NASCAR Picks for Phoenix
Danica Patrick, #10 GoDaddy.com, Stewart-Haas Racing [Yahoo Class C]
She had a strong debut to her rookie year with a top-10 at Daytona, but now the true test comes. Of course, she did finish 17th at Phoenix last fall, so another decent run could be on tap. At the very least, she is worth keeping an eye on during the practices to see if she could make a solid sleeper option.
Jamie McMurray, #1 McDonald's/Cessna, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing [Yahoo Class B]
Even when he was putting up decent numbers, McMurray struggled at Phoenix. He has just two top-10s in 19 career starts at the track and has finished outside the top 15 in his last four starts. With a 21.8 average finish at PIR, McMurray's fantasy value is minimal at best.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #17 Best Buy/Valvoline/Zest, Roush Fenway Racing [Yahoo Class C]
Plain and simple, Stenhouse is a wild card this weekend as he prepares for his Cup debut at Phoenix. Roush Fenway Racing has been good (but not great) at the track, so there is no reason to expect him to gain any kind of an edge from that standpoint. Overall, it is probably best that fantasy owners just monitor his times during the weekend to see if he has sleeper potential.
A.J. Allmendinger, #51 Phoenix Racing, Phoenix Racing [Yahoo Class C]
On one hand, he has six straight top-20 finishes at Phoenix and seven in his eight career starts at the track. On the other hand, Allmendinger will be racing at PIR for the first time with Phoenix Racing. He was horrible in a few starts with the team at the end of last year, and he will likely have a tough time backing up his previous numbers at Phoenix this weekend.
Travis Kvapil, #93 Burger King/Doctor Pepper, BK Racing [Yahoo Class C]
Owners looking for an unconventional sleeper should consider taking a chance on Kvapil. After all, he finished 19th and 20th in his two starts at Phoenix in 2012. As far as a lower-tier option goes, those numbers aren't too bad.
David Reutimann, #83 Burger King/Doctor Pepper, BK Racing [Yahoo Class C]
Reutimann was awful at Phoenix in 2012, but he changed teams in the offseason and is now teammates with Travis Kvapil. As I just mentioned, Kvapil picked up a pair of top-20s at PIR last year, and with three top-10s at the track in his career, Reutimann could have a shot at sneaking in the top 10, as well.
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Brian Polking -
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Cincinnati, OH
FFToolbox Fantasy NASCAR Writer since 2011
I grew up in a racing family, and I spent my childhood at dirt tracks throughout Ohio and Kentucky. NASCAR became a passion of mine at an early age as well, and I have been following the sport ever since I can remember. While I earned my degree in journalism at Ohio State University, I began writing about NASCAR for several Web sites in 2005. I became head editor of the NASCAR section for Fanball.com and FantasyCup.com in 2008 and was a finalist for the Fantasy Sports Writer's Association NASCAR Writer of the Year in 2009. My knowledge of NASCAR stems from my lifelong love of the sport, and I believe that passion shows through in every article I write.
