This week the boys head to Alabama to compete at Talladega Superspeedway. This is a super-tough track to pick, so experience and streaks play a large role in what you see for the fantasy NASCAR lineup. Time is ticking down, so you should see a wild race as everyone tries to push everyone else out of the way to achieve victory at this unpredictable superspeedway.
Here’s my fantasy NASCAR advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Brilliant – These fantasy NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in in Talladega
Joey Logano
With numbers this good at Talladega, you know that Logano has figured out a way to stay on the track no matter what’s going on around him. Though he’s cooled off in recent races, he was hot all through the summer. Expect good things from the 22 on Sunday.
Wins at Talladega: 3
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes:10
Kurt Busch
Fresh off an unexpected win in Las Vegas—against the odds, mind you—Kurt Bush is showing the world why he’s been a staple in NASCAR for so many years. He’s a solid driver and he can pull a win out of the air when it really counts. I think that this is the start of a hot streak that comes at the right time, and the No. 1 might see another number-one finish this weekend.
Wins at Talladega: 0
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 21
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin’s stats at Talladega have gotten better and better over the years, and he finished in the top-five in the last two visits to this crazy track. His third-place finish last week shows that he’s back in control and ready to punch his ticket to the next round.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 9
Bold – These are my fantasy NASCAR sleeper picks
Aric Almirola
I bet that Double-A has been waiting for this track for a few weeks now. You have to go back to May of 2016 to find him anywhere outside the top-10 at Talladega, and the majority of those finishes have been inside the top-five. I’m expecting good things from the No. 10 team on Sunday, and that’s why he’s my NASCAR sleeper pick of the week.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top 5 finishes: 5
Top 10 finishes: 9
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
You can’t have Talladega without Stenhouse. As long as he can stay focused and stay out of the way when the big wrecks happen, he has a great opportunity here to show his talent at Superspeedway racing.
Wins at Talladega: 1
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 9
Ryan Blaney
Blaney started this crazy 2020 season with a hot streak that went on for miles. Sadly, he cooled off at the wrong time and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Don’t count him out this week, though, as his grit and determination could bring him a win at a track where he seems to hold his own.
Wins at Talladega: 2
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 4
Bonkers – Stay away from these fantasy NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Martin Truex Jr.
Picking a good driver for a bonkers position came back to bite me in the arse last weekend, and it very well could do so again on Sunday. Truex is notoriously lousy at Talladega, however, barely ever getting into the top-five. I know that he’s starting in the third position this week, but I don’t think there’s enough there for him to grab the win.
Wins at Talladega: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes:8
William Byron
The announcement that Crew Chief Chad Knaus is leaving the 24 team for a position inside the Hendrick organization could throw Bryon into a worse tailspin than he’s already in. Or it could inspire him to kick some major butt. It’s tough to say which way Byron will go, but I’d leave him out of your NASCAR fantasy lineup this weekend.
Wins at Talladega: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes:0
Erik Jones
To be fair, Jones isn’t terrible at Talladega. But he’s run into a lot of trouble that’s taken him out of contention in over half of his races here. The last time around he finished fifth, but that’s the best he’s done in his short Cup Series career. He could have a great finish this week, but there’s much more on the line for playoff drivers who have a better record, and more to lose if they don’t win.
Wins at Talladega: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 2
