Daytona Coke Zero 400 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Brad Keselowski – Brad Keselowski isn’t a bad fantasy NASCAR pick to win the Daytona Coke Zero 400. He’s one of the best drafters in NASCAR and that attribute is a “must” for this weeks race. Earlier this year he had an extremely strong car and was a serious contender for the win. In the race he started near the back because in his Duel 150 he had a flat tire. That didn’t prove to be a problem for him. By lap 40 he raced his way to 6th. Over the last 100 laps the only time he ever left the top ten was during pit cycles. In the final few laps he was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s biggest challenger. When the checkered flag waved he finished 3rd, earned the 2nd best driver rating and led 13 laps. In 2013 Keselowski performed well at Daytona. In that season’s Daytona 500 he contended for the win. He led 13 laps but lost the lead when a debris caution waved and Johnson was just inches ahead of him. That allowed Johnson to get the favorable line that Keselowski was in. When the checkered flag waved he finished 4th and earned the 8th best driver rating. What made his result more impressive is that early in the race he sustained damage to both his left and right front bumper. In the summer race last season he was a top ten contender and ran a lot of laps within that mark. In the last ten laps he went from 11th to his eventual 21st place finish. In summer 2012 at Daytona Keselowski finished 8th. That’s one of those finishes that need an asterisk mark. In that race he was aided by attrition. With 15 laps to go he spun on his own. At Talladega this spring he looked strong but took himself out while battling Danica Patrick for the lead. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be a very popular fantasy pick for the Daytona Coke Zero 400. Earlier this season in the “Great American Race” he went to victory lane and earned the #1 position in our exclusive PROS Rankings. Our Projected Ranking Of Strength post shows you who subjectively had the best car in the race. In the Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car was very strong and when hints of rain were in the local forecast he hit the afterburners and drove to the lead. In the race he earned the best driver rating, had a 6th place average running position and led the most laps (54). Last July at Daytona he finished 8th and earned the 4th best driver rating. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he raced outside the top ten for the majority of the race but when the checkered flag was in sight he teamed up with Mark Martin and raced his way to a 2nd place result. In the 2012 Daytona 500 he also finished 2nd. Over the last five Daytona races Earnhardt Jr. is the only driver with a single digit average finish (5.6). From a career perspective this has been a very strong venue for him. Over 29 races he has 3 wins, 11 top fives and 17 top tens. His Daytona average finish is 13.4. Among active drivers only Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has a better average finish. Stenhouse Jr.’s sample size is much smaller so you can put an asterisk mark next to that. At Talladega this spring Dale Earnhardt Jr. performed well but after he lost his track position he no longer had the desire to race hard. Last fall at Talladega he finished 2nd and led 38 laps. (Yahoo A Driver)

Recommended Reading – Daytona Front Runner Rankings, Daytona Mid Pack Predictions, Yahoo C List Preview, Daytona Scouting Report, Who will win the Daytona Coke Zero 400

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson had one of the best cars at Daytona in February. He started near the back because he wrecked on the final lap of his Duel 150. That didn’t concern him one bit because he elected to run back there anyways to protect his car in the opening laps. After the rain stopped and in theory they were only going to race to half-way Johnson got on the gas and drove up to the front. Over the last 120 laps I would estimate his average running position was around 5th. His car looked exceptional and when the checkered flag waved he finished 5th, earned the 6th best driver rating and led 15 laps. In 2013 at Daytona Johnson won both races. The last driver to do that was Bobby Allison in 1982. Last season at Daytona Johnson was dominant. His car handled great and it was strong running the bottom line. In July 2013 Jimmie Johnson led 94 laps, had the best PROS Rankings and earned the best driver rating by a wide margin. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he was very impressive. He earned the best driver rating, led 17 laps and had a 5th place average running position. Late in the race Johnson led a line of cars around the bottom groove of the track up to the front. When he got a few inches ahead of Keselowski (leader at the time) a caution came out and it got him in the preferred groove which essentially sealed the victory for him. In 2006 Johnson won his first race at Daytona. At Talladega earlier this year Johnson had a good car but got swept up in a wreck. (Yahoo A Driver)

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