Playoff Watch: Post-New Hampshire

Following Denny Hamlin's New Hampshire win, 19 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular-season races are in the books. That leaves just seven races until the postseason field is set. This is what the playoffs would look like if the postseason started today.

A few reminders:
-- All point totals are reset to 2,000 for the 16 eligible playoff drivers.
-- Drivers earn 5 playoff points for each of their regular-season wins.
-- Drivers earn 1 playoff point for each stage win.
-- The top 10 finishers in the regular-season standings earn playoff points on a sliding scale.

Missing the cut

With 11 drivers earning wins that count for playoff eligibility through 16 races, there are a handful of big names currently out of the postseason picture. Chief among them is Joey Logano. Remember, his Richmond win was ruled encumbered, so it doesn't count toward playoff eligibility. He'd miss the playoffs if they started today. His 37th-place finish at Loudon puts him more than 50 points behind Matt Kenseth in the battle for the final spot. Others out include: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and 2016 playoff participant Chris Buescher. Rookie Erik Jones was within shouting distance of claiming a seed on points, but his last-place finish at Loudon almost ensures he needs to win to get in.

16. Clint Bowyer, 2,001 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: Bowyer has been very fast over the past month but still is searching for that first stage win ... and race win.

15. Matt Kenseth, 2,002 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 2
Note: We know Kenseth isn't returning to Joe Gibbs Racing next year, but his playoff hopes look better and better. His fourth-place finish at Loudon, combined with Joey Logano's 37th, gave him a huge boost.

14. Jamie McMurray, 2,004 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: No real movement from McMurray, who is one of six postseason drivers without a stage win.

13. Austin Dillon, 2,005 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Charlotte)
Stage wins: 0
Note: As drivers (like Denny Hamlin) win for the first time, Dillon and others slip down the standings. He is tied with three other one-win drivers at 2,005 points -- the five playoff points were earned with his win at Charlotte.

12. Ryan Newman, 2,005 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Phoenix)
Stage wins: 0
Note: As drivers (like Denny Hamlin) win for the first time, Newman and others slip down the standings. He is tied with three other one-win drivers at 2,005 points -- the five playoff points were earned with his win at Phoenix.

11. Kurt Busch, 2,005 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Daytona 500)
Stage wins: 0
Note: As drivers (like Denny Hamlin) win for the first time, Busch and others slip down the standings. He is tied with three other one-win drivers at 2,005 points -- the five playoff points were earned with his win in the Daytona 500.

10. Chase Elliott, 2,007 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 2
Note: With no wins, Elliott is falling back on two stage wins and a five-point bonus for being sixth in the regular-season standings.

9. Ryan Blaney, 2,008 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Pocono)
Stage wins: 3
Note: Michigan and Pocono loom for Blaney, who would push for spot in the top five with his second victory of the year.

8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 2,010 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Talladega, Daytona-2)
Stage wins: 0
Note: Ultimately, first-time winners like Denny Hamlin will hurt Stenhouse Jr. The driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford has 10 bonus points, but is 15th in the regular-season standings.

7. Kyle Busch, 2,013 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 5
Note: Busch and the No. 18 team can't seem to break through, with miscues occurring by both driver and team.

6. Denny Hamlin, 2,013 points

Qualified via: 1 win (New Hampshire)
Stage wins: 2
Note: How much is a win worth? Hamlin's conquest at Loudon helped him jump from the 13th seed in the playoffs to the sixth.

5. Kevin Harvick, 2,015 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Sonoma)
Stage wins: 3
Note: Brad Keselowski's recent dip in performance could benefit Harvick, who is just one point behind the Team Penske driver in the playoff field.

4. Brad Keselowski, 2,016 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Atlanta, Martinsville)
Stage wins: 3
Note: Keselowski's speed isn't quite there, which makes finishes like the one at New Hampshire (ninth) a nice building block for his playoff push.

3. Jimmie Johnson, 2,018 points

Qualified via: 3 wins (Texas, Bristol, Dover)
Stage wins: 1
Note: Johnson is one of just two drivers with three victories, but he's ninth in the regular-season standings ... a strange dichotomy.

2. Kyle Larson, 2,023 points

Qualified via: 2 wins (Auto Club, Michigan)
Stage wins: 3
Note: Larson has come from last in the field to finish runner-up for two consecutive weeks. Impressive. The 35-point penalty incurred post-Kentucky, though, cost him the regular-season points lead.

1. Martin Truex Jr., 2,044 points

Qualified via: 3 wins (Las Vegas, Kansas, Kentucky)
Stage wins: 14
Note: Three stage wins in the past two weeks, plus rising to the regular-season points lead equals a monstrous 44-point boost to Truex Jr.'s points total once the playoffs start.