Fantasy NASCAR Blog

Congratulations to Kevin Harvick who picked up his first win of the season this past weekend at New Hampshire. He is now guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and received five playoff points to go with the win. Denny Hamlin had the dominant car on the day and tried everything he could to get by Harvick on the last lap including bumping him a couple of times, but he couldn’t quite get the job done.

GANDER RV 400

This week the series heads back to the Pocono Raceway for the running of the Gander RV 400. This is a triangular track with three different configurations in each of the corners which makes it very tough on the crew chiefs to set up the cars correctly. Add to that the fact there is always the threat of rain in the Pocono Mountains, so you never know what the track is going to be like as the weekend progresses.

Kyle Busch: I am going to pick Kyle to win once again this weekend. He has won three of the last four races he has run at this track including the last two. He is hungry for another win and a chance to pick up more playoff points as we close in on the start of those ten races.

Martin Truex Jr.: Martin was the last driver to win before Kyle won the last two races. He has won two of the last nine races he has run at this track and lead laps in six of those races. He always seems to run very well at this track.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin had a streak of five straight top five finishes snapped here in June and after winning this past weekend in New Hampshire this team is looking to go on a run heading towards the playoffs. We have seen it many times over the past few season where this team has put together winning streaks and this is the time to do it if you can.

Brad Keselowski: Brad has an even more impressive run going than Kevin has. He has finished in the top five in seven of his last eight starts. He will be a great driver to have on your team and will help you save some starts from the Big Three this week. He will be a contender once again this weekend.

Erik Jones: Erik has only run five races at Pocono, but he has three top five and four top ten finishes in those starts. He also ran very well at New Hampshire last week on another flat track and we have seen that the Gibbs drivers have shown speed this year and you need that on the long straightaways at this track.

Ryan Blaney: Ryan had a pretty good run last week also and won the June race here in 2017. On tracks where you need speed we know the Gibbs and Penske drivers have been the best so far this year followed by the Stewart-Haas teams. If he can stay out of early trouble this week he should be a contender at the end.

Denny Hamlin: Let’s not forget about Denny. After almost coming away with a win and now heading to Pocono this team will have a lot of confidence when they get to the track. Denny won four of his first nine starts at this track, but hasn’t won since the last of those back in the 2010 season. However, this team has really looked good on the flat tracks all year and should have a shot at returning to victory lane at this track.

Chase Elliott: Chase has only run seven races at this track and has come away with six top ten finishes. He has shown that he can win on road courses and sometimes Pocono can run a little bit like one of those tracks because of the three different configurations in the corners. My concern would be the speed on the straightaways, but the Hendrick teams have shown a bit more lately.

Daniel Suarez: Daniel is another young driver who doesn’t have a lot of experience at Pocono. However, in five starts he has three top ten finishes including a runner up finish in the July race last year. This team is hard to predict right now as they haven’t really shown any consistency, but he is worth having on your roster and might be able to save you some starts on some of your other drivers.

William Byron: William is my dark horse this week. Even though he only has three starts at this track he has finished in the top ten in each of the last two. He has really been running pretty well lately and he is another driver you can put on your roster and start if he runs well in practices and qualifying this week.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR POCONO RACEWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Kyle Busch
• Brad Keselowski

Driver Group Game Group B

• Denny Hamlin
• Ryan Blaney
• Daniel Suarez
• William Byron

Driver Group Game Group C

• Daniel Hemric
• Michael McDowell

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT POCONO RACEWAY

1. Kyle Busch
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Kevin Harvick

Dark Horse: William Byron

Stay Away From: Aric Almirola

Big 18: Brad Keselowski

We now have nineteen races in the books which means we only have seven more to go before the playoffs start. Kurt Busch cemented his spot in those playoffs with his first victory of the season on Saturday night in Kentucky. There are only eight drivers in the series who have wins that has them qualified for the playoffs and that means there will be at least one driver who gets in on points, but I’m guessing it is going to be at least six and very likely eight. It is very tight for those last few spots, so these last seven races are really important to those drivers who are on the edge.

FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO 301

This week the series heads to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, also known as “The Magic Mile”, for the running of the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301. This track is just slightly longer than a one-mile oval with minimal banking in the corners. Some of the other interesting facts are that Ryan Newman has won the most poles here with seven, and Denny Hamlin has the best average finish of any driver at this track.

Kyle Busch: I am picking Kyle to win the race this week at New Hampshire. He won this race in the fall of 2017 and finished second here last July. In fact he has finished either first or second in six of his last eleven starts at this track and the way he has been running all season it is hard to see him not being a contender this weekend again.

Martin Truex Jr.: I really thought Martin would have a good car last weekend even after he didn’t practice well and that didn’t happen. I’m sure I’m not the only one disappointed in his results and this team will be chomping at the bit to get back on a track where he has been very good as of late. He has led more laps in the last three races here than any other driver and came away with top ten finishes in each of those races winning the first stage in each as well.

Kyle Larson: Kyle has looked much better lately and this is one of those tracks where he runs very well most of the time. In his nine starts here he has finished runner up three times including two of his last three starts here. This might be the week to take a shot with him on your roster if you need to make up some ground in your league or want to save some starts for some of your other drivers.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin is another driver who I’m sure is very disappointed in his finish last week at Kentucky and even though he will most likely make the playoffs on points he is probably pressing a little bit to get a win. This is a good track for him as he won this race last year and has won two of the last four run at this track. Look for him to contend if his pit crew can keep him track position for him this week.

Clint Bowyer: Clint has run much better this season and this is one of the tracks he really excels on. He scored points in each of the first two stages last season before having an accident later in the race which knocked him out of that race. I think he is someone to keep your eye on this weekend as he should run with the lead pack most of the day.

Kurt Busch: Last week’s winner has three career wins at this track and has momentum on his side. He struggled here a bit in his first bunch of seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, but finished in the top ten in three of his last four starts with them. The question is will he struggle with his new team at this track, or will he be able to come away with another of those top ten finishes and try to make it two wins in a row?

Denny Hamlin: As I mentioned before, Denny has the best average finish at this track of all drivers. He has finished in the top fifteen in each of his last seven starts at this track and has run well on the short flat tracks once again this season. He is already qualified for the playoffs and is just looking to win stages and races to get playoff points and that means this team might try a different strategy to win this race which could cost him in the end.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie is one of the drivers who is sitting in a precarious spot right now when it comes to the playoffs. Right now he would be in, but one or two poor races could knock him out entirely. However, a win would ensure him a spot in the playoffs and this is the type of track where he can get that job done. Although he hasn’t won here since the 2010 season he has run with the leaders in his last three races here once again. This is another driver you might want to have on your roster this weekend.

Brad Keselowski: In his last fourteen starts here, Brad has only finished outside of the top fifteen once. He is another one of those drivers who really seems to excel on the short flat tracks and he is looking to gain some valuable playoff points over the next seven races. He is someone who is safe to have on your roster and then you can decide if you want to starts him after practice and qualifying.

Ryan Newman: Ryan is my dark horse this week. He has two wins at this track and even though he has only led two laps in his last thirteen starts at this track I think he has a small shot with Roush/Fenway Racing this year. With nineteen top ten finishes in thirty-three starts you can tell that he knows how to get around this track pretty well no matter whose team he is running on.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Kyle Busch
• Martin Truex Jr.

Driver Group Game Group B

• Clint Bowyer
• Denny Hamlin
• Jimmie Johnson
• Ryan Newman

Driver Group Game Group C

• Ty Dillon
• Chris Buescher

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

1. Kyle Busch
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Kevin Harvick

Dark Horse: Ryan Newman

Stay Away From: Alex Bowman

Big 18: Kyle Busch

Another tough race to watch this past weekend with a wreck taking out almost half of the field and then rain shortening the race and the win going to Justin Haley in only his third start at this level. The win doesn’t do anything for the playoffs as Justin isn’t entered for points in this series. Just a bit of money for his team and a nice trophy and something to tell his grandchildren someday.

QUAKER STATE 400

This week the drivers head to the Kentucky Speedway for another Saturday night tilt. This is another of the mile and a half tracks on the circuit that the Gibbs and Penske drivers have had a lot of success on this year. I don’t see much changing in that regard this weekend either.

Martin Truex Jr.: Martin has pretty much swept everything here the last two years winning both races and all four stages, plus sitting on the front row in both of those races too. I think we are going to want to keep him on our roster this weekend once again and I predict he will once again win this race.

Kyle Busch: Kyle’s worst finish here in his eight starts in a twelfth place finish back in the 2016 season. He has six top five finishes here in those eight races and will be the main threat to Martin this weekend. I think these two guys will put on a pretty good show for us this weekend.

Brad Keselowski: Brad leads all drivers with three wins here in his eight starts and will be another of the contenders this weekend. There have only been two races in which he didn’t lead any laps at this track and we have seen that the Penske teams have shown a lot of speed this year. I might also mention that he and teammate, Joey Logano, run very well here in the Xfinity series too.

Joey Logano: Joey is still looking for his first Cup win here, but has finished in the top ten in five of his last six starts including a runner up finish in 2015. They might come out with a car that is just as fast as the one they had in Michigan a few weeks ago. Keep your eye on him this weekend.

Erik Jones: Erik has finished sixth and seventh in his only two starts at this track and this is the type of track where he really excels. Plus he really seems to run better in night races than he does in day races. The track should be a little cooler at night and will have more grip and that might give him the confidence to push a little harder in night races.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin is also looking for his first win at Kentucky, but he has never finished worse than sixteenth here and is on a streak of six straight top ten finishes. His pit crew still seems to be the major concern for this team as they make too many mistakes during the race and cost Kevin a lot of track position which is really important with how hard it is to pass this year with the new aero package.

Ryan Blaney: Ryan finished second in this race last season and is another driver from the Penske stable. This team can get the job done on this type of track and should have a lot of speed all weekend. If he can turn his luck around a little bit he can find himself in victory lane this weekend.

Kyle Larson: Kyle finished second here two years ago and he is having more bad luck this year than Ryan Blaney. This team seems to have a good car at the beginning of the race, but then something happens to them on the track or in the pits to take them out of contention and they end up fighting al race long to gain track position. One of these weeks things will come together for this team.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has five top ten finishes in his eight starts at this track and has been running very well all season. They have run towards the front of the pack in a lot of races this season and should only get better as the season progresses. I look him to have a fast car once again this weekend and to run in the top ten for much of the race.

Denny Hamlin: Denny has three top five finishes in his eight starts at Kentucky, but has been either on or off in most of his races here. You might see this team having a different strategy this weekend to try and gain track position and do whatever it takes to pull out another victory and gain some much needed playoff points.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Martin Truex Jr.
• Kyle Busch

Driver Group Game Group B

• Erik Jones
• Ryan Blaney
• Kurt Busch
• Alex Bowman

Driver Group Game Group C

• Chris Buescher
• Matt DiBenedetto

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Joey Logano
5. Kevin Harvick

Dark Horse: Erik Jones

Stay Away From: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Big 18: Erik Jones

I’m posting this before the Chicago race is finished because I know most of you want my picks for next week already.

COKE ZERO SUGAR 400

This week the drivers head back to to the Daytona International Speedway for the running of the Core Zero Sugar 400. This is scheduled to be a Saturday night race, so make sure you have your lineups set before your deadline approaches. This race will also take us to the halfway point of the season, so depending on where you are in your league you can make a plan for the second half after this race.

Denny Hamlin: Denny won the Daytona 500 this year and that car now sits at Daytona USA, so he will have a different body for this race. Still, he is the odds on favorite to win again as he has run very well on the restrictor plate tracks lately. He has finished in the top six in seven of his last eleven starts here including two wins. He should be in your lineup this weekend unless you don’t have many starts left with him. In that case it isn’t worth taking a chance on him getting involved in the “Big One”.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Ricky is always exciting to watch at the restrictor plate tracks. He makes a lot of bold moves to gain track position throughout the race and that doesn’t always work out the best for him as he might tick off other drivers who won’t want to help him in the draft when he needs them to. However, he is still one of the fastest drivers on the track and you can probably afford to take a chance on him this week.

Joey Logano: Joey is another driver to really watch on this type of track. He has finished in the top six in six of his last nine starts here including his only win back in 2015. We have seen the Penske power this year and that really helps when trying to pass cars if you don’t get any help. I have seen Joey pass multiple cars for the lead here when he doesn’t get that help, so when he does get help he is really fast.

Erik Jones: Erik won this race last year and then followed that up with a third place finish in this year’s Daytona 500. He has three top ten finishes in five starts at this track and it seems that all of the Joe Gibbs drivers are pretty good on this type of track. Here is another driver you might only want to use if you have enough starts left with him. There is a lot of season to go and you might not want to take the chance here.

Paul Menard: Paul is a driver you might want to take a chance on this week. He has finished in the top six in three of his last five starts here and we remember what Trevor Bayne did for the Wood Brothers in the Daytona 500 not so long ago. I think it would be safe to use Paul here as you probably won’t use up all of his starts the rest of the season anyway.

Ryan Preece: Yes, Ryan Preece. Ryan finished eighth here in his only Daytona start in this series, but why am I giving him some press? If I look back at AJ Allmendinger who drove this same car for JTG Daugherty Racing before Ryan took over this season I see that this car has finished in the top ten at Daytona in its last five starts. No other team can say this about a single car.

Michael McDowell: Here is another shout out to someone we might not think to much about for our fantasy teams. Michael has finished in the top fifteen in six of his last seven starts at Daytona with four of those finishes being top ten and those are great stats for someone in the C group. He is another driver to take a chance on this weekend and has a bit more experience than Preece.

Ryan Newman: Ryan has three top ten finishes in his last four starts here and he should have a car that handles just as well as teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He should also have that same speed and he will be a little more patient which could help him stay out of trouble early in the race. I think we use him at restrictor plate or short tracks this year.

Austin Dillon: Austin won the Daytona 500 two years ago and has seven top ten finishes in his twelve starts at this track. He is another driver who you might want to take a chance on this week, but he has been running pretty well for the most part this year. Maybe have him on your roster and see how some of the other drivers you have do in practice before you decide to start him or not.

Alex Bowman: Alex seems to be patient and willing to push other drivers which doesn’t give him a big chance to win this race, but it keeps him moving forward. If you can stay out of trouble here until late in the race you have a chance to win no matter what you were doing earlier in the race. I think there are more drivers who have confidence in drafting with Alex and if you can get or give some help you can get repaid at the end of this race.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Joey Logano
• Chase Elliott

Driver Group Game Group B

• Paul Menard
• Austin Dillon
• Alex Bowman
• Ryan Newman

Driver Group Game Group C

• Ryan Preece
• Michael McDowell

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Joey Logano
3. Chase Elliott
4. Kyle Busch
5. Brad Keselowski

Dark Horse: Ryan Preece

Stay Away From: Kevin Harvick

Big 18: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The first road course race of the season is in the books and Martin Truex Jr. beat teammate Kyle Busch in a race that wasn’t really that exciting once again. Five leaders and six lead changes doesn’t make a very exciting race. Especially when some of those passes happened due to strategy. This race didn’t really have anything to do with the new aero package, but it was still boring.

CAMPING WORLD 400

This week the series heads to the Midwest and the Chicagoland Speedway for the running of the Camping World 400. Once again I’m a bit miffed and disappointed that this race isn’t run on a Saturday night when temperatures should be a little cooler. There is also the potential for thunderstorms at this time of the year and the extra day added in could be significant for not having to race on Monday during a short week as the teams will head to Daytona for a Saturday race the weekend of the fourth.

Martin Truex Jr.: I am going to pick Martin to win back to back races this week in a tough call on my end. Martin has won two of the last three races here and finished fourth last season. This team seems to be one of the most consistent on the track at this point of the season and Martin really knows how to get around the mile and a half tracks.

Kyle Busch: Now, Kyle won this race last year, sat on the pole in three of the last five race here, and lead a lot of laps in each of his last six starts at Chicago. I think this is going to be another week like last week where two teammates are fighting for the win. This should be a good battle because even though they are teammates they are fighting for playoff points during stages and at the end of the race.

Brad Keselowski: Brad his finished in the top ten at Chicagoland in each of his last eight starts there. He won two of those races and led laps in seven of those eight races. I have said this multiple times this year and I’ll say it again. The Penske teams are the best of the Ford’s right now and they are the ones who will be most competitive with the Gibbs drivers. I don’t see much changing this week.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin won the first two races ever run at this track and hasn’t won here since, but that doesn’t mean too much.He has finished in the top five in ten of his eighteen starts here including finishing third in the last two races. He has lead laps in five of his last six starts at this track and seems to have a fast car every week. Their biggest problem is mistakes in the pits and that really costs him chances to pick up wins.

Kyle Larson: Kyle has had a horrible year so far and I don’t know if they are going to be able to shake the bad luck and be competitive when it comes to the playoffs. He has only run five races at Chicagoland and has three top five and four top ten finishes here. I think it’s time for this team to forget about running on the bottom of the track and go back up where he always did his damage in the past. Maybe that will break him out of his slump.

Denny Hamlin: Denny won this race four years ago and is on a streak of five straight top seven finishes here. Another of the Gibbs drivers, it is no surprise he has been running really well this season. The dilemma with this team is when should we use him and what tracks should we save his starts for? I really like him on the short, flat tracks myself and there might be others I want on my roster to save some of Denny’s starts.

Joey Logano: The Michigan winner is still looking for his first win at this track, but he has come close and has run very well here over the past seven races at Chicagoland. He has six top ten finishes in those races and he could very well dominate this race after what we saw from him at Michigan earlier this season. He could be worth taking a chance on once again this weekend.

Chase Elliott: Chase has only run three races at this track and finished in the top three in two of those starts. He will be looking forward to getting back to racing this week after having mechanical issues at Sonoma last week late in the race when he was running in the top five. The Hendrick teams have shown significant improvement on this type of track lately and Chase could be a contender once again this weekend.

Clint Bowyer: I’m sure Clint was a bit disappointed with his results last weekend at Sonoma where he was one of the favorites entering the weekend. This team has shown a lot of speed on this type of track and Clint has finished in the top ten in eight of his thirteen starts. Those are great stats if you look at some of the teams he was on during his career. I think he bounces back this weekend and has another contending run.

Ryan Blaney: I have a feeling this team is going to have a pretty good weekend. We know they have had speed all season and have run up front early in races to either lose the handling or have something else happen to them in the second half of races. Something just tells me he is going to be one of the drivers to watch closely this weekend.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Martin Truex Jr.
• Kyle Busch

Driver Group Game Group B

• Denny Hamlin
• Clint Bowyer
• William Byron
• Ryan Blaney

Driver Group Game Group C

• Chris Buescher
• Matt DiBenedetto

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Joey Logano
5. Kevin Harvick

Dark Horse: William Byron

Stay Away From: Jimmie Johnson

Big 18: Chase Elliott