It’s time for the “Big One” as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Talladega for the GEICO 500 this weekend. The Talladega Superspeedway is the longest of the NASCAR ovals and that means fast speeds and the constant threat of dangerous wrecks completely changing the outlook of the race. Experience will certainly count for something in this week’s race as the veteran drivers should have a better handle on what to expect and how to navigate their way to the front at Talladega. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings NASCAR fantasy competitions.
Joey Logano, $10,700
Logano has won two of the last three races at Talladega so it should be no surprise that he is the most expensive option on the board. Logano has produced the second-best average finish position in the last eight races at Superspeedways. He is also on fire heading in to this week’s race following a win at Richmond last week. Logano has finished fifth or better in each of his last five races. We expect that trend to continue in the GEICO 500 this weekend.
Chase Elliott, $9,200
Elliott’s father Bill was one of the best drivers at this track and still has the record for the fastest qualifying lap. Chase will have good council from his father and while winning poles doesn’t guarantee success in the race it should help trying to run up front at a track like Talladega. Elliott has placed in the top-10 in four of his last five starts and he has a good chance of delivering another top-10 finish on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney, $8,700
Blaney will have the benefit of following his satellite teammates Logano and Brad Keselowski around the track and that strategy should help him at a race like this. Blaney has registered three top-10 finishes at Talladega so he does have the positive experience we are looking for this week. After finishing second in the Daytona 500, it won’t be a major shock if Blaney delivers a strong performance on another big stage this weekend.
Austin Dillon, $7,700
Dillon is one of the better value picks on the board for this week’s DraftKings competitions. Dillon’s average finishing position in the last three races at Talladega is 8.6 and there is no reason to expect Dillon to slow down this week. The driver of the No. 3 car has enough experience and has had enough success to trust him again this week. At under $8K, Dillon is an excellent value pick.
Aric Almirola, $7,000
Almirola is one of a couple of options we considered from the $7K and lower club to fill out our DraftKings lineup. A top-10 finish at Richmond last week helped convince us to use him in our lineup this week. Almirola placed eighth in the second race at Talladega last year so there is reason to believe he can deliver a strong performance in this week’s GEICO 500. A Top 10 or even a Top 20 would be very solid for us at this price.
Elliott Sadler, $6,700
Sadler is the other option we considered at under $7 K and for good reason. The Xfinity Series points leader will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing and he could produce a strong result. This will be Sadler’s first Sprint Cup Series race since the Daytona 500, where he placed in the top-20. At under $7 K, we would gladly welcome another top-20 finish from Sadler this weekend as a deep sleeper pick for the GEICO 500.
Next 5 Races
Go Bowl 400 at Kansas Speedway – Saturday, May 13
Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Saturday, May 20
Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Saturday, May 20
Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Saturday, May 28
AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway – Sunday, June 4
2017 Odds To Win Geico 500
Dale Earnhardt Jr +900
Jimmie Johnson +1000
Brad Keselowski +1000
Joey Logano +1000
Denny Hamlin +1000
Kevin Harvick +1200
Kyle Larson +1200
Kyle Busch +1200
Chase Elliott +1500
Matt Kenseth +1500
Clint Bowyer +1800
Ryan Blaney +2000
Kurt Busch +2000
Erik Jones +2500
Kasey Kahne +2500
Jamie McMurray +2500
Austin Dillon +3000
Daniel Suarez +3500
Ryan Newman +3500
Trevor Bayne +4000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +4000
AJ Allmendinger +4000
Aric Almirola +5000
Paul Menard +5000
Field +2500
Click here to get all of the latest NASCAR betting lines at BetDSI including head-to-head matchups, props and odds to win each NASCAR and NASCAR Xfinity tournament!
