Fantasy Fastlane presented by Jackpot Races: Backing the Busch brothers at Bristol

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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Kyle Larson (P) | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet 

Odds: 9-2

Fastlane forecast: When I budgeted out my Larson uses for the playoffs, this was one of the five I had marked down for the regular-season champion. At Bristol, he has four top-six finishes in his last six starts, two runner-up finishes in that span and five top 10s in the same stretch. The lone finish outside the top 10 came in a race where he started outside the top 10 – which won't be the case in this race. He'll be in my lineup for Saturday night.

Denny Hamlin (P) | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota

Odds: 6-1

Fastlane forecast: Hamlin has posted two wins at Bristol with the most recent coming in the 2019 night race. He's opened the playoffs strong with a 1-2 finish in the first two races and he's scored the most points this season on ovals with the 750-horsepower package. What about uses? I'm comfortable holding him out for the entire Round of 12 if needed and then bringing him back for Texas or Kansas and definitely Martinsville.

Kyle Busch (P) | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota

Odds: 9-2

Fastlane forecast: Busch has eight wins in his Cup career at Bristol with three of those coming in the last seven races on the concrete surface. His last four Bristol races dating back to 2019 read as such: 1st, 4th, 4th and 2nd. This is one of the most successful tracks for him on the schedule and he had a nice rebound at Richmond last weekend. I expect more of the same in this race and we'll have opportunities in the Round of 12 to save our uses on Busch.

Chase Elliott (P) | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet

Odds: 8-1

Fastlane forecast: Elliott's 12.1 average finish is the best among drivers in Saturday night's field. That seems a little surprising since he has yet to win there but it is certainly noteworthy. The reigning champ has run better in the night race of late with three straight top-seven finishes in that event. He has several solid tracks ahead such as the Charlotte Roval, Kansas and Martinsville, but there's room for a play here if you have at least four uses left.

Joey Logano (P) | View stats

Team Penske, No. 22 Ford

Odds: 10-1

Fastlane forecast: Logano has two Bristol wins on the concrete surface – both in the night race – and he also won in the spring on the dirt. He has the second-most points on ovals with the 750-horsepower package this spring and he's struggled quite a bit on 1.5-mile tracks. That narrows our focus on where we feel super comfortable using the 2018 champion. Bristol is one of those places and Martinsville later in the playoffs also fits that profile.

Kevin Harvick (P) | View stats

Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford

Odds: 10-1

Fastlane forecast: Harvick is the defending race winner at Bristol and has won at "The Last Great Colosseum" three times in his Cup career. There's no denying that he has found more success on ovals with the 750-horsepower package as he has scored the fifth-most points this season with it. In the last six 750-horsepower package oval races, he's scored at least 32 points. That is intriguing ahead of several 550-horsepower tracks coming up.

Kurt Busch (P) | View stats

Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet

Odds: 16-1

Fastlane forecast: Busch is indubitably one of the best at Bristol with six victories there – the most recent of which came in the 2018 night race. In his last five races there, he has two top-two finishes, four top 10s and the third-most points over that stretch. His last-place finish at Richmond makes him a driver very much in need of a good points night to advance and we've seen the speed be there in this round to date.

Christopher Bell (P) | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota

Odds: 20-1

Fastlane forecast: In two Cup starts at Bristol, Bell has one top-10 finish. The real value with Bell is his performance on ovals with the 750-horsepower package. He has the ninth-most points with that rules package and seven (out of 10) races with at least 28 points. I liked this play a lot more last weekend at Richmond but there's still some good value here in plugging and play the second-year Cup driver.

Ryan Blaney (P) | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds: 12-1

Fastlane forecast: Blaney has been up and down at Bristol in his Cup career. He has one top five, four top 10s and four finishes outside the top 30 in 11 starts here. He's led triple-digit laps at the 0.533-mile track three times in the last six races. I'm not against the use here but I love the Round of 12 and Round of 8 tracks for him A LOT. And part of my reasoning behind going heavy with Denny Hamlin early is knowing I have Blaney to drop in for him soon.

SLEEPER PICK: Ross Chastain | View stats 


Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet

Odds: 33-1

Fastlane forecast: Say hello to the best non-playoff driver through the first two races of the postseason. Chastain has registered a top five, two top 10s and an average of 41.5 points in the last two races – both at 750-horsepower tracks. There is something to be said about a driver on a roll and the "Melon Man" certainly qualifies as that.

SLEEPER PICK: Tyler Reddick (P) | View stats

Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet

Odds: 33-1

Fastlane forecast: Reddick finished fourth in the Bristol Night Race last year. He also has five races with at least 30 points on ovals that used the 750-horssepower package and three top 10s in those races including a seventh on the Bristol dirt. He's had a ho-hum start to the playoffs but will need a solid points day to advance as he sits five points outside the final transfer spot.

SLEEPER PICK: Daniel Suarez | View stats 


Trackhouse Racing Team, No. 99 Chevrolet

Odds: 150-1

Fastlane forecast: Suarez has had success on concrete layouts this season – a ninth at Dover and a seventh at Nashville. Not to mention he was fourth in the Bristol Dirt Race this spring. He has two career top 10s at Bristol from his season at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019. If you want a sleeper way down the oddsboard, this is the guy to look at.

SLEEPER PICK: Erik Jones | View stats 


Richard Petty Motorsports, No. 43 Chevrolet

Odds: 300-1

Fastlane forecast: During his time at JGR, Bristol was one of Jones' strong tracks with four top-five finishes in eight starts. This track was also one of Bubba Wallace's better tracks during his time with RPM and Aric Almirola also put together some solid runs at Thunder Valley during his time there. Jones is not at the top of my sleeper list, but he provides some food for thought.

STAY AWAY FROM: Martin Truex Jr. (P) | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota

Odds: 14-1

Fastlane forecast: We talk about maximizing uses in this space and matching up the top drivers to their best tracks. Bristol is far from Truex's best track – two top fives and three top 10s in 30 Cup starts. You've potentially already used him twice and Las Vegas, Kansas and Martinsville line us as solid places for a use and potentially the Charlotte Roval as well. All in on the save.

STAY AWAY FROM: William Byron (P) | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet

Odds: 22-1

Fastlane forecast: In seven of Byron's last nine races this season, he's finished outside the top 15 with four finishes outside the top 30 in that stretch. That's an extremely troublesome trend. At Bristol, he has one top 10 in six starts and five finishes outside the top 15. He wrecked out of this race last year to be eliminated from the playoffs. All the signs say stay away.

STAY AWAY FROM: Alex Bowman (P) | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet

Odds: 22-1

Fastlane forecast: In 10 starts at Bristol, Bowman has two top 10s – both coming in 2018 – and he's never led a lap there. Since '18, his best finish has been 15th. He's only scored stage points in four of 12 stages on the concrete there. He has also been a mixed bag with the 750-horsepower package on ovals and the early playoff returns haven't been promising.

My lineup heading into the weekend: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch; Garage: Chase Elliott



Just missed the cut: Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain


Tweet at me @kraftdaddy85
with your lineups and questions ahead of Saturday’s race at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.




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