opinions wanted NASCAR

[Dr Feelgood]

I am somewhat new to NASCAR (just started last year).

I am in a Fantasy League that has 4 drivers per team and we get to keep one.
Last year I was unable to make the draft and allowed a friend to pick my team, which turned out pretty sweet---I had a ton of weekly wins and won the team points championship by 7.

My team consists of
Marlin, Martin, Kenseth, and Blaney.

We have a weekly pool which pays the winner of that week's race.
The League pays for the Nascar Champ and the total points of the 4 drivers combined.

My question is, who would you keep out of Marlin and Kenseth?

I have read that Marlin is fully healed from his injury last year. Do you believe it will affect him at all this season? Will he be missing races here and there making Kenseth a no brainer?

Can Kenseth keep up the wins like he did last year. I know he has a GREAT pit crew. How important is the pit crew in determining drivers value???



I'm guessing the keepers of the other 6 drivers will be
Stewart
Gordon
Wallace
E Jr
Jarrett
one guys team is so bad I don't know who he will keep.

Giving the criteria how would you rank say the next 15 drivers or even the next 10???

Does anyone know if McMurray has a regular car this year or have any other sleepers???

Who should i absolutely stay away from

Thanks in advance

--DF

 

[Yates 28/88]

Out of the two I would keep Kennseth.
McMurray has a full time ride this year,plus he's a sleeper.He showed his stuff last year,but this year???GL with what you do.

 

[Dr Feelgood]

thanks yates...

 

[Myron]

I would definitely keep Kenseth over Marlin. Kenseth will rack up more wins and probably will vie for the championship while Marlin will be 8th or worse and will be lucky to get 2 wins.

I need to know how your pool works, whether wins are worth more or points.

As for dark horses I would look at the following:

- Greg Biffle: Rookie with Roush racing. Will be tough and should easily win the Rookie of the Year. He dominated Busch series last year and is with a far superior team than Jamie McMurray. McMurray is in a different car with a different crew chief (won't have the benefit of Marlin's crew chief) and really wasn't that good in Busch. I would take Rousch or Yates power over Ganassi any day. I rank him 3rd behind Biffle and Sprague for Rookie of the Year.

- Elliot Sadler. Switches to Yates power and Ricky Rudd's old pit chief. That alone will make him competitive. Rudd on the other hand will slide back under the Woods Brothers team.

- Kevin Harvick. Had a bad year and whoever has him may wave him. He will rebound. Childress will work out the bugs and watch for both he and Jeff Green to have good years

- Jeff Green - for a longshot. Same as above.

- Johnny Benson - got the cobwebs out with a win last year and seems ready to be a real force.

Top 20 drivers IMO:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Kurt Busch
3. Tony Stewart
4. Ryan Newman
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Bobby Labonte (will rebound in a chev).
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Dale Jarrett
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Jeff Burton
11. Kevin Harvick
12. Sterling Marlin
13. Mark Martin
14. Elliot Sadler
15. Rusty Wallace
16. Bill Elliot
17. Greg Biffle
18. Johnny Benson
19. Jeff Green
20. Ricky Craven

 

[Dr Feelgood]

Myron,

Thanks for the post

The weekly winner of the race wins 10 bucks from each of the 6 other teams in the league
(last year I had 9 total wins times 60 bucks = 540)
so I would say that wins/team is worth more than points

then at the end of the year the points champion wins 25 each from the other teams

and the team with the most total points combined of the 4 drivers also gets 25 each from the other teams

If your driver gets hurt (like Marlin did last year) you get to keep the car with the new driver (ie Mcmurray was Marlin's replacement and won a race so I got paid for that), but you don't get the points for that new driver (I was stuck on Marlin's total points for the 29 races he entered)

I hope that helps...

 

[The Big Tease]

Man....I cant believe that it is almost racing reason. I love it. This is one sport that you can really make some serious jack in. Last year I was plus 110 units.

I can tell you that Kenseth and Marlin will both win a few races. I would keep Kenseth just for the simple fact of "upside" Marlin may end up being better than Kenseth in the long run, but he is a larger risk. Kenseth also has the bigger potential reward.

I really think that as far as sleepers go....there may not be many. I dont look for anyone to come out of nowhere and compete for the Cup like last year. The rookies this year are not as talented as Johnson and Newman of last year. Biffle is talented....but he is going to get "back of the bus" parts in the Roush team. That aint bad....but he wont be able to keep up with Busch and Kenseth.

McMurray was simply in a good car last year (Marlins) He wont have a bad ride this year, but he will disappoint.

Look for Harvick, Sadler and Dale Jarrett to have some value in your draft.

I gotta run, but if you have some specific questions....I will do my best to help out

 

[Myron]

With wins being worth more I definitely think your top 10 are:

Jeff Gordon
Kurt Bush
Matt Kenseth
Tony Stewart
Ryan Newman
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt JR
Bobby Labonte
Jeff Burton
Kevin Harvick

Others with a chance to win a couple of races are
- Sterling Marlin
- Rusty Wallace
- Bill Elliot
- Michael Waltrip

Drivers I would avoid this year like the plague are:
- Ricky Rudd
- Mark Martin
- Jimmy Spencer
- Ken Schrader
- Terry Labonte

Also here's a tip for you .

A little closer to Sear's Point, drop one of your useless drivers and pick up Ron Fellows. He is arguably the best road course racer in Nascar but has always disappointed because he was driving a crappy car (Joe Nemechek's backup). This year, Earnhardt Inc., is creating a car specifically for him, designed by him with Earnhardt power in hopes they can win a road course or 2 and give both Jr. and Waltrip some tips. He will be one of the favorites come Sear's Point and should win at Watkin's Glen (a course where he's won 4 straight times in Bush and 23 times in his career in various racing types).

 

[Dr Feelgood]

Myron,
Thanks again for the great post.

I'm not sure when Sears point is (I will check), but we can only drop and pick up drivers until the first race in NH...

Looking forward to the upcoming season and gaining lots of knowledge from all the cappers on this board...

Looks like I will be keeping #17...

--DF

 

[The Big Tease]

Myron....I like your info. Hopefully we can win some money this season. Only couple things we are different in is that I think that Jeff Burton is trash. I have reason to believe that he will be below Greg Biffle on the Roush totem pole this year. Not good. Also....I woudlnt discount Mark Martin quite yet. He was consistantly good all year last year....and although he doesnt have the guts to win races like he once did....He races much like Rusty Wallace these days and will rack up points and stay out of trouble.

 

[djv]

Johnson and Newman could have that 2nd year jinx.
Kenseth is only one I would keep from your team last year.
The guys gave you some good ideas above i would foloow some of there thoughts.
My first two drivers would be.
Stewart.
Jeff Gordon.
Kenseth you keep.
Bush will be just as good this year I believe as last.
Harvick can come back this year.
Jr is tough but seems to like big only tracks the best.
B Labonte and Jarrett both will come back this year.

 

[Dr Feelgood]

thanks djv...

I am keeping Kenseth...

My list for Non-Keepers looks like this so far...

K Busch
J Johnson
B Labonte
Newman
Harvick
Marlin
Martin
J Burton
B Elliot

Jeff Gordon, Stewart, Dale Jarrett, E Jr, Kenseth, Rusty, Rudd are being kept by the other owners...

need to work on the second tier now..

any good sites out there that have power rankings other than Nascar.com and CBS Sportsline???

 

[wannabe whale]

Watch out for the #18 this year. Bobby will be back in his new ride-that is testing very well right now.
And to top it off he has Fatback this year!!!

 

[Dr Feelgood]

thanks for the posts guys.

Here is my final list for tomorrow. If any of you see any flaws that need corrected please let me know if possible by tomorrow.

the 7 team keepers are:
J Gordon
Stewart
Kenseth
Rusty
E Jr
Rudd or B Labonte
Jarrett

the draft order will be picked there.

top 7
Busch
Jimmie Johnson
Newman
Martin
Marlin
Elliot
B Labonte

next 7
J Burton
M Waltrip
Rudd
Harvick
R Gordon
J Green
Dave Blaney

rest

Craven
Ward Burton
Benson
Sadler
Spencer
Petty
Mayfield
Park
Biffle
Andretti
McMurray

 

[Myron]

Be careful with Jimmie Johnson. He ran well last year using Jeff Gordon's 2001 cars (when Jeff won the championship). With the new cars this year he hasn't been that fast thus far in practice and chances are the cars won't be as good - at least until the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Dr Feelgood]

thanks for the last minute tip Myron...

I actually edited my list today at work to
Busch
Newman
Marlin
B Labonte
JJ
Martin
Elliot
Harvick
Waltrip
Rudd (couldn't let him fall anymore)
J Burton
etc...

and to all of you that chimed in as well...

 

[Mr.]

I'm thinking of tailing one of you fine gents this year in Nascar, as I have taken a liking to it, but don't know enough myself. Was just wondering what books I should have funded to tail to the fullest. Thanks boys

 

[Dr Feelgood]

Manchvegas Motorsports team 2003 is

Kenseth
B Labonte
M Waltrip
E Sadler

wish me luck and thanks again guys..

 

[Myron]

Best 5 nascar books in no particular order:

olympic
pinnacle
wsex
intertops
carib

 

[TORONTO-VIGILANTE]

i'll be watching too...

 

[BUCKY1]

Bet on some props last year. Looking to go a little deeper in NASCAR wagrering this year. Looking forward to trading input with you fellas. Oh, and let's win some cash.