RADIO
After Saturday's thrilling ending at Pocono Raceway, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series are gearing up for the second of two races this weekend at the Tricky Triangle.
With races in consecutive days, the length of Sunday's Pocono 350 is 10 laps and 25 miles longer than Saturday's event. For fantasy players, that means there are more(!) points on the line in Sunday's race than Saturday's; 35 points are on the line for laps led and 70 for fastest laps.
Due to a top-20 invert from Saturday, Ryan Preece, who finished 20th on Saturday will start Sunday's 350-miler from the pole. (Update: Preece is moving to the rear after an engine change.) Race winner Kevin Harvick will begin 20th. Because of that, and other drivers that typically perform well at Pocono start deep in the field, there are a ton of points to be made by picking those drivers. Let's get to it.
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My Lineup for Saturday's Pocono Organics 325
Denny Hamlin ($10,200)
Career at Pocono: 5 wins, 12 top fives, 736 laps led
Average finish at Pocono: 11.6
Over the years, Hamlin has proven to be one of the best drivers in Pocono history. Five wins? Not too shabby. Hell, he nearly scored a sixth on Saturday, chasing Kevin Harvick down late in the event. Had the No. 11 Toyota not had a vibration, who knows would could have happened.
But here's what will happen on Sunday: Hamlin is starting the race from 19th position because of the invert. Because of that, there's a good chance the No. 11 will race to the front and potentially lead some laps, though clean air is king at the Tricky Triangle.
Hamlin is almost always a factor at Pocono, and Sunday will be no different. With current crew chief Chris Gabehart, he has two top-two finishes and a sixth in three starts at the track. Given Hamlin drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, he's going to turn some hot laps for you, too. He's a layup.
Joey Logano ($9,400)
Career at Pocono: 1 win, 4 top fives, 286 laps led
Average finish at Pocono: 17.7
Logano's average finish at Pocono is quite deceiving, take Saturday for example. The No. 22 car won the opening stage, place second in the middle stage, only for the final 10 laps derail his finish with a problem in his left front suspension.
The No. 22 car was fast on Saturday, and he'll run it again on Sunday. Since he finished 36th, he will roll off the starting grid in the same position, meaning he will likely score your team a plethora of points.
Despite clean air being the end-all be-all at Pocono, Christopher Bell proved you can go from the back to the front. In fact, on Saturday he started in the same position Logano will on Sunday and the No. 95 car finished fourth. With Paul Wolfe being an ultimate opportunist, expect the No. 22 to be fast.
Tyler Reddick ($7,600)
Career at Pocono: o wins, o top fives, 0 laps led
Average finish at Pocono: 30.0
So, choosing Reddick is an intriguing pick. The price? Maybe slightly high, especially since the No. 8 team is likely going to a backup car after Saturday's incident with Erik Jones (more on him in a minute).
But that's not a bad thing. It could be quite a good thing, actually. You can't gauge Reddick's 30th-place average finish off everything, other than the incident he got in. But like the two drivers above, the No. 8 is going to come from deep in the field, making it a strategy game for crew chief Randall Burnett.
Through the first 14 races of the 2020 season, Reddick has been the most impressive rookie. If you're going to base anything off Saturday, base this: he was running in the top 15 at the time of the incident.
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Erik Jones ($7,400)
Career at Pocono: 0 wins, 4 top fives, 45 laps led
Average finish at Pocono: 12.6
Whenever Jones is entered in a race at Pocono, he's going to be a factor. There's a good chance the No. 20 Toyota was going to place well inside the top 10 on Saturday prior to the incident with Reddick.
Jones' price makes him a steal, especially coming from deep in the field. He started Saturday's race 19th and quickly scooted inside the top 10. It doesn't matter how his season is going -- and so far it hasn't gone well -- he's solid at Pocono.
You best take him for the 350-miler. If you don't, mark my words, it's a mistake.
Aric Almirola ($7,200)
Career at Pocono: 0 wins, 1 top five, 63 laps led
Average finish at Pocono: 22.4
Uh, did you watch Saturday's race?
Almirola arguably had the best car in the race, though had to take four tires during a green flag pit stop while others needed a splash of gas. He still drove up to third.
The No. 10 car will be the same Ford that raced on Saturday, and Almirola could put that car wherever he wanted. From start to finish, it was probably one of the best races of his career. With a third-place outing, he'll start 18th in the second Pocono race. There's a good change he snags a top 10, if not better. Don't let his average finish fool you.
Ty Dillon ($7,000)
Career at Pocono: 0 wins, 0 top fives, 3 laps led
Average finish at Pocono: 22.6
OK, you're probably calling me crazy, but remember, the theme of this lineup is drivers starting towards the back giving you the best value. Ironically enough, Dillon fits that category.
Why, you ask? In nine career starts at the Tricky Triangle, he's got a best finish of 17th, almost always placing in the mid-20s. But, the No. 13 team has shown speed at different points this season.
This is most definitely a risky pick, but should the No. 13 car even finish in 20th, that's six points you didn't have prior to selecting Dillon. Tough choice.
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