Fantasy Fastlane: Familiar faces stick out for Coca-Cola 600

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.

Please note for the Coca-Cola 600, the garage locks at the end of Stage 3. Only Stage 1 and Stage 2 points will count toward stage points.

Odds come from BetMGM (as of Thursday).




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MUST START:
Kyle Larson | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Odds: 11-2

Last season, the Coca-Cola 600 is when Larson earned his second win of the year, and then it seemed like he never stopped, winning nine of the final 22 races. With the Next Gen car this year, the No. 5 team has had a lot of speed, but not the finishes to go with it. Take last week’s All-Star Race as an example, when he blew a tire while running second. But as we’ve seen in the past, if you learn how to stay up front at Charlotte, typically, that continues. Larson led 327 laps in last year’s race – the most laps he has ever led in an event– so look for him to be competitive Sunday.

MUST START:
Kyle Busch | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota

Odds: 7-1

With one win through 13 races, Busch is quietly having a good year. He’s also stout at Charlotte, and last year, he was the only non-Hendrick Motorsports car to finish in the top five. In his last 26 starts on the Charlotte oval, the Las Vegas native has 19 top-10 finishes, which shouldn’t be undermined.

MUST START:
Martin Truex Jr. | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota
Odds: 9-1

Speaking of drivers who can get around the 1.5-mile track, look no further than Truex. Sunday will be the six-year anniversary of Truex spanking the field in the Coke 600, leading 392 of 400 laps. He has nine top-10 finishes in his last 11 starts at Charlotte, seven of which have been in the top five. Maybe Truex is the next winner in 2022.

MUST START:
Kurt Busch | View stats
23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota
Odds: 20-1

With how well Busch ran at Kansas, and Toyota as a whole, it seems like the tide has turned a bit in which manufacturer could possibly be the frontrunner this year. Small sample size, sure, but Busch is a former Coca-Cola 600 winner, so the No. 45 car should be a factor again Sunday.

SLEEPER PICK:
Bubba Wallace | View stats
23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota
Odds: 80-1

While Wallace’s stat sheet at Charlotte looks bleak – finishes of 14th, 16th, 25th, 37th and 38th – he arguably had the quickest car at Kansas two weeks ago, a race in which teammate Kurt Busch won. The main issue for the No. 23 team this year has been the pit crew, having two additional loose wheels last weekend during the All-Star Race. If the team can clean up their miscues, Wallace should be battling for a top 10, as he was at Kansas, rebounding to 10th.

SLEEPER PICK:
Chris Buescher | View stats
RFK Racing, No. 17 Ford
Odds: 100-1

If you want a real sleeper, Buescher might be your guy. In his last four starts at Charlotte, the Texan has three top-10 finishes, including an eighth in last year’s 600. The No. 17 team has shown up with surprising speed some weekends this year, including sitting on the pole at Dover. He’s also coming off a top 10 in last weekend’s All-Star Race.

SLEEPER PICK:
Austin Dillon | View stats
Richard Childress Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet
Odds: 50-1

Dillon is a former Coca-Cola 600 winner, picking up his first career Cup win at Charlotte in 2017. Though it came via stretching his gas tank, that night, the No. 3 car was competitive, running inside the top 10. Oftentimes, Dillon shows out in marquee events, and he has consecutive top 10s at Charlotte entering the weekend.

STAY AWAY FROM:
Ryan Blaney | View stats
Team Penske, No. 12 Ford
Odds: 10-1

Blaney is riding momentum by winning the All-Star Race, but Texas is a unique 1.5-mile layout. At Kansas, no Ford finished inside the top 10. At the four intermediate tracks this season (including Auto Club and excluding Atlanta), Blaney has finishes of 12th, 17th, 18th and 36th.

STAY AWAY FROM:
Tyler Reddick | View stats
Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet
Odds: 14-1

It wouldn’t surprise me one iota if Reddick won the Coke 600. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see the No. 8 car caught up in a wreck or tagging the wall, forcing him to pit. That inconsistency has one of the quicker cars this season still looking for the elusive first win and currently on the outside of the playoff cutline by 22 points.

STAY AWAY FROM:
Kevin Harvick | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
Odds: 33-1

Over the course of Harvick’s 22-year Cup career, he has oftentimes struggled at Charlotte. Still, he has top 1os in over 51% of his starts. Six of his nine top-five results at CMS have come while driving the No. 4 car, and he has just two finishes worse than 10th since moving to SHR. However, Harvick, too, has been inconsistent this season as Ford looks to find additional speed on intermediates.

MY LINEUP: Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, William Byron, Martin Truex Jr.
Garage: Austin Dillon

Tune in to the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.