Daytona 500 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Rankings Picks

1) Matt Kenseth – Matt Kenseth was my #1 ranked Top Tier Elite driver earlier this week and following his Duel 150 win he remains my fantasy NASCAR pick to win the Daytona 500. In 2012 he also won a Duel race and later that week he went on to win the Daytona 500. In the Great American Race he’s a driver who you’ll be happy to have on your fantasy team. He’s arguably the best place racer in NASCAR and once he gets to the front he’s tough to pass. As a result of his Duel 150 win he won’t have to pass many cars before he starts pacing the field. He’ll likely be starting on the front row alongside Austin Dillon. In his Duel Race he led 51.7% percent of the laps and earned the best driver rating. Kenseth is a two-time Daytona 500 winner and last year he could’ve gotten his third win if his engine went the distance. Even though he was sidelined with about a quarter of the race remaining he still led nearly half the race. His PROS Rankings for the event ranked first. In the three races prior to his engine failure he had Daytona results of 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Last summer at Daytona he had a top ten car but got taken out in a wreck. In 2012 on plate tracks Kenseth scored the most points, won twice and had a 2.0 average finish.

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2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s recent history at Daytona can’t be overlooked. In three of the last four Daytona 500’s he’s finished 2nd. I’m sure you would be happy with a second place finish on Sunday. In his Duel 150 race Junior had a strong car. He finished 4th, led 14 laps and earned the second best driver rating. When it comes to drafting Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the best in the business. There’s a reason why sometimes he’s refereed to as the “Pied Piper”. Last season on restrictor plate tracks only Jimmie Johnson scored more points than him. In the four combined races on this track type he had three top tens and a 7.25 average finish. In the 2013 Daytona 500 Earnhardt Jr. finished runner-up. He drove outside the top ten for much of the race but when it was time to go he teamed up with Mark Martin. In the summer race he finished 8th and earned the 4th best driver rating. One attribute that helps make Earnhardt Jr. an attractive fantasy option is the safety picking him provides. He has a 13.8 career average finish and over the last eight races his 9.5 average finish ranks as the best in the series. In the Daytona 500 he’ll be starting in 9th in a brand new chassis.

Other Recommended Reading: Fantasy NASCAR Predictions: Daytona 500 (Another fantasy take post Duel races), Daytona 500 Starting Lineup, Yahoo Tiered Rankings, Daytona Practice Notes, PROS Rankings (2013 Daytona 500 , 2013 July), Scouting Reports (2013 Daytona 500, 2013 July), Yahoo C List Fantasy Preview

3) Kevin Harvick – In Thursday nights Duel Race Kevin Harvick had a strong car. He shuffled Kenseth out of the draft on the final straightway and nearly pulled off the pass for the win. In his respective Duel Race he finished 2nd and had a 4th place average running position.Unfortunately his car failed post race inspection and as a result he’ll have to start in the back. That shouldn’t be a concern. Kevin Harvick is a skilled plate racer and typically on these tracks he likes running towards the back early anyways. One example of that was in last July’s race. He ran towards the back for much of that race until he decided to make his move to the front. In that race he finished 3rd right behind teammate Tony Stewart. In last years Daytona 500 many experts considered Harvick the favorite to win because he won the Sprint Unlimited and his Duel race. His weekend went downhill when he got collected in the carnage of the Kyle Busch / Kasey Kahne bump drafting “Big One”. Daytona has historically been a good track for Kevin Harvick. He’s a two-time winner who’s finished in the top ten 44% percent of the time. Since 2010 minus the three races that he had problems he’s finished 7th or better every race. On Sunday Kevin Harvick will be piloting a brand new chassis in the Great American Race.