There were really not many surprises in qualifying this weekend, so don’t afraid to target finish points in FOX Fantasy Auto here at Darlington on Sunday night as opposed to solely focusing on place differential points. “The Track Too Tough To Tame” is a legitimate nickname, because the cream definitely rises to the top here, and the best drivers will eventually be there at the end. Tires are going to be really important here on Sunday night as well, and this race could end up with a crazy finish if we get a late caution.
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My team points last week (Bristol 2): 207
Overall team standings: 88th
Total team points for the season: 4,224
FOX Fantasy Auto Picks for the 2017 Southern 500 Race
Matt Kenseth ($10,700) – Until he made the move to Joe Gibbs Racing, Matt Kenseth was always a pretty mediocre driver here at Darlington Raceway. However, since he started driving the #20 Toyota, Kenseth has one win here at “The Track Too Tough To Tame” and has ended up 6th or better in three of his four starts here in a JGR machine. And don’t be surprised if he adds another good finish here this weekend, either. Momentum-wise, Kenseth is one of the hottest drivers in the garage right now, with four top 5s in the last six races overall, and just one finish worse than 9th–and that was at Michigan, where the #20 Toyota ran top 5 all day. The best part about Kenseth in FOX Fantasy Auto this weekend is the fact that he qualified 11th for Sunday night’s race, which means he should be able to gain some place differential fantasy points before it’s all said and done.
Denny Hamlin ($11,200) – Denny Hamlin only has one victory here at Darlington Raceway, but he’s the best Cup Series driver at this race track. Over eleven career starts here, Hamlin has averaged an incredible finish of 6.3, and that has been done by posting six top 5 finishes as well as nine top 10 results–as well as no finish worse than 19th. This weekend, Hamlin showed good long run speed in both practice sessions on Friday, and was inside the top 5 in both practices in terms of “one fast lap” as well. He’s going to roll off the grid from 9th when we get going here on Sunday night, but it’d be surprising if Denny doesn’t finish 5th or better. Momentum-wise, this #11 Toyota has been a top 5 machine over the last few months, with seven results of 4th or better in the last ten races overall.
Chase Elliott ($10,100) – None of the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets were very fast in terms of one-lap speed on Friday and Saturday, but they look much better in race trim, and that’s what really matters here at Darlington Raceway. With that being said, Chase Elliott was the biggest surprise on Saturday, especially considering he was 7th-fastest in the opening practice of the weekend, which was when a lot of teams focused on qualifying trim. Oh well, a bad qualifying effort is good for us in this FOX Fantasy Auto game. Elliott ran 10th in this race last season and has a chance to get another top 10 here on Sunday night as well. He was 6th-best in ten-lap average during Happy Hour practice on Saturday.
Daniel Suarez ($8,500) – Joe Gibbs Racing always brings fast race cars to Darlington Raceway, and this weekend is no exception. And while three of the four made the final round of qualifying, rookie Daniel Suarez ended up 19th when it was all said and done. Still, the #19 Toyota should end up much better than that by the time checkered flag waves on Sunday night, assuming the rookie can bring his car home in one piece–not exactly the easiest thing to do at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.” However, Suarez has been pretty impressive here at Darlington in the Xfinity Series–top 5 finishes in both starts–and he didn’t look too bad in Cup practice this weekend, especially in Happy Hour, when he was 10th on the speed chart. Perhaps the best aspect of taking Suarez in FOX Fantasy Auto this weekend, though, is the fact that not many other people are doing so: as of Saturday afternoon, just 7% of teams had him.
Other viable options: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson
FOX Fantasy Auto Fade Option
Jimmie Johnson ($9,400) – The biggest fade option you have this weekend in FOX Fantasy Auto is Martin Truex, Jr., considering his ownership percentage was a ridiculous 62% as of Saturday afternoon, but there’s a very good chance that the #78 Toyota comes home with a top 5 finish on Sunday night. The next option to fade, though, is Jimmie Johnson, considering he’s affordable at the $9,400 price as well as the face that he qualified back in 18th for Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500. Johnson has also won four times here at Darlington Raceway. And because of all of those things, JJ’s ownership percentage should be close to 50 once we go green here on Sunday night. However, this #48 team is still searching for their first single-digit finish since Dover back in early June, and Johnson never really looked very speedy during the practice sessions here at Darlington on Friday. It’s tempting to pick him in FOX this weekend, but you won’t find Jimmie Johnson on my roster for Sunday’s race.
