| Driver | Ranks: Usage/points | Diff. | Outlook |
| Kevin Harvick | 1/2 | -1 | With three wins on 1.5-mile tracks in '18, a must start on the three 1.5-milers left (plus Darlington). |
| Kyle Busch | 2/1 | +1 | So good at so many places, but three tracks to have him for: Kentucky, Watkins Glen and Indy. |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 3/8 | -5 | Not racking up the points like he did in '17. Based on his Fontana win, a must for both Michigan races. |
| Brad Keselowski | 4/5 | -1 | If you've slow-played the '12 champ, great news: He's a must at Pocono, Chicago, Loudon and The Glen. |
| Kyle Larson | 5/9 | -4 | If Kansas is a future sign, a summer of Larson awaits (Pocono, Michigan, Chicago, Loudon, Darlington). |
| Joey Logano | 6/3 | +3 | Bounce back in '18 has him in players good graces; keep a start saved for Indy (five straight top 8's). |
| Chase Elliott | 7/12 | -5 | It's been a tough go for the third-year man; Michigan looms as the tell-tale moment (3.5 average finish). |
| Denny Hamlin | 8/7 | +1 | Hamlin was in heavy use for me early; look to have him ready for Charlotte, Loudon and Darlington. |
| Ryan Blaney | 9/10 | -1 | The speed has been there, the finishes up and down of late; plan to have him for the high-speed tracks. |
| Kurt Busch | 10/6 | +4 | Like most SHR teammates, points rank is greater than usage rank; strong play for Sonoma and Pocono. |
| Jimmie Johnson | 11/13 | -2 | "Seven-Time" has earned 30 or more points in four of past five races; avoiding on intermediates for now. |
| Clint Bowyer | 12/4 | +8 | Fantasy comeback driver of the year so far; a must at Sonoma and Bristol, with other opportunities to play. |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 13/16 | -3 | Four top-15 finishes in his last five races. Strong play to use at Bristol -- his best track -- and Daytona. |
| Erik Jones | 14/14 | Even | Three top 10s on 1.5-milers make a good play at four intermediates; sneaky for Pocono (5.5 avg. finish). |
| Aric Almirola | 15/11 | +4 | With eight top 12s in 12 races, he's been a strong surprise in '18; the ultimate plug-and-play option. |
| Alex Bowman | 16/15 | +1 | Based on his best '18 results coming at short tracks and plate tracks: Bristol and Daytona are good uses. |
| Ryan Newman | 17/21 | -4 | In a funk with three finishes of 30th-or-worse in last four races, would look at Bristol or Sonoma for a use. |
| Austin Dillon | 18/18 | Even | The Daytona 500 winner should be rostered for the July Daytona race under the lights. |
| Daniel Suarez | 19/17 | +2 | JGR driver has a good record on 1-milers, so Loudon is a solid play; also, best finish came at Watkins Glen. |
| Paul Menard | 20/19 | +1 | A driver that is a sneaky play in the second half with that Ford power; think Michigan, Daytona, Indy. |
| Jamie McMurray | 21/24 | -3 | After three straight playoff years, it's been a tough go so far for the veteran; would wait to see consistency. |
| Darrell Wallace Jr. | 22/23 | -1 | With a runner-up in the Daytona 500, could be chic pick to roster for the summer race there. |
| William Byron | 23/20 | +3 | Byron seems to be inching closer to turning a corner; the rookie is a sneaky play for Loudon. |
| Kasey Kahne | 24/27 | -3 | Kahne's current 23.4 average finish is a career low; fantasy chances could lie at Sonoma and Daytona. |
| AJ Allmendinger | 25/22 | +3 | Everybody's favorite road course play; much better at Watkins Glen then Sonoma but worth using at both. |
| David Ragan | 26/25 | +1 | Both his wins have come at plate tracks and his best '18 result was at Talladega; use him at Daytona. |
| Matt Kenseth | 31/NA | NA | The definition of a wait-and-see play. Far from the ideal showing at Kansas; more time to evaluate. |
Fantasy Live: Analyzing owner uses vs. fantasy points, second-half outlooks
Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
The NASCAR Fantasy Live season is 12 races in – almost halfway home in the regular season. Near the midpoint, it's a good time to evaluate how you stand and to look at some statistical trends that could benefit owners in the second half of the season.
With the Monster Energy All-Star Race race carrying no Fantasy Live implications, RJ Kraft thought this was a good time to examine the usage of drivers in the game and how that stacks up with fantasy points earned, while also offering an outlook to the second half of the fantasy game season.
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Note: For the difference column below, if a driver's usage rank is greater than their fantasy points rank, it's marked as a negative. If a driver's fantasy points rank is greater than their usage, it's marked as a plus.