NASCAR Fantasy Picks: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard

This week’s NASCAR fantasy picks for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard.

I don’t have much to tell you this week. All you really need to know is:

• We’re at The Brickyard.
• This is the last chance for drivers to cement their place in the NASCAR Playoffs.
• It’s gonna be a wild and crazy ride.

That pretty much sums it up. For people like me who love the sport that they write fantasy for, it’s slightly nerve-wracking. Of course, I want my favorite drivers to win, but I also love a good underdog come-back. I’d love to see someone take the checkered flag and win their way into the 16 race playoffs.

As I watch this Sunday’s race, I’ll be studying and analyzing every second the pit crews take to change a tire, every lap that looks better than the last, and every draft that one car takes on another. I’ll be on the edge of my seat and likely screaming during the final lap. My hope is that you will, too.

So buckle up and get ready because someone will be kissing bricks by the end of the day. (Let’s just hope it’s one of my Brilliant or Bold picks!)

Last Week’s NASCAR Fantasy Picks: Recap from the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

Brilliant Nascar fantasy picks:

• Denny Hamlin – 29^th
• Brad Keselowski – 5th
• Martin Truex Jr. – 15^th

Bold Nascar fantasy picks:

• Erik Jones – WINNER
• Kyle Larson – 2^nd
• Kevin Harvick – 4^th

Bonkers Nascar fantasy picks:

• Ryan Blaney – 13^th
• Clint Bowyer – 6th
• Aric Almirola – 17^th

And now, here are this week’s Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers NASCAR Fantasy picks for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard

Brilliant Nascar fantasy picks, Big Machine Vodka 400

Brad Keselowski

• Wins: 1
• Top 5 finishes: 2
• Top 10 finishes: 5

Brad had two good weeks in a row, but they weren’t good enough for what we know he’s capable of. This is a track that he has dominated in the last two years, and I expect he’ll dominate again this week. He’s great on these 2.5-mile tracks, finishing well at Pocono in both trips this season. Look for the 2 to do what he does best and keep everyone behind him for much of the race.

Joey Logano

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 3
• Top 10 finishes: 6

Despite only two victories this season, the 2018 Championship Winner is in second place for points. Technically he has no reason to push it for the win, but he hasn’t cracked the top-five in eight races. And the last five races have been a complete mess. Whether he needs it or not, I think that the 22 will come on strong and race hard for victory lane to remind everyone why he deserves to be here.

Kevin Harvick

• Wins: 1
• Top 5 finishes: 6
• Top 10 finishes: 12

Maybe Harvick hasn’t had the season we all assumed he would have. Especially those who picked a 5-man fantasy team before the season began and had high hopes that he was coming back as strong as he was last year. Harvick took it to victory lane eight times in 2018, but so far he’s only been there twice. Having said that, the guy is still 4^th in points so it isn’t all that bad. I think he’d like to make a statement this week, so look for the 4 do work his happy magic at the end of this race.

Bold Nascar fantasy picks, Big Machine Vodka 400

Advanced warning: All bolds are on the bubble this week. 

Daniel Suarez

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 0
• Top 10 finishes: 1

Suarez currently holds the final position for the playoffs, and you can bet that he’ll do everything in his power to stay there. Though he and Newman are tied in points at 617, Suarez has more top-five finishes and has led more laps this season than the 6 team, which gives him the edge. Though I wouldn’t bank on the 41 team under normal circumstances, this week is anything but normal. Don’t be surprised to see him finish at the top.

Ryan Newman

• Wins: 1
• Top 5 finishes: 3
• Top 10 finishes: 5

This guy. Somehow, Ryan Newman always sneaks his way into the playoffs. He knows how to drive to stay alive, and it’s a guarantee he’ll pull out all the stops this week. If anyone has the grit to push everyone else out of the way, it’s the 6. Look for him to spin out a few people in his quest to gain on the 41 and make it into the NASCAR Playoffs. Again.

Jimmie Johnson

• Wins: 4
• Top 5 finishes: 6
• Top 10 finishes: 7

Jimmie Johnson has let me down in fantasy. I’ve given him chance after chance this season, and my head has hung in despair several times. From the 17^th place finish when I thought he would be brilliant at Auto Club, to his 14^th place finish at Dover (his best track) when I gave him a bold. Jimmie has left many fans shaking their fists and screaming, “Why, God, why?!?” (Or maybe that’s just the fans I know.)

Anyway, I’m giving Jimmie a fond farewell in the last bold spot this week with the hopes that he’ll show what he’s really made of and cruise into victory lane at long last.

Bonkers Nascar fantasy picks, Big Machine Vodka 400

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 0
• Top 10 finishes: 0

Stenhouse has ended with a DNF both times he’s been here in the last two years. Prior to that, things weren’t much better. This is one of his worst tracks, and I can’t imagine him doing that much better this week. He’s out of the playoffs unless he gets a win, but with the season he’s had, it’s unlikely to happen at The Brickyard.

Martin Truex Jr.

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 1
• Top 10 finishes: 3

Like Stenhouse, Truex has DNF’d the last two years at Indianapolis. His numbers here are lacking in general, as his average finish is 20^th. Look for the 19 to lay low this week. He’s in the playoffs already, and I don’t see him taking any unnecessary risks at a track that has not been kind to him in the past.

Chase Elliott

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 0
• Top 10 finishes: 0

Chase has been up and down this season, only making it to victory lane twice. But those came on a couple of crazy tracks (Watkins Glen & Talladega), proving that this kid is the real deal. He’s in the Race for the Chase with a nice cozy spot, but I don’t think that he’ll see much action this week that will lead him to a victory.