As a consolation prize, we will use his numbers over the last five Kansas races to further illustrate the formula.

JIMMIE JOHNSON AT KANSAS

  • Average finish position last five Kansas races: 11.8 equals 32.2 Fantasy Live Points
  • Start-to-finish differential: Plus six equals 6 Fantasy Live points
  • Laps led: 49 equals 4.9 Fantasy Live points
  • Fast laps: 91 equals 9.1 Fantasy Live points
  • Average points per race: 52.2
  • Fantasy Live salary cap figure: $25.25
  • Fantasy Live points per race: 52.2 divided by $25.25 equals 2.07 points per dollar

Below are the points per race for each driver over the last five Kansas races. Please use this as a tool to give to an edge as the season winds down.

GROUP A ($25.00 or higher)

  • Kevin Harvick 3.22
  • Matt Kenseth 2.54
  • Joey Logano 2.31
  • Jeff Gordon 2.21
  • Jimmie Johnson 2.07
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1.65
  • Brad Keselowski 1.44
  • Carl Edwards 1.39
  • Denny Hamlin 0.71
  • Kyle Busch 0.48

GROUP B ($20.00 – $24.99)

  • Martin Truex Jr. 2.37
  • Kyle Larson 2.28
  • Kasey Kahne 2.08
  • Paul Menard 1.65
  • Clint Bowyer 1.38
  • Aric Almirola 1.33
  • Ryan Newman 1.16
  • Jamie McMurray 1.02
  • Kurt Busch 0.99

GROUP C ($15.00 – $19.99)

  • Greg Biffle 1.42
  • Sam Hornish Jr. 0.47

GROUP D ($10.00 – $14.99)

  • AJ Allmendinger 2.49
  • Austin Dillon 2.30
  • Danica Patrick 1.70
  • Cole Whitt 1.69
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1.65
  • Casey Mears 1.53
  • Trevor Bayne 0.91
  • Ryan Blaney 0.84
  • Tony Stewart 0.65
  • Justin Allgaier (-0.73)

GROUP E ($9.99 or lower)

  • Michael Annett 6.77
  • Matt DiBenedetto 3.87
  • Timmy HIll 3.10
  • Landon Cassill 2.75
  • Reed Sorenson 2.62
  • JJ Yeley 2.28
  • Brett Moffitt 2.21
  • David Gilliland 2.18
  • Reed Sorenson 2.00 *
  • Brian Scott 1.03 *
  • David Ragan 1.01
  • Alex Bowman 0.71
  • Jeb Burton (1.40)

* Driver has no track data, and we are using his 2015 numbers.