Our 5th Down Fantasy NASCAR season is 2-for-2 as Brilliant pick Joey Logano finished in first place last week, lining up in Victory Lane at the Penzoil 400.
The second stop on NASCAR’s west coast swing is the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. It’s a two-mile track where the fastest NASCAR driver can pull ahead of the crowd and bask in the glory of a multi-second lead. Some of the most seasoned drivers have won here many times, while others are still searching for a top-10 finish. One thing’s for certain: Whoever has the speed and focus will secure his place in the Championship run alongside Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano when the checkered flag flies on Sunday.
Ready for this week’s NASCAR expert picks?
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for this week’s race: The Auto Club 400
Brilliant NASCAR Picks
These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning at the Auto Club 400
Kyle Busch
Wins at Fontana: 4
Top 5 finishes: 10
Top 10 finishes: 15
Do y’all think that ole Rowdy is ready to win his first race of the 2020 NASCAR season? With this much experience and energy, he’ll be tough to beat. He finished first here last March, and he’s likely to finish first again this March. Look for Kyle Bush to pull out all the stops to win the Auto Club 400 on Sunday.
Joey Logano
Wins at Fontana: 0
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 7
And here we are again, looking at the No. 22 for the win on Sunday. Believe it or not, Joey Logano doesn’t have a win here yet, but that can change in an instant. He’s coming off of a great run in Vegas, and that might propel him to another victory this weekend–as long as he can hold off Kyle Busch. My NASCAR fantasy advice is: put Logano in your lineup for Fontana on Sunday.
Brad Keselowski
Wins at Fontana: 1
Top 5 finishes: 4
Top 10 finishes: 5
There’s just something about Team Penske and the west coast swing that goes together like peanut butter and jelly. Brad Keselowski has finished in the top 10 here for the last five races, and I have a sneaky suspicion that he’s going to grab his first number-one at Fontana since 2015. The Auto Club 400 is a great place for Brad to punch his ticket to the playoffs, and I expect to see him carry the American flag to Victory Lane this weekend.
Bold NASCAR Picks
These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Jimmie Johnson
Wins at Fontana: 6
Top 5 finishes: 13
Top 10 finishes: 17
Jimmie Johnson is my number-one NASCAR sleeper pick this week, and it’s not just because he has a great record here. Johnson has actually looked good in the first two races of the season, leading me to believe that he’s got a good chance to make some magic happen at his home track. Don’t’ be surprised if the 48 team sheds some tears and shreds some tires on the way to Victory Lane on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney
Wins at Fontana: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 3
Ryan Blaney has been just as effective as Jimmie Johnson in the first two races of the NASCAR season. I like what I see, and I like his odds at the Auto Club 400 this weekend. The only time he didn’t finish in the top 10 in Fontana was due to an accident in 2016. Blaney has always shown a lot of promise, even making it into the Race for the Chase the last three seasons in a row. Expect to see good things from this NASCAR sleeper pick this weekend.
Kyle Larson
Wins at Fontana: 1
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 3
There’s something about Kyle Larson that makes you think he’s going to jump out and take control of his destiny at one of these tracks. Could Fontana be the one? Quite possibly. His numbers aren’t bad here, and his season seems to be starting off in a good place. If he can lock in and race clean, he’s got a good shot for his first win of the season at the Auto Club 400.
Bonkers NASCAR Picks
Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Alex Bowman
Wins at Fontana: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
Alex Bowman has had some great starts so far in the 2020 season, but his finishes have been abysmal. He’s never had a great run at this track, and I don’t expect him to do much better here this year. Hold off on the 88 this week and pick someone else for the win at the Auto Club 400.
Clint Bowyer
Wins at Fontana: 0
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 8
Clint Bowyer was thrilled to make it through all of the wrecks at the Daytona 500 and survive for a 5th place finish. He’s held his own between the Busch Clash and Las Vegas, but he’s never been great at Fontana. He finished third here in 2017 but otherwise hasn’t cracked the top 10 since 2011. Take a pass on Clint Bowyer in your NASCAR fantasy lineup this week.
Daniel Suarez
Wins at Fontana: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 1
Daniel Suarez has had a tough time so far in this 2020 season. He didn’t make it into the Daytona 500 due to an early wreck as he tried to race his way in for a spot, and the first two races haven’t been much better since leaving SHR and moving to Gaunt Brothers Racing. Time will tell if the No. 96 team can get things together for a win this season, but it’s not likely to happen this weekend.
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