The NASCAR season has 13 races in the books and 23 left on the schedule. So, how have you managed your allocations with your top drivers? It is going to get tougher to find quality drivers for our One & Done contests over the summer and once the playoffs begin. I used drivers like Josh Berry, Jordan Taylor, Zane Smith, Corey LaJoie, Justin Haley and Ryan Preece early in the season. I still have a lot of the top drivers left. If one of my top drivers posts a fast speed in practice and qualifies up front, I will use him in the race. If not, I will take a chance with another driver who I do not plan to use at another track.
ONE & DONE CONTESTS
This pick is for games where you can only use a driver once throughout the season.
ROSS CHASTAIN will be my pick in games where you can use a driver once. I am sure some of you will hate this pick and some of you will love it. It seems like most NASCAR fans either hate the way Chastain drivers or they love it. We need to put our bias aside and simply play the best drivers and Chastain falls into that category. Trackhouse Racing has been at their best on the 1.5-mile tracks. Chastain finished fifth earlier this month at Kansas. He also led 153 laps and scored 16 Stage Points in the Coca-Cola 600 last year. Chastain should run up front and score well again Sunday.
ONE & DONE (REGULAR SEASON/PLAYOFF GAMES)
This pick is for games where you are allowed to use a driver once in the regular season (the first 26 races) and then you can use them again in the playoffs, if your team advances in the playoffs. We only need 26 drivers in these games so we can be a bit more aggressive with our picks. Here are my picks for games that reset at the end of the regular season…
KYLE BUSCH will be my pick in games where you can only use a driver once in the regular season. Rowdy had one of his worst seasons in the Cup Series last year and he still finished 2nd in the Coca-Cola 600. This is one of the best races for Busch. He finished 2nd, 3rd, 29th (engine failure), 4th, 3rd, 3rd and 1st in his last seven races on the oval at Charlotte. His consistency at Charlotte makes him a good pick for all Fantasy NASCAR contests this week.
ONE & DONE (USE A DRIVER MORE THAN ONCE)
I play in a game where I can use a driver three times throughout the season. I know some of you have told me you can use your drivers twice. We will only need 18 drivers in these games, so we do not need to dig too deep with our picks. Here is my pick in games where you can use a driver more than once….
DENNY HAMLIN will be my pick in games where you can use a driver more than once. Hamlin won the last race on a 1.5-mile track at Kansas, and he won the Coca-Cola 600 last year. His average finishing position in the last three Coca-Cola 600 races is 3rd. Cup Series practice and qualifying was rained out so Hamlin will start fourth Sunday. He will have the track position to run up front, score a lot of Stage Points and have a good chance to finish in the top-five in the Coca-Cola 600.
Good luck Sunday!
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