The races at Phoenix International Raceway are typically dominated by the guys that start up front, so for the FOX Fantasy Auto game this week, focusing more on finish points rather than place differential fantasy points will be the better strategy. With that being said, there are some pretty good race cars that start mid-pack or worse, including Kevin Harvick, who has won eight times here in the desert. Looking back at the last time we raced here (November 2016), seven of the top nine finishers started 8th or better, and with the way the races have gone so far this year, don’t be surprised if that happens again this weekend. Unfortunately, this new rules package simply isn’t improving the passing on track.
My team points last week: 141
Overall team standings: 308th
Total team points for the season: 556
Top FOX Fantasy Auto Drivers for the 2017 Phoenix Race
Kevin Harvick ($12,700) – I’m sure most of you are probably thinking to yourself, “of course,” but I still have a job to do when it comes to letting people know about the best FOX Fantasy Auto drivers for this weekend’s race. Kevin Harvick qualified back in 23rd for Sunday’s Camping World 500(k), and that in and of itself makes him a must-own in this game. A bad day out of Kevin Harvick at Phoenix International Raceway still equates to a top 10 finish, while a good day end with him in victory lane. So we’re looking at some major points here out of the #4 car. Harvick is an 8-time winner here at Phoenix and knows this track like the back of his hand. It’s worth noting (and a little concerning) that the #4 team has made major changes to this car at least two times this weekend, but at the same time, they have the best baseline setup to go back to of anyone in the garage. It’s hard to afford him this weekend with that huge salary, but at the same time Harvick needs to be on your FOX Fantasy Auto roster.
Kyle Busch ($11,600) – Some Fantasy NASCAR players may have some apprehension when it comes to taking Kyle Busch this weekend, but let’s take a step back here. The #18 Toyota was top 5 good last week at Las Vegas, and the whole mishap with Joey Logano wouldn’t have happened, Kyle would have finished there. Still, it’s understandably difficult to trust a driver who hasn’t finished better than 16th this season. However, all bad luck streaks come to an end, and that’s what’s going to happen with Rowdy this weekend. Busch was the fastest car during the final practice session on Saturday and it looks like he has a car that can go out and dominate this race. The good news for FOX Fantasy Auto players is that Kyle qualified 9th for Sunday’s race, so there’s some room for place differential points as well. Busch is currently on a three-race streak of top 5 finishes here at Phoenix and should easily grab another one here on Sunday, if not a top 5.
Martin Truex, Jr. ($10,100) – There are plenty of reasons for Martin Truex, Jr. to be pessimistic (see every single race he dominated last season only to have something go wrong late) but at the same time, can you stop it, Martin!? Last week at Las Vegas he said his car was “pretty good” but they hadn’t quite figured it all out, and then he went on to dominate the whole race. Of course. This week, Truex is even less happy with his car, but the potential is there. And when you look at the speed charts, the speed is definitely there. Truex ranked 4th- and 9th-fastest in the two practice sessions on Saturday and ended up 1st and 5th when it came to ten-lap average. Here at Phoenix, his record isn’t stellar, but he has a couple of top 10s sprinkled in with his usual top 15 finish. The #78 Toyota starts back in 16th on Sunday and should be a top 10 car by the end of it, so FOX Fantasy Auto owners are looking at 37+ fantasy points for a decently-priced driver. Not a bad value at all.
Jimmie Johnson ($11,900) – Yes, there’s a lot of high-priced drivers on this list, but that’s just how things shook out this weekend with qualifying. And honestly, this is probably the hardest race thus far in 2017 to make a roster for FOX Fantasy Auto. So keep that in mind when putting in your final lineup, and remember that there are more than a couple of great picks in this game on Sunday. As far as Jimmie Johnson goes, he’s a four-time winner here at Phoenix International Raceway and he has four finishes of 6th or better in his last eight starts here. The #48 Chevrolet was very strong on the long runs during Happy Hour on Saturday and that should pay major dividends for this team during the actual race on Sunday. The only concern fantasy owners should have is whether or not Johnson will be able to finally put together a whole race. The slump he is in right now is starting to remind me of that long top 10 drought this team had last season. Anyway, Johnson starts 14th on Sunday and has pretty good potential for place differential fantasy points. It just comes down to whether or not you can afford him…
Other viable options: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Erik Jones, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth
Stay away from…
Kurt Busch ($11,800) – It’s never a good sign when Kurt Busch starts the race off with issues on his race car, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen on Sunday. The entire Stewart-Haas fleet is off this weekend, including Kevin Harvick, and although Kurt has a very good record here at Phoenix (five straight top 7 finishes), that doesn’t mean anything if his car isn’t handling well enough to get there on Sunday. The #41 team really struggled during the Happy Hour practice on Saturday and Kurt was already yelling at his crew then. You can imagine how this race is going to go for them. In addition to being majorly over-priced in this FOX Fantasy Auto game, Kurt Busch simply isn’t that great of a pick heading into Sunday’s Camping World 500(k). Avoid like the plague.
Clint Bowyer ($8,500) – As of Saturday evening, over 20% of FOX Fantasy Auto teams had Clint Bowyer on their roster, and while that is probably due to his decently low salary, that doesn’t make him a good fantasy pick in this game this weekend. As mentioned with Kurt Busch, the Stewart-Haas Fords are off this weekend, and that doesn’t bode well for a guy like Clint Bowyer. Not only did he qualify far too high (13th) to have any real value in FOX Fantasy Auto but Clint’s record here in the desert leaves much to be desired; in his last thirteen starts here at Phoenix, Bowyer has just one top 10 finish, and that was back in 2013 with Michael Waltrip Racing. I understand using Bowyer from a cap perspective to fill out your roster, but don’t forget that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($6,300) and Erik Jones ($5,200) are both sitting there.
