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NASCAR: Fantasy picks for the 2018 GEICO 500 at Talladega

By Tyler Callaway

TALLADEGA, AL - MAY 07: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fifth Third Bank Ford, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, lead the field during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 7, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
TALLADEGA, AL - MAY 07: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fifth Third Bank Ford, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, lead the field during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 7, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
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Luck needs to be on your side when you head to Talladega for NASCAR drivers and fantasy players alike. Figure out who you should lean on this weekend.

Oh boy. Talladega is here, and it is the second worst track for fantasy players in NASCAR. The race has come at last, and big wrecks are sure to ruin almost all lineups until one lucky son of a gun who picked a few no-names finds himself at the top.

While it can be hell for some, fantasy players also can find a lot of success if they’re lucky enough.

Obviously, every driver who shows up has a chance to win the race this weekend, but we all know that the big boys will still be at the front and that the dreamers still end up dreaming at the end of the day more times than not.

This is the worst place for Kyle Busch to go in an attempt to win four races in a row, but we all know he’ll be near the front of the pack for the whole race unless negative circumstances take him out of it. He has to be in most lineups.

Talladega is a track where it could pay off not to put all your money on one lineup and instead spread around a bunch of different names with upside and set multiple lineups.

Here are the names to plug into those spots.

Big Money Drivers:

  1. Kyle Busch: $9,600
  2. Brad Keselowski: $10,700
  3. Kevin Harvick: $9,800
  4. Ryan Blaney: $9,000
  5. Chase Elliott: $10,100

Best Bargain Drivers:

  1. Clint Bowyer: $8,400
  2. Kurt Busch: $8,600
  3. Jamie McMurray: $7,800
  4. Erik Jones: $8,200
  5. Alex Bowman: $7,600

Best Lineup Fillers:

  1. Trevor Bayne: $6,800
  2. Darrell Wallace Jr.: $6,500
  3. Brendan Gaughan: $4,900
  4. David Ragan: $6,300
  5. Ty Dillon: $6,700

Best Lineup:

  1. Brad Keselowski: $10,700
  2. Kevin Harvick: $9,800
  3. Kyle Busch: $9,600
  4. Trevor Bayne: $6,800
  5. Darrell Wallace Jr.: $6,500
  6. David Ragan: $6,300

Brad Keselowski: Ever since his notorious first win when he wrecked Carl Edwards, Keselowski has always been a factor at Talladega and is the overall favorite leading into the weekend.

Kevin Harvick: His car is incredibly ugly this weekend, but Stewart-Haas Racing’s engines have been beautiful all year long, and the team have been led by this man. I like his ability to avoid calamity as well, something that will pay off well here.

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Kyle Busch: You need to have Busch in a lot of lineups (not all of them) because he’s going for four wins in a row and nobody will be surprised if he does it.

Trevor Bayne: Bayne has a lot to prove this weekend and is usually competitive at Talladega. If he can find a way to be there at the end, I think he’ll do whatever it takes to win this race.

Darrell Wallace Jr.: Talladega is Wallace Jr.’s hometown track and he is still riding some solid momentum heading into the second restrictor plate race of the season. He finished second at Daytona to open up the season and I honestly think he could end up being the winner tomorrow.

David Ragan: Ragan is always a factor when we come to Talladega and is cheap enough to be the last man in your lineup. As long as he doesn’t get caught up in a wreck, expect him to finish in the top 10.

Next: Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time

Don’t forget to set your lineups before 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, April 29th on DraftKings before the 2018 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama.

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