Pocono Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Ranking Picks

1) Jimmie Johnson (Starting – 7th) (Odds To Win – 7/1)
Pocono Fantasy Spin – Jimmie Johnson will be tough to beat at Pocono. It’s a great track for him and he consistently runs well here. In 28 races at Pocono he has 3 wins, 11 top fives, 19 top tens and 26 top fifteens. Since Pocono was repaved when you take into account his asterisk mark finishes he clearly ranks as one of the best performers. On Sunday Johnson will start in 7th. Last August this race was won from that starting position.
Pocono Track History – Johnson is a strong competitor at Pocono who’s proven himself as a “Tricky Triangle” fantasy ace. In 3 of the last 4 Pocono races he’s finished in the top 6. Last August he ran well finishing 6th and earning the 3rd best driver rating. In spring 2015 he had a strong showing even though his race wasn’t incident free. On lap 87 he had a cut tire which caused a caution and that dropped him back to the mid-twenties. From that point on he raced hard finishing 3rd and earning the 4th best driver rating. In August 2015 he had a very strong car but had two flat tires and his second on lap 113 was his undoing which sent him to the garage causing him to finish 39th. At the time of his second flat he was running in 5th. In spring 2014 he finished 6th. In 2013 he won in the spring and likely would’ve also won in August except his race wasn’t incident free.
Yahoo A Driver / DraftKings $10,100

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2) Kevin Harvick (Starting – 4th) (Odds To Win – 6/1)
Pocono Fantasy Spin – Kevin Harvick will be a factor at Pocono. He’s never won here but he’s certainly due. Over the last couple of Pocono races he’s consistently been one of the strongest performers. On Sunday (or Monday) I’m willing to bet he’ll once again be one of the drivers to beat. His 4th place starting position is very similar to where he’s started in many of the recent Pocono races where he’s attained a high-level of success.
Pocono Track History – In the #4 car at Pocono Kevin Harvick has had elite speed and has been one of the strongest competitors. Last August he likely had a great car but while he was battling for the lead on lap 20 his engine blew up. In June 2015 he had a strong showing. He finished runner-up, earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 3rd place average running position and led 39 laps. In August 2014 he was also very competitive. He finished 2nd, earned the 4th best driver rating and had a 9th place average running position. In June 2014 he was fast but his race wasn’t incident free. On lap 116 while he was running in 2nd he had a tire go down and he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop. The flat tire dropped him all the way back to 32nd, one lap down. Once he got back on the lead lap on lap 137 he managed to rally to a 14th place finish.
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Further Recommended Reading – Pocono Speed Cheat Sheet, Pocono Happy Hour Speeds, Pocono Happy Hour Notes, Starting Lineup, DraftKings Start Page, Yahoo Start Page, PROS Rankings, Asterisk Mark Report, Scouting Report, Pocono Odds To Win

3) Brad Keselowski (Starting – 1st) (Odds To Win – 10/1)
Pocono Fantasy Spin – Pole winner Brad Keselowski is primed for a strong showing at Pocono. He’s a former winner who’s had a runner-up finish in each of the last two seasons. Last year at Pocono he ran well in both races and was one of the better drivers between the combined events. I don’t think he’ll miss a beat from last season because he’s entering the weekend with a slight advantage. A little over a month ago he took part in Goodyear tire testing. Extra track time is always a plus and it allows the #2 crew to try new things to find speed. One attribute I like about Keselowski is his momentum. He has four straight top 11’s and has scored the most points over the last 5 races (6.6). It should be noted the first starting position has proven to be the most proficient in terms producing winners. Nearly 1/5th of all Pocono races have been won from that starting position.
Pocono Track History – Brad Keselowski should be on your radar at Pocono. It’s a good track for him and since his 2011 victory with a broken ankle he has a 9.9 average finish, 11.6 average running position and has finished in the top ten 56% percent of the time. Last August he was about 6th place good but escaped with a runner-up finish because of the fuel mileage aspect at the end. In June 2015 he had a good car but walked away with an asterisk mark 17th place finish. The source of his misleading result can be traced to him running into the back of Brett Moffitt with 32 laps to go while he was running in 10th. Performance wise he had top five potential if his race would’ve been incident free. In August 2014 I would estimate he was about 10th place good but was a victim in the lap 117 “Big One.”  In June 2014 Keselowski had the car to beat but cost himself the race when he had debris on his grille and tried to get it off by ducking behind Danica Patrick which broke his momentum. In that race he finished 2nd, had a 4th place average running position, earned the best driver rating and led 95 laps.
Yahoo A Driver / DraftKings $9,100