Five rounds into the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series, it’s time for the make-up Oakland round, which was postponed due to unworkable track conditions at RingCentral Coliseum. The fantasy supercross landscape has changed since round 2 was delayed, and four top 5 riders are set. But, four riders doesn’t get it done in RMFantasySX.com fantasy supercross, so let’s get the tips, picks, and facts rolling.
- Four riders have established themselves as highly reliable top 5 finishers—Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Cooper Webb, and Ken Roczen. Sexton and Webb have paid off in RMFantasySX leagues every week, with Roczen and Tomac scoring points in four of five rounds. Of course, you don’t score the big points unless you get each rider’s position correct, and that’s what makes fantasy supercross so fun—and sometimes frustrating.
- Chase Sexton is on a 1-2-2 run, and he could have won three consecutive rounds. Sexton’s speed can’t be questioned. However, he is also mistake-prone. So, picking Sexton comes down to whether or not you think he can stay on two wheels for 20 minutes plus a lap. Keep in mind that a safe bet for Sexton is P2 based on his performance so far. A P2 pick in all five rounds would have netted you 71 points—not bad. Based on post-race interviews, his attitude is right. He’ll put it all together in Oakland, earning him the red plate for Arlington.
- Chinks are showing in Eli Tomac’s armor. You might not have noticed, but Tomac has gone 6-1-5 in the last three rounds, and his lead in the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series standings has dwindled to two points. The P6 at A2 was due to a big crash, and it’s easy to blame his Tampa results on the inclement weather. Tomac is inarguably capable of reversing Sexton’s momentum, so we’ll see. I have Tomac down for P2, though I won’t be the least bit surprised if he wins. Oh, and if you picked Tomac to win all five rounds so far, he’d have earned you 83 points.
- Cooper Webb has reversed his fortunes, as he started fading after a strong start. Webb is 2-2-4-5-1, and that means he’s just four points behind Tomac in the standings. Webb’s strength is his ability to close in at the end of the race. However, Sexton and Tomac have the speed to build a gap large enough to keep Webb at bay. If Webb gets a holeshot, we might see a second win in a row. However, I’m not entirely convinced just yet. So, I have Webb in P3, even though he has yet to finish in that spot in 2023.
- Except for the blip in Houston, Ken Roczen hangs right around P4. He has either finished in P4 or within one spot of it in four of five rounds. If you picked him for P4 all four rounds, he would have rewarded you with 58 points. He’s a safe pick for the P4 slot, and that’s where I have him.
- Picking P5 is a tough one between Jason Anderson and Aaron Plessinger. Anderson has incredible speed—just below that of Sexton and Tomac—but often ends up on the ground. He has paid off for RMFantasySX players only twice—a P2 at A2 and a P3 in Houston. Anderson went down again in Tampa—earning him probation status with the AMA—finishing out of the RMFantasySX points with a P6. Plessinger has the momentum going his way. After a lackluster 8-9-7 start to the season, Plessinger has gone 4-3. It might be a mistake to put him in P5, though. A strong argument can be made for Plessinger in P4 and Roczen in P5. Regardless, I want one more Plessinger podium result before moving him up the ranks.
- There are three strong contenders for the P15 Wild Card—Justin Hill, Shane McElrath, and Dean Wilson. Wilson has gone 14-14-13-12-15 this year, so P15 is right in the ballpark. Justin Hill’s results are very similar—15-13-14-20-13—so he is also a great pick. McElrath is on a 16-16-15-17 run. There’s one more to consider. The entries aren’t in yet, but if Josh Hill is riding, he finished in P14 last week, so he’s worth a look. All things considered, I’m going with McElrath, though it’s hardly a strong call.
- My RMFantasySX.com standing rose again last week, and I’m almost respectable. I’m just a hair outside the top 25 percent of players—not too bad. Always remember that this column is about the information I provide, not necessarily the picks. You can look at the same numbers and come to a different conclusion.
- It’s an early start at Oakland’s Ring Central Coliseum. The racing starts at 5 p.m. local time. Check out our 2023 Supercross Television Schedule for all the details. Spoiler alert: It’s not only on Peacock.
tl;dr 2023 Oakland Supercross Fantasy Picks
- Sexton
- Tomac
- Webb
- Roczen
- Plessinger
P15 Wild Card: Shane McElrath
Photography by Ryne Swanberg, Align Media et al
2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series Standings (after 5 of 17 rounds)
- Eli Tomac, Yamaha, 113 points (3 wins, 3 podiums, 4 top fives)
- Chase Sexton, Honda,111 (1W, 4P, 5 T5)
- Cooper Webb, KTM, 109 (1, 3P, 5 T5)
- Jason Anderson, Kawasaki, 93 (2P, 2 T5)
- Ken Roczen, Suzuki, 92 (1P, 4 T5)
- Aaron Plessinger, KTM, 85 (1P, 2 T5)
- Justin Barcia, GasGas, 80 (1P, 1 T5)
- Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki, 67
- Joey Savatgy, Kawasaki, 67
- Colt Nichols, Honda, 61
- Christian Craig, Husqvarna, 59
- Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha, 56 (2 T5)
- Dean Wilson, Honda, 47
- Justin Hill, KTM, 40
- Justin Cooper, Yamaha, 32
- Shane McElrath, Suzuki, 28
- Kevin Moranz, KTM, 18
- Justin Starling, GasGas, 18
- Kyle Chisholm, Suzuki, 16
- Malcolm Stewart, Husqvarna, 15
- Josh Hill, KTM, 14
- Fredrik Norén, Kawasaki, 14
- Benny Bloss, Yamaha, 13
- Cade Clason, Kawasaki, 12
- Marvin Musquin, KTM, 11
- Josh Cartwright, Kawasaki, 11
- Grant Harlan, Yamaha, 8
- John Short, Kawasaki, 8
- Alex Ray, Yamaha, 2
