Last week’s 5th Down Fantasy Brilliant Pick Kyle Larson dominated Homestead-Miami, winning all of the stages before making his way to victory lane. It’s strange not to see him running for a spot in the final four, but NASCAR can be funny like that.
This week, the final eight drivers will be reduced to the final four who will compete next weekend in Phoenix for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Joey Logano has already punched his ticket, but that leaves seven drivers who will push, pull, and drag their way to the finish line.
This weekly article is written days before qualifying, and a lot depends on starting position when it comes to Martinsville. Any drivers that get sent to the back or qualify poorly won’t have much of a chance, but if all line up well, here is the penultimate Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers list of NASCAR fantasy picks for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin sits below the cutoff line right now, but not by much. Only 5 points separate him from William Byron. It’s unlikely that the history between the two will play a part in the outcome of this race; you can bet that Denny will simply concentrate on running mistake-free. Whether he wins (likely) or not, count on a good finish from the 11.
Wins at Martinsville: 5
Top five finishes: 16
Top ten finishes: 22
Ryan Blaney
Ryan Blaney is in a precarious position, sitting below the cutoff line as we head to Martinsville. On the plus side, he has some good numbers here despite missing a win. On the downside, he has still not won a Cup Series race this season outside of the All-Star event, and that didn’t count for points. But if his luck holds, he’ll finish well even if it’s not enough to punch his ticket to the final four.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top five finishes: 6
Top ten finishes: 7
Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain is going to do everything it takes to get into the final four, bet your bottom dollar. He’s proven a lot this season, and he won’t be satisfied until he gets a chance to try to prove even more in Phoenix. He has to run clean, though, and avoid the mistakes that caused friction with other drivers earlier in the season. We’ll see how that goes.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top five finishes: 1
Top ten finishes: 1
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Martin Truex Jr.
This is my non-playoff driver pick for a possible win in Martinsville. Martin Truex Jr. has struggled this season, to say the least, and without a win, I’m sure he feels a strange bit of failure in his bones. However, he’s really come back around in the last two weeks, and I think he has an opportunity to make his last stand in Martinsville on Sunday.
Wins at Martinsville: 3
Top five finishes: 9
Top ten finishes: 15
William Byron
William Byron is above the cutoff line right now by 5 points. I have no idea if he can pull this off because he can go all out, or fall apart when the rubber meets the road—no pun intended. But he has a good record here and that will play in his favor. A top-ten finish is predicted either way.
Wins at Martinsville: 1
Top five finishes: 4
Top ten finishes: 5
Christopher Bell
I don’t know if I really expect Cristopher Bell to win, but I expect him to try, and that will lead to him finishing well. Even though he probably won’t advance to the next round, the number 20 will give it his all, and therefore he’s a smart bold pick for a NASCAR fantasy lineup.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 1
Bonkers – Stay away from these drivers in your NASCAR fantasy racing lineup this week
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson was truly in Championship form in Homestead. He did what he wanted to do, which was to show how great of a driver he is. Without a dog in the fight, I suspect the number 5 will help out fellow contenders William Byron and Chase Elliott. Besides, his numbers here aren’t the best.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top five finishes: 2
Top ten finishes: 3
Joey Logano
Joey Logano has been successful at Martinsville many times before, but I’ll bet the house that he’s not going to win there this Sunday. What, you ask? Because he’s already in the final four. The number 22 isn’t going to risk injury in a hot battle for the lead when he really doesn’t have to. He’ll and his team will race clean, avoid incidents, work on pit strategies, and keep their eyes on the prize that will come in Phoenix.
Wins at Martinsville: 1
Top five finishes: 9
Top ten finishes: 15
Aric Almirola
So, get this, Aric Almirola has DNFd here six times. Six! And with finishes that look like this, it’s not enough to make me believe in the number 10 this week. Take a pass.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top five finishes: 1
Top ten finishes: 7
