After an exciting weekend of playing in the dirt, NASCAR sets it sights on the Geico 500 for superspeedway racing at Talladega. This is a fan favorite track and the racing usually delivers in terms of entertainment and excitement. With that being said, there is a lot of unknowns heading into Sunday, as this is more of a “survival of the fittest” race that can have plenty of chaos and carnage. The way lineups are constructed here are very important, especially when it comes to tournaments. With the grid set and Christopher Bell leading the field to green, let’s dive into some of the best NASCAR DFS Picks today for tournaments.
NASCAR DFS GPP Picks Today: Talladega
Superspeedways like Daytona, Talladega, and now Atlanta, present a very different style of racing compared to most tracks and that means NASCAR DFS players must take a unique approach when constructing lineups. The popular, but proven winning strategy of stacking the back will be in full force this weekend and is certainly something to be done in cash games. Tournaments will be a similar approach, but taking risks on drivers starting closer to the front mixed with drivers in the back is best way to go when trying to climb the leaderboards in GPPs.
Top Driver Picks & Projections
Joey Logano $10,300 DraftKings/$13,500 FanDuel (13th) — His teammate Ryan Blaney will be much higher owned starting several spots further back, but Joey is an elite level driver at Talladega and has some of the best odds to take home the checkered flag on Sunday. He’s one of the top-level lap leaders here but seems to find himself in trouble often. But if he can keep it clean, he will be contending for a win at the end.
Denny Hamlin $9,100 DraftKings/$13,000 FanDuel (7th) — It is rarely wise to take shots on drivers starting inside the top 10 at superspeedways, but Hamlin is one of the few exceptions. He’s been one of the top drivers at these track types the past several seasons and has been very good at being able to finish races. If he’s able to get up front and stay there he can find himself in the optimal. But he will most likely have to win the race.
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Mid-Range Driver Picks & Projections
Brad Keselowski $8,900 DraftKings/$12,000 FanDuel (15th) — Brad hasn’t had the best start to the year, but he was very strong at Daytona earlier in the year and Talladega is one of his best tracks. The downgrade from Penske to RFK didn’t show the last plate race so his Ford should still be up to task. He can be very hit or miss so proceed with caution as he seems to be the cause of many wrecks. But as long as it’s him doing the wrecking instead of getting wrecked he will be fine. Also, with his deep hole he’s in with the penalty, look for him to be over aggressive to get to the front.
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. $7,600 DraftKings/$7,500 FanDuel (26th) — While he is seemingly in a safe starting spot this weekend, safe and Stenhouse don’t usually mix well and there is other safer plays in this range that makes him feel like more of a tournament play. While he has disappointed this year, he’s an elite superspeedway driver and knows how to work his way to the front but can also find his way into the wall quite often as well. Still, his starting spot makes him a target and he has race winning upside.
NASCAR Driver Value Picks & Projection
Ty Dillon $6,100 DraftKings/$4,500 FanDuel (20th) — Dillon has been a staple of mine at superspeedways over the years and even though his starting spot is a bit high. He still has plenty of upside. He’s averaging some of the most fantasy points per race at similar track types and is one of the drivers who seems to be able to stay alive until the end the majority of the time.
Cole Custer $5,600 DraftKings/$5,900 FanDuel (29th) — There are a lot of similar plays down low that offer slightly more place differential upside so the hope is that Custer goes slightly overlooked even though he’s in an excellent spot. He has run very well at Talladega in the past and even has some solid finishes. Unless he wrecks, he should gain several spots on Sunday at a dirt-cheap price point.
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