I shall take my bow. Last week’s Brilliant Pick Christopher Bell was the victor supreme at Bristol this weekend, slugging through the dirt and holding off my other Brilliant Pick, Tyler Reddick, who finished second.
It was a rotten day for odds-favorite Joey Logano who got knocked around, gained ground, got knocked around again, gained ground, and eventually ended up calling it quits early thanks to irreparable damage to No. 22. Dirt racing was kind to bold pick Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished fourth, and not-so-kind to Ryan Blaney who looked poised to overtake Bell at the final restart before getting kicked back to 23rd place after a kerfuffle with Chase Briscoe.
Kyle Larson led 75 laps and won the first stage while Reddick won stage two. Larson and Ryan Preece made enemies of each other early on after Larson got into Preece, but Preece repaid the favor on lap 175 by taking the No. 5 out completely. Many drivers spun out, but most got right back on track, and Michael McDowell did two 360s and kept right on going. All in all, it was a fun day for racing in the mud.
This week we head to Martinsville, aka the Paperclip, for more short-track fun. Take a look at this week’s Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks before you set your lineup for the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
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Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
William Byron
It’s been a hot minute since William Byron has been part of the conversation, but I think he returns for contention this weekend. The last four trips here have yielded him single-digit finishes, so I think this week we’ll see more of the same.
Martinsville Wins: 1
Martinsville Top 5s: 4
Martinsville Top 10s: 6
Joey Logano
Joey Logano had a great car in Bristol, but bad luck kept him behind and, ultimately, took him out early. I think that this week in Martinsville, he turns that around and makes some noise. In the last three years, he’s been right at the top at the end, and he’s gained plenty of stage points in the meantime. Watch out for the No. 22 on Sunday.
Martinsville Wins: 1
Martinsville Top 5s: 9
Martinsville Top 10s: 16
Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell has had a great season so far, and there’s no slowing him down now. He won the playoff race in Martinsville last October, his best finish here before that was 7th, and he has gotten several stage points in between. Truthfully, he didn’t finish great here before that, but I think that Bell will stay on his current roll.
Martinsville Wins: 1
Martinsville Top 5s: 1
Martinsville Top 10s: 2
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Ryan Blaney
There’s an old saying that goes: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice….won’t get fooled again. Not really, but I guess I’m gonna get fooled again with my bold picks this week. First fool up is Ryan Blaney. I haven’t seen much from him yet in 2023 outside of two single-digit finishes, but Martinsville is a different story. He’s been pretty good here since his Wood Brothers days, and he is always at the top for stage points. Take a chance on the No. 21 if you can afford it. It might just pay off.
Martinsville Wins: 0
Martinsville Top 5s: 7
Martinsville Top 10s: 8
Martin Truex Jr.
Fool number two used to rule the school at this track; now he only kinda runs it on good days. Despite his lack of anything great, I still think that Martin Truex Jr. will have a good finish, or at least a stage point or two. As long as he qualifies well. If he doesn’t—forget I even mentioned him.
Martinsville Wins: 3
Martinsville Top 5s: 9
Martinsville Top 10s: 15
Ross Chastain
He crapped out on the dirt, but Ross Chastain was really good here the last two times around. He’s due for another top-five finish and he might even eke out a win if you’re lucky. I have a good feeling about the No. 1 this week in Martinsville.
Martinsville Wins: 0
Martinsville Top 5s: 2
Martinsville Top 10s: 2
Bonkers – Chances are slim that these drivers will benefit your NASCAR fantasy points this week
Erik Jones
I really hope to see the boys from Legacy kick it up a notch soon, but Erik Jones has trouble on The Paperclip. It won’t be a washout by any means, but it’s best to put the 43 to the side when setting your NASCAR fantasy lineup this week.
Martinsville Wins: 0
Martinsville Top 5s: 0
Martinsville Top 10s: 1
Aric Almirola
Yeah, seven top 10s, but six DNFs. Never say never, but with the way this guy’s season is going, it’s probably not going to be pretty in Martinsville.
Martinsville Wins: 0
Martinsville Top 5s: 1
Martinsville Top 10s: 7
Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell always surprises me with a decent finish even on the craziest tracks. This week he may do the same, but probably not. A good day for a guy who hasn’t even made it past 14th, but still has eight DNFs, seems a lot to ask.
Martinsville Wins: 0
Martinsville Top 5s: 0
Martinsville Top 10s: 0
