Here are my Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers picks for this week’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot to win in Darlington
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin are the winningest active drivers in NASCAR at Darlington Raceway. It seems fitting that one of them would win this week since they’re both getting a bit desperate to get to victory lane this season. It’s only a matter of which one will get there first, but Harvik has been heating up at the right time to pull this one off.
Wins at Darlington: 3
Top-5 finishes: 11
Top-10 finishes: 15
Denny Hamlin
Ouch. The No. 11 team has certainly struggled in the last two weeks due to missteps and incidents. But Darlington has always been good to Denny Hamlin. Keep an eye on this guy for this win, as long as he can avoid other drivers, penalties in the pits, and the Darlington stripe.
Wins at Darlington: 3
Top-5 finishes: 9
Top-10 finishes: 13
Kyle Busch
Now that the wait is over and he’s gotten his first win of the 2021 season, Kyle Busch is an obvious candidate for a Darlington victory. I might be shooting myself in the foot here for choosing him, but outside of the No. 4 and the 11, he’s got the history needed for success at this throwback track.
Wins at Darlington: 1
Top-5 finishes: 5
Top-10 finishes: 12
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks for Darlington
Tyler Reddick
Tyler Reddick has stepped up his game. He’s finished inside the top-10 in four of the last five races. Though his recent stats at Darlington don’t point directly at a victory, his determination and skill speak louder than numbers. It’s only a matter of time before the No. 8 gets his win, and it’s possible it will happen here on Sunday.
Wins at Darlington: 0
Top-5 finishes: 0
Top-10 finishes: 1
Kyle Larson
Though Kyle Larson started out with a bang, he’s cooled lately. That doesn’t mean he’s not still a great driver. His last two outings here have been stellar, with both a third and a second-place finish respectively, and I’m thinking he’s gonna up that by one for the win this time around.
Wins at Darlington: 0
Top-5 finishes: 3
Top-10 finishes: 5
Erik Jones
If you’re going for a true NASCAR sleeper pick, this is the one to bet on. Erik Jones has never finished outside the top-10 at Darlington, and he has a win under his belt here, too. It’s been a tough adjustment going from Gibbs to Petty, but this is the right track for the newest driver of the No. 43 to show the world what he’s got under the hood.
Wins at Darlington:1
Top-5 finishes: 4
Top-10 finishes: 6
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup for Darlington this week
Rickey Stenhouse Jr.
It’s been downhill since Bristol for Stenhouse, and it’s not gonna get any better at Darlington. After ten trips to this track, there’s nothing in the top-10 or beyond until you hit the 20s for a finish. It’s a smart move to skip over the No. 47 team for another week.
Wins at Darlington: 0
Top-5 finishes: 0
Top-10 finishes: 0
Chris Buescher
Chris Buescher has done fairly well this season with a couple of top-10 and top-15 finishes so far. But this is not a track that he’s ever done well on before. For that reason alone, I believe that there are plenty of drivers with more experience that will keep the No. 17 out of the top spot.
Wins at Darlington: 0
Top-5 finishes: 0
Top-10 finishes: 0
Ryan Blaney
I feel like Ryan Blaney is either a big pick or a bad pick from week to week. He’s not really average anywhere as he either goes all out or not-at-all from track to track. This isn’t one of the all-out places for the No. 12, so keep him out of your NASCAR fantasy lineup for Darlington.
Wins at Darlington: 0
Top-5 finishes: 0
Top-10 finishes: 0
