Rockstar Energy Suzuki's Davi Millsaps (Photo: Suzuki Racing)

6. Justin Barcia (Preseason Rank: 5 / -1)

Barcia was positioned to come away with a solid night's work, and based on the way Millsaps and Canard mixed it up at the end, perhaps even a win had he not made that one mistake. He’s definitely going to be bummed that he let a surefire podium slip away, but this is part of being a rookie. The manner in which Barcia comes back from those sorts of hiccups will define his season.

7. Jake Weimer (Preseason Rank: 8 / +1)

That was a truly solid ride for Jake in Anaheim. He simply got the job done. With so many riders considered championship contenders, to grab a top-five finish and finish ahead of most of said favorites is a great way to start the year. Jake has to be excited about his effort, and hopefully he’s able to build on it and keep turning heads.

8. James Stewart (Preseason Rank: 3 / -5)

It was obvious that something was wrong with Stewart in Anaheim. He set the fastest lap in practice and then literally disappeared until he lined up on the starting gate for his heat race. Rumors swirled of a knee injury, which was confirmed to a degree, and Stewart rode as conservatively as we've ever seen from him from that point on. He’s assured everyone he’ll be in action in Phoenix, but since we really don’t know what’s wrong with his knee, there’s just no way to guess how he might fare on Saturday. Nevertheless, the ability to ride through pain the way he did to finish eighth shows the toughness of the former champ.

9.Andrew Short (Preseason Rank: 9 / No Change)

'Shorty' rode to a solid sixth-place finish in Anaheim and did so the way he likes -- riding hard, consistent laps and just posting a good finish. No fanfare, no flash, just business. Short definitely proved that despite being one of the oldest riders in the field, he still has what it takes to compete. Here’s to more strong outings for the vet.

10. Justin Brayton (Preseason Rank: 10 / No Change)

Going through the LCQ isn’t the way you want to start your season, but Brayton managed to overcome the long night and still land inside the top 10. Surely there was a part of Brayton that was happy, but it had to be somewhat bittersweet to see his old teammate take the win. However, Brayton can use it as motivation as he continues to lead the way for the JGR effort and climb back to the level he reached last season.