Talladega Geico 500 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Denny Hamlin – Denny Hamlin will be a good fantasy NASCAR pick for the Talladega Geico 500. This season he’s unquestionably been the strongest driver on restrictor plate tracks. In the three races on this track type he has 1 win, 2 top fives and is the only driver who’s finished in the top ten every race. Also in the races on this track type he’s scored the most points, has the best driver rating and a 3.0 average finish. His win at a plate track this season came here at Talladega in the spring. In that race he started 34th, had a 9th place average running position, led 12 laps and earned the best driver rating. For much of the race he was a consistent front runner. Over about the final 30 laps he ran in either 1st or 2nd. In many of Hamlin’s other recent Talladega races he’s walked away with poor results. Last fall he completed 142 laps but his day was cut short by an engine failure. Last spring he used Brian Vickers as a relief driver so he didn’t race long. In 2012 he had results of 14th and 23rd. In his career at Talladega he’s been a high risk prospect. In only 41% percent of his starts has he come home with a result in the top twenty. At Daytona in February he arguably had the best car. He won the Shootout, his Duel 150 and finished 2nd in the Great American Race. Also in the Daytona 500 he earned the 3rd best driver rating, had a 9th place average running position and led 16 laps. For much of the race I thought he drove conservatively. He wasn’t able to do his slicing and dicing moves he did in the preliminary races because he had communication issues with his spotter. At the end of the race he went all out and made a serious charge for the lead only to come up one position short. At Daytona in July he finished 6th. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Brad Keselowski – Talladega has been a good track for Brad Keselowski and it’s a venue where you should consider picking him. He’s a two-time champion and has finished in the top ten 55% percent of the time. This spring he had a strong car but the story line about him from the race was how wreckless he performed. On lap 14 he was trying to force his way into the lead passing Danica Patrick but it resulted in him spinning in front of the field. During his spin he didn’t have contact with any other cars but he did cut his radiator water line which resulted in him sitting on pit road several laps while his team replaced the lines. Then on lap 137 while he was several laps down and running in 43rd he got loose towards the front of the pack and wrecked which resulted in the “Big One”. Speed wise in the race his car looked phenomenal. Last fall at Talladega Keselowski had a long race. On lap 45 he got penalized for speeding on pit road. Shortly after that on lap 62 he went a lap down under green. The race had few cautions and as a result he never got his lap back. When the checkered flag waved he finished 29th. In the spring race last season at Talladega he finished 15th. In that race he earned the 11th best driver rating and had a 16th place average running position. In the three prior Talladega races he had finishes of 7th, 1st, and 4th. In April 2009 in his first start at this venue he went to victory lane and sent Carl Edwards flying into the catch fence. If your fantasy league rewards points for leading laps don’t overlook Keselowski. He’s led laps in 9 of his 11 races. At Daytona this season Keselowski had results of 3rd (Daytona 500) and 18th (July). (Yahoo A Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Front Runner Rankings, Mid Pack Predictions, Who will win at Talladega, Talladega Scouting Report

Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick will be a popular fantasy NASCAR pick in the Talladega Geico 400. On restrictor plate tracks he’s one of the best in the business. Between the two plate tracks he has three wins and has finished in the top ten 41% percent of the time. At Talladega he has 1 win and has finished in the top five nearly a quarter of the time. His lone Talladega win came in 2010 when he drag raced Jaime McMurray to the finish line beating him by an inch. This spring at Talladega track he had a successful afternoon and performed well. In the race he started 8th, had a 9th place average running position, finished 7th, and led 15 laps. Over about the final 70 laps he was a driver who consistently ran in the top five. In the closing laps he was very strong but he lost a number of positions late. Of the final 21 laps he led 15 of them. Last October at Talladega Harvick raced near the back for much of the event until he started marching forward in the last third. In the race he started 33rd, had a 27th place average running position and finished 12th. In May 2013 on lap #43 he was wrecked when Kyle Busch bump drafted Kahne. In fall 2012 he was going to finish in the top five but he was a victim of the “Big One” on the final lap. Because of his running position he still finished a respectable 11th. His overall Talladega average finish is 15.9. At Daytona this season he’s had results of 13th and 39th. (Yahoo A Driver)

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

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