Fantasy NASCAR at Texas 2014: Picks, Top Drivers for AAA Texas 500

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to the Fort Worth, Texas, this week for the AAA Texas 500. The series last raced at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano dominated the last race at Texas. The two drivers combined to lead 148 of the 340 Laps. After a late caution flag, Logano took four tires, while Gordon took two. The four fresh Goodyear tires paid off for Logano, as he won his first race of the 2014 season.

Now that the Sprint Cup Series is making its way down the stretch, fantasy teams are finding it more difficult to assemble teams in games that restrict the number of times you can select a driver. Try to use one of the eight drivers left in the Chase. Teams will provide these drivers with the best resources to win the race Sunday.

The drivers from Penske Racing and Roush Fenway Racing will be the drivers to watch this week. These drivers (Logano, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) tested at Texas in September and should run well this week.

Here are my picks for the AAA Texas 500 at Texas.

Yahoo Group A Picks

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With only three races left in the season, selecting your drivers for Group A of Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing is becoming more difficult. Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick are the clear favorites from this group, but most fantasy teams are out of allocations with these drivers. If you can use Gordon and Harvick this week, they must be on your team.  

Jimmie Johnson will also be a popular pick for the race Sunday. His stats at Texas are as good as any driver in the field. Johnson won two races (Charlotte and Michigan) on the intermediate race tracks this season. Both wins occurred when he was on his hot streak during the summer. Johnson has finished the last three races on intermediate race tracks outside the top 10, so he is a risky pick this week.

Matt Kenseth is a safe pick for Sunday. He has two wins at Texas and finished in the top 10 in the last race at the race track. If you need a driver to replace Gordon or Harvick, Kenseth would be a good choice.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a good sleeper pick this week. He finished second in this race last year, and his last-place finish in April is misleading. Earnhardt qualified seventh and looked great in practice. On Lap 12, he got the front end of his car into the wet grass and his day was finished. Earnhardt will not make the same mistake Sunday.

Here are the two drivers I selected for Group A, with the number of allocations I have left with each driver in parentheses.

Kyle Busch (6)

Busch is a great pick this week. He has been one of the hottest drivers in the sport since the Chase began. He has finished in the top 10 in all three races at the intermediate race tracks in the Chase. He has the second-best driver rating and the second-best average finishing position at Texas in the last five races. Busch could steal a victory from one of the Chase drivers this week.

Kevin Harvick (1)

My strategy has been to use Harvick for qualifying points and my other driver from this group for the race. So far, it has paid off. Harvick has scored bonus points for qualifying in six of the last 10 races. I plan to use the same strategy this week, but if Kyle Busch struggles, I will not be afraid to use Harvick in the race.

Other good choices: Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth

Yahoo Group B Picks

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I have been sending suggestions to Yahoo for many years to add more drivers to Group B. It becomes very difficult to find a good driver from this group at this point of the season. Since teams are required to use only one driver from Group A and two drivers from Group B, it would make sense to take two drivers from Group A and put them into Group B. That will probably never happen, so on to the picks.

If your team is fortunate enough to have any allocations left with Logano, Keselowski or Denny Hamlin, it would be wise to select them for your team this week. These drivers are the clear favorites from Group B and each will have a good chance to finish in Victory Lane.

I used my last allocation with Logano last week at Martinsville. He won the last race at Texas and will be a threat to win again Sunday. This will be Logano’s best track left on the schedule, so do not be afraid to use your last allocation with him this week.

Hamlin will also be a popular pick this week. I have just one allocation with him left. Phoenix and Homestead are better race tracks for the No. 11 team, so I am saving my last allocation for next week.

Here are the four drivers I selected for Group B.

Brad Keselowski (1)

Keselowski has been up and down in the Chase, but when he needs to finish up front, he is the driver who can get the job done. Keselowski has started on the front row in the last two races at Texas and is my pick to win the pole this week. He will be a better pick at Homestead, so if you have a better option, it may be smart to use Keselowski for qualifying points and one of your other drivers in the race.

Jamie McMurray (4)

McMurray has been running well ever since the Chase began. He ran up front all day at Martinsville and should do the same this week. He has led 63 laps on the intermediate tracks in the Chase and has the fourth-best average finishing position. Keep using McMurray until he shows signs of slowing down.

Ryan Newman (1)

Newman continues to finish up front each week and advance in the Chase. He will need to finish up front in order to advance to the Championship Round of the Chase, and Texas is his best chance. Newman has the third-best average finishing position on the intermediate rack tracks this season. Expect him to finish in the top 10 this week.

Tony Stewart (2)

The last selection for Group B came down to a decision between Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart. The two Roush Fenway drivers usually perform well at Texas, but their team has been lacking speed on the intermediate race tracks. Stewart had his best race of the season at Texas in April. He won the pole, led 74 laps and finished in the top 10. Watching him run up front at Martinsville made the decision to add him to my team much easier.

Other good choices: Logano, Hamlin, Edwards and Biffle

Yahoo Group C Picks

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Most fantasy teams may feel like they are in a bad situation with their drivers in Group C. Do not panic, because all of the teams at the top of your league standings are probably dealing with the same situation.

Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon have been the two best drivers in this group all season. Nothing has changed this week. The problem is that very few teams have any allocations left with these drivers. There are still some choices who can score good points for your team, though.

My plan was to use Danica Patrick for the rest of the races, but that plan was changed after Stewart-Haas Racing announced the team changes for Kurt Busch and Patrick. I view Tony Gibson as a better crew chief than Daniel Knost, so this could be a setback for Patrick. My advice is to wait and see how she runs this week before selecting her for your team.

Here are the two drivers I selected for Group C.

Justin Allgaier (8)

Allgaier ran well last week at Martinsville, and he should finish inside the top 25 at Texas. In the race at Charlotte earlier this month he qualified No. 16 and finished in the top 15. He also led two laps in the race. Texas is similar in size and shape to Charlotte, so Allgaier is a good pick for Group C this week.    

Trevor Bayne (7)

Bayne will be a popular pick this week. He has competed in eight races in the Sprint Cup Series at Texas, with five finishes inside the top 20. Texas is one of his best tracks, so it is no surprised to see him entered into the race. Bayne will be a good pick this week if your team is out of allocations with Larson and Dillon.

Other Good Choices: Larson, Dillon and Patrick

Fantasy Live Picks

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The philosophy on the intermediate race tracks in Fantasy Live has always been to select drivers who start the race in the middle to the back of the pack to score bonus points for finishing differential. Recently, though, I have gone away from this strategy and used Gordon, Harvick and Logano regardless of where they started the race. The three drivers consistently finish up front and provide a high score for my team. I will be using the same strategy this week.

Here are the five drivers I selected for Fantasy Live for the race at Texas:

Fantasy Live Picks: Gordon, Harvick, Logano, Landon Cassill and Reed Sorenson

Fox Fantasy Racing

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The strategy for Fox Fantasy Racing is to select drivers who start in the back of the field who you think will move to the front. If any of the Chase drivers qualify poorly, he must be on your team this week.

Junior and Kenseth usually qualify poorly and finish up front at Texas. These drivers would be great picks for your team this week.

Here are my selections for Fox Fantasy Racing for the race at Texas:

Captain: Matt Kenseth

Driver 2: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Driver 3: Jimmie Johnson

Driver 4: Greg Biffle

Driver 5: Tony Stewart

*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. If you like Fantasy NASCAR, LIKE my Fantasy NASCAR Tips Page on Facebook.