The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series shifts to Richmond International Raceway for the Toyota Owners 400 this week. Jimmie Johnson has dominated the spotlight with back-to-back wins. Meanwhile, his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivered a shocking revelation this week when he announced he would retire following this season. While some think a retirement tour from Dale Jr. could produce some successful results, we think it’s better off to stick to the drivers that have really performed at a high level both this season and in the past at Richmond. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for this week’s DraftKings NASCAR daily fantasy leagues.
Kyle Larson, $10,300
Kyle Busch was definitely a tempting pick to lead our DraftKings lineup. However, he has the highest price tag of any driver in this week’s field and his inability to pick up that elusive win helped us decide to roll with Larson instead. Larson cruised to another runner-up finish last week at Bristol. He has now finished first or second in five of his last seven starts. Larson’s consistency and aggressive style should pay off again this week at Richmond as our top pick in DraftKings competitions. Larson leads the Monster Energy Cup standings with 360 points. In eight starts, he has one win, five top fives and six Top 10’s.
Brad Keselowski, $9,700
While he doesn’t get the credit he deserves, Keselowski has actually been the second-best fantasy NASCAR driver so far this season. Keselowski has two wins and five top-five finishes in eight starts this season. The fact that he is available at under $10K is somewhat surprising. At any rate, that makes him an even better value this week.
Keselowski enters the week in fifth place in the standings with 277 points. He is 83 points off the pace, which is set by Larson.
Chase Elliott, $9,500
Elliott has lived up to the standard set by Jeff Gordon while driving the No. 24 car this season. Elliott has already recorded five top-10 finishes in eight starts. There is no reason to expect him to slow down. The Richmond track is very similar to the Phoenix track where Elliott finished eighth last month. Elliott has already had success at Richmond with an Xfinity series win. He should be confident heading in to this week. After passing on Busch at the top, we feel very confident in our 1-2-3 punch of Larson, Keselowski and Elliott. We still have more than enough money to fill out the remainder of our lineup with quality picks.
Ryan Newman, $7,200
Newman’s price tag should probably be a little higher considering his performance this season. Newman has finished 17th or better in all but two races this season and he has posted top-10 finishes in each of his last two appearances in short-track races. Newman could be in line for another top-10 finish as an excellent value pick for this week’s race at Richmond.
Newman enters this week’s race in 14th place in the standings. He has registered 186 points so far with one win and two Top 10’s on the season.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., $7,000
Stenhouse is coming off a ninth-place finish at Bristol last week and he has finished in the top-15 in each of his last three starts. His track record at Richmond isn’t outstanding. However, he did finish in the top-26 in both races here last year. There is obviously room for improvement. At just $7K, Stenhouse could be worth the risk as a bargain pick with substantial upside in DraftKings tournaments this week.
Aric Almirola, $6,200
A quick glance at Almirola’s results this season might not make you want to jump on him in DraftKings competitions this week. However, a closer look at his results at Bristol in tandem with his incredibly low price tag tells a different story. Almirola has finished no lower than 20th in any race at Richmond and he posted a fourth-place finish here last fall. Almirola might not win at Richmond, but there is a good chance he delivers a top-15 finish. He is a strong value pick in the Toyota Owners 400 this weekend.
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