Brilliant pick Chase Elliott aced the first Cup Series road race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. This week, NASCAR heads to the Monster Mile for the last doubleheader of the 2020 season. Two races in two days in the cooler temps of Dover International Speedway will feel like a piece of cake compared to the sweltering Florida heat the drivers suffered through in Daytona. As the season winds down, this is the time for the drivers at the bottom of the bubble to pull out all the stops to cement their place in the playoffs—which starts in two weeks in Darlington on September 6th.
Once again, I’ll give you five Brilliant drivers, five Bold drivers, and three Bonkers to watch this weekend.
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the Drydene 311 on Saturday and Sunday at Dover International Speedway:
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in in Dover
Martin Truex Jr.
He has been king of the intermediate tracks the last few years running, and he’s ready to reign supreme once again at Dover this weekend. Will he sweep? My magic 8-ball will not tell, but I don’t expect him to leave without at least one trip to victory lane.
Wins at Dover: 3
Top 5 finishes: 7
Top 10 finishes: 16
Chase Elliott
Chase is hot, hot, hot after winning two stages, including the most important third, at the Daytona Road Course last weekend. I believe that hot streak rules should be observed— especially when the numbers at the following track looks this good.
Wins at Dover: 1
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 6
Kyle Busch
NASCAR fans are waiting (and waiting) to see Kyle Busch do a victory lap after winning a race. Like him or not, it’s eerie that the No. 18 is so close to the cutoff line this late in the season. He has two chances to do it in Dover, and I’m banking on a Sunday win.
Wins at Dover: 3
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 19
Kevin Harvick
I can’t feel good about my brilliant picks without putting Harvick in there. He has two wins already at Dover and a great deal of great finishes. He’ll have a tough time holding off the drivers who are desperate for a win to get into the playoffs, but somehow the No. 4 always finds a way to win.
Wins at Dover: 2
2Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 19
Denny Hamlin
For the same reason I include the winningest driver of the season, I include the second-winningest driver as well. With two second-place finishes in the last two races, you can bet the 11 is ready to take that up a notch.
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 5
Top 10 finishes: 12
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Jimmie Johnson
All due respect goes to the No. 48 team in his last season in the NASCAR Cup Series. With 11 wins at this track, and many great finishes, this might just be the place for him to procure that elusive win that will put him into the playoffs one last time.
Wins at Dover: 11
Top 5 finishes: 17
Top 10 finishes: 25
Erik Jones
The so-so season of the struggling Jones got even worse last week when Joe Gibbs Racing announced they would not renew his contract. No one wants a win this weekend more than the No. 20 team. Not only would that cement a position in the playoffs, it could also help him nab a ride for next season.
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 2
Matt DiBenedetto
Matty D has had a solid 2020 season so far, but he’s only 44 points above the cutoff line. In order to stay there, he needs a couple of clean races this weekend. Maybe he does it with stage wins, or maybe he does it with a trip to victory lane. Either way, expect him to run hard and fast in Dover.
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 1
Clint Bowyer
Sure, he doesn’t have the best numbers here, but he has a bunch of top-10 finishes and several stage wins in recent years. Clint is another driver who needs a great finish in order to hold his wavering position in the playoffs, and you can bet he’ll do anything he can to get one.
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 16
Christopher Bell
It was announced last week that Bell will take over the No. 20 car for JGR when Erik Jones heads out at the end of the 2020 season. If that doesn’t motivate you to grab a win, it’s tough to say what else will. Bell has great numbers here from his Xfinity, as you’ll see below.
Wins at Dover: 2
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 3
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Chris Buescher
Beuscher runs well at the superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega, and he had a great run at the Daytona Road Course last week with a fifth-place finish. However, when it comes to intermediate tracks like Dover, Phoenix, and New Hampshire, he doesn’t get the same results. Sit him out this week until the playoffs start and he hits a better track
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
Ryan Blaney
Blaney’s hot streak has cooled down in recent weeks, but he still holds a firm spot in the playoffs so it’s nothing to worry about. Having said that, you can see his numbers here at Dover. I’d leave him out of your NASCAR fantasy lineup this weekend.
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 2
Joey Logano
Joey finished third here in 2018, but his string of top-10 finishes occurred long ago and far away. Though he’s picked up steam in recent weeks, and he’ll probably finish well, I don’t see him pulling off a win this weekend when there are so many other drivers who are desperate to get the top-spot.
Wins at Dover: 0
Top 5 finishes: 4
Top 10 finishes: 12
