Welcome to the 2019 INDYCAR Season and Happy Race Day INDYCAR Nation! We are excited to kick off the season here at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. With no further ado, let’s dive into the first 2019 edition of Locks, Drops and Sleepers! There are a lot of new faces in the Paddock and you may need some assistance in making your picks for the INDYCAR Fantasy Challenge presented by Firestone. Our friends from Fast Cars, Fast Girls and Pit Lane Parley are here to help. Each presenter will share a “lock”: the driver you should definitely have on your Fantasy roster; a “drop”: an underperforming driver this week; and a “sleeper”: an underrated or cheap pick who will bolster your lineup.
Once you read up here on who to pick, don’t forget to get registered and make your selections at Fantasy.INDYCAR.com. Want to join a league and win additional prizes like autographed merchandise and VIP experiences? Join up with INDYCAR Nation here.
First up with their suggestions are the Fabulous ladies of Fast Cars, Fast Girls. Abby and Molly are lifelong INDYCAR fans and founded FCFG in 2017 after noticing a lack of female voices in the INDYCAR world. They partner with INDYCAR Nation on VIP experiences and awesome content on the Fan Village stage. You can check out their podcast and blog here: https://fastcarsfastgirls.wordpress.com/ and you can see their show live in the Firestone Fan Village at many races this season.
Molly’s Lock, Drop and Sleeper Picks:
Lock: Sebastian Bourdais $25 - sure qualifications wasn’t great for Bourdais. He chatted after the session that he has at every point been in the back of the field and still won here. This track is magic for him, and the pull for a 3-peat, he will do so well on this track!
Drop: Takuma Sato $24 - Sato is someone you will either like to have or hate to have. He’s currently worth $24 and I think for the beginning of the season going into a race where last year he finished out of the Top 10 it seems to be just too high. He’s only $1 behind last year’s winner.
Sleeper: Colton Herta $18 - it’s a great deal to pick Herta. He’s $18, among other rookies, and has came in to this weekend strong putting up great results in practice and qualifying session. For $18 he makes a great addition to one or two of the higher priced drivers. You’re getting a great ROI with Herta.
I added Rossi ($30) and Rosenqvist ($23) to my line up leaving me with $4 to spare (just $1 short for an arepa).
Abby’s Lock, Drop and Sleeper Picks:
Lock: Scott Dixon is my lock. I know he typically is a bit of a slow burn in the beginning of the season, but for some reason I think he’ll definitely end up on the podium. Pricy at $33, but worth it.
Drop: Sebastien Bourdais is my drop. I’d love to see a 3-peat win, but starting 19th, and for $25, I just can’t justify it.
Sleeper: Felix Rosenqvist is my “sleeper” ...starting 3rd he’s not really a surprise sleeper, but since it’s is rookie year I think it still counts ;) I’m excited to see how he does this year, but expecting good things for this race! And for $23, I think it’s money well spent.
I rounded out my team with Simon Pagenaud for $26 and Colton Herta for $18.
Our next round of suggestions come from Pit Lane Parley – an Indy Car podcast run by Mike Joachim, Jess Baker, and Matt Hickey. They bring a unique perspective on the Indy Car world each week and work hard to bring fans new and interesting content! They've interviewed the likes of Josef Newgarden, Mike Hull, Sage Karam, Colton Herta, and Jay Frye! This year special episodes will be released on Tuesdays and our regular weekly episode releases on Friday mornings. Head to their website to find episode download links and follow their social media accounts @pitlaneparley. Website: www.pitlaneparley.com
Mike's Lock, Drop and Sleeper Picks:
Lock: Ryan Hunter-Reay - His blistering pace all weekend led to a Firestone Fast 6 entry and P5 starting position. Even though he wasn't thrilled with his qualifying efforts, his consistency here at St
Pete year-after-year cannot be overlooked! Valued at $28 for this weekend is pretty reasonable and leaves you some space for other picks!
Drop: Ed Jones - He's a good driver and an even better young man. He's shown pace at points this weekend, but his final practice session he had a few off-course excursions and a qualifying effort of P15 on a track that puts a premium on track position, it's best to pass on him this week. Valued at $22 this week and you may be better saving that money -- and the extra leftover -- on someone like...
Sleeper: Jack Harvey - It's not often a P7 driver would be considered a sleeper, but Jack Harvey fits the bill. He didn't show a ton of pace all weekend and then put forth a great qualifying effort, his best ever in INDYCAR. Valued at only $19, he would be an excellent addition for those trying to load up on the Penske or Andretti cars.
Jess's Lock, Drop and Sleeper Picks:
Lock: Alexander Rossi, just because he is starting P6 doesn't mean this guy won't end up taking it all. He knows how to handle hectic starts and how to capitalize on situations that may be less than Ideal. I think he is hungry to start the season on a high note also, look for him to put on a great show! He might be a little pricy at $30, but I think he is worth it!
Drop: Ben Hanley, He lucked into starting in the top 12 today. I Think the team and he are still learning how to make the car work for them as they didn't get any real test time. I do not see that being an easy thing to overcome for him this weekend. He needs time to learn and hopefully he will get a lot of knowledge this weekend. Valued at $17, he is a budget pick, but I would skip him this time.
Sleeper: Colton Herta, at only $18 he is a steal this week! He has been on pace all weekend and he is learning so fast. He also did a great job at the COTA test and has just shown a lot of pace and maturity. If he keeps that up I see this being a huge weekend for the HSR driver. I think he is going to do very well, I will of course have him on my team!