The longest race of the season looms large this weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600. Yes, it’s a marathon-style event that poses a unique challenge for race teams and equipment, but you don’t need to be too intimidated if you are a fantasy owner, you just need a sound strategy.
Before I dive into my thought process for my picks this weekend, I want to mention an important scoring issue related to Fantasy Live. The Coca-Cola 600 is divided into three stages, but for fantasy purposes, drivers will only receive stage points earned in Stage 1 and Stage 2. However, you will have the option of moving a driver to the bench until the completion of Stage 3.
As for my picks, I don’t get too cute with my Fantasy Live selections at 1.5-mile tracks like Charlotte. I want stage points and strong finishes, and at this type of track, it is usually the bigger names from bigger teams that provide both.
In general, I also stuck to drivers starting inside the Top 15. These drivers are positioned well for some early stage points, and since only Stage 1 and Stage 2 will count, I think there is a decent chance that all the points are already handed out before the track temp really changes and any potential handling issues arise for the early frontrunners.
My strategy was a little different for the Slingshot contest. It was obvious in qualifying that some teams had setups geared more towards the race while others focused more on qualifying. Throw in the 400-lap distance of the race, and drivers with good cars are going to have plenty of time to get to the front. With that in mind, I’m going to try to take full advantage of the multiple big names who are starting deeper in the field. Yes, I may miss out on some stage points, but I think I will make it up in the long run with all the differential points I can gain.
Check out all my season-long Fantasy NASCAR picks for Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and don’t forget to lock in all your lineups. After that, sit back, relax and enjoy the night cap to a holiday weekend filled with racing.
Get access to DFS information with our DFS All-Access Package! Check out all the perks today!
NASCAR.com Fantasy Live
Kevin Harvick
I’ve leaned on Harvick more than any other driver this year, but I had to burn up another start this weekend. He might not have a win, but he has really been in a league of his own at the 1.5-mile tracks this year. His 176 points scored in the four races are 30 more than any other driver, and Harvick has finished either first or second in six of the eight stages in those races. On the heels of a fifth-place qualifying effort, I only see him adding to his hefty point total this weekend.
Kyle Busch
I’ve been trying to budget my starts with Busch this year, and after swapping him out in a couple of races, I still have six starts left. With more than half my starts to play with, it is an easy decision to use him this weekend at Charlotte. Busch led 377 laps and swept all the stages and the race of last year’s Coca-Cola 600, and after he qualified third, he is positioned for a similar performance Sunday night.
Martin Truex Jr.
He is starting a little deeper in the field, but considering he had to qualify early and that the Joe Gibbs Racing cars were set up more for the race, 14th doesn’t seem too bad at all. Plus, Truex has been the best in the business at Charlotte in recent years. In the seven races here since 2015, he has scored 55 more points than any other driver, posting five Top 5s and a couple of wins.
Chase Elliott
He’s one of the hottest drivers in the series right now, leading 30-plus laps in six of the last seven races, and I’m going to stay on the Elliott bandwagon at Charlotte. He’s actually scored the fifth-most points at the mile-and-a-half tracks in 2019, and last time out at Kansas, he finished second and first in the two stages on his way to a fourth-place finish. Lurking just outside the Top 10 to start the race, I expect Elliott to climb into position for stage points in short order and deliver yet another strong run.
Aric Almirola
His value at the 1.5-mile tracks has come mainly from consistency, but don’t make the lack of dominance for a lack of speed. He has three Top 10s in the four races at the mile-and-a-half tracks this year, but he had to start outside the Top 20 in three of those four races. When he started on the pole at Atlanta in February, he led 36 laps and finished third in Stage 1. Last year, he typically picked up stage points in the races when he qualified inside the Top 10. Almirola will start on the front row Sunday, so don’t be surprised if he stays near the front all night. I also like his teammate Daniel Suarez if you want to try mix things up.
Garage Driver – Erik Jones
I had Kurt Busch penciled in for this spot, but he was not happy with his car in final practice. Instead, I decided to switch to Jones. Not only did he show excellent long-run speed in final practice, but he’s been a force at the mile-and-a-half tracks this year. He has a 6.8 average finish in the four races, and he has scored the fourth-most points. Yes, he starts 16th, but looking at the speed he has shown, I don’t think he will have any issues getting to the front. I think he’s a great option to have available off the bench.
Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet Driver Group Game
Martin Truex Jr. (A)
I always feel like I am splitting hairs with my Group A pick, but I zeroed in on Truex heading to one of his best tracks with the idea of saving a start from Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick. By the numbers, Truex has been the best in the business at Charlotte for several years. His 4.0 average finish here in seven races since 2015 is the best in the series, and he has six Top 5s in that stretch, including a pair of wins. At worst, I think he delivers a comparable score to Busch and Harvick.
Aric Almirola (B)
I had a tough time deciding on my Group B picks all week, and even after narrowing it down to four, I went back and forth with this pick. I decided to play it somewhat on the safe side by using Almirola for one of the spots. He has nine finishes of 12th or better in the last 10 races at 1.5-mile tracks, picking up eight Top 10s in that stretch. I also think he has some legitimate stage point upside this weekend after qualifying on the front row. I think he’s a high-floor pick.
Alex Bowman (B)
I have Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch available, but I’ve used both drivers quite a few times this year, and I can get solid finishes out of them at just about any track. With that in mind, I am going to try to capitalize on Bowman’s recent surge. He has three straight runner-up finishes coming into Charlotte, and he finished in the Top 10 in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. He qualified a respectable 13th, and he said afterwards that he’s been focusing on race trim. Maximizing the production you get out of the midrange Group B options is crucial in this format, and I’m not sure Bowman’s value has ever been higher.
Daniel Hemric (C)
An on-track shoving match with Ryan Preece ruined his All-Star weekend, but I liked the speed Hemric’s No. 8 showed in the Open. I rostered him for Sunday’s race with the hope that the speed would carry over, and he’s off to a solid start with a 10th-place qualifying effort. Hemric also has two Top 20s in the four races at 1.5-mile tracks this year, so compared to the other Group C plays, he has one of the higher ceilings at tracks like Charlotte. Chris Buescher is the safest pick, but I’m going to save a start from him and take a chance on Hemric.
Fantasy Racing Online Slingshot Fantasy Auto
Brad Keselowski ($12,600)
Throw out a mechanical issue at Texas, and nobody has had better results at the 1.5-mile tracks this year than Keselowski. He won at Atlanta and Texas and finished second at Las Vegas, leading double-digit laps in all three of those races and gaining more than 15 spots twice. Starting 21st Sunday night, he looks like a lock for a monster point total after you add in place differential points.
Denny Hamlin ($11,100)
The Joe Gibbs Racing cars appeared to be geared a little more to race trim, so I’m not at all concerned about Hamlin starting 20th. There’s also the fact that he’s been incredible at Charlotte. Hamlin has finished inside the Top 10 in 14 of his last 16 starts here, cracking the Top 5 in three straight and five of the last six. He’s also scored the second-most driver points at the 1.5-mile ovals in 2019, so I’m fully expecting him to capitalize on all of the place differential upside that he has this weekend.
Kyle Larson ($10,800)
We saw Larson come from the back to the front to win the All-Star Race at Charlotte last weekend, and I’m hoping for a repeat performance at the track Sunday night after he qualified 25th. Larson’s luck seems to have turned in recent weeks, and he has three Top 10s in the last four races at Charlotte. He’s positioned to exploit the place differential category to the fullest.
Ryan Blaney ($10,600)
I really like the three drivers I’m building around, but when I tried to find two cheaper plays to polish of my roster, I just couldn’t find a combination that I liked. Instead, I’m going to roll the dice on a high-ceiling driver like Blaney and pair him with a punt play. Yes, his results at Charlotte in the past and the 1.5-mile tracks this year have been lackluster, but he’s shown Top 5 speed on a near-weekly basis. Starting 19th, he has the potential to post a big score if he can just avoid the bad luck that has plagued him. Blaney will likely make or break my lineup this weekend.
Parker Kligerman ($4,900)
Of course, going with four higher-priced options means I need a punt play, and I decided to roll the dice on Kilgerman. He starts back in 34th, so even if he’s awful, he is going to destroy my lineup. He also managed a 27th-place finish at Texas earlier this year, and he also finished 27th in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. If he can steal a Top 25 just by staying out of trouble all night, I’ll call it a win.
Starting Lineup for the 2019 Coca-Cola 600
1. William Byron
2. Aric Almirola
3. Kyle Busch
4. Austin Dillon
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Daniel Suarez
7. Joey Logano
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
10. Daniel Hemric
11. Kurt Busch
12. Chase Elliott
13. Alex Bowman
14. Martin Truex Jr.
15. Jimmie Johnson
16. Erik Jones
17. Paul Menard
18. Ryan Newman
19. Ryan Blaney
20. Denny Hamlin
21. Brad Keselowski
22. Chris Buescher
23. Michael McDowell
24. Ryan Preece
25. Kyle Larson
26. Matt Tifft
27. Matt DiBenedetto
28. Ty Dillon
29. Bubba Wallace
30. Corey LaJoie
31. David Ragan
32. Landon Cassill
33. Bayley Currey
34. Parker Kligerman
35. Ross Chastain
36. BJ McLeod
37. Reed Sorenson
38. Cody Ware
39. Quin Houff
40. Joey Gase
