Talladega Geico 500 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Carl Edwards – I’m not a big fan of picking Carl Edwards at plate tracks, especially in allocation league formats. His drive in the back until the end driving style is like playing with fire. Statistically the two plate tracks rank as his 22nd and 23rd best tracks. That’s really bad when you consider there’s only 23 tracks on the schedule. Last year he really didn’t have a bad season at this “Wild Card” venue. In October 2015 he finished 5th. For much of that race until the closing laps he ran towards the back of the field to protect his car. In spring 2015 he had a good afternoon but walked away with a misleading 32nd place result. That poor result can be attributed to him spinning on the final lap. Prior to his issue he was running in 10th. Also in that race it should be noted he had an 11th place average running position. In fall 2014 he essentially took the afternoon off and finished a safe 21st because of his point’s situation. In spring 2014 Carl Edwards didn’t have a great day at Talladega. He ran well for about the first 40 laps but after that he spent much of the race running in the back protecting his car. That dubious strategy often backfires because eventually drivers have to race their way to the front. In that event he was the source of his own trouble when he was attempting to make his charge forward. With 6 laps to go he had a tire going down and spun. At the time of his spin he was running around 17th. When the checkered flag waved he finished 30th. One aspect I like about Carl Edwards is his momentum. He’s entering the race with back to back wins. In the Daytona 500 Carl Edwards finished 5th. (Yahoo B Driver / DraftKings – $10,100)

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Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman hates Talladega but he’s been pretty successful recently. Over the last five races at this “Wild Card” venue his 10.2 average finish has him tied with Kevin Harvick for the best in the series. In 4 of the 5 races over this stretch he’s finished between 5th and 12th. Last fall he did his typical drive in the back until the end technique and it worked well for him. When the race reached its conclusion he finished 12th. It should be noted he likely benefited about 7 positions because of the late carnage. Last spring he drove near the back for the first 155 laps until he decided to make his move forward. At the end it looked like he would finish around 17th but he befitted from the last lap carnage and finished 10th. In fall 2014 Ryan Newman finished 5th but that result is somewhat misleading and is the product of how the race played out. In the event Newman started in 11th but come lap 2 he ducked out of line and fell to the back which is where he ran all race long. Newman was very fortunate how the end of the race played out. When Kyle Larson spun with 14 laps to go Newman was on pit road and as a result of his luck he cycled into the lead. In spring 2014 he finished 18th despite getting caught in a late accident when Edwards had a tire go flat. The fall 2013 race was virtually caution free and he came home with a 9th place finish. In the Daytona 500 Newman finished 11th. (Yahoo B Driver / DraftKings – $7,500)

Further Recommended Reading – Talladega Top Tier Elite Picks, Talladega Mid Pack Predictions, Talladega Scouting Report, Talladega Fall 2015 DraftKings Points, Talladega Loop Data Box Score

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – If you’re looking for a sleeper pick at plate tracks don’t overlook Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He’s developed a knack for this form of racing. Statistically it ranks as one of his best tracks. He’s raced here five times and has a 12.2 average finish. In four of his five races he’s finished 13th or better. His one finish outside of that range deserves an asterisk mark. Last fall he had a quality performance but he did benefit from the mass carnage a little bit. When the race reached its conclusion he finished 9th. In spring 2015 he spent much of the race running in back but near the end he advanced in the running order. On the final lap he was on pace to finish 13th but he was caught up in the last lap carnage and finished 26th as a result. In fall 2014 he missed Talladega due to a qualifying snafu. In spring 2014 he started in 25th and dropped to the back early to avoid wrecking. In the middle portion of the race he was a driver who consistently ran 13th or better. Late in the race he pitted following contact with Jimmie Johnson (when the 48 spun) and from there he charged from the high-twenties all the way up to his 10th place finish. In fall 2013 he had his best finish and came home with a 13th place result. (Yahoo B Driver / DraftKings – $6,900)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our 2016 Talladega Geico 500 Fantasy NASCAR Rankings

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