The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will speed in to Bristol, Connecticut and the Bristol Motor Speedway for this week’s Food City 500. This will be the first race since Jimmie Johnson picked up his first victory of the season two weeks ago in Texas and it should be a wild ride. Carl Edwards is the defending champion at Bristol. However, following a rough start to his 2017 season we are looking elsewhere when it comes to our fantasy picks. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings NASCAR daily fantasy leagues.
Kyle Busch, $10,600
It’s only a matter of time before Busch breaks out and produces an extended winning streak. Two summers ago, he got hot and won four races and five weeks. Last year, he posted back-to-back wins heading in to the race at Bristol where he disappointed by finishing 38th. This season there is a lot more urgency at Bristol since he is still looking for his first win of the year. Busch has already recorded top-10 finishes in three of his last four starts so he should be a reliable pick as one of the more expensive players on the board this weekend.
Kyle Larson, $10,100
No driver in NASCAR is hotter than Larson right now. The Chip Ganassi driver has recorded top-five finishes in five of his seven starts to lead all drivers in points so far this season. His lone win came at California but he registered his third runner-up finish at Texas last week and could have easily won that race. Larson’s consistency is what makes him so attractive as a very reliable option at just over $10K in DraftKings tournaments.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., $8,600
After spending big on Busch and Larson, the hope is that Dale Jr. can perform at a high level this week without making us break the bank. Earnhardt has just one top-10 finish so far this season, but it happened last week at Texas so there is reason to believe he has some momentum heading in to this race. Earnhardt was the runner-up in the spring race at Bristol last season so a top-10 finish is a reasonable expectation for this weekend.
Austin Dillon, $7,300
Consistency has been a major issue for Dillon again this season. However, he recorded a fifth place finish at Martinsville a few weeks ago and he finished 26th in this race at Bristol a year ago. At $7.3K, the upside is definitely there with a driver that has the potential to record a top-10 finish at Bristol this week.
The No. 3 car enters the week in 21st place in the standings, so he definitely has some work to do. We’re basically taking a flier on him. He is 185 points of the pace but he does have four Top 20 finishes on the season.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., $7,100
Stenhouse has already recorded a pair of top-10 finishes this season and he has placed in the top-15 in five of his seven starts. His consistency combined with his extremely low price tag make him a strong value pick for Sunday’s race. Factor in that he placed 16th in this race a year ago and it’s clear Stenhouse deserves a spot on our DraftKings roster.
The No. 17 car enters the week in 19th place in the standings. He has yet to lead for a single lap this season, though, so we’re just banking on a Top 20 or Top 10 finish here to help out our cause.
Danica Patrick, $6,200
It wasn’t long ago that Danica was one of the biggest sensations in NASCAR. Now she is one of the lowest priced drivers available in DraftKings competitions and a smart target at the bottom of our lineup. Patrick has placed in the top-26 in five of her last six starts. As long as she hits that mark in this race, she will be worth having in the final spot in our DraftKings lineup.
She enters the week in 29th place in the Monster Energy Series standings. She is 225 points out of first place, so she has a long way to go.
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