Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Atlanta
Well, I bombed last week when I ranked Jimmie Johnson first. Let's see what Cup Superstar I can tear down next in Atlanta. This track is very similar to Las Vegas, but is banked higher and the cars go even faster. With a few races completed in 2008, the haves are beginning to separate themselves from the have-not's and your fantasy roster will become less guesswork; more homework.
1. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
This ranking was a foregone conclusion after the way he ran in Las Vegas. To top that off, he was 2nd at Atlanta in the fall and has the best average finish of any active driver on the Georgia speedway. He has won in Atlanta twice and should be one of the first guys you think about for your class A roster.
2. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Tools Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Kenseth was fast at Vegas Sunday and in a spot to contend before his late get-together with Jeff Gordon. Remember, he was 2nd at Texas in the fall, 4th in Atlanta, and led 32 laps in Charlotte before being involved in a crash. He was 5th in Fontana and should be one of the top class A choices this weekend.
3. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports
Gordon was strong all day in Las Vegas, but his late crash with Matt Kenseth erased any positive results from the day. Gordon was 7th in Atlanta last year and his 9.1 average finish in 2007 on the 1.5 mile tracks was best in Cup. He was 3rd in Fontana and should be a contender for the win this weekend.
4. Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Like teammates Edwards and Kenseth, Biffle was strong in Las Vegas. He finished 3rd and would have finished 2nd had the race been a couple of laps longer. He led 9 laps in Fontana and won at Kansas last season. He is the top class B selection this weekend.
5. Kyle Busch, #18 M & M's Toyota, Gibbs Racing
Busch was 4th in Fontana and had the strongest car in Las Vegas for the first part of the race. He again will be one of the top class B choices for the weekend and could possibly contend for the win.
6. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports
Johnson looked bad last week. I wouldn't panic; the guy won 10 times last year and was 2nd in Fontana just a week before last week's mini-disaster. He won both races in Atlanta last year and the odds of this team having two bad weeks in a row are almost non-existent.
7. Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Dodge, Penske Racing South
This ranking may seem strange with his poor finish last week, but Busch was one of the fastest cars in Las Vegas ( even though he was penalized early for speeding on pit road and was later involved in a crash). Also, last season he was 8th at Atlanta and Texas, 6th in Chicago, and 11th at Kansas. You probably won't use him, but he deserves to be ranked near the top.
8. Jeff Burton, #31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Burton continued his remarkable consistency on the 1.5 mile tracks with a 5th place finish last weekend in Las Vegas. Last year Burton was 4th at Charlotte, 5th at Atlanta, and 6th at Texas. The downside: the class A group is so strong, he's usually an afterthought going into the race weekend.
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr, #88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Jr. finished 2nd in Las Vegas, though he probably should have finished around 5th. He is an excellent class B selection in Atlanta, where he has won before and has 7 top 5's in 17 starts.
10. Denny Hamlin, #11 FedEx Toyota, Gibbs Racing
Hamlin was a solid 9th in Las Vegas (following up his 3rd place effort in Vegas in 2007). Being in a Toyota/Gibbs powered machine is a positive, but he won't be needed on your roster this week in the class A group.
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