Blown tires, burning cars, on-track feuds, caution-after-caution, one pit road wall crash, and a red-flag rain delay: we saw it all in Texas. You would have thought this was a Superspeedway race for the amount of excitement we saw. Once again, a non-playoff driver pulled off a win: Tyler Reddick put the pedal to the metal and sailed past the rest of the crowd to show the world that he means business, playoff spot or not. The round of eight is shaping up already, but with two impossible-to-predict tracks leading into the cutoff, these drivers need to stay strong and hold their positions; not push each other across the infield grass.
Talladega is always a fun track. Some drivers have had amazing luck here, others not so much — some show their strengths, others their weaknesses; some drivers have plenty of wins, but plenty of DNFs to go along with ’em. It’s tough to know who will reign victorious this weekend. I can only go on a mixture of past performance, present streaks, desperation for the future, and NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings to make an educated guess for fantasy purposes.
As long as everyone behaves, races mistake-free, and focuses on the task at hand, I have an idea that these Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will make a statement on Sunday.
Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Brad Keselowski
Two weeks ago he was bonkers, last week bold, this week, Brad Keselowski is a brilliant choice for a win at Talladega. He’s heating up, and though it makes no difference in the playoff realm, it makes a lot of difference in his confidence. And that will lead him into a positive 2023 season where I think the Number 6 will be a force to reckon with.
Wins at Talladega: 6
Top five finishes: 9
Top ten finishes: 18
Joey Logano
Joey Logano. What more can I say? It looked like his season was going down the drain until he hit the track running in Indianapolis. Though Kansas and Bristol were losses, everything else has been fine. Logano wrecked here last spring, so that puts the odds in his favor for this trip. He’s led the most laps in Talladega, but he also has 9 DNFs, so I’m taking a risk on the number 22 this week. But that’s what it’s all about.
Wins at Talladega: 3
Top five finishes: 9
Top ten finishes: 11
Denny Hamlin
I don’t trust Denny Hamlin at The Roval unless he’s backed into a corner and must win to get in. But in Talladega, I trust him to have a great finish, own some stage points, and bump himself further up the list of playoff points. Superspeedway racing is fun for this team and he’s led the second-most laps here of any active full-time driver. Let’s see what the 11 can do on Sunday.
Wins at Talladega: 2
Top five finishes: 9
Top ten finishes: 14
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
If he can stay out of a wreck, he’ll finish in the top 10. Unfortunately, he’s had a few accidents in the last trips to Talladega. But, that doesn’t discount his past success, laps led, and an average finish of 15th place. He might be good for a stage win or two, but he might also win the whole enchilada. Keep your eye on the 47 for fantasy.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top five finishes: 6
Top ten finishes: 9
Bubba Wallace
The driver of the number 45 has shown his talent since New Hampshire. A couple of glitches in recent weeks have nothing on Bubba Wallace. He’s a superspeedway racer who has a great shot at a good finish here. Though he finished 17th in the spring, he won this race last fall. He’s a bold NASCAR fantasy pick for Sunday’s race in Talladega.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top five finishes: 1
Top ten finishes: 1
Ryan Blaney
Ryan Blaney is lucky; he has two opportunities at good tracks to secure his place in the round of eight. Between Talladega and The Roval, there’s gonna be a top-five finish (if not better) in there somewhere. This week holds a slight edge over next.
Wins at Talladega: 2
Top five finishes: 3
Top ten finishes: 5
Bonkers – Stay away from these drivers in your NASCAR fantasy racing lineup this week
Kyle Busch
I can’t pick Kyle Busch for anything else this week. In fact, I think that his season is all but done. Bad luck has cast a shadow over the 18, but the sun will come out tomorrow — tomorrow being February 2023 in the number 8 car, of course.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top five finishes: 7
Top ten finishes: 9
Kyle Larson
Kyle Laron has 7 DNFs here in Talladega and when you pair that with an average finish of 23rd, it doesn’t look good for the number 5 this week. Skip him when you set your NASCAR fantasy lineup.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top five finishes: 7
Top ten finishes: 9
Martin Truex Jr.
The most DNFs of any current active driver come from the number 19 team. But, much like Kyle Busch, I think that Martin Truex Jr. has called it a wash and is setting his sights on next season. But even if he is still hoping for a win, it’s not going to happen in a place where he’s been cast out 13 times.
Wins at Talladega: 0
Top five finishes: 3
Top ten finishes: 9
