By Jordan McAbee
We have an issue this weekend at Phoenix with the FOX Fantasy Auto Racing, and that issue is simple: there’s not enough money! All of the good drivers are the highest priced, and there probably won’t be many surprises in the Good Sam 500 on Sunday, so that severely limits out options in the mid-tier (and lower priced) drivers. However, the good news is that there are quite a few high-priced drivers that are going to be some great picks in this game on Sunday, and for that reason we’re going to load up on them for the week. Some races are just like this where you have to load up on the “big dogs.”
FOX Fantasy Auto Picks for Phoenix
Kevin Harvick ($13,900) – Yes. Absolutely. No questions asked. I don’t care that Kevin Harvick costs almost $1,000 more than any other driver this week because it’s a virtual guarantee that he’s going to be the highest scoring driver and worth every penny. When Harvick qualified 18th on Friday, I was a little concerned, but now that we have the two post-qualifying practices completed, that mid-pack starting spot is almost a blessing in disguise for fantasy owners. The #4 Chevrolet is one of the best cars this weekend (as expected) and Harvick should have no problem making his way through the field to the front. I’m sure you know his stats here but I will refresh you memory: Kevin has finished 1st or 2nd in seven of the last eight Phoenix races and should make it eight of the last nine on Sunday.
Brad Keselowski ($12,200) – If I have learned anything from following NASCAR as closely as possible (from a fantasy perspective) over the last fifteen years, it’s that certain teams have certain tendencies. One of those tendencies when it comes to the Penske Fords is that if one of them is struggling and the other one is fast, there typically is nothing to worry about. So, applying that principle to this weekend’s race, I’m not overly concerned about Brad Keselowski being low on the speed charts, simply because his teammate, Joey Logano, is plenty fast. Additionally, BK hasn’t finished worse than 11th here in the desert since the 2011 season, and with his 19th-place starting spot on Sunday, there’s potential for plenty of place differential points. The #2 Ford is a bit pricey this week but should get us a good amount of points. Plus, I never like to go against the most recent Sprint Cup winner.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($11,600) – Our third heavy hitter on the FOX Fantasy Auto Racing roster for Phoenix is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This guy is just a great fantasy option for leagues that give points based on place differential because the #88 team just isn’t that great at qualifying. On Friday, Junior ended up 26th on the speed chart and that’s where he will start the Good Sam 500 from. Going into the race, I don’t think the #88 Chevrolet is a top 10 car, but this team has a knack for working on it throughout the race. Junior was also quite happy (all things considered) on Twitter after Happy Hour. Earnhardt has finished 8th or better in five of his last six starts here at Phoenix and that includes a win here last fall. If he gets anywhere close to the top 5 on Sunday we’ll be jumping for joy.
Ryan Blaney ($5,000) – With guys like Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Ty Dillon all priced at $5,000 for this game, it’s almost necessary to throw at least one of them on your roster. The potential for them to score us 30 to 40 points every week is incredible at that price point. This week we’re going to roll the dice with the #21 Ford and Ryan Blaney simply because they have been the fastest all weekend. I like Chase Elliott as well because he starts 17th, but Blaney’s speed on Saturday was quite surprising: he ranked 3rd in ten-lap average during Practice #2 and 7th on that chart in Happy Hour. If he can stay out of trouble in the Good Sam 500, Ryan Blaney might be able to sneak away with another top 10 finish.
A.J. Allmendinger ($7,200) – In order for this week’s roster to work out under the salary cap, we’re going to need to pick a few lower-priced drivers. As far as those in this price range, A.J. Allmendinger is probably the best option at Phoenix, so we’re going to roll the dice with the #47. He was 8th-fastest in Practice #2 on Saturday morning and has finished 18th or better in six of his last eight starts here at PIR. In this race last season, Allmendinger wound up finishing 17th after starting 22nd. He will roll off the grid in 22nd once again for this year’s Good Sam 400, and I’d be more than happy with another 17th-place finish on Sunday.
