DAYTONA 2 - Preview

Easy week for us here at Fantasy Nascar Geeker. Get out the trusty ballcap, put in the names, and draw them out. Starting position and practice mean almost nothing here, and due to the repave, the previous stats here at Daytona are also worthless. It will be hot in Florida but the new surface should provide plenty of grip at night.

We do get to see practices on Thursday before locking down Thursday night, so that could help narrow down the at random choices for this week. In the preview we will focus on not only who to start, but who you must bench.


A-LIST:
No doubt Kurt Busch is on a roll and had a very strong car here in February. The double deuce will probably be a popular pick because of those 2 factors. So depending on where you are in your own league standings, you could pick Kurt with the majority of your league, or you could go another option. Biggest downfall to Kurt is the lack of Dodge team mates in the field.

Another popular pick will be Kevin Harvick. Rightfully so as RCR is still a strong force at the plate tracks, and there is none better at playing the waiting game and getting through the field late than Harvick. Hendrick power is also prominent, especially in qualifying. That being said, Jeff Gordon and his momentum is another wise choice heading into the weekend.

It will be interesting to see if the FR9 engines shine this week with the warmer temperatures, so keep an eye on Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth.

Those that have struggled at the plate tracks this year include JGR Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin and also Tony Stewart.

Drivers who you would consider "9 start" drivers you should also avoid this weekend. Even though Carl Edwards has a 2nd and a 6th at the plate tracks this year, he is far too valuable on the 1.5 mile tracks to burn here. Likewise even though Jimmie Johnson got shoved into the lead at Talladega, he is another you should save for safer races.


B-LIST:
The B-List is wide open as far as selections, you could make an argument for just about any driver. I personally won't be risking starts with Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes, that's right, the 88 needs to find your bench at Talladega. Like most of us, Juniors impressive season on the 1.5 mile tracks has burned a lot of his starts, so I will not be using another 88 start here. Bowyer and Newman also have better value elsewhere and are probably 9 start guys who I will leave sitting this week.

If you're on board with the FR9 engine being the hot ticket this weekend, then you're options are A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose. While both are coming off of strong runs at Sonoma, Dinger is the stronger choice of the two as the 43 has scored a pair of 11th place finishes at plate tracks this year.

The EGR are another pair of drivers that could be a popular pick this weekend. Jamie McMurray is known for his strong plate performances, however this year he's been a disappointment in the 2 car drafts finishing outside the Top 15. Team mate Juan Pablo Montoya however has had a decent plate record this year, but do keep in mind JPM wrecked half the field at Sonoma, don't look for many to help the 42 this weekend.

I just can't find a reason to start Mark Martin or Jeff Burton at any other tracks outside of these 2 remaining plate races, so this would be as good a time as any to use a start with these 2 considering their horsepower and qualifying point potential. Brad Keselowski has a pretty solid career dating all the way back into the Nationwide series on plate tracks, and he's coming off a great run at Sonoma, however I'm still not a fan of him and Busch being on Dodge island by themselves.


C-LIST:
Although you may be tempted to, do not start Paul Menard or David Ragan here. Both are far superior to their C-List competition at the other tracks on the circuit and you can not afford to use them and have a poor finish out of either one of them.

The popular choice will be Trevor Bayne due to his Daytona 500 victory. History rarely repeats itself on the plate tracks as of late and I will be looking to go off the beaten path in the C-List if possible. Regan Smith will probably be my guy, as he's an excellent plate racer and has ECR power under the hood. If you want to go deep sleeper, David Gilliland has been impressive on the plate tracks and is coming off a great Sonoma performance. I'll also give a slight look at Dave Blaney who's got some decent equipment and sponsorship to go the distance at Daytona. Bobby Labonte wasn't much to write home about at Talladega and I don't think he'll be a factor this weekend either.



Check back on Thursday for a practice breakdown and the 8 drivers we're rolling off the trailer for the Coke Zero 400.