Fantasy NASCAR at Phoenix 2014: Top Picks for Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Avondale, Arizona, this week for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500. The series last raced at Phoenix International Raceway in March.

Kevin Harvick dominated the last race at Phoenix. He qualified 13th and led 224 of the 312 laps on his way to his first victory of the season. It was one of the most dominant performances of the 2014 season, and Harvick should be the favorite to win the race Sunday.

With only two races left in the season, it is time to make the final run to the top of your league standings. There is no time to hold back. If you are lucky enough to be at the top, use the best drivers available and try to hold off your competitors. If you are trying to make it to the top, you will have to take a risk this week, because you cannot pass your competitors with the same drivers on your team as the teams at the top.

Here are my picks for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix.

Yahoo Group A Picks

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There are five really good drivers from Group A of Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing this week. Your team should have allocations left with at least two of these drivers.

Harvick and Jeff Gordon are the class of the field this week. They should be racing each other on the final laps of the race Sunday. If you have any allocations left with Harvick or Gordon, he must be on your team.

Kyle Busch has the fourth-best driver rating in the last five races at Phoenix. He should easily finish in the top 10 this week.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second in the last race at Phoenix and will be looking for his second win in the Chase. Although he is already eliminated from the championship, Earnhardt would love to send Steve Letarte out with multiple victories at the end of the season.

Busch received strong consideration for my team this week. He ran well in the last race at Phoenix, starting seventh and finishing ninth. He is a great selection for your team if you are out of allocations with Harvick, Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Speaking of Johnson, he'll have momentum after winning the race at Texas.

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

Kevin Harvick (1)

Harvick is the best pick in the field this week. If you have any allocations left with him, he must be on your team and you must use him in the race. He's won three of the last four races at Phoenix and has an average finishing position over the last five races there of 3.6. Harvick should win Sunday and clinch a spot in the Championship Round of the Chase.

Jimmie Johnson (2)

I was ready to give up on the No. 48 team two weeks ago. It looks like the team found some speed after they tested at Homestead Speedway last week. Johnson dominated the race at Texas, and he could do the same at Phoenix. He has not been as good at the track since it was repaved, but he is still a great pick for your team Sunday.

Other good choices: Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Yahoo Group B Picks

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It's not hard to find a good driver from Group B for the race at Phoenix. There are many drivers from this group who have good stats at Phoenix. The problem is whether your team has any allocations left with these drivers.

My team is out of allocations with Joey Logano and Ryan Newman. If I had the chance to use these drivers this week, they would definitely be on my team. Logano started second and finished fourth in the last race at Phoenix, while Newman is a past winner at the track and has finished the last two races in the top 10. Both drivers will easily finish in the top 10.

Tony Stewart is a good sleeper pick this week. He finished the last two races in the top 11. He has always been a good pick at Phoenix, so if you are feeling lucky this week, it may be worth taking a chance with Smoke.

Here are the four drivers I selected for Group B.

Brad Keselowski (1)

My plan has always been to use my last allocation with Keselowski at Phoenix. I am not so confident using him this week after he created so many enemies on the race track, though. Keselowski’s best chance of making it to the Championship Round of the Chase may be to get to the front and lead most of the laps in the race Sunday. Drivers cannot wreck Keselowski if they cannot catch him.  

Denny Hamlin (1)

Phoenix is one of Hamlin’s best race tracks. He has finished in the top five in eight of his 18 career starts at the race track. He needs to run up front to clinch a spot in the Championship Round of the Chase. Hamlin  is the type of driver I want on my team when he needs to win a race.

Carl Edwards (3)

This has not been one of Edwards’ best seasons, but he is still alive in the Chase. With so much to race for, Edwards will take every chance possible to get his car to the front. He has had some success at Phoenix, with two career wins, and he finished in the top 10 in March. Edwards would be a good pick if you are out of allocations with Keselowski, Logano, Hamlin and Newman.

Jamie McMurray (4)

It is hard to go wrong with McMurray. He does not always run up front, but he has found his way into the top 10 at the end of four of the eight Chase races. McMurray has run well on the flat race tracks this season and will easily finish in the top 15 this week.

Other good choices: Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle

Yahoo Group C Picks

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The strategy for Group C this week is not complicated. You should use Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon on your team if you have any allocations left. If you cannot use these two drivers, Danica Patrick, Justin Allgaier and Ty Dillon will be the best choices for your team.

Here are the two drivers I selected for Group C.

Justin Allgaier (8)

Allgaier has competed in just two races at Phoenix in the Sprint Cup Series, and he was not impressive in either race. Last year, he started 25th and finished 31st in his first race at the race track. In March, he had to start in the back of the field and finished 30th. Allgaier has been improving throughout the year, though, so hopefully he can figure out a way to avoid the wrecks and bring his car home in one piece.

Ty Dillon (9)

The decision for the last choice for Group C came down to Patrick and Dillon. Patrick has really struggled at Phoenix, and losing Tony Gibson as her crew chief does not help. Dillon has never competed at Phoenix in the Sprint Cup Series, but he finished fifth in his only Nationwide Series appearance. I suggest taking a chance with him this week.

Other Good Choices: Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Danica Patrick

Fantasy Live Picks

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My strategy this week for Fantasy Live is to pick the three best drivers and fill the rest of the team in with Landon Cassill and Reed Sorenson.

You cannot go wrong with Gordon, Harvick and Johnson leading your team. Harvick and Gordon may need to win the race to make the Championship Round of the Chase, and both drivers are capable of winning this week. Meanwhile, Johnson looks like he's building some momentum for the 2015 season.

Below are the five drivers I selected for Fantasy Live for the race at Phoenix.

Fantasy Live Picks: Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Landon Cassill and Reed Sorenson

Fox Fantasy Racing

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The strategy for Fox Fantasy Racing is a little different from Fantasy Live. Selecting drivers who will come from the back of the pack and finish up front is the key to scoring well in this game. Hamlin, Stewart and Junior usually qualify outside the top 10. They will be good picks for your team. Meanwhile, Harvick is the best pick in the field, and he should be on your team regardless of the scoring rules.

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

Captain: Kevin Harvick

Driver 2: Jeff Gordon

Driver 3: Denny Hamlin

Driver 4: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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.