Despite Christopher Bell’s suspicious stats at Homestead-Miami, I still selected him as one of my Bold Fantasy Picks last week. And he won. Christopher Bell advanced to the round of four, and it was well-deserved. As the numbers stand, William Byron and Ryan Blaney sit above the cutoff line, and Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr, Denny Hamlin, and Chris Beuscher sit just below. It’s going to come down to the last minute, and much of the final placement will be determined by who can stay out of harm’s way and who is willing to sacrifice politeness for aggression.
Martinsville is no picnic on the best of days, but in an elimination race, I expect plenty of DNFs and hot tempers. It’s going to come down to track placement after qualifying, experience, desperation, calculation, clean pits, and extremely careful execution. At the end of the day, only two of the remaining six drivers will join Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in Phoenix for the second-most important race of the season.
This final elimination race will determine who will advance to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Here are my brilliant, bold, and bonkers fantasy picks for NASCAR’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
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Brilliant – These expert fantasy picks for NASCAR have the best shot at a win this weekend
Ryan Blaney
I like how salty Ryan Blaney has been lately because I think that salt is making him more aggressive, and thus better, on the track. The hot streak is real for this one, and I think that’s going to translate into a win—or pretty darned close to one.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 9
Martin Truex Jr.
It’s kind of like do-or-die time for Martin Truex Jr at Martinsville. He’s below the cutoff line thanks to some unforeseen and unavoidable incidents and accidents in recent weeks. It’s time to show ‘em what you got under the hood, number 19.
Wins at Martinsville: 3
Top 5s: 10
Top 10s: 16
Denny Hamlin
This is the sweet spot for Denny Hamlin. I mean, could you really pick a better track for the 11 in his last chance to enter the final four? Nope. But he needs to run a clean race all the way through—in the pit and alongside his peers.
Wins at Martinsville: 5
Top 5s: 18
Top 10s: 24
Bold – Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice on this week’s sleeper picks
Joey Logano
It’s not over yet for the 22, and Joey Logano is as good here as anyone else on my list. He might concede to a championship-bound driver, though, and settle for second if it comes down to that. I said might.
Wins at Martinsville: 1
Top 5s: 10
Top 10s: 17
Chase Elliott
Chase Elliott is still winless. But Martinsville has been a hot spot for him in recent years, and anything can happen on Sunday. Perhaps the number 9 takes home another Grandfather Clock this year.
Wins at Martinsville: 1
Top 5s: 5
Top 10s: 10
Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski is poised for a win, and he’s been running really, really well these past few races. It’s possible he will take a trip to Victory Lane by the time all is settled in Martinsville.
Wins at Martinsville: 2
Top 5s: 12
Top 10s: 17
Bonkers – Chances are slim that these drivers will benefit your NASCAR fantasy points this week
Micahel McDowell
Michael McDowell has been here 25 times in the Cup Series and has yet to crack the top 20. Just sayin’. He had a great season, and now he’ll need to set his eyes on 2024.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 0
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Yeah, I know that I stuck him in here last week because he’s terrible at Homestead-Miami, which was proven yet again with his 27th place finish, but Martinsville isn’t exactly the best place, either. And, also, who else can I stick in here?
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 3
Aric Almirola
Will he retire, won’t he retire, it’s all up in the air for Aric Almirola. But, what’s not in the air is his finish here by the end of Sunday. It won’t be first.
Wins at Martinsville: 0
Top 5s: 1
Top 10s: 8
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