The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pennsylvania this week for the first of two races at Pocono Raceway in the Pocono 400. The “Tricky Triangle” will put the skill sets of the drivers in this week’s field to the test with plenty of room on the track to move around. Kurt Busch won this race in 2016. However, there hasn’t been a repeat winner in the Pocono 400 since Jeff Gordon did it in 1996 and 1997. We took the time to break down the DraftKings price tags and relative driver values in order to deliver what should be a winning fantasy roster for this week’s race. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings NASCAR fantasy competitions.
Martin Truex Jr., $10,400
Truex leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings and he has finished nine of the 13 races in the top-10. The fact that he is available for less than Kyle Larson and Jimmie Johnson heading in to this race should tell you something about his value. The No. 78 car has had some success at this track in the past including when Truex won this race in 2015. Truex has been the most consistent driver in the Cup Series this season and he should contend for the outright win again this weekend at Pocono Raceway.
Brad Keselowski, $10,000
Keselowski has dealt with some bad luck of late but he has performed well at the Tricky Triangle in the past and a return to Pocono should help him get back on track. Keselowski finished third in the June race and second in the August race at this track last year. Experience will certainly count for a lot this week so count on Keselowski to contend for the outright win while expecting no less than a top-five finish in the Pocono 400.
Kurt Busch, $8,400
Busch hasn’t been the most consistent driver this season but he did win the Daytona 500 and he did win this race last year. There hasn’t been a repeat winner of this race in 20 years but even if Busch doesn’t pick up the victory he should be a strong value pick. Busch has three-career wins at Pocono and he has finished four of his last seven races at this track in the top-five. At just $8.4K, Busch is an excellent value pick in DraftKings competitions.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., $7,800
Speaking of value, Dale Jr. is showing signs of improvement after finishing 10th at Charlotte and 11th last week at Dover. Earnhardt has a series-best 5.6 average finishing position and the fifth-best driver rating over the last four races at Pocono so he has an excellent opportunity to continue that trend this week. At under $8K, Dale Jr. should actually be an excellent value option in this week’s DraftKings formats.
Austin Dillon, $7,400
Nobody expects Dillon to win the Pocono 400 but based on his recent results he should probably be listed at a higher price in DraftKings competitions. After winning in Charlotte, Dillon added another solid finish when he placed 12th at Dover last week. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet could be a sneaky option to produce a top-10 finish at Pocono this weekend. Considering his price tag, it makes sense to roll the dice on Dillon.
David Ragan, $5,100
Ragan makes this list as the final driver in our DraftKings competitions based on the fact that he is listed at just $5.1K. While he won’t contend for the outright win, Ragan has produced some sneaky good results this season including a top-10 finish at Talladega and a pair of top-25 finishes at Kansas City and Charlotte. It’s impossible to ignore his super-low price tag heading in to this week’s contests so consider Ragan as a super sleeper pick for this week’s DraftKings competitions. We don’t need him to win the event but a good showing will help our team.
Odds To Win Pocono 400
Martin Truex Jr +600
Kyle Larson +600
Brad Keselowski +600
Jimmie Johnson +700
Kyle Busch +700
Kevin Harvick +800
Joey Logano +1000
Chase Elliott +1000
Denny Hamlin +1200
Matt Kenseth +1400
Clint Bowyer +2500
Dale Earnhardt Jr +2500
Ryan Blaney +3000
Kurt Busch +3200
Jamie McMurray +4000
Erik Jones +4000
Daniel Suarez +7500
Ryan Newman +7500
Kasey Kahne +7500
Austin Dillon +7500
Field +3000
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