Atlanta Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Rankings / Post Qualifying Predictions
On Sunday, NASCAR will be racing at Atlanta Superspeedway. NASCAR has never raced at back-to-back superspeedways in the history of the sport, so buckle up because things could get wild for a second week in a row! This will mark race #5 on the new Atlanta surface/ reconfiguration, so make sure you don’t study any further back then 2022. I think the best approach for evaluating drivers this weekend is to study the last four Atlanta races, and then just note “General Superspeedway Racing Prowess.”
No practice was held for Atlanta. Qualifying was held on Saturday and here’s the Atlanta Starting Lineup.
New for 2024 for those in a hurry, check out our Atlanta “Quick Rankings.”
Atlanta Full Field Fantasy Rankings
1) Ryan Blaney
Start 6th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Atlanta Outlook – Ryan Blaney is arguably the premiere superspeedway performer in NASCAR and at Atlanta, look for the #12 to be fast and be a factor. Blaney’s been one of the best since the reconfiguration and over the last three races, Blaney has the best driver rating, the best average running position (7.2) and he’s tied for having the best average finish (7.0). In the one race prior to the last three, Blaney was a top five contender but crashed on the last lap while running in 4th, so he’s never lacked when it comes to performance.
Atlanta Track History – Ryan Blaney has been elite at Atlanta. Last summer, Blaney won Stage #1, finished 2nd in Stage # 2, led 20 laps, had the best average running position (4.8), earned the best driver rating but then finished a misleading 9th. Blaney pitted during the Stage #2 caution (was in 2nd) which dropped him back to the high teens, with not much race left after that before the rain. In spring 2023, Ryan Blaney got a “Speeding Penalty Of Doom” that dropped him two laps down, but he rallied back to finish 7th. On lap 135 before he got his penalty, Blaney was running in 3rd. In summer 2022, Blaney was one of the best. In the race, Blaney finished 4th in Stage #1, 4th in Stage #2, had a 5.5 average running position and then finished 5th overall. In spring 2022, Blaney was running in 4th at the last lap but then he crashed which led to his asterisk mark 17th.
DraftKings $10,200 / FanDuel $13,000 / DK Odds To Win +1100 (Saturday 3:30 PM)
Further Recommended Reading – Atlanta Finish Projections, DraftKings Atlanta Scoring Projections, FanDuel Atlanta Scoring Projections
2) William Byron
Start 11th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Atlanta Outlook – Fresh off a trip to victory lane in the Daytona 500, don’t be surprised if William Byron goes back-to-back. At Atlanta, Byron’s the most recent winner, he’s won half the races since the repave and “Performance Wise”, he’s 4 for 4 at being a top five contender. When it comes to superspeedway racing prowess, Byron might just be the best in the business right now. Over the last four races held at superspeedways going back to last year, Byron’s won twice and has a series best 3.3 average finish.
Atlanta Track History – William Byron has been stout at Atlanta and on the reconfigured layout, he’s been the driver to beat. At Atlanta superspeedway, Byron’s won 50% of the races, and then in the other 50% he’s looked great but crashed and finished in the 30’s, so there’s been no middle ground for him in terms of results. Last summer, Byron’s race wasn’t incident free but that didn’t stop him from reaching victory lane. In the race, Byron finished 5th in Stage #1, got a safety violation during Stage #1 pit stops, had a harmless spin on lap 80 early in Stage #2 which dropped him a lap down, but that ultimately got him out of sync with much of the field and propelled him to victory lane at the end. During the Stage #2 caution, Byron elected not to pit and then drove up and took the lead early in the last Stage before the rain. In spring 2023, Byron had a hot rod but finished an asterisk mark 32nd after crashing in the last Stage. In the race, Byron finished 5th in Stage #2, was in 3rd on lap 185 but then on lap 189 he crashed when Harvick was “Aero dynamically Chastain’ed.” In 2022 over the combined races, Byron had the 2nd best driver rating, the 3rd best average running position and averaged leading the most laps per race (76.0). In summer 2022, Byron was a top five contender but finished an asterisk mark 30th. In the race, Byron finished 5th in Stage #1, 8th in Stage #2, led 41 laps but early in the last Stage on lap 170 he was caught up in a multi-car wreck. In spring 2022, Byron put on a display of domination en route to victory lane. In the race, Byron won Stage #1, finished 9th in Stage #2, led 111 laps, earned the best driver rating and had a 4.7 average running position.
DraftKings $10,000 / FanDuel $12,000 / DK Odds To Win +1200
