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Martinsville Speedway, there's nothing like it. Quite literally, it's one of the best tickets in all of motor sports -- if not all of sports. This weekend should be no different.
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to southern Virginia for the penultimate race of the 2021 season, there's a lot on the line. Entering the race, Kyle Larson is the only driver guaranteed to be battling for a championship next weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Chase Elliott (+34 on fifth) and Denny Hamlin (+32) look to be in good shape, though Kevin Harvick squandered a 42-point advantage last year at Martinsville. The fourth transfer spot to Phoenix is up for grabs, with Kyle Busch one point to the good over Ryan Blaney; Martins Truex Jr. three back and Brad Keselowski six. Joey Logano will need to win.
While the battle will be fierce on the track, it's going to be just as hard in fantasy this week. Eight of the last 11 Martinsville races have been won by the five drivers sitting near the cutline. Chase Elliott has won, too. So, who are good choices for this weekend's 500-lap extravaganza at Martinsville?
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Martin Truex Jr.
(DraftKings $11,400 | FanDuel $14,500 | DK SportsBook +450)
Surely, Martin Truex Jr. enters Martinsville as the favorite to win the race. The No. 19 Toyota has won three of the last four races at the famed paperclip, including the spring race just six months ago.
Of those three victories, Truex has won in dominant fashion (led 464 of 500 laps in the fall of 2019), and has taken the lead late, such as he did in April and leading just 20 laps. Nonetheless, the No. 19 team has been lights out on short tracks over the past two-and-a-half years.
While Truex will need points, a win guarantees him a shot at the championship come Phoenix. Yes, he's expensive this weekend, but there's a good chance he leads a boatload of laps, having led 129+ in three of the last four races at Martinsville.
Denny Hamlin
(DraftKings $10,700 | FanDuel $13,500 | DK SportsBook +650)
Of course, Truex enters Martinsville as the favorite, but Denny Hamlin isn't too far behind. The Virginia native has fantastic numbers at Martinsville, which includes a handful of wins (however, the last came in 2015).
In 31 starts at Martinsville, Hamlin has 22 top-10 finishes, while leading 1,884 laps. In April, the No. 11 Toyota paced the field for 276 big ones, though dropped to third over the final 15 laps of the race. Still, he's earned four top-five results in the last six Martinsville races.
On Sunday, Hamlin will start from third position. Like Truex, playing the No. 11 car is expensive, but more times than not he lives up to the hype at the paperclip.
Ryan Blaney
(DraftKings $9,700 | FanDuel $12,000 | DK SportsBook +700)
For this weekend, Ryan Blaney is an interesting case study. In the last eight races at Martinsville, he's earned five top fives; still looking for that coveted first victory. But, he's always in contention, including 157 laps led in April. Unfortunately in the finishing order, he dropped to 11th.
But after a tough Kansas race last weekend where he earned just one point, Blaney is on the outside looking in entering the final race in the Round of 8. Because of that, he will be points racing for at least the first two stages.
Here's what I do like from Blaney this weekend: He starts eighth, lowest of the playoff drivers. That means, he has the most potential upswing, and it shouldn't shock anyone if he wins on Sunday. After all, 2021 has been his breakout season.
Brad Keselowski
(DraftKings $9,300 | FanDuel $11,000 | DK SportsBook +900)
Entering the playoffs, most people counted Brad Keselowski from getting anywhere close to battling for a championship since he's in a lame duck situation, not returning to Team Penske in 2022. But he and the No. 2 team believed in itself, which is why they're in the current position they in entering the cutoff race.
Despite making two unscheduled pit stops at Kansas last week, Keselowski still gained nine points on the cutline. Now he enters Martinsville with a fighter's chance, six points out. And his Martinsville numbers? Quite sporty, with nine top-five finishes in the last 11 races, including a pair of victories. In the spring 2019 race, the No. 2 car stomped the field, leading 446 laps.
This time around, Keselowski will take the green flag from sixth position. We're in for a boxing match this weekend with how the points are entering the race, so buckle up.
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Matt DiBenedetto
(DraftKings $7,700 | FanDuel $7,800| DK SportsBook +6000)
Now that we've gotten half the playoff field out of the way, let's look at drivers that could either use a big day or have the potential to use a big day. Matt DiBenedetto, specifically, falls into both categories.
DiBenedetto's time at Wood Brothers Racing is coming to an end, with just two races remaining in the season. And currently, his name isn't linked to a certain organization for the 2022 season. That's certainly worrisome for the California native.
On track, it's been a disappointing season for DiBenedetto. The No. 21 team has just nine top-10 finishes through the opening 34 races, tracking down from its 11 earned last year. However, in three starts at Martinsville with Wood Bros., DiBenedetto has a pair of top 10s and finished 12th in April.
Over the years, Team Penske brings its best setups to Martinsville. Being an affiliate Penske team, the No. 21 car will likely be in top-10 contention this weekend. DiBenedetto rolls off 21st, which gives fantasy players room to work with.
Bubba Wallace
(DraftKings $7,600 | FanDuel $7,000 | DK SportsBook +10000)
Over the years, Bubba Wallace has had solid performances at Martinsville, specifically in the Truck Series. Who can forget his first series win back in 2013, when he straight up beat Blaney and Hamlin (both mentioned above). He went on to win at Martinsville again the following season.
Since entering the Cup Series on a full-time basis in 2018, though, it's also been one of, if not his best, track on the circuit. Yes, he finished just 16th in the spring with 23XI Racing, but that came after spending a good chunk of the race inside the top 10. And Martinsville was the site of a few standout performances when he competed at Richard Petty Motorsports, including an 11th-place run last June.
Wallace is a solid choice this weekend, and one that fantasy players will likely jump all over. He does start 17th, however, so it's hard to predict how he will fare compared to his starting position. My bet would be he's battling for a top 10, as the team has found its groove in the second half of the year.
Corey LaJoie
(DraftKings $6,000 | FanDuel $4,000 | DK SportsBook +30000)
Someone else who has shown promise at Martinsville since entering the Cup Series is Corey LaJoie. While running for underfunded Go Fas Racing, he drove the No. 32 car to a pair of 18th-place finishes. For that team, it was equivalent to a top five.
As his first year at Spire Motorsports is winding down, LaJoie has showed continued growth this year. On paper, his lone top 10 -- all the way back at the Daytona 500 -- might not look like it, but he's had more speed than ever before. (Just forget about the last few weeks, as he noted on his podcast this week it's been a tough month).
Martinsville is an equalizer of sorts, oftentimes allowing small teams to be competitive with the Goliaths. It wouldn't be surprising to see the No. 7 car battling for a top 10, such it was at Darlington, another tough track on the circuit. Starting 29th, LaJoie is a no-brainer this week, and is undervalued significantly on FanDuel.
Chris Buescher
(DraftKings $5,900 | FanDuel $5,800 | DK SportsBook +15000)
But of all the drivers that are undervalued this weekend -- and this week it's particularly tough to choose which ones are -- Chris Buescher is near the top of the list. Of late, the No. 17 team has been hitting its stride, which included a third-place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Sure, seven top-10 finishes isn't ideal, but two have come in the last four weeks. Also, Buescher finished 12th at Kansas and was on pace to squeeze out a top-10 run at Texas before getting turned.
Come Sunday, Buescher will start 15th because of a solid run at Kansas. Potentially, that's why he's listed at just $5,900 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel, respectively. In his last nine Martinsville starts, the Texan has five top-15 results, finishing no higher than 11th and no worse than 13th.
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