Daytona 500 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Ranking Picks

1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Fantasy NASCAR Analysis: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be a good fantasy NASCAR pick to win the Daytona 500. He’s an elite talent at restrictor plate tracks and he knows how to use the draft to his advantage in every circumstance. Right now he’s arguably the best performer in the series at this discipline. In the Great American Race nobody has been better than Dale Earnhardt Jr. in recent years. In the last three Daytona 500’s he has results of 1st, 2nd and 2nd. In last year’s Daytona 500 nobody was better than him and he raced his way to his 3rd win at this historic venue. In the event he earned the best driver rating and led 54 laps. When he took the lead he made his car wide and the competition couldn’t get around him. In the two Daytona 500’s prior to that he had back to back 2nd place finishes. During 2015 Speed Weeks I think Junior has shown the most speed. In the Sprint Unlimited he likely had the car to beat until he had debris on his grille and had to pit under green. In his Duel 150 he put on an impressive performance and won from the rear of the field. Also in that event he led 21 laps, had the best driver rating and passed more cars than anyone. On Sunday he’ll start in 3rd so he won’t have to pass many cars. 48% percent of all Daytona 500’s have been won from a top five starting position. Don’t underestimate the importance of starting up front.
Starting Position: 3rd
Chassis Selection: On Sunday Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be driving his 14th place chassis from the July 2014 Daytona race.
NASCAR Odds To Win: 9/1

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2) Matt Kenseth Fantasy NASCAR Analysis: I love Matt Kenseth at restrictor plate tracks and he should be considered a favorite to win the Daytona 500. During Speed Weeks he’s been one of the strongest performers. In the Sprint Unlimited he was the “Pied Piper” and nobody was going to get around him at the end. In that event he won the race and led 21 laps. In his Duel 150 he looked equally strong until he was shuffled from the lead by Dale Earnhardt Jr. In that event he led 53.3% percent of the laps and had a 4th place average running position. At the end I think he took it easy and that’s why he’ll be starting so deep in the field. Last year at Daytona Matt Kenseth was strong. In February 2014 he won his Duel 150 and followed it up with a 6th place finish in the Daytona 500. In July 2014 he was good but was taken out in the lap #21 “Big One” while he was running near the front of the pack. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he arguably had the best car but his engine blew up while he was leading. Look for Matt Kenseth to be tough to beat on Sunday.
Starting Position: 35th
Chassis Selection: No chassis selection information has been provided.
NASCAR Odds To Win: 12/1

Other Recommended Reading – Daytona Post Practice Predictions (Another Fantasy Take), Daytona Practice Notes / Speeds Page (NEW for 2015), Daytona Starting Lineup, Daytona Scouting Report, Daytona PROS Rankings, NASCAR 2015 Printable Schedule, NASCAR Driver Fantasy Portal Pages (NEW for 2015!)

3) Jimmie Johnson Fantasy NASCAR Analysis: I think Jimmie Johnson will be tough to beat in the Daytona 500. The track conditions will the hottest they’ve been all week and I think that will play into his hands more than others. The Duel 150 races should be considered simulation events and I liked what I seen from Jimmie Johnson on Thursday. He started in 1st and finished 1st. Also in the race he had a 2nd place average running position and led 40 laps. Last July at Daytona he ran well early but was caught up in the carnage while he was running near the front. In last year’s Daytona 500 he had a great performance. 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. 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 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.
Starting Position: 2nd
Chassis Selection: On Sunday Jimmie Johnson will be using the chassis he used in both 2014 Talladega races. He also used this chassis last July but was taken out in the early big one.
NASCAR Odds To Win: 12/1