Fantasy Fastlane: Team Penske leads charge at Atlanta with triple-headed monster

With a fascinating regular season in the books, fantasy picks reset beginning this weekend for the 2024 playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Over the final 10 weeks of the season, you can use any driver five times. 

And what a doozy of an opening race, as the spring Atlanta event was thrilling, on-the-edge-of-your-seat level of entertainment. Some drivers even called it electric. It also provides fantasy players with an opportunity to stray from the norm and choose drivers who are strong at this unique 1.5-mile layout. It's also a prime time for a non-playoff driver to visit Victory Lane. 

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MUST START:

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds: 10-1

In the five races on the reconfigured Atlanta track, Blaney is one of two drivers to have finished in the top 10 on four occasions. He has an average finish of eighth in those five races and was in position to win the spring race before losing to Daniel Suárez in a three-wide photo finish on the final lap. Blaney is often touted as being among the best drafting competitors in the Cup Series, and this is a prime opportunity to pad his cushion to the elimination line. 

MUST START:

Daniel Suárez | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet

Odds: 14-1

The other driver to have four top 10s in the five Atlanta races is Suárez. He secured a playoff spot by winning here in the spring and has three top-five efforts in the five races. His numbers at Daytona and Talladega are displeasing, but the No. 99 team has figured out Atlanta. The opening round of the playoffs sets up nicely for Suárez, and don't be surprised if he's contending for another victory this weekend.

MUST START:

Joey Logano | View stats

Team Penske, No. 22 Ford

Odds: 10-1

Logano isn't shy about being aggressive at drafting tracks. It's what got him wrecked at the end of Stage 2 in the spring at Atlanta, trying to block oncoming traffic. It's also what won him the spring race in 2023 during a captivating battle with Brad Keselowski. The No. 22 team needs a strong Atlanta weekend to improve its positioning on the elimination line. 

MUST START:

Kyle Busch | View stats

Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet

Odds: 10-1

Before joining RCR, Busch dreaded superspeedways. He seemingly wrecked out more times than not, but that changed when he became the wheelman of the No. 8 car, as he’s won at Talladega, has been in contention to win both Daytona 500s and finished runner-up at Daytona just two weeks ago. Busch has top 10s in all three of his Atlanta starts with RCR, and had he been a foot further ahead in the spring, would have locked himself into the playoffs. Instead, he will attempt to play spoiler this weekend.

SLEEPER PICK:

Austin Cindric | View stats

Team Penske, No. 2 Ford

Odds: 18-1

No matter who drives for Penske, the three-car team builds cars that excel on superspeedways. Not only is Cindric a Daytona 500 champion, but he's also flown under the radar at Atlanta with two top-five finishes in the last four races. Both of his stage victories this season have come at drafting tracks, including the spring race here. Look at Cindric as a possible surprise candidate to make it out of the Round of 16.

SLEEPER PICK:

Michael McDowell | View stats

Front Row Motorsports, No. 34 Ford

Odds: 22-1

If one thing is certain about superspeedway racing in 2024, it's that McDowell has been lights out in qualifying. The No. 34 team has won the last three pole awards on superspeedways, including the first event at Atlanta this season. Should he back up that performance, it will give him position on a track that's much narrower than Daytona or Talladega. McDowell has led at least 26 laps in all three of those superspeedway races, and he has an average finish of sixth over the last two Atlanta races.

SLEEPER PICK:

Corey LaJoie | View stats

Spire Motorsports, No. 7 Chevrolet

Odds: 55-1

Encountering a tumultuous 2024 season has led LaJoie to search for a ride for the 2025 season. He excels at Atlanta, however, earning a pair of top-five finishes and battled for the win on the final lap during the summer of 2022. LaJoie's ninth-place finish in the Southern 500 at Darlington was his first top 10 finish on a non-superspeedway, giving the No. 7 team a confidence boost entering one of his favorite tracks.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Kyle Larson | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet

Odds: 14-1

With a stout regular season, Larson might need all the playoff points he can have to remain comfortable over the bubble leaving Atlanta. The 2021 Cup champion has wrecked out of four of the last five Atlanta races, with an average finish of 28.4. His last top 10 at a drafting track came 14 starts ago in the spring 2022 race at Talladega. Surely, you will use all five starts for Larson during the postseason; don't burn one here. 

STAY AWAY FROM:

Christopher Bell | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota

Odds: 20-1

Knowing Atlanta is a strong contender to be the wild card race in the Round of 16, consider not using the top two seeds. Bell has become a strong superspeedway racer, particularly at Daytona with third-place finishes in both events this year. The same can't be said for Atlanta, as he has four finishes of 19th or worse in the five starts here. Granted, one of those was a result of passing below the yellow line on the final lap, being moved to the final car on the lead lap.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Tyler Reddick | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota

Odds: 18-1

The odds of the top three drivers in the playoffs all having subpar performances seems unlikely, but the playoff opener has never been at a track like Atlanta. Reddick's numbers are not ideal here, either, with finishes of 27th through 30th in four of the five races. You will also get plenty of use out of the regular season champion during the postseason, so don't waste one here. 

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Chase Briscoe vs. Harrison Burton

In a way, both drivers are playing with house money in the postseason. Burton even more so than Briscoe, as he can finish no worse than 16th in the championship standings after placing last in the regular season. Burton is also the way to go in this matchup, with Atlanta being one of his best tracks on the schedule, with two finishes of 11th or better in five starts. Briscoe had a signature walk-off win in the Southern 500, but he has never finished better than 15th on the new Atlanta track. 

Ryan Blaney vs. Denny Hamlin

Blaney has four straight top-10 finishes at Atlanta while Hamlin has four finishes outside the top 10 in the last five Atlanta events. Both drivers have a knack for drafting tracks, and either could be argued as the best current superspeedway driver in the field. I'll give superiority to Blaney this weekend because he's put himself in the mix to win at Atlanta. 

Kyle Larson vs. Christopher Bell

As you read earlier, I'm not fond of either driver this weekend. But in a head-to-head battle, I'll take Bell. He does have a third-place finish here in the spring of 2023 and is in the running to at least contend for solid finishes on superspeedways far more than Larson. 

William Byron vs. Tyler Reddick

Byron should be a hot hand this weekend, as he's the only driver to score multiple victories at Atlanta through the first five races on the new layout. However, it has been feast or famine for the No. 24 team, with two DNFs and early damage in the spring race this year while still managing a 17th-place finish. Reddick is plenty capable on superspeedways, but he doesn't have the consistent finishes like Byron. 

MY LINEUP: Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suárez, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski

GARAGE: Austin Cindric