After a six year stint with Richard Petty Motorsports–Bubba Wallace will be taking over the #43 car in 2018–Aric Almirola will finally get the chance to prove whether or not he has the talent to actually compete in NASCAR’s top series. While the equipment at the Petty camp isn’t the bottom of the barrell, it’s definitely not the cream of the crop either. Many Almirola fans have said the only thing holding him back has been his equipment, and now he’ll be in some of the best in 2018, as Aric is taking over Danica Patrick’s #10 Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing.
Cup Series History
Ever since he’s joined the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, you’ve pretty much known what you’re going to get from him during the 36-race season. In fact, over the last five years, Almirola has posted six or seven top 10 finishes in four of the seasons, including 2016 despite missing seven races thanks to a back injury after a wreck at Kansas. Still, it’s not like Almirola has been a championship contender; in 244 career starts, Aric has just one trip to victory lane (at Daytona back in 2014) and has finished on the lead lap just 53.4% of the time.
Predictions for the Upcoming Season
With the upcoming 2018 season, there’s a lot to like about Aric Almirola from a Fantasy NASCAR perspective. First is the fact that he’s going to be in the best equipment he’s ever been in, and he’s going to have some great teammates to lean on and learn from as well. In addition to that, Almirola closed out the 2017 season on a strong note, with three top 10s in the final six races, and no result worse than 18th over that span, either.
Overall Expectations: I’m actually expecting Aric Almirola to have the best season of his career in 2018. Yes, it’s not that hard to beat an average finish of 17.9, but at the same time, there’s often a lot of growing pains when it comes to a driver joining a different team. With that being said, Stewart-Haas now has a full season under its belt with Ford, and Almirola knows that it’s now or never when it comes to his Cup career. I don’t see why Aric won’t be able to challenge for double-digit top 10s this year.
Can Aric Almirola win a Cup Series race in 2018? It’d be surprising, but not impossible. Almirola did win at Daytona a few years ago, and we all know how the races at restrictor plate tracks play out. The Fords were the best Cup cars at the superspeedways in 2017 and there’s no reason to think that that will change with the upcoming season.
Aric Almirola as a Fantasy Option in 2018
DraftKings: Aric Almirola was one of the lowest-price “good” drivers in DraftKings during the 2017, and while it’s unlikely that he remains that cheap in 2018, it might take DraftKings a while to adjust his salary. There will be a certain point where Aric Almirola will likely be over-priced in the fantasy game, but early on in the 2018 season I think he’ll be a great value in DraftKings.
Season-Long Salary Cap Games: If Aric Almirola is in the bottom tier of pricing with your season-long salary cap game, I think he’s going to be a great value in 2018. If he’s priced as a mid-tier driver, there’s still some value there, but you’re going to have to compare the other drivers surrounding him in the same price range. Almirola has the talent to be competitive in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and now he’s finally getting a chance to show that.
