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Fantasy Fastlane: William Byron trying to get back on track at Atlanta
By Dustin Albino for NASCAR.com | Published: July 8, 2022 12
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
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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 (as of Thursday).
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
MUST START:
William Byron | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
Odds: 11-1
Since winning at Martinsville in early April, William Byron and his No. 24 team have gone ice cold with just one top-10 finish in the last 10 races. Flashback to March in the inaugural Cup race on the reconfigured Atlanta track and Byron dominated, leading 111 laps. There’s a craft to superspeedway racing, as many of the same drivers run towards the front. One of those is Byron.
William Byron | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
Odds: 11-1
Since winning at Martinsville in early April, William Byron and his No. 24 team have gone ice cold with just one top-10 finish in the last 10 races. Flashback to March in the inaugural Cup race on the reconfigured Atlanta track and Byron dominated, leading 111 laps. There’s a craft to superspeedway racing, as many of the same drivers run towards the front. One of those is Byron.
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Logan Riely | Getty Images
MUST START:
Ryan Blaney | View stats
Team Penske, No. 12 Ford
Odds: 10-1
Another one of the drivers who runs well at these tracks is Blaney, who was running inside the top five in March until getting bumped from behind on the final lap and tagging the wall. The No. 12 team sits second in points, but needs a victory to cement its spot in the postseason with already 13 different winners in 18 races. Blaney has three career wins on superspeedways, with the most recent coming at Daytona last August.
Ryan Blaney | View stats
Team Penske, No. 12 Ford
Odds: 10-1
Another one of the drivers who runs well at these tracks is Blaney, who was running inside the top five in March until getting bumped from behind on the final lap and tagging the wall. The No. 12 team sits second in points, but needs a victory to cement its spot in the postseason with already 13 different winners in 18 races. Blaney has three career wins on superspeedways, with the most recent coming at Daytona last August.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
MUST START:
Ross Chastain | View stats
Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Odds: 12-1
Chastain’s aggressive prowess can pay off on superspeedways. In the March race, he led 42 laps, cut a tire while in the lead, fell off the lead lap and still rebounded to finish runner-up. The No. 1 car is currently the most-consistent team at the Cup level, and it won the most recent superspeedway race at Talladega.
Ross Chastain | View stats
Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Odds: 12-1
Chastain’s aggressive prowess can pay off on superspeedways. In the March race, he led 42 laps, cut a tire while in the lead, fell off the lead lap and still rebounded to finish runner-up. The No. 1 car is currently the most-consistent team at the Cup level, and it won the most recent superspeedway race at Talladega.
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Jacob Kupferman | Getty Images
MUST START:
Bubba Wallace | View stats
23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota
Odds: 14-1
This might seem like a bold choice given Wallace has four finishes of 26th or worse in the past five races entering Atlanta, but there’s no denying his ability on superspeedway-style tracks. Coming to the white flag in March, the No. 23 car was running second, but got involved in the same incident as Blaney, resulting in a 13th-place effort. This is one of Wallace’s best shots of punching his ticket to the playoffs.
Bubba Wallace | View stats
23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota
Odds: 14-1
This might seem like a bold choice given Wallace has four finishes of 26th or worse in the past five races entering Atlanta, but there’s no denying his ability on superspeedway-style tracks. Coming to the white flag in March, the No. 23 car was running second, but got involved in the same incident as Blaney, resulting in a 13th-place effort. This is one of Wallace’s best shots of punching his ticket to the playoffs.
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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | View stats
JTG Daugherty Racing, No. 47 Chevrolet
Odds: 25-1
Stenhouse is known to make daring maneuvers on superspeedways, which has paid off in a pair of victories. And while his 31st-place finish at AMS in the spring is nothing to boast about, the No. 47 car did cut a tire while leading, which ended his day.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | View stats
JTG Daugherty Racing, No. 47 Chevrolet
Odds: 25-1
Stenhouse is known to make daring maneuvers on superspeedways, which has paid off in a pair of victories. And while his 31st-place finish at AMS in the spring is nothing to boast about, the No. 47 car did cut a tire while leading, which ended his day.
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Buda Mendes | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK:
Brad Keselowski | View stats
RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford
Odds: 28-1
Keselowski is hanging on to 30th position in the championship standings (after receiving a 100-point penalty earlier this year), needing a win – and no more than two other drivers to win for the rest of the regular season. Realistically, Atlanta is one of the two best shots for the No. 6 team, as his success on superspeedways is highly touted.
Brad Keselowski | View stats
RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford
Odds: 28-1
Keselowski is hanging on to 30th position in the championship standings (after receiving a 100-point penalty earlier this year), needing a win – and no more than two other drivers to win for the rest of the regular season. Realistically, Atlanta is one of the two best shots for the No. 6 team, as his success on superspeedways is highly touted.
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Kevork Djansezian | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK:
Michael McDowell | View stats
Front Row Motorsports, No. 34 Ford
Odds: 33-1
Let’s ride this train until the wheels fall off (hopefully not literally). McDowell’s career year continued at Road America, picking up his seventh top-10 result of the season. His track record while drafting isn’t too shabby, either, winning last year’s Daytona 500. So would it really surprise anyone if the No. 34 car winds up in Victory Lane?
Michael McDowell | View stats
Front Row Motorsports, No. 34 Ford
Odds: 33-1
Let’s ride this train until the wheels fall off (hopefully not literally). McDowell’s career year continued at Road America, picking up his seventh top-10 result of the season. His track record while drafting isn’t too shabby, either, winning last year’s Daytona 500. So would it really surprise anyone if the No. 34 car winds up in Victory Lane?
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM:
Kyle Busch | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Odds: 12-1
Arguably, Busch had the quickest car in the March race at AMS, but got involved in a restart wreck on Lap 102 when pushing Austin Dillon. Of his 60 Cup triumphs, just two have come on superspeedways, both of those in 2008. Save the No. 18 car for a different weekend.
Kyle Busch | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Odds: 12-1
Arguably, Busch had the quickest car in the March race at AMS, but got involved in a restart wreck on Lap 102 when pushing Austin Dillon. Of his 60 Cup triumphs, just two have come on superspeedways, both of those in 2008. Save the No. 18 car for a different weekend.
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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM:
Kyle Larson | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Odds: 12-1
During Daytona Speedweeks this year, Larson stated he doesn’t have the confidence on superspeedways to pull out of line and make a move, believing that’s why his success rate on those tracks are low. In his first try at new Atlanta, he was involved in a 12-car pileup while running up front, when a bump from Denny Hamlin went wrong.
Kyle Larson | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Odds: 12-1
During Daytona Speedweeks this year, Larson stated he doesn’t have the confidence on superspeedways to pull out of line and make a move, believing that’s why his success rate on those tracks are low. In his first try at new Atlanta, he was involved in a 12-car pileup while running up front, when a bump from Denny Hamlin went wrong.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM:
Christopher Bell | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Odds: 22-1
In 11 Cup starts on superspeedways – including Atlanta in March – Bell has just one top-10 finish, that being a fifth at Talladega last fall. In March, the No. 20 car took the checkered flag in second, but the team was penalized for going below the white line on the backstretch on the final lap.
Christopher Bell | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Odds: 22-1
In 11 Cup starts on superspeedways – including Atlanta in March – Bell has just one top-10 finish, that being a fifth at Talladega last fall. In March, the No. 20 car took the checkered flag in second, but the team was penalized for going below the white line on the backstretch on the final lap.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
MY LINEUP: William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain
Garage: Brad Keselowski
Garage: Brad Keselowski