Fantasy Fastlane presented by Jackpot Races: Mixing it up with McDowell at Daytona

Editor's note: Fantasy Fastlane presented by Jackpot Races will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the top plays and sleepers as well as plays to avoid for NASCAR Fantasy Live. Garage driver will lock at end of Stage 2. Odds come from BetMGM.

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Denny Hamlin | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota

Odds: 7-1

Fastlane forecast: I've written in this space about not saving a use for this race with Hamlin – there's too many variables in superspeedway racing and he’s far too valuable to risk not using a start with. So, in theory, you shouldn't have use left, but if you do have one, he should be in there. Hamlin has won three of the last six Daytona 500s, and he's the top points getter over the last six superspeedways races – an average of 37.2.

Chase Elliott | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet

Odds: 12-1

Fastlane forecast: Elliott's two top fives at Daytona have both come in the last two races and were both runner-up finishes at The World Center of Racing. Over the last six superspeedway races, he has scored the third-most points – an average just less than 30 points. Like Hamlin, he is probably a driver you are out of uses on, but if not, toss him there this weekend.

William Byron | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet

Odds: 12-1

Fastlane forecast: The defending race winner at Daytona has two straight top-two finishes in the summer race at the 2.5-mile track. Over his last six superspeedway races, the young Hendrick driver has the sixth-most points – more than the likes of Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch. Hendrick has long had success with this style of racing, and it has been a major place of growth for Byron over the last year-plus.

Joey Logano | View stats

Team Penske, No. 22 Ford

Odds: 12-1

Fastlane forecast: Logano always tends to be at the heart of the action in superspeedway races. He has four wins at this track type with one of those coming in the 2015 Daytona 500. Of late though, he has been a crash magnet in these type of races as he has wrecked out of five of the last six superspeedway races. Despite that, he has three races of at least 30 points in that stretch meaning he's a major player for stage points.

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds: 12-1

Fastlane forecast: Blaney is coming into his own as the playoffs approach with a Michigan win and six races with at least 35 points in his last eight 2021 races. His Daytona record is full of peaks and valleys. He has four top-seven finishes in his last nine starts there – the problem is the other five races have seen him crash out. That said, he has the second-most points in the last six superspeedway races and is always a stage-point factor in these races.

Kevin Harvick | View stats

Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford

Odds: 18-1

Fastlane forecast: It feels strange to be talking about having Harvick uses on the table in the regular-season finale, but that's where we are at in 2021. The 2014 champion locked into the playoffs last weekend, and while he typically has run much better in the Daytona 500 as opposed to the summer race, he has almost always had a win in hand before the latter. He is one of two drivers with top fives in both superspeedway races this season.

Brad Keselowski | View stats

Team Penske, No. 2 Ford

Odds: 12-1

Fastlane forecast: Keselowski's seven superspeedway wins are the most among active drivers, but it’s important to note six of those have come at Talladega, including a spring win this year. Since his 2016 summer win at Daytona, he has wrecked out of seven of the last nine races at the 2.5-mile Florida track. That said, he has the fourth-most points on superspeedways this year and over the last six superspeedway races.

Austin Dillon | View stats

Richard Childress Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet

Odds: 20-1

Fastlane forecast: Dillon enters the regular-season finale minus-25 to the cutline, so stage points would be a big help but they don’t get him completely into the postseason. Dillon's 14.8 average finish at Daytona is the best in the field among full-time drivers. He won the 2018 Daytona 500, a Duel race in February and finished third in this year’s event — his only top 10 in the last five Daytona races. He is one of three drivers with top 10s in both superspeedway races this year.

Michael McDowell | View stats

Front Row Motorsports, No. 34 Ford

Odds: 33-1

Fastlane forecast: Daytona is far and away the best track in McDowell's Cup career, and that's before you factor in his season-opening Daytona 500 victory in February. He has three top fives – all in his last eight starts there – and seven top 10s – all in his last 15 starts there. He is one of two drivers with top fives in both superspeedway races, he has the most points on that track type this year and the third-most points in the last five Daytona races.

SLEEPER PICK: Matt DiBenedetto | View stats

Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 Ford

Odds: 25-1

Fastlane forecast: Over the last six races of the 2021 season, DiBenedetto has the eighth-most points – an average of 31.2 – and is tied for the fifth-best average finish in that stretch (8.7). Clearly, he and new crew chief Jonathan Hassler have found something. He needs a win to make the postseason, and he does have a good enough superspeedway record (three Daytona top 10s, nearly won at Talladega in the spring) to make things interesting.

SLEEPER PICK: Bubba Wallace | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota

Odds: 25-1

Fastlane forecast: Wallace had intriguing speed at Daytona during Speedweeks, and that makes him a consideration this weekend. He’ll need a win to reach the playoffs. He finished fifth in this race last year and has four races with at least 27 points in his last five superspeedway events. In eight starts at Daytona, he has just two finishes outside the top 15.

SLEEPER PICK: Ross Chastain | View stats

Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet

Odds: 40-1

Fastlane forecast: In this season's superspeedway races, Chastain has the 10th-most points scored led by a seventh-place run in the season-opening Daytona 500. During his Xfinity days, he was been one of the best on superspeedways. He needs to win to make the playoffs, and that could lead him to be more aggressive in making moves, which carries its own risk/reward.

SLEEPER PICK: Corey LaJoie | View stats

Spire Motorsports, No. 7 Chevrolet

Odds: 80-1

Fastlane forecast: LaJoie has top 10s in three of the last four Daytona races, which gives him the seventh-most points at the track over that stretch --- more than Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and William Byron. He likely won't net stage points, but he’ll hang around until the end and net a solid finish a la Ryan Newman.

SLEEPER PICK: Justin Haley | View stats

Spire Motorsports, No. 77 Chevrolet

Odds: 100-1

Fastlane forecast: Haley already has a Cup win in this car from the 2019 Daytona summer race where he stunned the sport with a victory. He has an average finish of 7.0 in two Daytona Cup starts, and all three of his Xfinity wins are at superspeedways. Spire nabbed two top 10s in the Daytona 500, including this car with Jamie McMurray driving. If you are looking for a deep sleeper, this is your kind of play. In the same vein, Kaz Grala (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) is another play to consider as well.

STAY AWAY FROM: Kyle Larson | View stats 


Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet

Odds: 14-1

Fastlane forecast: This one should be simple enough. You shouldn't have any Larson uses left to deploy based on his tremendous regular season that has him in line to win the regular-season title. While he does have three top 10s in his last four Daytona starts, he's yet to finish a race there in the top five.

STAY AWAY FROM: Martin Truex Jr. | View stats 


Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota

Odds: 20-1

Fastlane forecast: Truex has yet to win on a superspeedway in 65 tries at the Cup level. He does have two top fives in his last six Daytona starts, but he also has four finishes outside the top 20 and two finishes outside the top 30 in that stretch. Certain combos don't mix … Truex and superspeedways are one of them.

STAY AWAY FROM: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | View stats 


JTG Daugherty Racing, No. 47 Chevrolet

Odds: 20-1

Fastlane forecast: I know what you might say … Stenhouse has two superspeedway wins and one of them came at Daytona. Since that Daytona win in 2017 ("America. 1776. We are the champs."), he has six finishes outside the top 15 at Daytona, and the reality is the bulk of his better superspeedway runs have come at Talladega. 


My lineup heading into the weekend: William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, Michael McDowell, Matt DiBenedetto; Garage: Austin Dillon or Bubba Wallace


Just missed the cut: Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain and Aric Almirola

Out of uses: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.



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with your lineups and questions before Saturday’s race at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.




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