When the season was on the line, Eric’s drivers stepped up and took the crown. Eric’s strategy of picking Toyota’s was the difference in the end. Eric’s team featured champion Martin Truex Jr and runner up Kyle Busch who carried him to the title. While James’ team was hurt by the late season collapse of Kyle Larson and Jimmie Johnson.

Congrats Eric!

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (2,405 TOTAL POINTS/225 RACE TOTAL)

40 Martin Truex Jr.
35 Kyle Busch
32 Denny Hamlin
8 Ryan Blaney
27 Ryan Newman
26 Austin Dillon
33 Matt Kenseth
24 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (2,252 TOTAL POINTS/216 RACE TOTAL)

54 Kyle Larson
30 Brad Keselowski
10 Jimmie Johnson
33 Kevin Harvick
22 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
39 Chase Elliott
24 Kurt Busch
4 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 8, James and Todd have tied for the championship!

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (200 POINTS)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (215 POINTS)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (215 POINTS)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

It’s not over. But it’s close. After Phoenix, Eric has a monster 144 point lead. As Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Larson have struggled, so has James’ team. One race to go!

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (2,180 TOTAL POINTS/261 RACE TOTAL)

44 Martin Truex Jr.
41 Kyle Busch
21 Denny Hamlin
20 Ryan Blaney
22 Ryan Newman
23 Austin Dillon
56 Matt Kenseth
35 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (2,036 TOTAL POINTS/185 RACE TOTAL)

11 Kyle Larson
21 Brad Keselowski
2 Jimmie Johnson
43 Kevin Harvick
29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
45 Chase Elliott
16 Kurt Busch
18 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 8, James and Todd have tied for the championship!

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (200 POINTS)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (215 POINTS)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (215 POINTS)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

For the second consecutive week, Team Eric squeaked out a victory and now holds a solid lead with 2 races left.

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (1,918 TOTAL POINTS/261 RACE TOTAL)

51 Martin Truex Jr.
18 Kyle Busch
47 Denny Hamlin
42 Ryan Blaney
17 Ryan Newman
27 Austin Dillon
40 Matt Kenseth
19 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (1,851 TOTAL POINTS/243 RACE TOTAL)

18 Kyle Larson
32 Brad Keselowski
10 Jimmie Johnson
59 Kevin Harvick
25 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
35 Chase Elliott
38 Kurt Busch
26 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 16 all three players are tied. Points will resume after the Round of 8 is complete.

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

Fantasy League Standings after Martinsville

Wow. What a race that was. Kyle Busch is locked into the Championship round but the SuperSpeedway Fantasy league battles on!

Thanks in part to Denny Hamlin’s boot of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson stinking up the show for a second consecutive week, Eric has recaptured the lead 1,657 to 1,608.

James’ team was wounded badly following another issue for Larson. Also, the Elliott spin and Kurt Busch wreck at the end of the race were costly at this point in the playoffs.

Eric’s team was dominant again this week with 5 drivers going over 30 points. The Toyota’s came through for his team at an unlikely spot, a short track.

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (1,657 TOTAL POINTS/263 FOR THE RACE)

48 Martin Truex Jr.
58 Kyle Busch
31 Denny Hamlin
38 Ryan Blaney
23 Ryan Newman
26 Austin Dillon
31 Matt Kenseth
8 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (1,608 TOTAL POINTS/ 210 RACE TOTAL)

1 Kyle Larson
53 Brad Keselowski
33 Jimmie Johnson
36 Kevin Harvick
27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
21 Chase Elliott
15 Kurt Busch
24 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 16 all three players are tied. Points will resume after the Round of 12 is complete.

Round of 12 highlights

James, Eric and Todd all had Larson as the champion. With Larson out there will be no champion points awarded. It comes down to the final four drivers. The only difference is Eric with Jimmie Johnson making it to Homestead.

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

Fantasy League Standings after Kansas

Just four races remain before we crown a NASCAR Champion and a Fantasy League Champion. Kyle Larson is out but Eric and James battle on.

For the first time since New Hampshire, Eric was able to score more points than James. After this week, it’s virtually deadlocked at 1,398 (James) and 1,394 (Eric).

James’ team was wounded badly following the mechanical issues of Larson. He was aided by the strong runs of Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott.

Eric’s team was dominant when it came to the stages. Martin Truex, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney all put up huge numbers – each driver over 40 points. The damage could have been worse if not for the Erik Jones accident that crippled the bottom of Eric’s roster.

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (1,394 TOTAL POINTS/230 FOR THE RACE)

43 Martin Truex Jr.
43 Kyle Busch
50 Denny Hamlin
44 Ryan Blaney
4 Ryan Newman
23 Austin Dillon
10 Matt Kenseth
13 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (1,398 TOTAL POINTS/ 215 RACE TOTAL)

1 Kyle Larson
32 Brad Keselowski
32 Jimmie Johnson
47 Kevin Harvick
8 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
39 Chase Elliott
35 Kurt Busch
22 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 16 all three players are tied. Points will resume after the Round of 12 is complete.

Round of 12 highlights

James, Eric and Todd all had Larson as the champion. With Larson out there will be no champion points awarded. It comes down to the final four drivers. The only difference is Eric with Jimmie Johnson making it to Homestead.

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (170 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 12)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

Fantasy League Standings after Talladega

Five down, five to go in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. We knew going in that this race would be a mess and it was. But after 4 weeks of scrambling, James’ team has recaptured the points lead 1,183 – 1,164

James’ team survived better than Eric’s thanks to Brad Keselowski’s win and Stage win.

Eric’s team was really hurt by Jamie McMurray’s finish and one point earned. Stage points helped the bleeding for Eric’s team.

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (1,164 TOTAL POINTS/167 FOR THE RACE)

14 Martin Truex Jr.
12 Kyle Busch
32 Denny Hamlin
37 Ryan Blaney
35 Ryan Newman
13 Austin Dillon
23 Matt Kenseth
1 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (1,183 TOTAL POINTS/ 223 RACE TOTAL)

24 Kyle Larson
59 Brad Keselowski
23 Jimmie Johnson
20 Kevin Harvick
18 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
28 Chase Elliott
21 Kurt Busch
30 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 16 all three players are tied. Points will resume after the Round of 12 is complete.

Round of 16 highlights

No player picked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to advance to the Round of 12.

Eric had Ryan Newman moving on.

James and Todd each picked Kurt Bush to advance. James also has Bush advancing to the Round of 8.

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 16)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 16)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 16)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

Fantasy League Standings after Charlotte

We are four weeks into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. James’ team has now scored the most points in three of those races. However, Eric’s team still leads the standings 997-960. Weekly wins don’t matter here. It’s all about the points.

James’ team was boosted by Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Elliott has been the big surprise for this team. Gobbling up points every week.

Eric’s team was really hurt by the issues of Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman. They scored the least amount of points of every driver in the pool (Alone with Kurt Busch).

Anything can happen this week as we head to Talladega! We should see some crazy points totals in our next update.

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (997 TOTAL POINTS/236 FOR THE RACE)

47 Martin Truex Jr.
14 Kyle Busch
43 Denny Hamlin
31 Ryan Blaney
1 Ryan Newman
21 Austin Dillon
38 Matt Kenseth
41 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (960 TOTAL POINTS/ 268 RACE TOTAL)

38 Kyle Larson
22 Brad Keselowski
34 Jimmie Johnson
54 Kevin Harvick
24 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
54 Chase Elliott
14 Kurt Busch
28 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 16 all three players are tied. Points will resume after the Round of 12 is complete.

Round of 16 highlights

No player picked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to advance to the Round of 12.

Eric had Ryan Newman moving on.

James and Todd each picked Kurt Bush to advance. James also has Bush advancing to the Round of 8.

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 16)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 16)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 POINTS AFTER ROUND OF 16)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

Fantasy League Standings after Dover

Before I update the fantasy league standings this week, I wanted to pay my respects to Hall of Famer, Robert Yates. Yates passed away this week after a battle with cancer. He was the car owner to my favorite driver as a kid, Ernie Irvan. Yates’ 28 car left quite an impression on me as a young fan. Thank you, Robert, for helping build me up as a fan of NASCAR. I’m forever grateful.

For the second time in three races, James’ Team scored more points than Eric’s. The big difference is still the fallout from New Hampshire. An interesting nugget from this week – Eric had the top two divers in total points earned (Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.) but James had four drivers go over the 40 point mark.

Eric continues to lead the standings, 761 – 692.

RULES

• Eric and James each picked 8 playoff drivers, draft style.
• The total points earned by a driver throughout the playoffs will contribute to the team’s total.
• Most points earned wins.

ERIC’S TEAM (761 TOTAL POINTS/229 FOR THE RACE)

50 Martin Truex Jr.
56 Kyle Busch
8 Denny Hamlin
14 Ryan Blaney
24 Ryan Newman
21 Austin Dillon
26 Matt Kenseth
30 Jamie McMurray

JAMES’ TEAM (692 TOTAL POINTS/262 RACE TOTAL)

47 Kyle Larson
40 Brad Keselowski
40 Jimmie Johnson
23 Kevin Harvick
25 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
47 Chase Elliott
17 Kurt Busch
23 Kasey Kahne

Bracket Challenge

Eric and James each filled out a bracket for all 10 races. We are also joined by our follower/friend of the podcast, Todd Henry.

After the round of 16 all three players are tied. Points will resume after the Round of 12 is complete.

Round of 16 highlights

No player picked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to advance to the Round of 12.

Eric had Ryan Newman moving on.

James and Todd each picked Kurt Bush to advance. James also has Bush advancing to the Round of 8.

RULES

• Each correct pick is worth 10 points per round for the first three rounds.
• Each correct Homestead Pick is worth 15 points.
• Pick the Champion and you get 20 points.
• Most points win.

ERIC’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 points after Round of 16)

Martin Truex Jr
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson

JAMES’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 points after Round of 16)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

TODD’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR (110 points after Round of 16)

Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick