RADIO
It's Throwback Weekend, so you know what means: Classic paint Scheme from the past shine bright on the stars of today. Side note, my favorite throwback scheme this year in the Cup Series is William Byron's No. 24, which honors Neil Bonnett.
But this piece isn't about throwbacks, it's about highlighting some drivers you might want in your fantasy lineup at Darlington Raceway. Per usual, there are a chunk of heavy hitters we'll center on, but also some undervalued drivers that you might want to keep your eye on.
In the end, I believe three of the drivers on this list will be duking it out for the win, two of which come from Hendrick Motorsports. Let's not wait any longer, the anticipation is real....
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Kyle Larson
(DraftKings $11,400 | FanDuel $13,000 | DK SportsBook +400)
Kyle Larson saw another potential win slip away last weekend at Kansas Speedway, after leading a race-high 132 laps. That's consecutive mile-and-a-half races where the No. 5 has dominated, only to falter later. Even still, I don't see why Larson shouldn't be on your team this weekend.
Over the course of his NASCAR career, Larson has performed best at tracks with low grip. The Cup Series will also see the return of the 750 horsepower, low downforce package, which suits Larson's driving style.
In six career starts at Darlington, Larson has a trio of top-five finishes, with two additional top 10s. He's led at least 44 laps in four of those races, including 284 in 2018. Yup, I expect the No. 5 to lead a chunk of laps on Sunday, meaning bonus points for you.
Denny Hamlin
(DraftKings $10,600 | FanDuel $14,000 | DK SportsBook +600)
Denny Hamlin is a Darlington-master, waiting to pounce on his first Cup win of the 2021 season. There's a good chance it comes Sunday.
Despite two straight finishes outside the top 10, Hamlin has been the most consistent driver this season, having led the most laps and most top fives. He's also among one of the best in the history of Darlington, tied for ninth on the list of all-time win's list at the track with three (with Jimmie Johnson, Richard Petty, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Buck Baker and Herb Thomas).
But again, Hamlin's consistency among current drivers is nearly unmatched. In 17 starts at the Track Too Tough to Tame, he's tallied an average finish of 7.5, having led 593 laps. Sure, the No. 11 car is expensive, especially if you want Larson on your team as well, but expect Hamlin to run very well Sunday.
Kyle Busch
(DraftKings $9,800 | FanDuel $10,200 | DK SportsBook +800)
Unlike the 2020 NASCAR season, it didn't take nearly the full year for Kyle Busch to score his first win. Expect more of those to come sooner rather than later.
Now that Busch has won a point-paying race with new crew chief Ben Beshore, there's a chance the seal has been broken, as the No. 18 Toyota has been competitive through the first three months of the season. Was the Kansas win a surprise, sure, but that's solely because Kansas hasn't always treated the Las Vegas native too well.
But Darlington has. Even last year, among his worst in recent memory at the Cup level, Busch was strong at Darlington with two top 10s in three races, finishing runner-up to Hamlin last May. Quite honestly, coming off a win Busch is probably a bit underpriced on DraftKings and FanDuel this week, especially because he's starting third.
Alex Bowman
(DraftKings $9,400 | FanDuel $11,000 | DK SportsBook +2200)
The results may not always show it, but Alex Bowman has had a few strong runs at Darlington in seven starts. In NASCAR's first race back following the COVID-19 shutdown, he finished second to Kevin Harvick. Then driving the No. 88 car, he led 41 laps.
Since joining Hendrick Motorsports full time, like Larson, tracks with low grip and tire wear has suited Bowman. Chicago? Win. Auto Club Speedway? Check. Richmond Raceway? Yup, won that one two. Those are three of the most abrasive track surfaces in NASCAR. Darlington is even more so.
Another reason Bowman sticks out is his 19th-place starting position. That leaves a lot of room for improvement, potentially in contention for the race victory.
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William Byron
(DraftKings $8,800 | FanDuel $11,500 | DK SportsBook +1600)
This year the NASCAR world has seen William Byron evolve into the racecar driver that his potential showed while running up the ranks at a rapid pace. Seven wins in his lone full-time Camping World Truck Series season; four wins and the championship in his sole Xfinity Series season, only propelling to the Cup Series and struggling early.
Not much struggling this year. Byron enters Darlington with a streak of nine consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest streak for a Hendrick Motorsports driver since Jimmie Johnson has nine straight to close out the 2010 season, clinching his fifth championship.
Byron's results at Darlington aren't all that pretty, earning one top-10 finish in five starts, with an average finish of 21.6. But that finish was last September, when he brought the No. 24 car home fifth. He also had a stage win at the track last May. Darlington races similar to Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Byron routed the field in February. Based on recent performance, I expect the No. 24 to be battling for the win.
Erik Jones
(DraftKings $8,200 | FanDuel $7,300 | DK SportsBook +8000)
On the flip side, Jones' stat sheet at Darlington is unreal, so it's not far-fetched to think he has his best performance of the 2021 season thus far on Sunday.
Sure, Jones was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing (or a JGR affiliate) in his first four Cup seasons, in which he won the 2019 Southern 500 and has never finished worse than eighth in six starts at Darlington. But an average finish of 5.2 means the driver has a handle on a certain racetrack.
Should you expect Jones to lead 79 laps (like he did when winning the Southern 500) or even finish inside the top five on Sunday? Probably not. But putting a few dollars down on 80-1 odds could have a biggg payoff! Hey, we've seen stranger things happen.
Austin Dillon
(DraftKings $7,500 | FanDuel $7,800 | DK SportsBook +5000)
Of all drivers that are undervalued this weekend, I think Austin Dillon is your best shot at scoring the victory. Hell, if there was another lap in last year's Southern 500, there's a very real possibility he would have scooted by Kevin Harvick for the race win.
In nine starts at Darlington, Dillon has always been solid. Since driving the No. 3 Chevrolet, he's earned a trio of top-10 finishes (including two top fives), with an average finish of 12.0. Despite his success at the 1.33-mile track, don't bank on him leading laps, as he's never led a single circuit at Darlington.
But with prices of $7,500 and $7,800 respectively on DraftKings and FanDuel, Dillon isn't a bad driver to have middle of the pack on your team. The only potential downside is he lines up ninth.
Chase Briscoe
(DraftKings $6,800| FanDuel $5,000 | DK SportsBook +25000)
Chase Briscoe has found out that the Cup Series is the real deal in his rookie campaign. But there's reason for optimism heading into Darlington.
Nope, Briscoe has never turned a lap in a Cup car at Darlington, and won't prior to the green flag. Adding to that, the No. 14 starts 22nd, in the middle of the field where finding clean air is near impossible. But his Xfinity record at Darlington is impressive.
In three Xfinity races at Darlington, Briscoe has an average finish of sixth, including a victory last May in a classic battle with Kyle Busch. Last fall, he was leading the race when he spun in oil while leading that was put down on the racetrack and still managed an 11th-place finish after leading 55 laps.
At some point, Briscoe is going to crack through with the talent everyone knows he has and put a full Cup race together. This could be that week!
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