Fantasy Report: Daytona 500

The Gatorade Duels are over and the 50th running of the Daytona 500 is this Sunday. Here are our fantasy picks for the week.

Erik's picks: Tony Stewart✔, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, Kyle Busch✔, Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears, Michael Waltrip✔, David Reutimann

Brandon's picks: Jimmie Johnson✔, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, Ryan Newman✔, Juan Pablo Montoya, Michael Waltrip✔, David Reutimann

It is hard to pick drivers for this race. Here is why:

• There are multiple lead changes and anyone on the track has a chance to be first when the checkered flag drops.

• In my case I wanted to make “safe” picks. I selected drivers I know have a good chance at finishing towards the front. This is the first race and it's easy to start behind in the fantasy standings and really hard to make up ground over the next few weeks.

• I tried to select drivers that for the most part stay out of “the big one.” This may not be Talladega but one wreck has the potential of taking out several drivers.

Things to look for:

• Dale Jr. has finished well but I am interested to see how he does when championship points are at stake.

• In the past Stewart has not had the best drafting help on superspeedways. Now that he has Kyle Busch to complement his aggressive driving style can it help push Gibbs Racing to a 500 victory?

Duel 1 Results
Duel 2 Results

Disclaimer: Our picks are subject to change and we'll edit this blog to reflect that. The Daytona 500 is different because there are no fantasy points awarded for qualifying. As for the rest of the season, picks can and will often be changed after qualifying.