Comments: NASCAR Picks for Talladega

Break out your lucky charm of choice. The Cup Series is heading to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, and thanks to the horsepower-robbing restrictor plates used at the track, multi-car wrecks are just waiting to destroy fantasy lineups. Plain and simple: Talladega is on par with Daytona as the biggest fantasy headache on the schedule, and there just isn't a fool proof strategy to handle the chaos that can ensue at the track. That being said, there is nothing wrong with minimizing the potential damage, particularly in leagues that cap the number of times each driver can be used, including Yahoo! leagues.

I highly recommend relying heavily on sleeper options rather than big names. Every driver on the track has an equal chance of getting caught up in a wreck; on the flip side, just about every driver that survives the wrecks has a chance at getting a solid finish. In other words, a lineup of stars and a lineup of underdogs have an equal chance of producing a solid day. With that in mind, there really isn't a big need to risk wasting starts from the top drivers in the series.

1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Nationwide Insurance/Mountain Dew
2. Matt Kenseth, DeWalt
3. Kyle Busch, M&M's
4. Greg Biffle, KFC
5. Brad Keselowski, Miller Lite/Discount Tires
6. Kevin Harvick, Jimmy Johns/Busch Beer
7. David Ragan, Snap Fitness
8. Carl Edwards, Arris/Stanley
9. Jimmie Johnson, Lowe's/Kobalt Tools
10. Clint Bowyer, Mobil 1
11. Jeff Gordon, Nationwide Insurance
12. Jamie McMurray, McDonald's/Cessna
13. David Gilliland, Carquest Auto Parts
14. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Fastenal/Fifth Third Bank
15. Brian Vickers, TBA
16. Martin Truex, Jr., Furniture Row
17. Tony Stewart, Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
18. Paul Menard, Menards/Motorcraft
19. Ryan Newman, Caterpillar
20. Denny Hamlin, FedEx
21. Kasey Kahne, Procore
22. Michael Waltrip, Aaron's Dream Machine
23. Aric Almirola, Smithfield Foods
24. Kurt Busch, Monster Energy/Haas Automation
25. Joey Logano, Shell-Pennzoil
26. Austin Dillon, Dow Chemical
27. Kyle Larson, CreditOne/DC Solar
28. A.J. Allmendinger, Kroger
29. Marcos Ambrose, Stanley/Dewalt Power Tools
30. Trevor Bayne, AdvoCare