Last weekend, Bold Pick Tyler Reddick cruised his way into victory lane with his second win of the season at a road course. While all of the controversies stayed in his rearview mirror, the number 8 was laser-focused and rode ahead of the pack for the vast majority of the race. Expect this driver and team to push hard for the rest of the season. There’s no telling where they’ll end up, but I’m early-predicting round of eight.
Lots of heat exhaustion, DNFs, questionable shortcuts, blown tires, and cars on fire made this road race at The Brickyard more entertaining than some.
Ross Chastain made a last-ditch attempt to advance his position by taking the access road in the overtime start but was penalized for his efforts. Can a driver take the access road during a race? Yes. Can they use it to advance their position? No. Think of it like the yellow line at Talladega and Daytona. If Chastain took the access road, retained his position, then given it all he had to rush up front, the results might have been different. If nothing else, a top-five. Can’t blame a guy for trying, though. What will he try this week?
NASCAR moves to a good old familiar track on Sunday. And I think that we’ll see some of the veterans come out of the woodwork and give the kids a run. Keep an eye on this week’s Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Joey Logano
This is the day for Joey Logano to buck up and run like we know he can run. His record at this track is impeccable, though his recent runs elsewhere have been dismal. He’s led over 25% of the laps at Michigan since 2019 and he’s one of the top divers at these 2-mile tracks. I expect if he can’t win, he’ll at least finish in the top five. But, I think he’s in it to win it this weekend.
Wins at Michigan: 3
Top five finishes: 7
Top ten finishes: 17
Kyle Larson
I’m on the fence about Kyle Larson this week, but I think that if he qualifies well, he has a good chance at getting a win in Michigan. This week gives the number 5 the opportunity to run at a track that’s comfortable and familiar, and those are the tracks where he seems to thrive.
Wins at Michigan: 3
Top five finishes: 6
Top ten finishes: 7
Kevin Harvick
Bah, thumbs-down to the last two finishes for the number 4. But, thumbs-up to his history here. Kevin Harvick’s record at Michigan since 2013 has been as impressive as they come. He’s only missed out on stage points once since NASCAR implemented their use, and there’s only one DNF on his record out of 41 runs. Being so close to missing the playoffs, you can count on Happy Harvick to work hard to get it done this weekend.
Wins at Michigan: 5
Top five finishes: 15
Top ten finishes: 21
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Chase Briscoe
Bold picks are going very bold this week with a group of young drivers who are good on the long haul and might just give you some points this week. Chase Briscoe already has one win this season, and though he’s only been here once, he finished 11th. I think you can count on a higher finish this week, so keep him on your NASCAR fantasy radar going into Sunday.
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 0
Bubba Wallace
Ever since Tyler Reddick inked his 2024 deal to move over to 23XI, Bubba Wallace has been on a tear. Three top-ten finishes three weeks in a row? You betcha. The number 23 is inspired, and I don’t see that stopping as long as there’s even a slight chance of nabbing a playoff spot.
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 1
Daniel Suárez
For a driver that hasn’t been quite up to speed over the past few years, Daniel Suárez already has a few impressive finishes in Michigan. Add that to the fact that he’s running better than ever this season, and you’ve got yourself a bold NASCAR fantasy pick for Sunday.
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top five finishes: 2
Top ten finishes: 2
Bonkers – Stay away from these drivers in your NASCAR fantasy racing lineup this week
Alex Bowman
It has been about eight weeks since Alex Bowman has finished well, and that shows me he’s on a cold streak. The numbers in MI aren’t great, plus he has two DNFs out of his twelve races here. Give him another week to settle down before you put him in your fantasy lineup.
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 2
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had a bit of a run there in the middle of the season, but he’s fallen off in recent weeks. With numbers like this, best to hold onto him until NASCAR hits Talladega
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top five finishes: 0
Top ten finishes: 1
William Byron
If I had to pick a driver to take a pass on this week that hasn’t been too, too bad at Michigan, it’s William Byron. Though he ran well here last August, I feel like he’s been struggling in the car lately. Leave him in the pits for now until we see some improvement.
Wins at Michigan: 0
Top five finishes: 1
Top ten finishes: 2
