Place differential, place differential, place differential. Typically this is the focal point for building a FOX Fantasy Auto roster on any given race weekend, but at the restrictor plate tracks of Talladega and Daytona, there’s even more reason to focus on it. Simply put, the races at these tracks are completely unpredictable and literally any driver can post a top 10 finish at them. As far as your FOX Fantasy Auto roster goes, my philosophy has always been to use the drivers that start furthest back and not even consider anyone that starts inside the top 15.
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My team points last week (Charlotte 2): 247
Overall team standings: 29th
Total team points for the season: 5,429
FOX Fantasy Auto Picks for the 2017 Alabama 500 Race
Kevin Harvick ($11,600) – It’s always a good idea to go with playoff drivers in the final ten races of the season, and Kevin Harvick qualified the worst out of that group for the Alabama 500, so he’s an automatic start in FOX Fantasy Auto. Also, the #4 car has that Ford power plant underneath the hood, so it’s a win-win. Harvick is a previous winner here at Talladega and has a career average finish of 15.3 at this track. He’s also posted four top 10s in the last seven races here with only one result worse than 15th over the last eight. For what it’s worth, “Happy” has an average running position of 14.7 on plate tracks this year, which is 6th-best in the series.
Denny Hamlin ($11,000) – None of the Toyotas had good qualifying efforts on Friday, but Hamlin was the 2nd-best among them and will start 15th for Sunday’s Alabama 500. And while that starting position is a little high for my plan in FOX Fantasy Auto this weekend, Denny Hamlin is still a legitimate threat to win the race on Sunday so I’ll let it pass. The #11 Toyota has had an average finish of 17.3 on the plate tracks this season and Hamlin has finished 11th or better in four of his last seven starts here at Talladega. That includes a win back in 2014 and a 3rd-place finish in this race one year ago. The thing I like most about Denny this weekend is the fact that he has led in each of the last seven races at this track.
Ryan Newman ($9,800) – “The Rocketman” used to wreck out of restrictor plate races quite often, but that has calmed down quite a bit. In fact, Newman has posted six finishes of 15th or better in his last ten starts here at Talladega, and on the plate tracks this year, the #31 Chevrolet has an average finishing position of 17th, which is 12th-best in the series. Newman’s price on FOX Fantasy Auto has been ridiculously high as of late, but this week it got a much-needed slashing, and he’s actually a viable option in this game for the first time in a while. “The Rocketman” will start 27th on Sunday, which is the lowest among the big-dollar teams and drivers.
Aric Almirola ($6,000) – The #43 Ford has been solid in every single restrictor plate race this season, and Aric Almirola has been great in the races that he has raced in: he finished 4th in the season-opening Daytona 500 and then wound up 4th in the first Talladega race as well. When Bubba Wallace subbed for Almirola in the second Daytona race, he came home 15th, so obviously this car has a good plate package. This weekend, Almirola qualified 26th for the Alabama 500, and is a great candidate for a roster spot in any Fantasy NASCAR league that awards points based on place differential. I’m not expecting another top 5 run out of him on Sunday, but a top 15 is well within reach.
Other viable options: David Ragan, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., Paul Menard, Matt Kenseth, A.J. Allmendinger, Matt DiBenedetto, Brad Keselowski
FOX Fantasy Auto Fade Option
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($7,700) – It’s Talladega, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a six-time winner, so he’s obviously going to be a very popular pick among all Fantasy NASCAR leagues. He’s also a relatively cheap option here in FOX Fantasy Auto, so he’s always one of the higher-owned drivers in the league. However, there’s no chance you’re going to find Junebug on my roster on Sunday. The #88 Chevrolet will start from the pole for Sunday’s Alabama 500 and that means that even if Earnhardt leads the most laps and wins the race, the maximum amount of fantasy points he can earn is 45. Not only that, but it’s been a long time since the #88 Chevrolet has had a good finish on a plate track. Just this year, Junior’s average finish on these big superspeedways is a dismal 30.3.
