After a well-deserved break for the drivers and crew, NASCAR returns to superspeedway racing in Nashville. Two weeks ago, Bold Pick Daniel Suárez won the road race at Sonoma. I won’t be the first to say that Trackhouse Racing is hot, hot, hot so far in 2022. And I don’t expect we’ve seen the last of its wins.
After a rough road course race for most of the drivers who were expected to run well, this week NASCAR moves into a totally different type of track. The drivers have only been on this large, concrete oval track once, but that’s plenty enough to get an idea of how they run. This isn’t really a superspeedway like the over-two-mile Daytona and Talladega Superspeedways. With a shorter length of 1.33 miles, I consider it more of an intermediate-mini-superspeedway with a fair share of challenges, from the concrete surface to the 14 degrees of banking. Having said that, it’s still gonna be exciting to watch and, I’m sure, fun to run for most of our boys-in-fire suits.
Let’s get back to it, y’all. Here are the brilliant, bold, and bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks for racing the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Kyle Larson
Finish last time around: First
Look who won this thing last year: Number 5. Kyle Larson is so far below his numbers from last NASCAR season that I believe a lot of fantasy bettors are setting him to the side. This is an interesting track for him, though, as he does well on both intermediates and superspeedways. This might bode well for last season’s champ who hasn’t seen a win since February.
Ross Chastain
Finish last time around: Second
Ross Chastain has been in and out of hot water in the last couple of weeks, but here’s to hoping the break has cooled things down enough so he can concentrate on his season once again. With both Trackhouse drivers getting hot, he now has an ally in this fight who can help propel him back to the top at the Ally 400. (See what I did there?)
Christopher Bell
Finish last time around: Ninth
Christopher Bell has actually had a good season. He just gets overlooked because he doesn’t have a win yet. He’s only fallen out of the top 10 three times since March. He’s going to have a great finish, that’s a given, but there’s a good chance he can go even further and get his first win in Nashville this weekend.
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Aric Almirola
Finish last time around: Fourth
Last year Aric Almirola won the pole here and he stayed right up front throughout the race. He’s having a lackluster season, but this is a good time for him to buck up and get a win. His last few races have wrapped up well, so he might be on an upswing. Consider the Number 10 when you set your NASCAR fantasy lineup for Nashville.
Daniel Suárez
Finish last time around: Seventh
His first win was just the beginning. Now that he’s tasted the glory, he’s gonna push harder than ever to get another bite. It’s gonna be tough for Daniel Suárez to win two in a row, but he’s likely to finish in the top ten again if you need some extra fantasy points.
William Byron
Finish last time around: Third
William Byron has seen better days early in the season, but he did very well here last year. I was honestly torn between the 24 and the 48 for this spot, especially since the 48 is sponsored by Ally, but something about the kid has me leaning this way for Nashville. A win? Maybe. A damn fine finish? Most definitely.
Bonkers – Stay away from these drivers in your NASCAR fantasy racing lineup this week
Brad Keselowski
Finish last time around: Twenty-Third
With the season he’s having, skip him until he hits a track that’s more his style. Stranger things have happened, but I can’t quite feel good enough to give him more than a passing glance in a NASCAR fantasy lineup.
Denny Hamlin
Finish last time around: Twenty-First
It’s been such a weird season for Number 11. It’s hard to believe he has two wins! But he also has lots of finishes in the upper 20s and mid-30s. Outside of the two wins, Denny Hamlin only had two finishes in the top ten. Whaaaaat? He’ll either win or finish 30th. Why take the chance?
Tyler Reddick
Finish last time around: Eighteenth
It’s a secret hope that if I stick Tyler Reddick into a no-pick zone, he’ll surprise us all and get a win. I like this kid, and I think he has a bright future in NASCAR. But, luck has done everything but drop a horseshoe on this head this season, and I don’t know if that’s going to change quite yet.
