Last weekend’s Brilliant Pick Chase Elliott surprised nobody with his amazing run and subsequent win at yet another road course. What really surprised most viewers, however, was the loss of Kyle Busch’s playoff hopes for 2020. In a year that reads like the plot of a Stephen King novel, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champ was eliminated from contention while his big brother continued along on his own playoff journey.
There are only three more races until the finale at Phoenix on November 8th. Who will be the first driver to punch his ticket to the championship round of four?
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot to win in Kansas
Brad Keselowski
Brad is due for a win, and Kansas is a great place for him to get it. He has the experience here (a second-place finish last time at the track) as well as the drive to get things done. Brad’s been a championship winner before, and with a win on Sunday, he’ll be on his way to another shot at the title.
Wins at Kansas: 2
Top 5 finishes: 5
Top 10 finishes: 11
Denny Hamlin
The 2020 NASCAR season has been great for Denny Hamlin. As he chases his first Cup Series Championship, you can bet he’d like to grab a win this weekend and secure his place in the finals. Considering that he won the last two races at this track, that’s a likely scenario that I’m betting on.
Wins at Kansas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 9
Kevin Harvick
The next three tracks are some of Kevin Harvick’s best (as is the final track in Phoenix). There’s no doubt that he’s heading to the final four again, it’s only a matter of which race he’ll win to secure it. A win on Sunday would set him up for relaxation at Texas and Martinsville before he gears up again at Phoenix.
Wins at Kansas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 9
Top 10 finishes: 16
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Chase Elliott
It’s tough to argue with the hot streak, and Chase is about as hot as any driver out there. He’s starting on the pole, and while I don’t anticipate he’ll hold that spot for long, he’s likely to come back and take it when the timing is right.
Wins at Kansas: 1
Top 5 finishes: 4
Top 10 finishes: 5
Alex Bowman
It’s turned out to be an impressive year for Alex Bowman. He jumped into the playoffs early with his win at Auto Club, and held his position through the first two elimination rounds. Though he doesn’t have a win at Kansas (yet), he runs well here. Clean racing and clean pit stops might get the No. 88 to victory lane—and into the final round of four.
Wins at Kansas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 4
Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. should be a brilliant pick this week, but his wins this season have been few and far between. At the tracks he usually dominates, we’ve seen a number of second-place endings. Kansas is one of his better tracks, he finished third here at last visit, so it’s possible he could get that elusive win here on Sunday.
Wins at Kansas: 2
Top 5 finishes: 9
Top 10 finishes: 11
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon had a great run in 2020, and I expect we’ll continue to see good things out of the No. 3. This isn’t one of his best tracks, however, and I imagine that there are plenty of playoff drivers who’ll push him out of the way for a win. Keep Dillon in the pits for Kansas.
Wins at Kansas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 3
Matt Kenseth
It was fun to watch Kenseth pilot the 42 car for this strange and silly NASCAR season. He never did turn out any amazing performances, though, and despite his winning record here, I don’t think that will change on Sunday.
Wins at Kansas: 2
Top 5 finishes: 7
Top 10 finishes: 13
Matt DiBenedetto
Matty D has had a fantastic season, holding his own with some of the top names in the sport. Having noted that, it’s not likely that he’ll find his first win in Kansas. Best to leave him out of your NASCAR fantasy lineup on Sunday.
Wins at Kansas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
