Fantasy NASCAR Racing

Fantasy NASCAR Nationwide Series: Daytona

July 1, 2011 @ 07:18:22

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ADAM ANSELL'S TOP 25 FOR DAYTONA

1. Tony Stewart: In 11 starts at Daytona International Speedway, Stewart has six wins, seven Top Fives, eight Top 10s and one pole with an Average Finish of 7.5. All six of his wins came in the February event. He's only competed in the summer event twice, posting 12th (2006) and fourth-place (2007) finishes. He's led at least one lap in each of his last five starts. Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Stewart leads all competitors in Driver Rating (114.5) and ranks sixth in Average Running Position (9.2). He ranks third in Laps Led (180). Smoke is by far the top Elimination format play in this stellar field of drivers.

2. Kyle Busch: Busch has finished in the Top Three in nine of his last 11 Series starts. In 15 Daytona starts, Busch has one win (2007), five Top Fives and seven Top 10s with an Average Finish of 14.3. He's led at least five laps in his last 10 consecutive starts. Busch ranks third in DR (108.2) and fourth in ARP (8.7). He leads all drivers in Laps Led (244) and Laps in the Top 15 (1,223). He's a terrific restrictor-plate driver and is the top Tiered/Grouping format start of the weekend.

3. Kevin Harvick: In 17 starts at Daytona, Harvick has one win (2007), 12 Top Fives, 14 Top 10s and two poles with an Average Finish of 5.8. Aside from a 21st-place finish (2008), Harvick has never finished outside the Top 15. He's led at least three laps in three of his last four starts. Harvick ranks fourth in DR (106.7) and seventh in ARP (9.3). He's arguably the most consistent driver at Daytona and will be an excellent Elimination format start.

4. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led 40 laps and finished second in the February race. In 12 starts at Daytona, Bowyer has one win (2009), eight Top Fives, 10 Top 10s and two poles with an Average Finish of 6.3. He's led at least three laps in seven of his last eight starts. Bowyer ranks second in DR (111.8) and Laps in the Top 15 (1,219). He leads all competitors in ARP (6.6). He will be a Fantasy asset in all formats.

5. Carl Edwards: Edwards broke some hearts last week by skipping the Road America event to further prepare for the Sprint Cup event. That won't happen this week. In 13 starts at Daytona, Edwards has five Top Fives and seven Top 10s with an Average Finish of 13.2. He's led at least two laps in four of his last six starts. Edwards ranks 12th in DR (94.5) and 13th in ARP (14.5). He's always a quality Tiered/Grouping format option.

6. Brad Keselowski: In seven Daytona starts, Keselowski has two Top Fives, three Top 10s and one pole with an Average Finish of 13.7. He's led at least three laps in each of his last three starts. Keselowski ranks 10th in DR (99.3) and fifth in ARP (9.0). This will be one of the only times he comes at a solid value in Tiered/Grouping formats.

7. Joey Logano: In five Daytona starts, Logano has two Top Fives and three Top 10s with an Average Finish of ninth. He's led at least one lap in his last two starts. Logano ranks fifth in DR (106.4) and second in ARP (7.1).The No. 20 JGR has had trouble fielding a team in recent weeks, putting a higher premium on Logano's Fantasy value when they do field a squad.

8. Jamie McMurray: McMurray's last Top Five at Daytona was back in 2003, and this weekend will mark his first appearance since 2007. In nine starts at Daytona, McMurray has three Top Fives with an Average Finish of 13.6. He's led at least four laps in two starts. McMurray ranks 19th in DR (84.8) and 25th in ARP (19.3). He's a great restrictor-plate driver and will come at the best value for Elimination format owners.

9. Trevor Bayne: The last time Bayne was at Daytona, he won the 500 and finished 10th in the Nationwide event, not a bad weekend. In three starts at Daytona, Bayne has the one Top 10 with an Average Finish of 26th. Bayne ranks 25th in DR (80.0) and 30th in ARP (21.0). He leads all drivers in Average Green Flag Speed (185.069 mph). In the three races since coming back from an illness, he has logged two Top Fives. Get him into all Tiered/Grouping format lineups.

10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse Jr. has finished inside the Top 15 in his nine straight Series starts. In three Daytona starts, Stenhouse Jr. has one Top Five and two Top 10s with an Average Finish of 15.7. He finished eighth at the February event. Stenhouse Jr. ranks 14th in DR (89.1) and 16th in ARP (15.6). He's extremely consistent and can be trusted on a weekly basis.

11. Justin Allgaier: One Top Five and two Top 10s with an Average Finish of 19.2 in five Daytona starts. 80.8 DR.

12. Reed Sorenson: One Top Five and four Top 10s with an Average Finish of 18.8 in eight starts at Daytona. 83.8 DR.

13. Elliott Sadler: One pole with an Average Finish of 29.3 in four Daytona starts. 58.0 DR.

14. Jason Leffler: Five Top 10s and one pole in 15 starts at Daytona. 80.8 DR.

15. Kenny Wallace: Two Top Fives, eight Top 10s and one pole with an Average Finish of 17th in 22 starts at Daytona. 60.2 DR.

16. Danica Patrick: 64.5 DR.

17. Aric Almirola: 63.7.

18. Brian Scott: 53.2.

19. Michael Annett: 69.8.

20. Mike Bliss: 66.5.

21. Jeffrey Earnhardt

22. Steve Wallace

23. Joe Nemechek

24. Tim George Jr.

25. Danny Efland

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Adam was a 2010 Fantasy Sports Writers Awards Association nominee for Racing Writer of the Year. You can e-mail him at ansell@rotoexperts.com and follow him @RotoExpertsAA.

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Author Bio

Adam Ansell, RotoExperts.com

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