Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Talladega

Bowyer is a class A driver, so you probably won't use him. However, he was 9th at Daytona and Talladega, and should have finished in the top 10 in the 500 if he hadn't been tangled up with Montoya. He is a consistent top 10 finisher on the plate tracks.

Kahne was 7th in both races at Daytona this year, making his 23rd place finish at Talladega the only sore spot for him this season on the plate tracks. He's not a bad class B option, as he finished 16th, 12th, and 2nd in the three previous races at Talladega. Interesting tidbit: only Kurt Busch has a better average finish in the last ten restrictor plate races.

Burton had finishes of 12th in the Daytona 500 and 13th at Talladega before crashing at Daytona in July. He's usually a solid finisher, but there are better class A drivers.

Harvick had finishes of 14th and 12th at Daytona, however he hasn't been as good at Talladega where handling is less of a factor. There are better class A choices.

I can't believe I'm saying this (although I did this the last time there was a plate race), but Robby Gordon is someone you have to consider this weekend. He was 8th in the Daytona 500, 11th at Talladega, and 6th at the Coke Zero 400. To top it off, he was 15th in both races at Daytona last year. I'm not sure what else to say at this point, but the odds are he starts a major on track altercation this weekend.

Like Robbie Gordon, it's shocking to rank Montoya this high. He was 2nd at Talladega in the spring, catapulting him up the rankings. Couple this with his 15th place run last fall, and he's a good choice. The terrible finishes at Daytona are concerning, but hey, they are different race tracks with different handling characteristics.

Biffle had finishes of 10th and 18th in the first two restrictor plate races this season, but crashed at Daytona. While he has had some strong runs throughout his career at Daytona and Talladega, he is in the same boat this weekend with Johnson, Kenseth, and Edwards. He will be one of the main horses down the stretch in the Chase that you can ride to solid finishes week after week. Don't waste him at Talladega.

Mears was 7th at Talladega in the spring and 6th in this race last fall (also in the COT). He had zero luck at Daytona (although both incidents he was involved in were his own fault). Should he avoid trouble, he has finished solidly.

Kvapil was 6th at Talladega in the spring, but couldn't crack the top 30 in either event at Daytona. Still, he's an intriguing class C option this weekend. It can't hurt to have him on your roster. If he looks strong in practice, save him so you can use Vickers more throughout the rest of the season.

Labonte had finishes of 11th and 13th at Daytona, but struggled at Talladega. This is common for a team that relies more on handling than horsepower. There are better options this weekend.

Menard was 22nd and 15th in his two starts at Daytona and finished 14th at Talladega. He's an excellent class C choice as well this weekend.