'Dega a crap shoot, but there are some good plays

Fantasy owners will wear their lucky quarters smooth this week while trying to set up their lineup for the Aaron's 499.

In the best of circumstances, a race on the restrictor-plate superspeedways is a crap shoot as the whim of the draft can drop a driver from the lead to outside the top 20 in one circuit around the track. In the worst of circumstances, your entire roster can be wiped out in the "Big One" that has been known to eliminate as much half of the field at Talladega in a single incident.

Talladega

This week's fantasy studs, duds and sleepers.

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Handicapping a race on the plate tracks has always been difficult, but NASCAR has made it virtually impossible with the introduction of a new rule this year that allows for up to three green-white-checkered finishes.

The new rule was put to the test immediately in the season-opening Daytona 500 on NASCAR's other restrictor-plate superspeedway. That race featured three cautions in the final laps and two attempts at a green-white-checkered finish. The action got started when Elliott Sadler wiggled on Lap 193 of the scheduled 200 and collected Ryan Newman and Travis Kvapil. That set up the first extra inning restart and another caution immediately flew when Bill Elliott cut a tire and crashed with Joey Logano and Boris Said.

On the following restart, Jeff Gordon nudged Kasey Kahne into a spin that collected Robert Richardson. For good measure, there was even a final crash during the run to the checkers that involved both Jeff and Robby Gordon.

Racing is a zero sum game, however. There are as many gainers as losers and someone will be credited with first through fifth. On Lap 193 before the rash of cautions, the No. 24 was running comfortably in eighth. Jamie McMurray was immediately ahead of Gordon in seventh. With all of his trouble, Gordon finished 26th; McMurray slalomed through the field to win. (Continued)