It’s time for 2023 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Fantasy Supercross. While there are more complicated fantasy games out there, the simplicity of this one makes it the most vexing. Picking the top 5 and a Wild Card—how hard can it be? Well, you’ll see if this is your first year. If not, well, you know. So, let’s see if we can craft a set of picks that won’t crash and burn in the always-unpredictable opening round. Strap on your helmet; it’s time for 2023 Anaheim 1 Supercross Fantasy tips and picks.
- There are two sets of results to look at—the first race last year, and the last one. 2022 A1 had a top 5 finishing order of Ken Roczen, Cooper Webb, Justin Barcia, Marvin Musquin, and Chase Sexton—eventual series winner Eli Tomac was in P6, and runner-up Jason Anderson in P10. 2022 Salt Lake City went Jason Anderson, Sexton, Barcia, Malcolm Stewart, and Musquin—Tomac sat the race out due to injury. That makes Sexton, Barcia, and Musquin strong choices for 2023 Anaheim 1—they look good in an opener, and finished last season strongly.
- Putting Chase Sexton, Justin Barcia, and Marvin Musquin in the top 5 is the easy part—the tricky part is picking their positions. Of the three, Chase Sexton is also coming off an exceptionally impressive National Motocross season. While 23-year-old Sexton is moving into his prime, Barcia and Musquin are in their 30s and wrapping up their careers. That makes Barcia and Musquin smart enough to do well in the first round, and Sexton the pick to win A1.
- Last year’s winner was Ken Roczen, and he’s arriving at 2023 A1 on a new motorcycle—the Suzuki RM-Z450. A fresh Roczen is a strong and fast Roczen. Roczen will have plenty of motivation to silence doubters of both him and his motorcycle. That motivation and A1-winning experience may not be enough for him to beat former teammate Sexton, but it might just put Roczen on the podium. I have Roczen down for P2.
- Jason Anderson has done well at A1, despite last season’s dismal start. Let’s chalk up last year’s A1 to new bike jitters. Anderson has a great 2022 under his belt on the Kawasaki KX450—both Supercross and MX—so expect him to come out swinging and build a bit of a lead over Tomac, who can be a slow starter and is on a new Yamaha YZ450F. It’s Anderson for the final podium slot.
- Justin Barcia has been the King of A1 over the last four years. He had three consecutive wins, and a P3 last year. It’s hard to argue with that record of opening-round success. However, Barcia is a bit older, so I’m playing it safe and putting Barcia in P4.
- Older riders benefit from experience and being fresh at A1, so look to Marvin Musquin to come close to repeating last year’s P4 performance. Musquin didn’t ride the Nationals, and his KTM 450 SX-F should be dialed in. He will know what he has to do to get off to a good start in 2023, so expect to see him in the top 5—I have him in P5.
- If you’re looking for other potential top 5 finishers, you have many choices. In order, I’d consider Malcolm Stewart, Adam Cianciarulo, Eli Tomac, Dylan Ferrandis, Aaron Plessinger, and Christian Craig. That’s a strong list, and that could be the top 5! Remember last year—only one of A1’s top 5 riders (Barcia) was in the top 5 at round 2.
- The Wild Card position is P10—your guess is as good as anyone’s. Last year, Anderson took the P10 spot. Don’t count on that happening again. Ryan Breece took P10 at last year’s finale, but four riders ahead of him in the standings didn’t race. Going by my 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Season Preview story and the six riders I just mentioned, I’m going with Plessinger, who was P9 at A1 last year.
- Don’t miss a gate drop—we have our 2023 Supercross Television Schedule for you. Although you can watch A1 on various NBC outlets, you must subscribe to Peacock TV to watch Supercross. Fortunately, the price is a paltry $5 a month. If you’re unfamiliar with the 2023 rider numbers, we also have the 2023 AMA Supercross rider numbers for you.
tl;dr 2023 Anaheim 1 Supercross Fantasy Picks
- Chase Sexton
- Ken Roczen
- Jason Anderson
- Justin Barcia
- Marvin Musquin
P10 Wild Card: Aaron Plessinger
