The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will return to Pennsylvania this weekend for the Overton’s 400 from the Pocono Raceway. After an absolutely wild race at Indianapolis last week, there is a good chance there won’t be as many dramatics this week for the second and final stop at Pocono this season. After breaking down the field for this week’s race, we decided the best approach was to load up on the top contenders and then fill out the remainder of our lineup with strong value options. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings NASCAR Fantasy competitions.
Kyle Busch, $10,500
If Busch didn’t have bad luck then he wouldn’t have any luck. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is still looking for his first win of the season after having another potential victory ripped from his grasp when Martin Truex Jr. wrecked him late in last week’s race. Busch led 87 laps at the Brickyard and while he couldn’t finish the job again he should have another opportunity this weekend. Busch led 100 of the 160 laps in the last race at Pocono earlier this season and he should be motivated again heading in to the final stretch. With the number of races left winding down, Busch will need to ramp up the urgency again this weekend as the sports betting favorite to win the Overton’s 400 and the most expensive option on the DraftKings board.
Martin Truex Jr., $10,300
Truex was right there with Busch at the front of the pack competing for the win when he got loose and took them both out. Truex placed 33rd at the Brickyard, which was the first time he has finished outside of the top-16 since the Talladega race back in May. Truex still leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in playoff points by a wide margin and he should be motivated to get back on track this week. After placing sixth in the first of the two races at Pocono this season, Truex should be in the mix again in this week’s Overton’s 400.
Kyle Larson, $9,700
Larson is another top driver coming off a disappointing outing at the Brickyard. We are banking on that translating in to motivation to bounce back this weekend. Larson followed up back-to-back runner-up finishes at Kentucky and New Hampshire by placing 28th at Indianapolis. Larson has proved his merit by registering top-10 finishes in 12 of his 20 starts this season. He should be a safe pick to round out our list of the top three options on the board for this weekend’s Overton’s 400.
Ty Dillon, $6,700
Dillon hasn’t registered a top-10 finish yet this season. Does that mean he is overdue heading in to this weekend? Dillon hasn’t produced top-tier results but he also hasn’t been terrible with top-20 finishes in three of his last four races overall. After placing 18th in the June race at Pocono, Dillon seems like a safe pick to deliver another top-20 finish again this weekend.
Aric Almirola, $6,600
Almirola appears to be an even better value than Dillon heading in to this week’s race at Pocono. The driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford finished 13th at the Brickyard last week and has been pretty good overall so far this season. Almirola has three top-10 finishes in 13 starts this season and he has finished outside the top-25 only twice. Almirola should be a safe pick again this weekend as another decent value play in DraftKings competitions. We’ll run with him in our lineup.
Chris Buescher, $6,300
Buescher is perhaps the most intriguing value option on the board after he won this race a year ago. The 2016 winner is considered a long shot to repeat at Pocono. However, the fact that he has won this race before makes him an intriguing DraftKings pick at such a low price tag. Buescher is coming off a top-10 finish in last week’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He will be an absolute steal in DraftKings competitions this week if he somehow manages to register another top-10 finish in the Overton’s 400.
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