RADIO
NASCAR is headed to the land of Ditka and deep dish pizza this Sunday and you should expect nothing but high energy racing. Coming off of the first road course race of the season, Martin Truex Jr. is looking hotter than a Chicago dog in the summer heat and is hoping to pull a double victory royale at this track come Sunday.
Last year Kyle Busch bagged the victory at this track and although there's always a possibility for him to slide up and finish P1, I don't think he's going to do it this time. He's always a safe play in fantasy but at this track, there are some others in his way that have performed better in years past.
One big thing you'll notice this week is the switch from FOX to NBC Sports covering the races. Some of the broadcasters you'll be hearing from on Sunday include Rick Allen, Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Get ready for Tom Petty's "Runnin Down A Dream" blaring in your ear holes before the engines start this Sunday.
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DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Martin Truex Jr. #19 (DraftKings $10,900 | FanDuel $14,500)
Truex Jr. has been the truth as of late, except for his engine troubles at Pocono. The man has been on a roll winning four races since Richmond. He is headed to a track where he crossed the checkered line first back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.
Last year, Truex Jr. placed fourth at this track and has been a great fantasy play year after year when in the "CHI". With an average of 69.25 FPTS since 2014, Truex Jr. is a lock at Chicagoland and a stong favorite to take the victory.
Denny Hamlin #11 (DraftKings $8,500 | FanDuel $12,000 )
Be on the lookout for a sweet package from the FedEx man himself this week in your DFS lineups. Since Talladega, Hamlin has been a bit inconsistent with his finishes. The good news is that history shows promise when the number 11 Toyota Camry hits the Windy City.
Hamlin has posted five consecutive Top 10 finishes at Chicagoland since 2014. You can also justify this play with a solid average of 58 FPTS at this track over the past five years. Keep an eye out for Hamlin to be a great value play this Sunday.
Chase Elliott #9 (DraftKings $9,700 | FanDuel $12,500)
Up until the Firekeepers Casino 400, Elliott was posting Top 5 finishes each week. I understand that drivers have their ups and downs, but don't expect that to keep the NAPA Chevy Camaro in a slump for too long. Especially with the hunger to stay competitive in the points race.
Elliott has only ran three races at this track in the Monster Energy Cup series with one not so great finish. In his first two appearances with Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott bagged two Top 5 finishes and has averaged a total of 54.75 FPTS since the start of his pro career.
Brad Keselowski #2 (DraftKings $10,600 | FanDuel $13,000)
Its time to Slam Brad K's once again (Its a Garage Guys thing) in Chicagoland. Keselowski hasn't finished a race outside of the Top 10 at this track since 2010 (super impressive). There's no doubt that this is a perfect week to start the lead Team Penske driver.
Keselowski seems to lose some track position at this race but not enough to make him a threat to your lineups. Keeping your fantasy points is a huge must in this sport and the records show that if all goes to plan Sunday, Keselowski could be the difference maker you need to win some cash.
More NASCAR DFS Analysis
Be sure to also check out this week's Revvin' Up, a weekly video series by Sean Engel focused on previewing every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from DFS perspectives. Sean Engel is a six-time DraftKings NASCAR DFS tournament winner and a 15-year NASCAR veteran.
For any and all fantasy NASCAR questions, find me on Twitter @GarageGuyChase. Good luck RotoBallers!
More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis
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Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.
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