It’s another NASCAR doubleheader this weekend—this time at Michigan International Speedway. Saturday and Sunday we’ll see the running of the teams once again, and time is getting short for some of these drivers. I have a feeling that those on or near the cutoff line will pull out all of the stops to gain some playoff points this weekend. It’s Phoenix or bust as we get close to the Race for the Chase for the 2020 season.
This week I’ll pick five Brilliant drivers and five Bold drivers to keep in your NASCAR fantasy lineup this weekend.
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday and the Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway:
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in in Michigan
Denny Hamlin
Wins at Michigan: 2
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 13
He pulled out a second-place finish here last August, and he’ll pull something out again this August. It’s not a matter of whether Hamlin will dominate this weekend, it’s just a matter of which day the FedEx team will get it done.
Kevin Harvick
Wins at Michigan: 3
Top 5 finishes: 13
Top 10 finishes: 19
He finished in the top spot last August and the August before. You can bet your bottom dollar that Harvick will finish in the top spot again at some point this weekend.
Kyle Busch
Wins at Michigan: 1
Top 5 finishes: 7
Top 10 finishes: 12
This is a fantastic opportunity for the No. 18 to pull out a win. After running the track on Saturday, the team will get the feel of both the car and the field. Consider it his practice run. Look what he did on the doubleheader weekend in Darlington—26th place finish on Saturday to a 2nd place finish on Sunday. Similar in Pocono. After gaining all of the intel they can gain, the No.18 will cruise into victory lane for the first time on Sunday.
Brad Keselowski
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 11
Perhaps I underestimated the No. 2 last weekend. I shall not make the same mistake twice. I don’t know if Brad will pull out a second win in a row, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. His numbers have been impressive all season, he’s far outraced his counterpart in the No. 22, so you can bet he’ll at least grab a few playoff points here.
Chase Elliott
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 7
Chase is another driver who does well with an extra day of “practice,” especially on an intermediate track. He doesn’t have a win here, but in the few times that he’s raced the Cup Series in Michigan, he’s done well. He has a lot to overcome, but the No. 9 has a great chance to pull off another win this weekend.
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Joey Logano
Wins at Michigan: 3
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 15
Logano went through a rough stretch for awhile but—with the exception of Kansas—seems to be coming back around. He’s hit-or-miss in Michigan, but if things go according to plan, he has a great shot at a win.
Matt DiBenedetto
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
It’s tough to look back at Matty D’s past to figure out how well he’ll finish on any given week. He might not have amazing numbers here, but all bets are off this season. He’s teetering on the cutoff line for the playoffs, and the No. 21 team would love nothing more than to nab a few more playoff points for a cushy entry into the final weeks of the regular season.
Aric Almirola
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 1
There are times when I say that the stats don’t lie—and they might tell the truth again this weekend when all is said and done—but there’s something to be said about a hot steak. Though Almirola doesn’t have a win on the record yet this year, he has been red-hot since Homestead. Depending on wrecks and restarts, he might have a chance for a win in Michigan.
Tyler Reddick
Wins at Michigan: 1
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 2
Reddick has been hot, hot, hot (for a rookie) in recent weeks, with a second-place finish in Texas, another intermediate track. Early in the season, he placed 11th at Auto Club, also a two-mile track. This kid has shown some great stuff. And he won here in the Xfinity series last season. Despite not having a win in the Cup Series yet, like rookie Cole Custer, I’ve been most impressed by the No. 8 team. Keep him in your fantasy lineup this weekend.
Martin Truex Jr.
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 11
It seems like Truex should grab another win somewhere. He might be on a bit of a hot streak right now with third-place endings the last two weeks in a row. If this truly is a run, it’s likely that he’ll find a way to pull out a win sometime this weekend.
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Jimmie Johnson
Wins at Michigan: 1
Top 5 finishes: 5
Top 10 finishes: 13
Oh, Jimmie. What has this season become? Just when you think he might win a stage, or even the race, he hits a wall or has a lousy pit stop. I’m sure that there are greener pastures with brighter endings out there yet this season for the No. 48, but they’re not gonna happen this weekend in Michigan.
William Byron
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 1
Byron has been up and down this season, never quite making it to “impressive” status Yet, he’s still above the cutoff line so that has to count for something. I don’t expect he’ll have a lousy finish, but I don’t expect him to pull into the number-one slot, either.
Ryan Newman
Wins at Michigan: 2
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 10
It has been a super-long time since Newman got those two wins, and his numbers here have been poor in recent years. He’s a heck of a driver, but with so many people in front of him trying for a win, this is a good week to take a pass on the No. 6.
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