Ok ok, Anaheim is just two days away, and it's time to get racing again. It's going to be weird to actually have stuff to talk about that directly applies to racing, instead of just having to phone in a ton of nonsensical bullshit. And with the Supercross season getting underway, that means that it's time to kick off the fantasy season, as well. Usually, I don't even play the fantasy game, but I figure that since I now have this nifty blog thing, I can actually give myself something to talk about with the fantasy league. Oh, and it's free on Motoxdream.com if you use "vital" as the promo code. Free? I literally don't care what it is, sign me up. Today, I will discuss the go-to picks for A1 in the 250 class, the 450s to follow tomorrow.
It's always a big mindfuck to pick riders for A1. Even if you've been to the test tracks everyday, a guy's mind can be his own worst enemy, and he could just grenade on the track when he's got twenty other riders around him. So really, it's just a big pissing match in a small, dark room. No matter what, you're probably going to get piss on you. I seriously think there is no one in this 250 West series that is a clear-cut winner right off the bat. So, the secret in the Moto X Dream fantasy series is to play the handicaps. Basically, most of the riders receive some handicap, which means that they will receive the points for the position that is that much better than they actually finished. Like I said, there is no clear winner in this class, or even podium for that matter, so you're a fool if you aren't utilizing the handicap advantage. Be careful though. Those sneaky bastards at MXD listed pretty much EVERYONE in the 250 class, so a large portion of those riders aren't even riding the West coast. You might think that your team of Barcia, Baggett, Wharton, and Wilson is a mortal lock for 1st place points across the board, but you are going to feel like one huge dumbass when you look at your computer on Sunday.
Ok, so to the picks. We can only go with four riders for a team (I'm only playing one team, because five just seems like too much worthless work). The only guys who are not handicapped that are racing the West are Tickle, Roczen, Cunningham (is he West), and Baker. Yeah, kind of seems like they just closed their eyes and threw darts at names on a board. But I've already discussed my game plan, so you know that I eliminated those names right off the bat. Not that I think they won't do well, just that if they don't win, I'm missing out on some points. The first and easily the most obvious pick for me is Josh Hansen. They have him as a +6 handicap. Are you fucking kidding me? How many points for six positions better than first, because that's what I'm looking at. Let's be real here, if Hansen gets anything worse than a 6th, that will be a really shitty ride. So by the looks of it, he is a lock for maximum points, signed, sealed, and delivered to yours truly. To quote an American cereal icon, "Grrrreat".
Unfortunately, there aren't really anymore major hiccups in the handicapping system that present such a lucrative point opportunity, so now it gets a little tricky. You can play the longshot, the +7 or +8 handicaps, but it's a tough move to make. There are guys with that rating that could definitely top ten, but honestly, they could just as easily not make the main. It's high risk and high reward, but I cannot justify going with any of the privateer picks. My strategy for these next riders is to look for the guys that I would be pretty surprised to see them outside of the top 5. They have at least a +2 handicap, so as long as they are in that top 5, I'm getting podium points all around. I suppose the next easiest choice for Eazy was Wil Hahn. That kid lit the stadiums up last year, and now he's on the Geico bike, so I'd expect an even better performance. He's a +2, and I expect to see him on the podium, without a doubt in the top 5 (by the way, I'm knocking on wood the entire time I'm writing this post). So that investment presents a very good chance of awarding shareholders in the near future.
Ryan Morais was my third choice. Morais has always had a flare indoors, something that he could never replicate outdoors, and I think that's why a lot of people write him off. But look at the results, that guy has to have more podiums than the U.S. Lecture circuit. He's also a +2, and once again, I'd be surprised to see him outside the top 5. Hell, he's overdue for a win, so again, I think it's a safe bet on on him with those points.
And now to the final spot on the BROtocross 250 West team. On this one I really debated on stepping away from my game plan and going for a long shot, but in the end mind triumphed over emotion, and I went with Tyla Rattray. Really, this was more a bet on Mitch than on Tyla. Rattray's a rookie in Supercross, and where he has always excelled outdoors is in his fitness, which comes way less into play in Supercross. But come on, anyone on Mitch's team who finishes outside the top 5 probably has to do laps around the track in his riding gear after the race. Tyla's a +3 handicap, so again, I'm thinking at least podium points for me are a safe assumption from this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment