Fantasy Fastlane: Leaning on experience at Gateway

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.

Odds come from BetMGM (as of Thursday).




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MUST START:
Joey Logano | View stats
Team Penske, No. 22 Ford
Odds: 16-1
It’s worth noting for fantasy players that this weekend marks the first Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Nine drivers in the field, however, have won at the track in either the Xfinity or Camping World Truck Series. Logano isn’t one of those drivers, but he typically adapts quickly to new venues on the Cup schedule. Bristol Dirt last year? No problem. The Clash at the LA Coliseum to kick off the 2022 season? Yup, Logano won. The Connecticut native has one Xfinity start at WWTR, way back in 2008. It wouldn’t be surprising if Logano won on Sunday.

MUST START:
Christopher Bell | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Odds: 12-1
Though he has yet to win in 2022, Bell is heating up entering the summer. The No. 20 team has seven top-10 finishes in the last nine races, with four straight finishes of sixth or better. Bell is a former win at Gateway, taking home the trophy in the truck race in 2016.

MUST START:
Kevin Harvick | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
Odds: 20-1
By the time Friday’s 50-minute practice session comes and goes, thoughts on Harvick could change for the race. But he enters the weekend as the lone Cup driver to have multiple wins at Gateway, posting three across two series: Xfinity (2000, 2001) and trucks (2010). The No. 4 team is due for a breakout performance and is coming off a third-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.

MUST START:
Kyle Busch | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Odds: 8-1
Busch won at Gateway in 2009 and has three starts at the track. Like Logano, the two-time Cup champion is quick to adapt, especially when the No. 18 team has time to work on the car during practice. Of late, Busch is on a bit of a hot streak, with seven top 10s in the last eight races, soaring him to third in the championship standings.

SLEEPER PICK:
Bubba Wallace | View stats
23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota
Odds: 80-1
There’s no doubt 23XI Racing and Toyota have found speed in their cars, but it’s all about executing full races. Thus far in 2022, the No. 23 team has little to show for its speed, with last week at Charlotte being a prime example of not knowing the rules after getting involved in a multi-car incident. Wallace, too, is a past winner at Gateway, taking home the checkered flag in the truck race eight years ago.

SLEEPER PICK:
Chase Briscoe | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 14 Ford
Odds: 25-1
Many people anticipate Gateway driving similar to Phoenix, and Briscoe wound up victorious there in March. Throughout his NASCAR career, typically, Briscoe struggles on flat race tracks, but leading 101 laps at Phoenix is no fluke. The native Hoosier has just one start at Gateway, where he led over half the race and finished runner-up in 2017.

SLEEPER PICK:
Justin Haley | View stats
Kaulig Racing, No. 31 Chevrolet
Odds: 250-1
If you want to go out on a limb this week, Haley might be your guy. In 2018, Haley had his first shining moment in NASCAR when he won the truck race at Gateway. That win, in addition to picking up two more later in 2018, is what directed him to Kaulig in the first place. After consecutive DNFs, the No. 31 team needs to find a bright spot, like it had the previous four races never finishing outside the top 15.

STAY AWAY FROM:
Kyle Larson | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Odds: 15-2
Oddsmakers have Larson listed as the favorite for this weekend’s race, which shouldn’t be surprising as he’s been the favorite more times than not this year. However, Larson is one of 12 Cup drivers to have never raced at WWTR and could be better saved for later in the regular season. However, should the No. 5 team have a strong Friday and Saturday, we can revisit this in the Fantasy Update.

STAY AWAY FROM:
Chase Elliott | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet
Odds: 10-1
Similar to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Elliott has also never competed at Gateway. And as noted above, we could potentially revisit this selection should the No. 9 car show a plethora of speed during practice and qualifying. But with four road courses over the next 11 races, it might be smart to save your uses of Elliott.

STAY AWAY FROM:
Brad Keselowski | View stats
RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford
Odds: 66-1
Going into the season, it was expected Keselowski would take a step back in competition level by moving to RFK Racing. But on some weekends this year, it’s been even worse than expected. The 2012 champion has a love/hate relationship with Gateway, too. His last time out in 2010, he won. Earlier that season, he was wrecked by Carl Edwards coming to the checkered flag and took a couple of big hits. Nonetheless, it makes sense to stay clear of the No. 6 team this weekend.

MY LINEUP: Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Bubba Wallace
Garage: Chase Briscoe