For 2015, Racer X has partnered with MotoDynasty to bring you Fantasy Supercross. We’ll be offering cool weekly and yearly prizes; dynasty play; private leagues that just you and you’re buddies can play in; weekly fantasy previews; and weekly podcasts all focused on fantasy. This may be the first time many of you have played, so make sure to check out this preview, which features how scoring works, how to play, and more. Or visit motodynasty.racerxonline.com.
How many got it right?
Unlike last week, when only .5 percent had Jason Anderson finishing second, there is a strong likelihood that more than a few of you got the top three in 450SX correct.
And then we get to 250SX, where only three percent of users picked Malcolm Stewart to finish second. If, by some chance, you guessed the top three from each class in Phoenix, you can pack up and leave this column—you don’t need us! Let’s take a look at last week’s top three.
450SX
1st Place: Eli Tomac | Avg selected position: 2nd
Position selection:
1st) 28 percent of all entries picked to Tomac to finish first.
2nd) 24 percent
3rd) 16 percent
2nd Place: Ken Roczen | | Avg selected position: 2nd
Position selection:
1st) 46 percent
2nd) 33 percent
3rd) 12 percent
3rd Place: Ryan Dungey | Avg selected position: 3rd
Position selection:
1st) 5 percent
2nd) 11 percent
3rd) 24 percent
250SX
1st Place: Cooper Webb | Avg selected position: 2nd
Position selection:
1st) 39 percent
2nd) 18 percent
3rd) 13 percent
2nd Place: Malcolm Stewart | Avg selected position: 6th
Position selection:
1st) 1 percent
2nd) 3 percent
3rd) 6 percent
3rd Place: Jessy Nelson | Avg selected position: 3rd
Position selection:
1st) 9 percent
2nd) 19 percent
3rd) 26 percent
Qualifying vs. Results
Hopefully some of you followed our advice and were cautious when judging qualifying. As we said last week, it’s vital to study qualifying to make good picks, but one must, must use caution. We could list the many reasons as to why, or just show you some examples of the best, and worst, and what was right on from qualifying to main event results.
Best
450SX
Andrew Short | Qualified: 15th | Finish: 7th | Difference: +8
Jake Weimer | Qualified: 16th | Finish: 9th | Difference: +7
AJ Catanzaro | Qualified: 29th | Finish: 22nd | Difference: +7
Brett Metcalfe | Qualified: 23rd | Finish: 16th | Difference: +7
250SX
Tommy Hahn | Qualified: 20th | Finish: 10th | Difference: +10
Cole Martinez | Qualified: 22nd | Finish: 14th | Difference: +8
Malcolm Stewart | Qualified: 9th | Finish: 2nd | Difference: +7
Worst
450SX
Dean Wilson | Qualified: 3rd | Finish: 17th | Difference: -14
Ben LaMay | Qualified: 18th | Finish: DNQ
Josh Hill | Qualified: 19th | Finish: DNQ
250SX
Alex Martin | Qualified: 11th | Finish: 20th | Difference: -9
Chris Alldredge | Qualified: 8th | Finish: 15th | Difference: -7
Austin Politelli | Qualified: 16th | Finish: 22nd | Difference: -6
Right on Point
450SX
Justin Barcia | Qualified: 11th | Finish: 11th | Difference: 0
Kyle Partridge | Qualified: 20th | Finish: 21st| Difference: -1
Broc Tickle | Qualified: 14th | Finish: 12th | Difference: +2
Josh Grant | Qualified: 17th | Finish: 19th | Difference: -2
250SX
Michael Leib | Qualified: 12th | Finish: 12th | Difference: 0
Zack Freeberg | Qualified: 15th | Finish: 17th | Difference: -2
Matt Bisceglia | Qualified: 13th | Finish: 11th | Difference: +2
SCORING CHART
Need a refresher on how scoring works? Go here. Want to view the scoring chart? See below.
| Place | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | |
| 1 | 50 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2 | 22 | 48 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 3 | 20 | 22 | 46 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 4 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 44 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| 5 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 42 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | |
| 6 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 41 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | |
| 7 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 40 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | |
| 8 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 39 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | |
| 9 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 38 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | |
| 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 37 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | |
| 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 36 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | |
| 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 35 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | |
| 13 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | |
| 14 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 33 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | |
| 15 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 32 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | |
| 16 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 31 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | |
| 17 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | |
| 18 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 29 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | |
| 19 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 22 | 20 | 18 | |
| 20 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 27 | 22 | 20 | |
| 21 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 26 | 22 | |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 25 |
Top Picks/Sleepers
Picking twenty-two riders correctly is impossible. It’s never, ever, ever, ever going to happen. Okay, it actually may, but we’re going with 0 percent chance it does. That’s okay, though. You earn points just for picking—if they make the main. You receive a score of zero if they don’t.
In Racer X MotoDynasty Fantasy Supercross, it’s invaluable to pick all twenty-two riders. You don’t lose any points, so there is no reason not to. Let's look at some top pick and sleepers to watch for.
450SX
Andrew Short | BTOSports.com KTM | Last week: 7th
Just in case you didn’t get the memo last week (see above), we’ll tell you again—Andrew Short is a top-ten machine. Do it already!
Jake Weimer | Team Tedder/Monster Energy Racing | Last week: 10th
Weimer seems comfortable on his new team and has been solid in the early going. Find a place for him in the 9-12 range.
Dean Wilson | Red Bull KTM | Last week: 17th
We told to put him inside the top ten last week (yeah, we suck), but his qualifying times do give us hope (third last week). Be cautious until he gets on track.
Justin Barcia | AutoTrader.com/Toyota/JGR Yamaha | Last week: 11th
He’ll get a start at some point, so put him back inside the top six.
Kyle Partridge | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC | Last week: 21st
Most of you took our advice to put Partridge in the main (22 percent of users) and it paid off. (We rule!) He’s two-for-two so far this year; we’re betting he makes it three-for-three.
250SX
Nico Izzi | Rockwell Watches | Last week: 21st
Izzi has proven to be a main event regular, and his fitness will only continue to improve. Keep an eye on him going forward.
Justin Hill | Red Bull KTM | Last week: 6th
Was battling a cold last week, and is due for a main event win. Top three is still a good pick here.
Austin Politelli | 51Fifty Yamaha | Last week: 22nd
Crashes have kept him mired in the back, but he’s been a top-ten guy in the past. He could return to that level sooner rather than later.
Aaron Plessinger | Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha | Last week: 5th
We shouldn’t have to tell you this again, but we will anyway—he’s a top-five pick. Only 12.8 percent of users had him fifth or better last week, join them and play him inside your top five.
AGAINST THE GRAIN
In fantasy, going against the grain is not necessarily just picking a rider on the cusp of making the main event. Nope, it can be a sleeper to make the podium, or to make the top ten, or have a surprisingly bad finish. You can either look like a fool, or look really, really, really, ridiculously smart.
450SX
- 62.7 percent of users had Josh Hill making main; He missed the main.
- Only 1.7 percent of users had AJ Catanzaro making main; He made the main.
- 70.8 percent of users had Justin Barcia finishing tenth or better; He finished eleventh.
- 73.6 percent of users had Trey Canard finishing fifth or better; He finished eighth.
- 1.74 percent of users had Weston Peick finishing fifth or better; He finished fourth.
250SX
- 67.7 percent of users had Zach Osborne finishing fifth or better; He finished seventh.
- 62.74 percent of users had Landen Powell making main; He made the main.
- 3.41 percent of users had Tommy Hahn finishing tenth or better; He finished tenth.
- 58.1 percent had Alex Martin finishing tenth or better; He finished twentieth.
- 69 percent had Josh Hansen finishing tenth or better; He finished thirteenth.
Bonus Picks
Making bonus picks is scary—and probably stupid at this point in time (See, Roberts, Jordan). It’s the only time in Racer X MotoDynasty Fantasy Supercross you can actually lose points. (Need a refresher on Bonus Scoring? Go here.) If you’re smart with your choices, though, you can make up a lot of ground. We’ll try and help you make the smart decision and then make some picks of our own—put as much stock in those as you wish.
Anaheim 1
450SX
Fastest Qualifier: Eli Tomac
Heat Winners: Andrew Short; Eli Tomac
Holeshot: Mike Alessi
250SX
Fastest Qualifier: Cooper Webb
Heat Winners: Justin Hill; Tyler Bowers
Holeshot: Jessy Nelson
Phoenix:
450SX
Fastest Qualifier: Eli Tomac
Heat Winners: Cole Seely; Eli Tomac
Holeshot: Eli Tomac
250SX
Fastest Qualifier: Cooper Webb
Heat Winners: Justin Hill; Jessy Nelson
Holeshot: Zach Osborne
My Picks for Anaheim 2
450SX
Fastest Qualifier: Eli Tomac
Heat Winner: Ken Roczen
Holeshot: Mike Alessi
250SX
Fastest Qualifier: Cooper Webb
Heat Winner: Justin Hill
Holeshot: Malcolm Stewart
Prizes/Winners:
Winning is awesome. Congrats to these winners from last week. You’re all number one in our book.
450SX
1. Matt: 566 points| Prize: Scott Hustle MX goggle.
2. xracer649: 517 points| Prize: RXI digital subscription, Racer X pint glass, Racer X t-shirt, cover poster.
2. Rahm255: 517 points | Prize: RXI digital subscription, Racer X pint glass, Racer X t-shirt, cover poster.
2. Skipper: 517 points | Prize: RXI digital subscription, Racer X pint glass, Racer X t-shirt, cover poster.
3. gman27828: 514 points | Prize: Racer X hat, cover poster, Racer X cooler sleeve.
250SX
1. Rwhitegon: 530 points|Prize: Scott Hustle MX goggle.
2. GarrettDeSheister: 530 points | Prize: Racer X digital subscription, Racer X pint glass, Racer X t-shirt, cover poster.
2. bsmith585_cr: 520 points | Prize: Racer X digital subscription, Racer X pint glass, Racer X t-shirt, cover poster.
3. dwallzee: 519 points.| Prize: Racer X hat, cover poster, Racer X cooler sleeve.
450 Championship Top 10
1. Rahm255: 973
2. paulie112a: 963
3. DRP65810: 935
4. jakez470: 918
5. Skipper: 914
6. gman27828: 900
7. JStoner33: 897
8. Justo615: 881
9. dwright539: 880
T-10. rh112: 876
T-10. Ronnieraymond72: 876
250 West Championship Top 10
1. bsmith585_cr: 884
2. MxBoLtS: 856
3. GT422: 855
4. Dirtydale423: 854
T-5. Teamkocur: 853
T-5. Goble824: 853
7. dwallzee: 844
T-8. GarrettDeSheister: 842
T-8. casey: 842
10. Mr. Hazlett: 841
If you didn’t win, don’t freak out, there’s always this week. Check out what we have on tap.
450SX
1.) ANSR Syncron Gear
2.) ANSR Terra-X Roost Deflector
3.) ANSR Hat and t-shirt
250SX
1.) Pro Taper Fuzion Bars
2.) Pro Taper Contour Bars
3.) Pro Taper Tie Downs
* To be eligible to win weekly and yearly prizes, you must go the paid route. You can play for FREE, but you will not be eligible for prizes.
Racer X League
Want to challenge the Racer X team? Here’s your chance. Each week we will run down the top five in the overall standings of the Racer X Fantasy League. Did you beat us this week? Let us know in the comments.
Standings After Round 2
1.) Chase Stallo - Racer X Online Managing Editor – 1591 points
2.) Jason Weigandt - Racer X Online Senior Editor – 1583 points
3.) Andrew “Gloop” Mahey – Racer Productions Videographer/Editor – 1530 points
4.) Steve Matthes – Racer X Editor-at-large - 1483 points
5.) Jordan Roberts – Racer X Marketing Manager – 1470 points
ADVICE FROM THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS
Remember last week when we had Racer X Illustrated managing editor Andrew Fredrickson offer his “advice for the week”? Well, yeah, about that … IT WAS TERRIBLE. Andrew dropped from second to sixth in the Racer X League. He sucks. Hopefully you followed nothing, nada, rien, ingenting of his “advice.”
We’ve brought in Jason Weigandt to hopefully add some credibility to our “so-called” expert's advice. Take it away, Weege.
After two weeks, maybe you’re now becoming familiar with MotoDynasty play. Or maybe you’re become frustrated with it. Either way, these tips can bring you back down to level.
- Pick twenty-two guys in each class. Right now. Seriously, the easiest way to score points is to make sure you’ve selected twenty-two riders. Don’t get cute, picky, tricky, or even jiggy with it. On Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, log in and pick twenty-two guys in each class. You can tune your lineup later, but just make sure you don’t leave it blank in case an earthquake wipes out your house and its contents on Saturday. Just do it. Pick twenty-two riders. Fine tune it later.
- It doesn’t take as long as you think. I just added my twenty-two guys in each class and timed it—it took a whole six minutes to make my entire lineup in both classes. Six minutes to select forty-four total riders. You have that kind of time to spare.
- Privateers are extra critical. You already know how important it is for your guys to make the main, but it’s even bigger than you think. A top rider like Eli Tomac has just proven he could win the race or finish twentieth. Chad Reed could finish between first and tenth. That’s a big range, so it’s hard to nail those finishing spots on the nose. But a guy like Kyle Partridge is a good bet to make the main and also finish between, say, eighteenth and twenty-second. That’s only a four-position range, which gives you a 25 percent chance of nailing his finish dead on. There are a bunch of guys in these bubble spots, and while they’re great riders, the chances of them delivering a surprise tenth are remote. At least for now, while the field is still full of healthy factory guys, bet heavy on the bubble. Might even be worth adding an extra guy who might not make the main, just to take a flyer. If he makes it and finishes twentieth, you might nail him.
- One thing to know about these bubble guys: they train to make the mains, not race them. If you’re a privateer and the challenge is to just make the main event, you train for those semi and LCQ sprint laps. The twenty-lap main is just a bonus, and the prize money difference between sixteenth and seventeenth doesn’t really make a difference—for them it’s all about just getting in. Again, this means these dudes will do well in the qualifiers but probably land in the high teens in the main event—if you’re watching the race in person, some will be just rolling around in the latter laps. This means the finishing range, if they make it, is narrow. Take advantage.
- Mike Alessi’s results vary more based on the track than most. Anaheim was simple and he rode well for a top-ten. Phoenix was technical and he struggled. Starts are of course a key with him, but if the track and whoops are gnarly, even a holeshot won’t keep him in the top ten. Find out what you can about the track on Saturday afternoon via our race day feed and twitter updates.
- Try to think about each rider’s last race. Jason Anderson was sixth last week, but don’t let the result fool you. He passed his way forward, meaning he rode just as well as he did with that Anaheim podium. Keep betting high on him until he proves otherwise.
- The 250 class is less predictable than the 450s. 450 guys often are who they are; 250 guys get huge boosts and lulls in confidence. Jessy Nelson and Cooper Webb will be totally different riders now that they’ve won. Justin Hill and Matt Bisceglia are in dangerous turf unless they turn it around soon. Track these things closely.
- Weston Peick riding injured can make or break your weekend. Follow our web and twitter updates closely.
5 Things I’m Betting on This Week
- Chad Reed does much better than the first two races. His bike broke at Anaheim, and he always sucks at Phoenix. Last year he finished ninth there and then won Anaheim 2. Think about it.
- Lock Tyler Bowers into your top three every weekend. I think he’ll be in the 1-4 range at every round; you’ve got a great chance at hitting his finish on the nose.
- The #KenEli #RocMac #MacZen show continues until someone can prove otherwise.
- Put Blake Baggett around 10-13. He’s looking smooth and solid but not taking any huge chances.
- Matt Bisceglia is riding much better than his results have shown. I think he’ll finally have a solid night. Top five, perhaps?
DISSAPOINTING RESULT OF THE WEEK
I had to remove “Bonehead Move of the Week” (it may return) because honestly, I think these were solid picks. Josh Hill, Nick Wey, and Kyle Chisholm making the main seemed like a no-brainer to me. Alas, they didn’t and I lost a ton of points. What hurt your score the most last week?
More Fantasy
If we didn’t answer all your questions, make sure to check out the N-Fab Racer X Fantasy podcast with Steve Matthes and Jason Thomas.
Thanks for coming out. Hopefully you liked the videos. If not, make sure to complain in the comments. Have any questions or suggestions, hit me up at chase@racerxonline.com or on Twitter (@chaserxi).
