Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Texas
Texas will be one of the easier places to make fantasy picks for all season. The teams have run two similar 1.5 mile speedways in the last 4 races, so fantasy players can use knowledge accumulated from those events to help. Focus more on the races from this season than historical stats, as these are the only events where the new car has been run. This isn't to say that a driver's history at Texas is meaningless, but it should be a smaller part of the equation this week.
1. Kyle Busch, #18 M & M's Toyota, Gibbs Racing
Busch led 173 laps in Atlanta and scored his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing. He was 4th in Fontana and had the strongest car in Las Vegas for the first part of the race. He is the top class B choice and should be on your class B roster this weekend.
2. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Edwards ran better than anyone en route to winning at Las Vegas and led 33 laps before a mechanical failure in Atlanta (where he has won twice). His only top 10 in Texas is his only win there (in 2005) and there is a good chance he can equal that this weekend.
3. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Tools Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Kenseth was 8th at Texas and in contention for the win in Las Vegas before his late get together with Jeff Gordon. 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.
4. Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
Like teammates Edwards and Kenseth, Biffle was strong in Las Vegas and Atlanta. He had finishes of 3rd and 4th, and in each race would have been a position higher had the race been a little longer. He led 9 laps in Fontana and won at Kansas last season. He is a great class B choice this weekend.
5. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports
Strangely enough, Gordon has never actually won in Texas. He was 5th in Atlanta and strong all day in Las Vegas before his error at the end of the race left he and Kenseth wrecked. He is a strong class A choice should you not want to go with one of the Roush cars.
6. Tony Stewart, #20 Home Depot Toyota, Gibbs Racing
Despite hating the tires, Smoke drove to a 2nd place run in Atlanta to finish well only a week after a hard crash in Las Vegas. Last season, he was 7th in Vegas, 2nd in Atlanta, won at Chicago, and finished 7th in Charlotte. He is best used elsewhere, but it should be noted that he could contend for the win before the day is over on Sunday.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr, #88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Earnhardt led 62 laps and finished 3rd in Atlanta after losing the handling in the middle portion of the race. He was 2nd in Las Vegas, though he probably should have finished around 5th. He is an excellent class B selection for Texas, where he has a win and 7 top 10's in 11 starts.
8. Jeff Burton, #31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Burton was 5th in Vegas and 10th in Atlanta. He has been unbelievably consistent on the 1.5 mile tracks over the past year, as evidenced by his 4th at Charlotte, 5th at Atlanta, and 6th at Texas. He has a lot of momentum after a win at Bristol and top 5 in Martinsville, and has two career wins at Texas.
9. Clint Bowyer, #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Bowyer was 6th in Atlanta after leading 52 laps, turning it around after his 28th place finish in Vegas. Last season he was 6th in Atlanta, 10th in Chicago, 2nd in Kansas (and should have won), 2nd at Charlotte, and 6th in the second race at Atlanta. He could be a sleeper class A selection this week and could finish in the top 5.
10. Kevin Harvick, #29 Shell/Reeses/GM Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Harvick was 4th in Las Vegas, 7th in Atlanta, and 8th in Fontana. He wasn't good on the intermediate tracks in 2007 and (like Clint Bowyer) he is a possible class A selection this weekend.
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