Phoenix Good Sam 500 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick is an excellent fantasy NASCAR pick to win the Phoenix Good Sam 500. If last fall’s race ended conventionally he would have five straight Phoenix wins. What’s equally impressive is that in 7 of the last 8 Phoenix races he’s finished in the top 2. Over the last 5 Phoenix races Harvick has a 1.2 average finish, 2.4 average running position, has led 925 laps and has a near perfect 147.1 driver rating. Last fall Harvick looked like a lock to win except the race ended unfavorably for him. Before the rain fell there was a caution during the pit cycle and it came at a bad time. He completed his pit stop and when the yellow came out Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the middle of his. That is what decided the outcome and led to his 2nd place result. In the race Harvick earned the best driver rating, finished 2nd, had a 2nd place average running position and led 143 laps. Last spring he had a phenomenal performance. He started on the pole, earned a perfect driver rating and led 224 laps. In 2014 at Phoenix Kevin Harvick thumped the competition and unquestionably had the best car in both races. In fall 2014 Kevin Harvick ran a perfect race. He finished 1st, had a 1st place average running position, led 264 laps and earned a perfect driver rating. One stat that shows just how strong he was is the fact that he ran 137 fastest laps. In spring 2014 he also put on a display of dominance and won his first race in just his second event for Stewart-Haas Racing. In that race he started in 13th and in just 17 laps he reached 4th. On lap 74 he passed Joey Logano for the lead and after that he waved good bye to the competition. In that event he led 224 laps, had a 2nd place average running position and came up .1 shy of earning a perfect driver rating. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Kurt Busch – Kurt Busch will be a factor at Phoenix. It’s a great track for him and in 4 of the last 5 races he’s finished in the top ten. He would likely be a perfect 5 for 5 except he had an engine failure in spring 2014. Last year at Phoenix the only driver better than him performance wise was teammate Kevin Harvick. Last fall Kurt Busch had a great car but we never got a chance to see how strong he was. He started on the front row, led the first couple of laps but then NASCAR black flagged him which dropped him deep in the running order and negated his laps led. He was able to drive up through the pack without much adversity and when the rain shortened event reached its conclusion he finished 7th. Last spring in the desert he made his season debut. Performance wise I think he had the second best car. His 5th place finish underrates him because at the end while he was running in 2nd he choose to pit and not many other front runners choose to do so. After he was done with his stop he was in 10th. In addition to finishing 5th he also earned the 3rd best driver rating and had a 5th place average running position. In fall 2014 he also ran very well. He finished 7th, had a 5th place average running position and earned the 4th best driver rating. He could’ve potentially finished better but on lap 222 while he was running in 2nd he got into the wall and faded back to 7th. In spring 2014 at Phoenix Kurt Busch was likely top ten good but an engine failure derailed his afternoon. (Yahoo A Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Phoenix Front Runner Rankings, Phoenix Mid Pack Predictions, Phoenix Scouting Report, Phoenix DraftKings Fall 2015 Points, Phoenix Fall 2015 Loop Data Box Score

Joey Logano – Joey Logano will be competitive at Phoenix. Currently in the desert he has five straight top tens. Over this stretch he has the 2nd best driver rating, 2nd best average finish (6.0), 2nd best average running position (6.4) and has led the 2nd most laps (156). Last fall he had a great car and if the race would’ve run to its conclusion he might’ve just been able to advance to Homestead. In the race he stated in 14th and quickly moved up to the front when the green flag waved. When the race met its early conclusion he finished 3rd, earned the 3rd best driver rating and had a 4th place average running position. Last spring he had a solid showing. He started 2nd, had a 5th place average running position, finished 8th and led 35 laps. He had a solid chance to finish better but at the end he choose to pit which dropped him back to the mid-teens with only a few laps remaining. In fall 2014 Logano had an interesting afternoon. He started in 4th and on lap 25 he passed Denny Hamlin for the lead. While he was out front he led 17 laps. On lap 122 under yellow his race took a turn for the worst because while he was running in 2nd he left his pit box with his fuel can which dropped him from 2nd to 29th. While he was back in traffic he struggled and even got lapped. On lap 201 he got the “Lucky Dog” and started moving up through the pack. Over the final 50 laps I would estimate his average running position was around 7th. When the checkered flag waved he finished 6th. In spring 2014 Joey Logano was very strong. He started 2nd, earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 3rd place average running position, finished 4th and led 71 laps. Last year at shorter flat tracks Logano scored the most points and had a 4.3 average finish. In all six races he finished in the top ten, in five of them he finished in the top five. (Yahoo A Driver)

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