Atlanta Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Rankings / Post Qualifying Predictions
On Sunday, NASCAR will be returning to Atlanta. REMEMBER, this is “Atlanta Superspeedway” now, so throw out all your old track notes prior to this spring. Atlanta is now essentially a hybrid track between superspeedway and intermediate track but approaching it as a superspeedway is the smart thing to do.
On Saturday, it rained at Atlanta and the field was set by the formula. Here’s the Atlanta NASCAR Starting Lineup. Due to rain, there was no practice so when the green flag waves, it will be the first time the cars see the track.
Atlanta Full Field Fantasy Rankings
1) Chase Elliott
Start 1st / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Atlanta Breakdown – Chase Elliott is hot, and at Atlanta, look for this Georgia native to be tough to beat. So far in 2022 in Next Gen races at superspeedways, Elliott has a series best 7.7 average finish and he’s the only driver who’s 3 for 3 at finishing in the top ten. This spring at Atlanta, Elliott finished 2nd in Stage #2, led 29 laps, had an 8.8 average running position and then finished 6th when the checkered flag waved. Over the final Stage, the #9 consistently ran near the front. To make Elliott’s afternoon look a little more impressive, he also had Larson bounce off him at the time of the #5’s demise. At the other superspeedways this year, Elliott finished 7th at Talladega and 10th at Daytona. I view Daytona as the most similar track and over the last four races there, Elliott is 4 for 4 at finishing in the top ten and his average finish over that stretch is a series best 5.5.
DraftKings $10,500 / FanDuel $14,000 / DK Betting Odds To Win +1000 (Saturday AM)
Further Recommended Reading: Atlanta Projected Finish Ranges, DraftKings Atlanta Playabilty Value Chart, FanDuel Atlanta Playability Value Chart
2) Ross Chastain
Start 2nd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Atlanta Breakdown – Ross Chastain will be a factor at Atlanta. Chastain had a stellar showing this spring on the new surface, and at Talladega the most recent superspeedway visited he raced his way to victory lane. In March at Atlanta, Chastain might’ve just had the most impressive afternoon, despite Byron’s dominance. In the race, Chastain crashed while leading on lap 94 (led 42 laps before that) and got a two-lap penalty for improper refueling, but he battled back and finished 10th in Stage #2 and then 2nd when the checkered flag waved. Just imagine how good he could’ve been if his afternoon would’ve been incident free. One attribute you have to love about Chastain is how strong he’s performed on a weekly basis. Since Talladega minus Charlotte and Darlington where he was a top five contender in both races but had problems, Chastain has a 5.0 average finish.
DraftKings $10,300 / FanDuel $13,500 / DK Betting Odds To Win +1000
3) Ryan Blaney
Start 6th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-hHigh
Atlanta Breakdown – At Atlanta, Ryan Blaney will be a driver to be reckoned with. Ryan Blaney is a 3-time winner on this track type, and without question he’s one of the premiere superspeedway performers. In 2022 over the combined races on this track type, Blaney has the best driver rating and a 10.7 average finish. This spring at Atlanta, Blaney didn’t like his car early, but he liked it late and was a contender. In the race, Blaney won Stage #2, led 15 laps, had the 2nd best average running position (8.1) but finished an asterisk mark 17th. At the start of the final lap while running in 4th, Wallace got loose in front of Blaney and that then led to the #12 getting into the wall, and he then essentially faded over the closing lap to his poor result. I view Daytona as the most similar track and at that venue since 2020 minus last year’s 500 where he was swept up in the early “Big One”, Blaney has a 3.25 average finish. Last summer at Daytona, Blaney raced his way to victory lane. In this year’s Daytona 500, Blaney led 36 laps and finished 4th. At Talladega this spring, Blaney led 23 laps and finished 11th.
DraftKings $10,700 / FanDuel $13,000 / DK Betting Odds To Win +1000
