Fantasy NASCAR at Chicago 2014: Picks, Top Drivers for MyAFibStory.com 400
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Joliet, Illinois, this week for the MyAFibStory.com 400. The race will be the first race in the new Chase format. The winner will earn a spot in the next round, so teams will be driving the wheels off their cars to get to Victory Lane.
It will not be hard to figure out who will dominate the race Sunday. The teams who have dominated the races this season on the intermediate race tracks will be good at Chicago. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch are the drivers who have won races on the intermediate race tracks this season. They will be the drivers to beat this week.
Keep in mind who is in the Chase and who is not. Teams will be giving their best equipment to the drivers in the Chase.
Here are the 16 drivers in the Chase: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle.
Here are my picks for the MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicago…
Yahoo! Group A Picks
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There is a good chance that the winner of the race Sunday night will come from Group A in Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing. Eight of the nine drivers from this group have made the Chase (Clint Bowyer is the only driver from Group A not to make the Chase). Each driver should have a good chance to visit Victory Lane Sunday.
The only driver from Group A with multiple wins since 2001 at Chicago is Kevin Harvick. He won back-to-back races at the race track in 2001 and 2002. Harvick is a good pick for your team this week.
Jeff Gordon has been the best driver heading into the Chase. He has a series-best driver rating at the intermediate race tracks and he has won at Chicago before. Gordon is a safe pick for your team Sunday.
My sleeper pick in Group A is Kasey Kahne. He has a history of running well at Chicago and it would not surprise me to see Kahne win his second race of the season Sunday.
Here are the two drivers I selected for Group A, with the number of allocations I have left with each driver in parentheses.
Jimmie Johnson (5)
The first race in the Chase means it is time to start selecting Johnson for your team. He did not have a great summer, but he never does. The No. 48 team knows how to get into championship form when the races start to count for the title. It is no surprise that Johnson has a second-best average finishing position and series-best driver rating at Chicago.
Kevin Harvick (2)
I really wanted to select Jeff Gordon for this pick, but I only have one allocation left with the No. 24 team. If Gordon has been the best driver this season, Harvick is a close second. Both should be excellent picks for your team. Do not be surprised to see Harvick win the pole and lead many laps in the race Sunday.
Other good choices: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth
Yahoo! Group B Picks
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Each week it is getting tougher and tougher to find good drivers for Group B. Most teams are getting close to running out of allocations with Brad Keselowski and Joe Logano. The fantasy teams who can find the “diamonds in the rough” will be the teams who win their leagues.
This week there are a few drivers who are worth selecting that your competition may not have on their team.
Here are the four drivers I selected for Group B.
Tony Stewart (3)
Stewart has won three of the last nine races at Chicago. He has finished 10 of his 12 starts at the race track inside the top 10. To say Chicago is Smoke’s best race track is an understatement. If you were ever going to use Stewart on your team, this is the week to do it.
Ryan Newman (4)
Newman has been good but not great at Chicago. He has finished in the top 10 in six of the last seven races at the race track. His only win came in 2003. Newman probably will not win Sunday, but he is a safe pick for a top-10 finish.
Paul Menard (9)
Menard has been great this season on the intermediate race tracks. He has finished six of the eight races in the top 10. It is time for fantasy teams to start taking Menard seriously each time the series visits an intermediate race track.
Brad Keselowski (2)
Keselowski is not only one of the best choices in Group B; he is one of the best choices in the field. Keselowski has two wins this season on the intermediate race tracks (Las Vegas and Kentucky) and his stats at Chicago are impressive. Keselowski has the second-best driver rating and the third-best average finishing position in the last three years at Chicago. If you have any starts left with Keselowski, you should use one this week.
Other good choices: Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle
Yahoo! Group C Picks
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The plan for Yahoo! Group C should be to use Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon if you have any allocations left on your team. If you do not, you will still be in good shape because there are other drivers who could finish in the top 20 from this group.
Justin Allgaier and Danica Patrick are starting to figure out how to consistently finish in the top 25. They will be good options for your team at the intermediate race tracks as the season comes to a close.
Here are the two drivers I selected for Group C.
Kyle Larson (1)
Kyle Larson is only on the team for qualifying points. He will be the best driver in Group C, but I will need him qualifying points the rest of the season.
If your team has multiple allocations left with Larson, you must start him this week. If your team is in the same position as mine, find a driver to pair with Larson who you think you can use in the race.
Austin Dillon (4)
This will be Dillon’s first race in the Sprint Cup Series at Chicago, but he has four races in the Nationwide Series on his resume.
Dillon ran well in the Nationwide Series at the race track. He finished in the top six and qualified in the first two rows in all four races. He should have no problem adjusting to the Sprint Cup Series this week.
Other good choices: Danica Patrick and Justin Allgaier
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Fantasy Live Picks
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Fantasy Live Picks: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett
The advice for Fantasy Live is to select a combination of drivers who will lead many laps and drivers who will come from the back to finish up front.
Jeff Gordon should qualify up front and lead many laps.
Jimmie Johnson has not qualified well this year, so he is a good candidate to finish much higher than he starts.
Tony Stewart is at his best race track and is a great pick for his price.
Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett are two rookies looking to prove they belong in the Sprint Cup Series.
Fox Fantasy Racing
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Finally fantasy teams get a fresh new start with their drivers in Fox Fantasy Racing. The game moves to the final segment, which means each driver is available for this race.
They key to winning your league this week is to select drivers who will finish higher than they start the race. Be sure to check out the starting lineup before selecting your team for Fox Fantasy Racing.
Here are my selections for Fox Fantasy Racing for the race at Michigan:
Captain: Kyle Busch
Driver 2: Jimmie Johnson
Driver 3: Tony Stewart
Driver 4: Matt Kenseth
Driver 5: Paul Menard
*Stats from Driveraverages.com and career stats from Racing-Reference.Info…
If you need any further advice with your team, look for me on Twitter @MrFantasyNASCAR
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