2014 Fantasy NASCAR Preseason Rankings
By Brian Polking
NASCAR is back.
Cars have already been on the track at Daytona as part of preseason testing, and the 2014 Sprint Cup Season is only a month away from going green. Plenty has happened since Jimmie Johnson claimed his sixth-career Cup championship at Homestead last November, and there is no shortage of storylines worth paying attention to heading into the season.
After being out since August with a broken leg, Tony Stewart is on track to be ready for the start of the season. By the way, he will also be the owner/driver of a newly expanded four-car operation that will include teammates Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. landed with Furniture Row Racing after the fallout from the Richmond scandal left him without a sponsor at Michael Waltrip Racing, and A.J. Allmendinger will make his return to the Cup Series full time with JTG Daugherty Racing after a positive drug test in 2012 nearly cost him his career. To top it off, Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson highlight the most anticipated rookie class in recent memory.
For those who haven't been paying attention to all the offseason happenings, have no fear. These preseason driver rankings will get you up to speed and ready for the 2014 fantasy racing season with a quick look at how the top 30 fantasy options stack up.
Rank
|
Driver |
2013 Driver Rating
|
2014 Value Outlook |
1
|
Jimmie Johnson |
110.3
|
Coming off a sixth championship, Johnson remains the safest fantasy option by a wide margin |
2
|
Kyle Busch |
101.9
|
For the second year in a row, Busch was one of only three drivers to lead more than 1,000 laps and have a driver rating of more than 100 |
3
|
Matt Kenseth |
110.9
|
After leading the series in wins and driver rating in 2013, his second year with JGR should be fun to watch |
4
|
Kurt Busch |
93.0
|
Had the second-most top-5s of his career in 2013 and has more resources at his disposal in 2014 with his move to SHR |
5
|
Kevin Harvick |
94.9
|
Moves to SHR on the heels of a 2013 season where he had the second-best average finish in the series and spent more time on the lead lap than any other driver |
6
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
98.5
|
Closed out 2013 with a 5.56 average finish in the final 9 races and had a career-high 22 top-10s |
7
|
Jeff Gordon |
92.5
|
Can still be counted on for around 10 top-5s and 20 top-10s |
8
|
Clint Bowyer |
93.5
|
He didn't win in 2013, but Bowyer logged the third-best average finish in the series for the second year in a row |
9
|
Denny Hamlin |
82.4
|
Should have a strong 2014 season now that his nagging back issues are behind him |
10
|
Brad Keselowski |
94.4
|
The 2012 champ should get back to business after a humbling 2013 |
11
|
Kasey Kahne |
96.5
|
Strong runs are a given, but so are handful of really bad ones |
12
|
Carl Edwards |
92.5
|
Remains consistent, but he hasn't been championship-caliber the past two years |
13
|
Joey Logano |
92.2
|
Posted career highs across the board in 2013 in his first year with Team Penske |
14
|
Greg Biffle |
83.0
|
He had just four top-5s in 2013 and has had single-digit top-5s in three of the past four seasons |
15
|
Tony Stewart |
79.0
|
"Smoke" is still a top-10 talent, but there's no telling how his long layoff from a broken leg will impact his performance |
16
|
Ryan Newman |
81.8
|
Should have no problem remaining a solid fantasy option with RCR in 2014 |
17
|
Brian Vickers |
78.2
|
Has a chance to make a big impact with in first full-time ride since 2011, but health issues loom |
18
|
Martin Truex Jr. |
92.3
|
Richmond scandal has Truex with Furniture Row Racing in 2014 and has his fantasy value up in the air |
19
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
70.0
|
Somewhat quiet as a rookie, but a solid second half suggests he is headed in the right direction |
20
|
Jamie McMurray |
81.2
|
Quietly completed the most laps in the series in 2013 and finished in the top 15 in points |
21
|
Austin Dillon |
65.1
|
Having Richard Childress for a grandfather has certainly helped his career, but you don't win Truck and Nationwide titles without a little talent |
22
|
Kyle Larson |
59.7
|
Expect some highs and lows from the highly touted youngster in his first full year in the Cup Series |
23
|
Paul Menard |
76.7
|
Doubtful he will ever be more than a top-20 driver, and the lack of upside curbs his value |
24
|
Aric Almirola |
74.7
|
His 18.8 average finish and 6 top-10s in 2013 were both career bests, but a true breakout might be another year away |
25
|
A.J. Allmendinger |
67.0
|
Back in the Cup Series full time, but consistency will likely be hard to find in 2014 with JTG Daugherty Racing |
26
|
Marcos Ambrose |
73.4
|
Likely racing for a job after a disappointing 2013 season that included 0 top-5s |
27
|
Danica Patrick |
53.6
|
No signs of a breakout in sight after Patrick made minimal progress at best in 2013 |
28
|
David Ragan |
51.2
|
Ragan is a restrictor plate stud, but consistency remains a problem everywhere else |
29
|
Justin Allgaier |
55.6
|
Worth keeping an eye on after new ownership spent money to upgrade the team in the offseason |
30
|
Parker Kligerman |
58.8
|
The 2009 ARCA champ has a full-time ride and showed top-20 potential in two Cup starts at the end of 2013 |