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Fantasy Fastlane: 2019 Food City 500
By RJ Kraft | Published: April 5, 2019 16
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
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NASCAR Digital Media
Editor's note: Fantasy Fastlane will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the top plays, sleepers and plays to avoid for NASCAR Fantasy Live. Garage driver will lock at end of Stage 2. Odds come from Westgate.
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PLAY NOW: Set your Fantasy Live lineup today
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Kyle Busch | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Odds: 5-1
Fastlane forecast: Busch has seven Cup victories and won two of the last three races at Bristol. He has more than double the number of laps led than the driver with the second most. The downside: He had three finishes of 35th or worse before the recent wins.
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Odds: 5-1
Fastlane forecast: Busch has seven Cup victories and won two of the last three races at Bristol. He has more than double the number of laps led than the driver with the second most. The downside: He had three finishes of 35th or worse before the recent wins.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Kevin Harvick | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
Odds: 12-1
Fastlane forecast: Harvick has two wins at Bristol and is riding a streak of seven top 10s at the Tennessee short track. Qualifying of late hasn't been a strong suit at this track, though. Do you expect Harvick to turn it around at bigger tracks? That answer determines the play.
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
Odds: 12-1
Fastlane forecast: Harvick has two wins at Bristol and is riding a streak of seven top 10s at the Tennessee short track. Qualifying of late hasn't been a strong suit at this track, though. Do you expect Harvick to turn it around at bigger tracks? That answer determines the play.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Kyle Larson | View stats
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet
Odds: 7-1
Fastlane forecast: Larson was the runner-up in both Bristol races in 2018, earned the most stage points at the high-banked track and has earned the most points here in the past four races -- an average of 45.25. While his season has started slow, I like this play very much.
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet
Odds: 7-1
Fastlane forecast: Larson was the runner-up in both Bristol races in 2018, earned the most stage points at the high-banked track and has earned the most points here in the past four races -- an average of 45.25. While his season has started slow, I like this play very much.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Joey Logano | View stats
Team Penske, No. 22 Ford
Odds: 8-1
Fastlane forecast: Logano has two victories at Bristol and seven top 10s in the past nine races at this track. He also has earned the third-most points in the past four races here. The one dilemma: Do you have a lot of uses left? If you have at least seven, I'd play him.
Team Penske, No. 22 Ford
Odds: 8-1
Fastlane forecast: Logano has two victories at Bristol and seven top 10s in the past nine races at this track. He also has earned the third-most points in the past four races here. The one dilemma: Do you have a lot of uses left? If you have at least seven, I'd play him.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Denny Hamlin | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: Last weekend's winner is strong at short tracks -- although Bristol is his "weakest" of the three with just one win there. He does have four top 10s in his last seven races there. One bugaboo: Pit-road penalties -- he's had four in the past three '19 races.
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: Last weekend's winner is strong at short tracks -- although Bristol is his "weakest" of the three with just one win there. He does have four top 10s in his last seven races there. One bugaboo: Pit-road penalties -- he's had four in the past three '19 races.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Clint Bowyer | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 14 Ford
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: A second-place finish at Texas puts some pep in Bowyer's step. Bristol is one of his better tracks despite having no wins there. He has five top 10s there in his last seven starts and earned the second-most stage points there last year.
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 14 Ford
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: A second-place finish at Texas puts some pep in Bowyer's step. Bristol is one of his better tracks despite having no wins there. He has five top 10s there in his last seven starts and earned the second-most stage points there last year.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jimmie Johnson | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet
Odds: 25-1
Fastlane forecast: Johnson is fresh off his first 2019 top five. He has two wins at Bristol and this has been one of his better tracks in recent years with seven top 10s in his last nine starts. In the past four races at Bristol, "Seven-Time" has the second-most points here.
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet
Odds: 25-1
Fastlane forecast: Johnson is fresh off his first 2019 top five. He has two wins at Bristol and this has been one of his better tracks in recent years with seven top 10s in his last nine starts. In the past four races at Bristol, "Seven-Time" has the second-most points here.
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Chase Elliott | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: Elliott has six top 10s in his last seven short-track races and that includes a third-place finish at Bristol last summer. He also earned the fifth-most stage points here in 2018. Hendrick seems to have turned a corner and the 9 should be rounding into form.
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: Elliott has six top 10s in his last seven short-track races and that includes a third-place finish at Bristol last summer. He also earned the fifth-most stage points here in 2018. Hendrick seems to have turned a corner and the 9 should be rounding into form.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK Kurt Busch | View stats
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: Busch is the most recent winner at Bristol and has six Cup wins there. This season has started off well with five top 10s. A concern: Just three top 10s (all top fives) in his past eight races at Bristol.
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: Busch is the most recent winner at Bristol and has six Cup wins there. This season has started off well with five top 10s. A concern: Just three top 10s (all top fives) in his past eight races at Bristol.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | View stats
Roush Fenway Racing, No. 17 Ford
Odds: 25-1
Fastlane forecast: Based on average finish, Bristol is Stenhouse's second-best track at 11.3. On top of that, he has four top fives and six top 10s in his 12 starts there. There's risk here but a lot of upside as well.
Roush Fenway Racing, No. 17 Ford
Odds: 25-1
Fastlane forecast: Based on average finish, Bristol is Stenhouse's second-best track at 11.3. On top of that, he has four top fives and six top 10s in his 12 starts there. There's risk here but a lot of upside as well.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK: Alex Bowman | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 88 Chevrolet
Odds: 60-1
Fastlane forecast: Bowman was one of six drivers to score to top 10s in both Bristol races last year and he averaged 33.0 points. The early '19 results haven't been flashy (no top 10s) but he does have four top 15s.
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 88 Chevrolet
Odds: 60-1
Fastlane forecast: Bowman was one of six drivers to score to top 10s in both Bristol races last year and he averaged 33.0 points. The early '19 results haven't been flashy (no top 10s) but he does have four top 15s.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK: Daniel Suarez | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 Ford
Odds: 60-1
Fastlane forecast: While Suarez has no top 10s at Bristol, he did finish 11th in last year's spring race. With two straight top 10s in 2019 and three top 10s in his last four short-track races, this driver's stock is rising.
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 Ford
Odds: 60-1
Fastlane forecast: While Suarez has no top 10s at Bristol, he did finish 11th in last year's spring race. With two straight top 10s in 2019 and three top 10s in his last four short-track races, this driver's stock is rising.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM: Brad Keselowski | View stats
Team Penske, No. 2 Ford
Odds: 8-1
Fastlane forecast: In 13 starts since his back-to-back Bristol wins, Keselowski has just three top 10s with no top 10s in his last six starts there. You must make your uses count with the big guns and this isn't the place.
Team Penske, No. 2 Ford
Odds: 8-1
Fastlane forecast: In 13 starts since his back-to-back Bristol wins, Keselowski has just three top 10s with no top 10s in his last six starts there. You must make your uses count with the big guns and this isn't the place.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM: Martin Truex Jr. | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: It's been a weird start to 2019 for Truex. He's been good -- not great -- so uses are available. However, you can save one here. Truex has just three top 10s and a 21.1 average finish in 26 Bristol starts.
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota
Odds: 14-1
Fastlane forecast: It's been a weird start to 2019 for Truex. He's been good -- not great -- so uses are available. However, you can save one here. Truex has just three top 10s and a 21.1 average finish in 26 Bristol starts.
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Robert Laberge | Getty Images
My lineup heading into the weekend: Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Alex Bowman; Garage: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Check back for our "Fantasy Update" piece this weekend for the final lineup. Tweet at me @kraftdaddy85
with your lineups and questions ahead of Sunday's race at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.
with your lineups and questions ahead of Sunday's race at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.