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Chris Durell brings you DraftKings fantasy NASCAR advice, DFS lineups picks and sleepers analysis for the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona International Speedway
Welcome back to another week of daily fantasy NASCAR with Rotoballer. This week the Sprint Cup series makes the trip back to Daytona Beach for the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona International Speedway. The track is 2.5 mile Tri Oval Superspeedway and is one of the two tracks(Talladega being the other) that use restrictor plates on the engine to reduce the top speeds. More than ever drivers on the "plate tracks" are using side drafting as NASCAR, over time, has limited the space on the front and rear of the cars that allows the cars to connect up and travel as a tandem. The force of multiple cars within inches of each will often cause "The Big One" that can easily take out 10-20 cars in one foul swoop.
Due to the nature of plate racing and uncertainty of the next big wreck it is best to focus on GPP tournaments for DFS this week. No one is safe here making it hard to put together a cash game lineup. Also, both practice sessions were cancelled on Thursday due to, you guessed it, more inclement weather. Qualifying will take place on Friday afternoon, assuming the weather smartens up. Let's take a look at some picks.
If you have any questions leading up to the race be sure to join the conversation in the chat below. I will also be sharing a link to a cheatsheet I developed and use weekly to help reduce research time. The cheatsheet includes driver salaries, track history(last 5 years), current form(last 5 races), Season Loop Data, and I also provide updated practice and qualifying rankings with a weighted system to rank all drivers. The cheatsheet will and lineup swill be updated throughout the weekend so be sure to follow me on Twitter and check your emails for lineup updates. Check out the link in the chat room below and feel free to ask me any questions leading up to the race.
Daily Fantasy NASCAR: DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Harvick - $10,300
If you are playing GPP's this week and looking to gain an edge you should consider fading Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes he is the defending champion of this race and probably the best plate racer in NASCAR but hear me out. From a game theory perspective it makes sense to fade him as he will most likely be 30%+ owned and isn't have much luck at plate races this year with finishes of 36th at the Daytona 500 and 40th at Talladega. Take the short trip down the salary and get Harvick in your lineup. He has four Top 5's and six Top 10 finishes here at Daytona in the last five years(10 races) and has been the most consistent driver in NASCAR. He has on e win, seven Top 5's and 13 Top 10's and has only finished outside the Top 15 once with a 17th place finish at Martinsville.
Jimmie Johnson - $10,100
Jimmie makes another great pivot off Dale Jr. this week sitting third in salary. Jimmie sits right behind Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart in career wins at Daytona with three with two Daytona 500 wins and one Coke Zero 400 win. In the last five years(10 races) he has recorded two wins and five Top 5 finishes with 218 laps led(3rd in the field). Jimmie will look to get back on track this week after finishing six f the last seven races outside the Top 10.
Tony Stewart - $8,300
After missing a large chunk of the season due to injury Tony's chances of making the Chase for the Sprint looked pretty slim. Like Kyle Busch last season he would need a win and to finish the regular season inside the Top 30 in points. He took care of one of those last week with a huge win at Sonoma and sits just 21 points behind that all important 30th position in the standings. Look for Tony to carry the momentum over to Daytona where he returns with some great track history. He is tied with Dale Jr. as the two lead all active drivers with four Daytona wins.
Regan Smith - $6,000
If stars and scrubs is your flavor this week you can do much worse than Regan Smith in the bottom tier this week. His last three Daytona starts have resulted in a 8th, 16th and 7th place finish so it is fair to see he knows how to race here. He also presents added value if he continues to qualify outside the Top 25 with the potential bonus points from place differential. He will also be low owned this week with a few other values in this range or just above.
Also Consider - Trevor Bayne
DFS & Fantasy NASCAR Chat Room
If you have any questions leading up to the race hit me up in the chat below!
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