Comments: 2012 Preseason NASCAR Rankings

The 2011 season is barely in the books, and it is already time to start thinking about the 2012 Sprint Cup season. Following a year that featured five first time winners and one of the most thrilling championship battles in the sport's history, the short offseason is just what NASCAR needed to keep the sport in the headlines and attract new fans. Throw in the added buzz that comes with Danica Patrick's debut at the Cup level, and the green flag can't wave at Daytona soon enough.

For fantasy owners, the offseason is a chance to do a little homework and get better prepared for the upcoming year. Granted, there are always busts and sleepers that seem to defy the numbers, but knowing some likely candidates for both can lead to a quick start. It is important to know a driver's full history to be able to recognize patterns and trends. It is also worth brushing up on drivers that switched teams as well as crew chief changes. There are a lot of little things that go on under the radar that can have a big impact on a driver's performance. As the old saying goes, knowledge is power.

1. Jimmie Johnson, Lowe's/Kobalt Tools
2. Carl Edwards, Fastenal/Aflac/UPS/Subway
3. Kevin Harvick, Budweiser/Rheem
4. Kyle Busch, Mars Brands/Interstate Batteries
5. Matt Kenseth, Husky/Dollar General
6. Tony Stewart, Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
7. Jeff Gordon, Drive to End Hunger/Axalta
8. Denny Hamlin, FedEx
9. Brad Keselowski, Miller Lite
10. Kasey Kahne, Farmers Insurance/Quaker State
11. Greg Biffle, 3M/Bondo
12. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew
13. Ryan Newman, Quicken Loans/Haas Automation
14. A.J. Allmendinger, Phoenix Racing
15. Clint Bowyer, 5-Hour Energy
16. Joey Logano, Shell-Pennzoil
17. Martin Truex, Jr., NAPA Auto Parts
18. Marcos Ambrose, Stanley/Dewalt Power Tools
19. Jeff Burton, Caterpillar/Cheerios
20. Juan Montoya, Target
21. Kurt Busch, Furniture Row
22. Paul Menard, Menards
23. Jamie McMurray, McDonald's/Cessna
24. Mark Martin, Aaron's Dream Machine
25. Aric Almirola, Smithfield Foods
26. Regan Smith, Guy Roofing
27. Trevor Bayne, Motorcraft/Quick Lane
28. David Ragan, CSX Transportation/Peanut Patch
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Best Buy/Valvoline/Zest
30. David Reutimann, Burger King/Doctor Pepper
31. Bobby Labonte, Kingsford/Clorox/Bush's Beans
32. Casey Mears, GEICO
33. David Gilliland, Love's Travel Stops/A&W Restaurants
34. Josh Wise, Blockbuster LLC
35. Danica Patrick, GoDaddy.com