Chase Elliott 2017 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
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Chase Elliott 2016 Stats : Points Finish 10th, 0 Wins, 10 Top Fives, 17 Top Tens, 14.6 Average Finish, 12.7 Average Running Position, 358 Laps Led
Strengths – In 2017 look for Chase Elliott to be at his best at intermediate tracks and big flat tracks.
Weaknesses – The jury is still out about Chase Elliott at road courses and plate tracks.
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Track Type Fantasy Value Key = Elite > High > Medium High > Medium > Low
Intermediate Track Fantasy Value – Elite
Chase Elliott is a very strong performer at intermediate tracks. From a fantasy NASCAR perspective I think he\’ll be an elite talent on this track type in 2017. This upcoming season look for him to compete for multiple wins and be one of the best weekly fantasy options.
In 2016 on this track type he was very competitive. He scored the 9th most points, finished in the top five 41% percent of the time and in the top ten 71% percent of the time. If it wasn\’t for bad luck in a few select races he could\’ve cracked the top five in terms of points accumulated.
Expect big things out of Chase Elliott at intermediate tracks in 2017.
Flat Track Fantasy Value – High
Look for Chase Elliott to be a strong performer at both the big flats, and the smaller flats in 2017. In 2016 during his rookie season he was very successful on this track type. At these venues minus his two misleading results in the thirties he finished in the top fifteen every race and had a 9.8 average finish.
At the shorter flat tracks (New Hampshire and Phoenix) he was very strong last year. He was top ten good at New Hampshire #1 until trouble struck which led to a misleading result, in the other three events he finished between 8th and 13th.
At the bigger flat tracks he certainly wasn\’t a slouch. In the spring Pocono race he was the driver to beat until he made some mistakes on the track. In the summer Pocono race he had problems and finished 33rd. At Indy last season he finished 15th.
Short Track Fantasy Value – High
Chase Elliott had a successful rookie season at short tracks. He scored the 10th most points and had a 13.7 average finish. He only finished in the top ten once and wasn\’t a contender to win any race, but he did do a good job avoiding trouble.
He\’s one of just three drivers who finished in the top twenty every race. The other two drivers who accomplished that feat were Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano. In 5 of the 6 races on this track type he finished between 12th and 20th. Also it should be noted that at all three venues he had at least one finish of 12th or better.
In 2017 I think we\’ll see improvement from him on this track type and see him compete for more top tens.
Plate Track Fantasy Value – High
Don\’t overlook Chase Elliott at restrictor plate tracks. I don\’t think he\’s a bad option on this track type despite having some difficulty during his rookie year. I will note however if you\’re in an allocation league picking him on this track type isn\’t necessarily a smart thing to do.
In 2016 at Daytona he crashed in both races. In season opening Daytona 500 he started on the pole and spun into the grass early which really damaged his car (finished 37th). In the summer event he finished 32nd.
At Talladega he had a successful rookie season. In the spring race he started on the pole, led 27 laps and finished 5th. In the fall he crossed the finish line in 9th.
One aspect that should be noted about Chase Elliott is that if you play in a league where qualifying points are rewarded, such as yahoo, then he should be pretty high on your radar for earning those bonus points. In 2015 the #24 car won three of the four poles on this track type. In 2016 Chase Elliott won two poles and had one fourth place start.
Road Course Track Fantasy Value – High
I think Chase Elliott will prove to be a good road course racer. He\’s a talented driver and will be piloting some of the best equipment in the garage area. When you add in some natural improvement from him on this track type into the mix he might prove to be a good dark horse fantasy option in 2017.
Last year on this track type he had an OK season, but really didn\’t do anything special. He finished 13th at Watkins Glen and 21st at Sonoma.
