Playoff Watch: XFINITY Series, post-Pocono

At certain points throughout the season, NASCAR.com will paint a vivid playoff picture. Approaching the midway point of the NASCAR XFINITY Series regular season, here is our first look at what the postseason would look like if the playoffs started today.

A few reminders:
-- All point totals are reset to 2,000 for the eight playoff drivers
-- Drivers earn 5 playoff points for each of their regular-season wins
-- Drivers earn 1 playoff point for each stage win
-- The top 10 finishers in the regular-season standings earn playoff points on a sliding scale.

Missing the cut

It has been an off season for two Richard Childress Racing drivers at the XFINITY level. Veteran Brendan Gaughan and teammate Brandon Jones both made the postseason last year, but aren't in the field as it stands today. Gaughan had a miserable stretch of crashing out in three consecutive races, and he trails the 12th seed in the playoffs by 28 points in the regular-season standings. Jones is much further back.

t-11. Dakoda Armstrong, 2,000 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: Armstrong is 12th in the regular-season standings.

t-11. Blake Koch, 2,000 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: Last year's postseason underdog -- who nearly willed his way into the championship race at Miami -- has come down to earth a little for Kaulig Racing.

10. Michael Annett, 2,001 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: This is Annett's first full-time XFINITY Series season since 2013.

9. Cole Custer, 2,002 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: No one in the XFINITY Series is hotter than the Stewart-Haas Racing rookie, who has finished seventh, fourth and seventh in the past three races.

8. Matt Tifft, 2,003 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: It feels like Tifft will break out at any second in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, the same number Daniel Suarez powered to a championship last year.

7. Brennan Poole, 2,004 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 0
Note: Poole has finished eighth four times this year ... and he also has four finishes of 24th or worse.

6. Daniel Hemric, 2,007 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 1
Note: Unlike his Richard Childress Racing teammates, Hemric is in excellent playoff shape.

5. Darrell Wallace Jr., 2,008 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 1
Note: Wallace finds himself in a difficult situation, at least as it pertains to the XFINITY Series postseason. The chance of a lifetime to drive the No. 43 Ford in the Monster Energy Series until Aric Almirola is healthy takes him out of this seat, and Roush Fenway Racing is examining the future of this ride.

4. William Byron, 2,009 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 1
Note: Take away two crashes at Richmond and Talladega, and the rookie has finished in the top 15 in every other start.

3. Ryan Reed, 2,010 points

Qualified via: 1 win (at Daytona)
Stage wins: 0
Note: Reed's win at Daytona, the second of his career, has immense value. Only three full-time series drivers have won this year.

2. Elliott Sadler, 2,012 points

Qualified via: Points
Stage wins: 2
Note: Few drivers have matched Sadler's consistency this year. In fact, JR Motorsports as a whole consistently produces the fastest cars among XFINITY Series regulars.

1. Justin Allgaier, 2,022 points

Qualified via: 1 win (Phoenix)
Stage wins: 2
Note: The difference between finishing first in the regular-season standings and second is five playoff points (15 to 10). Allgaier leads Sadler currently by one point, which would give him a big leg up on the field if the playoffs started today.