A true nail-biter made the race in Atlanta more fun to watch than I expected. Not only was I mildly surprised to see Chase Elliott win, again, but I was also floored to see just how close Corey LaJoie came to his first Cup Series win. Is this the start of something new for the number 7 team? Possibly. But coming from a small team like Spire Motorsports, LaJoie knows how hard it is to come back and get that close again.
Last week also brought us more Chastian-on-Hamlin action which resulted in Hamlin voicing his continued frustration at the driver of the number 1 car. Ross certainly isn’t making many friends on the track, but he still has time to reel himself in before the playoffs heat up and create a payback situation for some of the drivers who know how to hold a grudge.
Last but not least, in what is possibly the biggest breaking news of the 2022 NASCAR season, 23XI Racing announced that they have signed current RCR driver Tyler Reddick to a ride starting in the 2024 season. Neither Michael Jordan nor Denny Hamlin is known for being subtle, so it’s no surprise that they made this early announcement despite the fact that Reddick still has another year on his contract with RCR. Having just signed Bubba Wallace for a one-season-only option for 2023, one wonders just what 23XI will look like after next year. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, the guys are back at the old familiar Louden track this week where you can count on these brilliant, bold, and bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks for fast-paced action at the Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Kevin Harvick
It’s entirely possible that I’ll kick myself in the rear for even mentioning the number 4, but how do you argue with his numbers in New Hampshire? Only two lousy finishes at this track since 2014 and pretty decent finishes in general for the last few weeks: this combination gives me the green light to suggest putting him in your fantasy lineup for a decent ending, if not a win.
Wins in New Hampshire: 4
Top five finishes: 13
Top ten finishes: 22
Denny Hamlin
So, hit-and-miss-Hamlin has a shot to get another win in Louden or at least a good finish. As much as I try to avoid him in my fantasy lineup, I think he’s been super-solid here in the past several years and he’s ready to pull a fast one on those around him. As long as he can keep from getting wrecked, losing a tire, or encountering Ross Chastain. On the plus side, lobsters terrify him so there’s always that fun bit when he wins.
Wins in New Hampshire: 3
Top five finishes: 11
Top ten finishes: 17
Joey Logano
My goodness, doesn’t it seem like Joey Logano ends up limping around the track with tape on his fender every race? While he has really crapped out in the last couple of weeks, I think that his winning record in New Hampshire might pull him back into place on Sunday. Feel free to take a chance on the No. 22 for your NASCAR fantasy team on Sunday.
Wins in New Hampshire: 2
Top five finishes: 8
Top ten finishes: 13
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Tyler Reddick
This second half of the 2022 NASCAR season is shaping up for Tyler Reddick. His first win a couple of weeks ago, an RCR extension through 2023, and a ride with 23XI for 2024 come together to create a happy number 8 team. I think that will carry him to a good finish in Louden.
Wins in New Hampshire: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 1
Kyle Busch
You can see that I have tucked the number 18 down here in the bold section, and that’s because he’s had such terrible luck at this track with two DNFs the last two years in a row. And, he’s finished 20th or worse the last four weeks in a row. But there’s a part of me that thinks Kyle Busch will pull through to finish really well. Maybe even get a real, honest-to-goodness win. I mean, these numbers are impressive, and so are the 1,134 laps he’s led at Louden.
Wins in New Hampshire: 3
Top five finishes: 11
Top ten finishes: 16
Christopher Bell
Well, he came in second a year ago here, so why should I think he’ll do any worse than that? When he’s not in the middle of a hot mess wreck, Christopher Bell has been great, and I think that will continue this weekend.
Wins in New Hampshire: 0
Top five finishes: 1
Top ten finishes: 1
Bonkers – Stay away from these drivers in your NASCAR fantasy racing lineup this week
Bubba Wallace
Ouch in so many ways. So many. I can tell you for certain that this was not the season that anyone expected from the driver of the 23 car. Heck, I have him on my NASCAR fantasy team, so I know the pain that’s come along with picking Bubba Wallace. He’s gonna have to step it up right about now if he has any hopes of going further when playoff time comes.
Wins in New Hampshire: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 0
Chris Buescher
Honestly, I think that Chris Buescher has shown some good stuff this season, so it’s not that he’s completely out of the mix. It’s just that there are a handful of drivers who have a better chance at the win. So there.
Wins in New Hampshire: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 0
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon has just not found a way to manage this track. His only top-ten finish here was way back in 2015, and since then, it’s been all downhill. Take a pass on this reality-TV-star driver for another week.
Wins in New Hampshire: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 1
