Fantasy Fastlane: New year, familiar frontrunners for Daytona 500

We finally made it! The offseason is over, and the 66th running of the “Great American Race” is right around the corner (Sun., 2:30 p.m. ET, Feb. 18, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Superspeedway racing, at times, can be wildly unpredictable. The last three Daytona 500 winners have combined to win six Cup Series races in their careers. But it doesn’t matter the generation of car or what the drafting package is, some drivers just have a knack for superspeedway racing. I would put those drivers in my lineup every time.

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RELATED: How to play NASCAR Fantasy Live in 2024 | 2024 Daytona Speedweeks

MUST START: 

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds: 9-1

What better way for the reigning Cup Series champion to kick off 2024 than as the pre-race favorite to win the Daytona 500. Blaney has lost the “Great American Race” in about every way possible. He is, however, the only driver to have top 10 finishes in the 500 in the first two years of the Next Gen car. Add in that he’s the most recent winner on a superspeedway – his Talladega win in October helped catapult him to the championship -- and he’s a must-start at Daytona.

MUST START: 

Brad Keselowski | View stats

RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford

Odds: 11-1

If any driver is owed a Harley J. Earl Trophy, look no further than Keselowski. The No. 6 car has led the most laps in each of the last two 500s, only to have a best finish of ninth to show for it. Last summer in the regular season finale, he was a bridesmaid to RFK teammate Chris Buescher, pushing the No. 17 car across the finish line. Keselowski is destined for a win in 2024, and you know he will be a factor in the first race of the season. 

MUST START: 

Joey Logano | View stats

Team Penske, No. 22 Ford

Odds: 14-1

What could have been for Logano if the finish of last year’s race concluded at the checkered flag. A melee on the final lap -- 30 miles into overtime --saw Logano only inches behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at the time of caution. The 2015 Daytona 500 champion’s aggressive nature tends to pay off in superspeedway races, having led laps in each of the last 10 races at Daytona.

MUST START: 

Bubba Wallace | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota

Odds: 20-1

Wallace has been within striking distance of winning multiple Daytona 500s since entering full-time Cup Series racing in 2018. He has a pair of runner-up finishes while also being in contention last year before getting caught up in an overtime wreck. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the No. 23 in the mix yet again.

SLEEPER PICK: 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | View stats

JTG Daugherty Racing, No. 47 Chevrolet

Odds: 22-1

Not sure the defending Daytona 500 champion should be considered a sleeper, but here we are. Stenhouse is an elite talent on superspeedways, scoring all three of his Cup Series wins at Daytona and Talladega. If a driver runs around the front long enough, the odds of them breaking through in this race are high (don’t tell Keselowski or Kyle Busch that). The No. 47 car has led double-digit laps in the last two 500s. 

SLEEPER PICK: 

Michael McDowell | View stats

Front Row Motorsports, No. 34 Ford

Odds: 35-1

Feel like we’re going out on a real limb here, choosing another Daytona 500 champion as a sleeper. All jokes aside, McDowell is usually in contention for a respectable finish at this style of track, having scored eight of his 37 career top-10 finishes at the “World Center of Racing.” With his 2021 win, he has three finishes of seventh or better in the last five Daytona 500s. 

SLEEPER PICK: 

Corey LaJoie | View stats

Spire Motorsports, No. 7 Chevrolet

Odds: 65-1

To see LaJoie’s odds at 65-1, tied for the third worst of full-time drivers, is rather surprising. Over the last four Daytona 500s, the third-generation driver has a pair of top 10s with a worst finish of 16th. His average finish in that span is 11.75. Since joining Spire Motorsports, LaJoie has flirted with getting a victory on a superspeedway, so maybe this is the time the stars align. 

STAY AWAY FROM: 

Kyle Larson | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet

Odds: 16-1

Fair warning: Another season, another year of not using Larson on superspeedways. The No. 5 car will get plenty of usage elsewhere, but he’s yet to win on a superspeedway and crashed out in four of the six races last season, including twice at Atlanta. Granted, Larson was in contention to win last year’s Daytona 500 until he made a move on the final lap that resulted in him getting turned. He’s improved on superspeedways but not enough to be considered for a starting position in my lineup. 

STAY AWAY FROM: 

Martin Truex Jr. | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota

Odds: 25-1

The majority of what was said about Larson can apply here, too. Truex is a respectable superspeedway competitor, winning the first two stages in the 2022 Daytona 500. The 2017 Cup champion has never won on this superspeedway, though, which moves him down the pecking order. 

STAY AWAY FROM: 

Daniel Suárez | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet

Odds: 40-1

Of all full-time drivers in the field, Suárez is probably under the most pressure to perform in 2024. Daytona has never been kind to the Mexico native, wrecking out in nine of his 13 career starts at the famed race track. He is on a two-race streak of seeing the checkered flag, though, including his best Daytona finish of seventh in last year’s “Great American Race.”

FEATURED MATCHUP: 

Ty Gibbs vs. Joey Logano

We love a preseason rivalry, don’t we? The frustration between both drivers built up over the second half of the 2023 season, and it clearly carried into the 2024 season at the Busch Light Clash. Don’t expect anything to transpire in the Daytona 500, and because of the nature of superspeedway racing, it shouldn’t shock anybody if you saw these two helping one another out. Logano is a proven commodity on superspeedways, however, while Gibbs is still learning.

FEATURED MATCHUP: 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. vs. Michael McDowell

It’s easy to see either one of these drivers having a strong Speedweeks, with both winning the Daytona 500 in the past three seasons. Stenhouse, at times, can race with reckless abandon on superspeedways, which is partially why he’s always up front. McDowell, meanwhile, takes a methodical approach to these races and is typically near the front at Daytona when the checkered flag waves. That’s my pick.

FEATURED MATCHUP: 

Ross Chastain vs. Tyler Reddick

These two are friendly away from the track, so no bad blood should spill over from the final laps of the Busch Light Clash for the rest of the season unless they tangle again. Both are solid superspeedway drivers, with Chastain having the upper hand via his win at Talladega in 2022. In five attempts at winning the Harley J. Earl Trophy, Chastain has a trio of top 10s. Reddick has seven finishes of 25th or worse in nine starts at the “World Center of Racing.”

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Josh Berry vs. Zane Smith

This will be a fun rookie battle to watch throughout the 2024 season, and both will be learning on the fly in the Next Gen at superspeedways. Smith has a great track record on such tracks while competing in the Craftsman Truck Series, so he gets the nod.

MY LINEUP: Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Corey LaJoie 

GARAGE: Austin Dillon