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Chicagoland Yahoo! Fantasy NASCAR Rankings and Strategy Picks

By
Jordan McAbee
-
Photo Credit: Matt Hazlett/Getty Images

After that crazy race at Richmond last weekend, the 2016 Chase field is now set in stone (look for our first round preview this week) and we’re on to the first race: Chicagoland. From a Fantasy NASCAR perspective, the best strategy move from here on out is to roll with the guys fighting for the championship. We like to call it the “Chase Effect,” but for whatever reason, those in the playoffs always perform a little better this time of year and are more trustworthy picks. Also, teams that didn’t make the Chase often use these ten races to test for the 2017 season, and more often than not that doesn’t work out.

Yahoo! A Group Picks and Ranking for Chicagoland

Photo Credit: Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Jonathan Moore/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick (5 starts remaining) – As we mentioned last week, Kevin Harvick is going to be a staple on most of our Yahoo! rosters for the rest of the season. This #4 team added yet another top 5 finish to their record last week at Richmond and now have four in a row over the last month. Harvick is a two-time winner here at Chicagoland and has arguably had the best car here for the last couple of years (big surprise there, right?). In last year’s event, Harvick won the pole and was running up front until that whole incident with Jimmie Johnson happened. Still, he has ended up inside the top 5 in three of the last five races here and will be a contender this weekend. He’s a no-brainer this weekend in our opinion.

Brad Keselowski (7 starts remaining) – We’re sticking with momentum here, and while Denny Hamlin is another driver that could be put into this spot, we’re going to roll with Brad Keselowski. He is also a two-timer winner here at Chicagoland Speedway and is currently on a four-race streak of top 8 finishes at this track. As far as momentum, Keselowski finished 4th at Richmond last week and that makes it four top 5s in the last six Sprint Cup races overall for this #2 team. Brad won each of the last two Chicagoland races during even years (2014, 2012) and should be a contender once again this weekend. Also, Las Vegas is somewhat similarly configured to Chicagoland, and don’t forget who won that race back in March. Yep, Brad Keselowski.

We like Kyle Busch this weekend but we don’t like how that #18 team is running right now. It has now been a month since that #18 Toyota has posted a top 5 finish. His brother, Kurt Busch, was competitive for the first time in a while last weekend at Richmond, but we’re not convinced. Kurt does have four finishes of 8th or better in the last five Chicagoland races, though. Our latest winner, Denny Hamlin, should be a nice pick again this weekend. He’s the defending winner of this race and that #11 team has now finished 9th or better in each of the last eight Sprint Cup races overall. Finally, despite having no wins here, Jimmie Johnson is usually a solid top 5 pick at Chicagoland, but he’s nowhere near trustworthy, and this isn’t the race where you take big risks.

Pre-Lockdown A Group Rankings: (1) Kevin Harvick, (2) Brad Keselowski, (3) Joey Logano, (4) Denny Hamlin, (5) Kyle Busch, (6) Matt Kenseth, (7) Jimmie Johnson, (8) Kurt Busch

Yahoo! B Group Picks and Ranking for Chicagoland

Martin Truex, Jr. and Kevin Harvick racing at Atlanta 2016
Photo Credit: Matt Hazlett/Getty Images

Martin Truex, Jr. (4 starts remaining) – We saved a Truex start at Richmond last weekend and luckily Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne pulled through with top 10 finishes. However, now that the Chase has started, we’re not as worried about saving starts. The #78 team has been bringing rocket ships to the track lately and don’t be surprised if Truex is challenging for another win in this Sunday’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. His record here at Chicagoland isn’t great (just two top 10 finishes in ten starts) but does that really matter with Truex? In this race last year, the #78 Toyota was top 5 good and led 39 laps but ended up finishing 13th due to a bad restart late in the race. For what it’s worth, Kansas Speedway is somewhat similarly configured to Chicagoland and Truex had the best car there back in May.

Austin Dillon (4 starts remaining) – Again, we’re sticking with the Chase drivers. Austin Dillon has actually been one of the most solid mid-tier Fantasy NASCAR options as of late, with nine finishes of 16th or better in the last ten Sprint Cup races overall. Here at Chicagoland, his career average finish of 29.5 might scare some people away, but don’t forget that the #3 Chevrolet was potentially top 10 good here last year before blowing a tire and finishing dead last, and in the 2014 race here, Austin wound up 16th after starting 15th. What we really like about Dillon this week, though, is how he’s ran at similar tracks to Chicagoland: at Las Vegas earlier this year, this #3 team came home 5th, and at Kansas they wound up 6th.

Jamie McMurray (5 starts remaining) – Advice: run the Chase drivers while you can. Jamie McMurray posted his fourth top 10 finish in the last five races at Richmond last weekend and secured his spot in NASCAR’s playoffs at the same time. He’s not a surefire top 10 pick this weekend at Chicagoland but the potential is there. Over the last two races here, Jamie has the 12th-best average driver rating of all active drivers, and he wound up finishing 9th in the 2014 race after leading 32 laps. McMurray probably isn’t going to get the start for us this weekend but he’s a nice backup plan in case two of our other B Group drivers look flat this weekend.

Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey/NASCAR via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey/NASCAR via Getty Images

Kyle Larson (2 starts remaining) – You didn’t think we were going to forget about this guy, did you? Larson once again had a chance to win last week at Richmond and that makes it three straight finishes of 3rd or better for this #42 team. Momentum-wise, there’s not many teams that have more than this group right now–and now we’re going to a race track that Kyle Larson loves. In two starts here at Chicagoland, he has posted finishes of 3rd and 7th, and with the way this team has been running, don’t be surprised if the #42 Chevrolet is challenging for the win once again on Sunday. Larson is excited for this weekend’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, and he should be.

We’re really not even looking at any other B Group drivers this weekend, but if you’re running low on starts with the guys above, there are some solid options. Carl Edwards and that #19 team still seem off to us, and while he will probably be at least top 10 good here on Sunday, we’re going to save those 3 starts we have left. Kasey Kahne has finished 15th or better in seven of the last eight Chicagoland races, and it’s hard to overlook the speed that that #5 team has found lately. He should be a solid top 15 pick once again this week, as long as that team isn’t doing R&D for the other Hendrick drivers or the 2017 season. Ryan Newman is still disappointing on a weekly basis but he does have four top 10s in the last five Chicagoland races if you’re desperate. Finally, Tony Stewart had another rough race at Richmond, and something is definitely up with that team. Smoke has finished 25th and 18th in the last two races here.

Pre-Lockdown B Group Rankings: (1) Martin Truex, Jr. (2) Kyle Larson, (3) Carl Edwards, (4) Jamie McMurray, (5) Austin Dillon, (6) Kasey Kahne, (7) Ryan Newman, (8) Tony Stewart, (9) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (10) Trevor Bayne, (11) Greg Biffle, (12) Danica Patrick, (13) Aric Almirola, (14) Paul Menard, (15) A.J. Allmendinger, (16) Casey Mears, (17) Clint Bowyer

Yahoo! C Group Picks and Ranking for Chicagoland

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

There’s ten races left, and we have 3 starts remaining with Chase Elliott and 6 starts remaining with Ryan Blaney, so we’re going with those two this weekend. The other viable option this weekend is Alex Bowman, who is back in the #88 Chevrolet, but considering we’re no longer in extreme start save mode, we don’t see the point in reaching with him. Neither Elliott or Blaney have made a Sprint Cup start here at Chicagoland, but at tracks similar to here (Las Vegas and Kansas), Blaney finished 6th and 5th while Elliott ended up 38th and 9th. Unless you’re really low on starts, those two of those three guys should make your roster, but if you need to go deeper, Chris Buescher is the only other driver worth a shot this weekend. He should be top 25 good on Sunday.

Pre-Lockdown C Group Rankings: (1) Chase Elliott, (2) Ryan Blaney, (3) Alex Bowman, (4) Chris Buescher, (5) Regan Smith, (6) Michael McDowell, (7) Landon Cassill, (8) Brian Scott, the rest

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Optimal Richmond 2 DraftKings Lineups

By
Jordan McAbee
-
Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Last week at Darlington, the race ended up being an attrition event, making low-dollar DraftKings drivers great picks in the end, as guys like Chris Buescher and Regan Smith put up a bunch of FPTS. With this weekend’s Federated Auto Parts 400, however, we don’t expect that to happen, as Richmond just isn’t that type of track. With the last two late-summer races here, we have seen dominating performances, but there’s no clear-cut favorite to do that here on Saturday night. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, though. There’s a few drivers that qualified deep in the field so we need to build around those guys.

Posts to Read: Drivers to Target at Richmond 2 — Drivers to Avoid at Richmond 2

As usual, we may add a few more lineups throughout the day.

Lineup #1

With Lineup #1, we’re hoping for max place differential FPTS with Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott. With Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex, Jr., we’re trying to capture as many laps led and fastest lap bonus FPTS as possible if our hunch is right and the #78 Toyota is good enough to lead here on Saturday night. We still think Kenseth will lead the most laps. As far as Aric Almirola and David Ragan go, we just hope they can maintain their starting spot (for the most part) and not lose too many points by falling back–fingers crossed. If you look at the short track races this season, Ragan usually finishes in the high 20s. We just wish he didn’t start 21st on Saturday night.

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[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27190″ custompost_name=”Martin Truex, Jr.” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27190″ custompost_name=”Martin Truex, Jr.” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27190″ custompost_name=”Martin Truex, Jr.” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27791″ custompost_name=”David Ragan” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27791″ custompost_name=”David Ragan” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27791″ custompost_name=”David Ragan” element=”skillsets”]

Lineup #2

Lineup #2 is essentially just Lineup #1 except we swapped out Martin Truex, Jr. and David Ragan for Jimmie Johnson and Landon Cassill. With Cassill starting way back in 32nd, if he can manage to make his way up to 26th or so, he should be one of the higher scoring drivers under the $6,000 mark this week. Jimmie Johnson burned us big time at Darlington last weekend but he’s currently on a four-race streak of top 10 finishes here at Richmond and he looked good on both ten-lap average charts on Friday. He starts 10th on Saturday night so there’s some room for place differential FPTS.

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[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26762″ custompost_name=”Landon Cassill” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26762″ custompost_name=”Landon Cassill” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26762″ custompost_name=”Landon Cassill” element=”skillsets”]

Lineup #3

We’re throwing up a hail mary here, coach. Brian Scott was actually looking like a very nice DraftKings play last weekend before he wrecked. He starts 35th tonight so if he can get that car home in one piece, there’s some FPTS potential there. Taking that $5,100 salary allows us to jump up and grab Paul Menard instead of Aric Almirola. The former starts 30th so if he can make his way up to about 26th or better, that’ll be a good trade off. Menard has four top 20s in his last seven races here.

[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26845″ custompost_name=”Kevin Harvick” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26845″ custompost_name=”Kevin Harvick” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26845″ custompost_name=”Kevin Harvick” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27837″ custompost_name=”Paul Menard” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27837″ custompost_name=”Paul Menard” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27837″ custompost_name=”Paul Menard” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27402″ custompost_name=”Brian Scott” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27402″ custompost_name=”Brian Scott” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27402″ custompost_name=”Brian Scott” element=”skillsets”]

Lineup #4

If you’re looking to fade Kevin Harvick, here’s a Lineup for you. We initially had Denny Hamlin instead of Joey Logano, but we really think that it’s going to be Matt Kenseth that leads the most laps in this race. Joey Logano qualified 12th for tonight’s race but should be solidly inside the top 10 when the green flag waves. As far as Danica Patrick goes, she probably should have made our Drivers to Target list this weekend. She starts 29th but has finished between 16th and 25th in each of the last four Richmond races, and don’t forget that she started 36th and ended up 19th at Phoenix earlier this year.

[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26753″ custompost_name=”Joey Logano” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26753″ custompost_name=”Joey Logano” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26753″ custompost_name=”Joey Logano” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27837″ custompost_name=”Paul Menard” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27837″ custompost_name=”Paul Menard” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27837″ custompost_name=”Paul Menard” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” element=”skillsets”]

Lineup #5

Here’s a Lineup to fade Chase Elliott. His ownership percentage should be incredibly high on Saturday night, and that’s going to take a lot of teams out if he gets in a wreck or something early. You can jump up and grab Denny Hamlin or Martin Truex, Jr. instead of Jimmie Johnson with this one, but we have Johnson ranked just a bit higher than those two on Saturday night. If Hamlin can go out and lead 100+ laps from the pole tonight, though, he’d probably be the better pick in that spot.

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[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27192″ custompost_name=”Matt Kenseth” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26849″ custompost_name=”Jimmie Johnson” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26864″ custompost_name=”Greg Biffle” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26864″ custompost_name=”Greg Biffle” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26864″ custompost_name=”Greg Biffle” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”skillsets”]

Lineup #6

ADDED AT 1:15 pm. If the race plays out where neither Matt Kenseth or Denny Hamlin lead 100+ laps, then the smart move is going to be to fade them. Ownership percentages should be pretty high, and if there’s many different leaders in this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400, they won’t be the smartest plays. This is the first Lineup that we have Kyle Busch on, but he’s going to score a bunch of FPTS tonight. The reason he hasn’t been on any Lineup thus far is because we like Kevin Harvick better and the latter is only $100 more. Still, Rowdy Busch starts 9th so there’s a little bit of place differential potential there. This is also the first mention of Austin Dillon for us this weekend. He starts 8th but if he can come home in the top 12, there’s hope for a high-20s FPTS night out of the #3 Chevrolet.

[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26845″ custompost_name=”Kevin Harvick” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26845″ custompost_name=”Kevin Harvick” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26845″ custompost_name=”Kevin Harvick” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27186″ custompost_name=”Kyle Busch” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27186″ custompost_name=”Kyle Busch” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27186″ custompost_name=”Kyle Busch” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”26764″ custompost_name=”Chase Elliott” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27951″ custompost_name=”Austin Dillon” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27951″ custompost_name=”Austin Dillon” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27951″ custompost_name=”Austin Dillon” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27196″ custompost_name=”Danica Patrick” element=”skillsets”]
[TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” style=”style3″ show_grayscale=”false” show_effects=”false” show_lightbox=”false”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”name”][TS_VCSC_Team_Page_Elements team_member=”27793″ custompost_name=”Aric Almirola” element=”skillsets”]

Lineup #7

ADDED AT 5:00 pm. Here’s one Lineup that we had to look at a couple of times to make sure we could actually afford it. Casey Mears is one driver that could go under the radar this week, but don’t forget that he was fastest in Happy Hour on Friday. He starts 26th and if he can move up into 22nd or so we’ll be happy. Jeff Gordon is one of those drivers that qualified pretty well (11th) but at the same time he should finish up there as well. You can go either Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick with this Lineup, as you can with most of the others above.

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DraftKings NASCAR Drivers to Target at Richmond 2

By
Jordan McAbee
-
Photo Credit: Jonathan Moore/Getty Images

Our initial reaction after looking at the DraftKings prices this weekend as well as practice speeds and qualifying results was that this is going to be a tough race to put together a good roster. All of the best drivers for Saturday night’s race cost so much money that we’re going to have to decide which ones are the best and then build around them and strategically pick the lower-dollar guys. There’s just one problems: the pickings are slim down there. When you throw in the fact that this weekend’s race could end up being very unpredictable in the end, it might pay off to go against you initial thoughts when it comes to some drivers on Saturday night.

High-Dollar DraftKings Drivers to Target at Richmond 2 ($9,600 or above)

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images

Kevin Harvick ($10,700) – The highest-priced driver is going to have a pretty high draft percentage this weekend, and for good reason: Harvick will roll off the grid from 19th when this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400 goes green on Saturday night. This might be concerning to some people considering we’re racing at a short, 0.75-mile race track, but, believe it or not, passing isn’t terribly difficult here at Richmond and Kevin Harvick has a great car to do that. His short run speed might not be there but as far as long run speed, the #4 Chevrolet is probably one of the best cars in the garage heading into Saturday. Harvick should definitely be a top 5 threat for this weekend’s race, and we actually have him as one of the potential race winners despite the poor qualifying effort. He’s finished inside the top 5 in three of the last four races here, by the way. We should see a huge FPTS score out of Harvick this weekend, and although we wouldn’t really recommend it, there is a fade opportunity here if the #4 team runs into trouble during the race.

Carl Edwards ($10,000) – Kyle Busch is another high-dollar driver that should have a very solid night here on Saturday night, but we’re going to spend some time talking about Carl Edwards here. If you remember back to the race here in April, he led the most laps (151) and ended up in victory lane after starting 4th. This time around, Carl will have a little more work to do (he starts 13th on Saturday night), but that #19 Toyota is more than capable of coming away with a top 5 finish in this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400. One thing we really like about Carl this weekend–in addition to being the most recent winner here–is the fact that he almost won at Phoenix, which is kind of similar to Richmond. As far as ten-lap average goes, Edwards was 3rd on that chart in Practice #1 on Friday and ended up with the best ten-lap average in Happy Hour that afternoon. He disappointed big time at Darlington last weekend but Carl Edwards is poised for a huge bounce back this weekend at Richmond.

Matt Kenseth smiling in garage
Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images

Matt Kenseth ($9,900) – The #20 Toyota absolutely dominated this race one year ago and we’re hoping that Matt Kenseth has a similar car with him this weekend. He qualified 3rd for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400, and if Kenseth is as fast as we think he is this weekend, he could put up a huge week in DraftKings. Honestly, we have the lap leader coming down to either him or pole sitter Denny Hamlin, and we’ll get to the latter here soon. Kenseth has finished 7th or better in seven of the last eight Richmond races and he should easily make it eight of the last nine this weekend. He ranked 2nd in ten-lap average during the Happy Hour practice session and whenever Matt Kenseth qualifies up front and practices well, the competition typically takes notice.

Mid-Dollar DraftKings Drivers to Target at Richmond 2 (between $7,500 and $9,500)

Denny Hamlin ($9,500) – For whatever reason, whenever Denny Hamlin comments on his race car, he tends to perform the opposite during the actual race. For example, last weekend at Darlington, the #11 team quit practice early because they didn’t think they could make the car any better. Hamlin came home 4th in that race but it wasn’t the dominant car that we were expecting. This weekend, Denny is one the pole but when he was interviewed after qualifying it seemed as though he had absolutely no faith in the #11 Toyota on Saturday night. Now watch, he’ll probably go out and dominate this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400. As we said before, we think the laps led leader will either be Matt Kenseth or Denny Hamlin, and while our gut says the former, the #11 Toyota is fast enough to score a bunch of FPTS on Saturday night. Hamlin was 3rd in ten-lap average during final practice on Friday and has finished 6th in each of the last two Richmond races. He’s going to need to lead quite a few laps to make it worth rostering him, but he has a car capable of doing so.

Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Martin Truex, Jr. ($9,300) – This is nowhere near a guarantee to happen, but we could definitely see Martin Truex, Jr. adding to his laps led total this weekend at Richmond. After his win at Darlington last weekend, Truex has now led 1,041 laps this season, which is by far his best in his career thus far. He’s only led a total of 48 laps here at Richmond in his twenty-one career starts but that could easily change here on Saturday night. That #78 Toyota has Gibbs and Toyota power and they are really going to shine in the Federated Auto Parts 400. Truex will start 6th once the green flag waves on Saturday night but he has a car that could challenge for the win depending on how the race plays out. In addition to having the 2nd-best ten-lap average during Practice #1 on Friday, Truex ranked 5th on that chart in Happy Hour. He has just one top 5 finish here at Richmond but could very well grab a second this weekend.

Chase Elliott ($8,400) – Hello place differential FPTS! The #24 Chevrolet was absolute garbage all day on Friday and because of that Chase Elliott will be starting back in 34th when the Federated Auto Parts 400 goes green on Saturday night. We see nothing but points racking up, though. This kid is still not locked into the Chase, but he basically is so he needs to go out and at least finish this race–and you can bet your ass that Rick Hendrick will make sure that that #24 machine is a totally different car come race day. Chase has made two Sprint Cup starts here and has ended up 12th and 16th. While we don’t see him finishing that high this weekend, we also wouldn’t put it past him, either. A 20th-place effort out of Chase on Saturday night is going to give us 38+ FPTS, and for that reason we view him as a must own in DraftKings this weekend.

Low-Dollar DraftKings Drivers to Target at Richmond 2 (under $7,500)

EDIT: After analyzing everything overnight, we realized Danica Patrick should have been included on this list. Check out our Optimal Lineups post (specifically #4) to see why.

Paul Menard ($6,500) – Despite having a pretty rough 2016 season, Paul Menard has actually been quite valuable in DraftKings over the last couple of months, scoring at least 29 FPTS in six of the last eight races overall. And thanks to his 30th-place qualifying effort here at Richmond on Friday, he only needs to finish around 22nd on Saturday night to turn that into seven of the last nine. As far as the chances of that happening, we’d say they are relatively high–at least more than 50%. The #27 Chevrolet ranked 19th-fastest on the overall speed chart during Happy Hour on Friday and was 21st-best in terms of ten-lap average. Here at Richmond, Menard has ended up 22nd or better in six of the last nine events, including three of the last four. And at just $6,500 this week, he makes an excellent low-dollar option so we can afford those big dogs up top.

Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Aric Almirola ($6,100) – There’s a lot to like about Aric Almirola and he’s about the cheapest we’re willing to go this weekend with any ounce of confidence. Yeah, you could reach down and take a guy like David Ragan or Landon Cassill to fill out your roster, but that’s the racing world equivalent of throwing crap at a wall and seeing what sticks. Back to Almirola. This is probably his best track on the NASCAR circuit, as he owns a career average finish of 16.9 here over his nine total starts. Aric came home 4th in this race last year and that actually makes it two top 10 finishes in a row for him in the September Richmond race. He also hasn’t finished worse than 21st here since the 2012 season. On Saturday night, Almirola will roll off the grid from 23rd, so while he’s probably not going to score many place differential FPTS, he might be able to get you a mid-20s score. Down in this price range, that’s about all we can hope for.

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Richmond 2 Final Yahoo! Fantasy NASCAR Rankings and Picks

By
Jordan McAbee
-
Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

One thing is for sure this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, and that is this: not much is certain. We pretty much know who the sixteen Chase drivers are going to be (those on the outside looking in are going to need a win) but as far as the overall race goes, there’s not really a clear favorite. Both practice sessions on Friday were held during the middle of the day, and that’s great but the race isn’t until Saturday night. Also, this is a short track, so simply looking at lap times doesn’t do a whole lot. We barely even looked at individual laps, instead focusing on the ten-lap averages in both sessions. There’s going to be comers and goers here on Saturday night and probably quite a few lap leaders as well.

Our official Fantasy Racing Online Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing team escaped Darlington with a 320-point week and we’re going to take that and run. With one week left in the summer segment, we’re up to the 78th percentile overall and looking four our fourth 300+ point week in the last four races here at Richmond on Saturday night.

Yahoo! A Group Pick and Final Rankings for Richmond 2

Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images

This is a pretty easy choice for us. Our two A Group drivers are Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick this weekend, and they qualified 3rd and 19th, respectively. And while we do think Kevin Harvick could actually challenge for the win here on Saturday night, we have to go with Matt Kenseth as our starter, and for a couple of reasons. All of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have speed this weekend, and chances are the most laps led title is going to come down to Kenseth or pole sitter Denny Hamlin. The #20 Toyota was slightly better in Happy Hour on the ten-lap average chart, though, and let’s not forget that Kenseth absolutely dominated this race one year ago. We’ll gladly ride into the Chase with 5 Kevin Harvick starts left and use one of our 7 Matt Kenseth starts here on Saturday night.

We really don’t see a reason to go any lower than the top 4 drivers listed below. Denny Hamlin is on the pole and has a great car–as mentioned before–and you can never count out Kyle Busch at this race track. Chances are this race is going to come down to one of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas unless Kevin Harvick can get track position late. We have the Penske Fords of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski inside the top 10 for this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400, but something just seems off with both of them this weekend. It’s not very often that both of those cars qualifying outside of the top 10, and Logano looked terrible during the practice sessions on Friday. If there’s any team that can make a car great during the actual race, though, it’s that #22 bunch.

Final A Group Rankings: (1) Denny Hamlin, (2) Matt Kenseth, (3) Kevin Harvick, (4) Kyle Busch, (5) Joey Logano, (6) Brad Keselowski, (7) Jimmie Johnson, (8) Kurt Busch

Yahoo! B Group Picks and Final Rankings for Richmond 2

Photo Credit: Bobby Ellis/NASCAR via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Bobby Ellis/NASCAR via Getty Images

Well, qualifying couldn’t have went much better for us this weekend, as our goal was to start Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne in the B Group at Richmond. They qualified 4th and 7th, and while there’s a little bit of risk in starting both of them, we’re willing do so. The thing with Jamie McMurray is that he is going to be points racing, so the #1 team is going to have a very conservative game plan here on Saturday night. That could work out to a top 10 finish–which the #1 Chevrolet is plenty capable of speed-wise–but more likely than not it will be a top 15. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne is going to pull out all the stops to try and win and get into this year’s Chase, and that can either be very good or very bad for us. We’ll cross our fingers and hope that #5 team has something go right for them for the first time in a while. So those two drivers (Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne) will for sure be our starters on Saturday night.

As far as our two benched B Group drivers, we will have Martin Truex, Jr. and Ryan Newman taking up those spots. It’s very hard to sit Truex this weekend because there were quite a few people in the garage pointing to the #78 Toyota during Happy Hour on Friday, but we’re going to save our 4 starts left with him and hope he doesn’t go out there and win another race. It’s worth noting that Truex has just one top 5 finish in twenty-one career starts here at Richmond, but he definitely has a car capable of getting a second one here this weekend. Ryan Newman is our other B Group driver and while he should be good for a finish between 10th and 15th, we didn’t quite see the speed out of the #31 Chevrolet on Friday to justify a start. He’s another one of those drivers that probably needs a win to get into this year’s Chase.

Austin Dillon taking off his helmet
Photo Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

Kyle Larson starts on the outside pole this weekend, and while that #42 team has been on fire as of late, we honestly barely have him inside of the top 10 heading into Saturday night’s race. The thing is, Larson is a lot better at putting one fast lap down here at Richmond than he is at being fast for a race run, and that’s going to hurt him on Saturday. He’s finished between 11th and 16th in all five career starts here, though. Austin Dillon is one guy we’ve had our eye on this week as a sleeper, and he didn’t disappoint in qualifying, ending up 8th. Phoenix is somewhat similar to Richmond and Austin ended up 9th there back in March, so he could possibly sneak in a top 10 finish here on Saturday night. The #3 Chevrolet had top 15 speed in Happy Hour on Friday and don’t forget that Dillon has ended up 12th or better in four of the last six Sprint Cup races overall. Another sleeper this week is Trevor Bayne, who posted a career-best finish of 17th here back in April and sounded really happy with his #6 Ford on Friday. He qualified 18th for this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400 and was 14th on the ten-lap average chart in Happy Hour.

Final B Group Rankings: (1) Carl Edwards, (2) Martin Truex, Jr. (3) Kyle Larson, (4) Jamie McMurray, (5) Kasey Kahne, (6) Ryan Newman, (7) Austin Dillon, (8) Tony Stewart, (9) Trevor Bayne, (10) A.J. Allmendinger, (11) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., (12) Greg Biffle, (13) Aric Almirola, (14) Paul Menard, (15) Danica Patrick, (16) Casey Mears, (17) Clint Bowyer

Yahoo! C Group Pick and Final Rankings for Richmond 2

Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Chase Elliott wound up qualifying 34th for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400, and unfortunately for us, Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing doesn’t award points based on place differential. We think he will eventually end up inside the top 20 on Saturday night, but it’s not worth the risk and the wasted start when we have Jeff Gordon as our other option. Gordon has been a rock solid top 15 finisher in pretty much every race he has ran this season, and that is true for this weekend’s event as well. He has finished inside the top 10 in each of the last five races here, and while we don’t expect that out of Gordon on Saturday night, it’s certainly possible. Ryan Blaney qualified 20th for this weekend’s race and that’s honestly right around where we have him finishing as well.

Final C Group Rankings: (1) Jeff Gordon, (2) Ryan Blaney, (3) Chase Elliott, (4) David Ragan, (5) Chris Buescher, (6) Regan Smith, (7) Landon Cassill, (8) Brian Scott, the rest

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DraftKings NASCAR Drivers to Avoid at Richmond 2

By
Jordan McAbee
-
Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey/NASCAR via Getty Images

Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 has the potential to be a very wacky race. This is the final race of the regular season, which means there are plenty of teams that will be looking for any trick in the book to try and steal a win to make the Chase. And then you have those already locked into NASCAR’s playoffs, who might be looking to steal a win and get some bonus points for the Chase, or could possibly be in test mode. In other words, don’t be taken aback if we see a few surprise high finishers (as well as disappointing performances) on Saturday night.

We aren’t using our categories for drivers to avoid this weekend because pretty much everyone on our list falls into the same one: “Over-Qualified.” All of the top-dollar drivers should be the near the top of the scoring list here on Saturday night, and there’s really no one driver that we can think of that should be totally avoided.

DraftKings Drivers to Avoid for the Richmond Federated Auto Parts 400

Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Kurt Busch ($8,600) – Yep, he’s on here again. Kurt Busch qualified 5th for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 and that immediately took him off of our radar as far as our DraftKings lineups are concerned. The thing is, the #41 Chevrolet showed more speed on Friday than we have seen in a while, but we’re sticking with our guns here. The fact of the matter is that over the last eleven Sprint Cup races overall, Kurt Busch has just one finish better than 10th, and that was his 4th-place run in the fuel mileage race at Kentucky. Here at Richmond, Kurt did go to victory lane in the spring race last season, but he finished 15th in this race one year ago and wound up 10th here back in April. The #41 Chevrolet might have enough speed for a top 10 run here on Saturday night, but even if Kurt winds up finishing 10th, that’s just 29 base FPTS due to his starting position.

Kyle Larson ($9,000) – Say it isn’t so. Kyle Larson has been a gold mine in DraftKings over the last couple of weeks but there’s a reason we’re not touching him here at Richmond on Saturday night. First of all, he qualified 2nd. That’s great for him and makes him a viable option in many other Fantasy NASCAR leagues, but as far as DraftKings goes, it’s a kiss of death. The truth is–and Kyle will even admit this–Larson isn’t that great of a short track racer. Making one fast lap here in qualifying is entirely different than being a challenger during actual race conditions. The #42 Chevrolet showed decent speed during the practice sessions here at Richmond on Friday, but not the type of speed that will have Larson getting laps led and fastest lap FPTS on Saturday night. His career-best finish here in five starts has been 11th, and while Kyle does have a good chance at besting that this weekend, he’s not worth the risk in DraftKings. At best we’re looking at a low 30s score out of Larson in this race and that’s not good enough to justify the $9,000 price tag.

Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Tony Stewart ($8,200) – And just like that, Tony Stewart has three straight finishes outside of the top 20. We don’t know whether all of those good runs that this #14 team were having this summer were just good luck or what, but this is an entirely different team right now. This is the Tony Stewart that us Fantasy NASCAR players were accustomed to last season. This weekend, the #14 Chevrolet was middle-of-the-road good during the practice sessions and seemed to have better short run speed than long run potential. That’s not going to help Smoke on Saturday night. As far as his record here at Richmond, Tony used to be one of the best fantasy picks in the garage, but over his last six starts at this track his best finish has been 15th, and in half of those races, Stewart finished 25th or worse. Smoke qualified 14th for this year’s Federated Auto Parts 400 but he might have a hard time even coming up even in the place differential category. We’ll pass.

Jamie McMurray ($7,500) – All Jamie McMurray needs to do to punch his ticket to the Chase this weekend is finish in the top 20. He got off to a great start here on Friday by qualifying 4th, and while there are a couple reasons to take a chance on him with your DraftKings lineups this weekend (we’ll get to that soon), we’re going to stay away from the #1 Chevrolet. First off, McMurray is going to be points racing in the Federated Auto Parts 400. He’s not going to be aggressive, and more than likely he’s going to let other drivers pass him if he gets in a tight situation. So while he may have a top 10 car for this weekend’s race, that has to bump him down a few notches. One reason you might want to take the risk with McMurray and his 4th-place starting spot, however, is his three 4th-place finishes in the last six Richmond races. The #1 Chevrolet has pretty good speed this weekend, but not that good. With that being said, you never know what Jamie will do with track position. He’d have to finish 9th or better to score 30+ FPTS on Saturday night, and while it is possible, we just don’t see it happening.

Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/NASCAR via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/NASCAR via Getty Images

Kasey Kahne ($7,600) – Kasey Kahne needs a win here on Saturday night if he wants to make the Chase, and we’re sorry but “good luck” and “Kasey Kahne” are two phrases that simply do not belong in the same sentence. The good news for fantasy owners is that this #5 team has been running better than normal as of late, with four top 15 finishes in the last five Sprint Cup races overall, including that impressive 7th-place run at Darlington last weekend. Additionally, Kahne finished 4th here at Richmond when we ran here back in April, and that’s his second straight top 10 in the early-season race here. The bad news is that Kahne qualified 7th for this weekend’s Federated Auto Parts 400 and probably has a 12th-place car (at best) going into race day. So even if he ends up finishing that high you’re giving up 5 FPTS right off the bat. Additionally, Kahne hasn’t finished better than 12th in the September event here at Richmond since way back in 2007 season, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change this weekend. This isn’t an “avoid like the plague” notice, and if Kahne fits into one of your lineups and you’re okay with a high-20s FPTS score out of him, then he might be worth it. Don’t forget that this team needs a win, so they will be pulling every trick to be in position to accomplish that. That’s typically very good or very bad for fantasy owners.

Chris Buescher ($6,700) – Chris Buescher has, more often than not, turned out to be a great DraftKings driver over the last couple of months. This is the weekend he’s probably going to come down to earth a little bit, though. Buescher qualified 31st for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400, so his ownership percentage is going to be quite high considering the potential for place differential FPTS. However, we think that’s some fools gold hope. These Richmond races typically don’t turn into attrition events, and as far as this race track, Buescher hasn’t quite figured it out yet. His first start here was back in April and he ended up finishing 34th that day after starting 33rd. And back in March at Phoenix–a track somewhat similar to Richmond–he started 32nd and finished 30th. As far as practice times this weekend, the #34 Ford was 26th-fastest in the first session and 28th-fastest in Happy Hour. We’re not guaranteeing a bad finish out of Buescher here on Saturday night, but it wouldn’t surprise us if he missed the Chase, and that’s all we’re going to say. He makes a perfect fade opportunity in DraftKings.

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