This Sunday is the Bojangles’ Southern 500. NASCAR action keeps getting more exciting as we wind down into the home stretch, and this race promises to be no different. If you’re looking for help with your daily fantasy NASCAR roster, we’ve looked at a few of the higher ranked drivers, looked at their past performances, and have pieced together our thoughts on whether or not they are worth drafting for your own roster.
Kevin Harvick: Harvick is once again ranked number one for this race with a salary of $10,600. He’s been in 26 races so far this year, and has made the top ten 20 times. That’s the best number of anyone entered in this race. He also has the highest average fantasy point total per race at 62.8, and the lowest average finishing position at 9.4. Harvick is easily the strongest driver in the field right now and should be one of the first that you consider. Really, the only factor holding us back from immediate drafting is his price tag. At an average of $169 per fantasy point, he might still be worth including, though.
Brad Keselowski: Keselowski is ranked third overall for this race with a salary of $10,200. He is the only driver other than Harvick to have an average finishing spot under 10 thanks to his 9.7. He’s a bit weaker than Harvick with only 17 out of 26 top ten finishes, but his point ceiling is a bit higher than it seems at first. Of his last four races, he has had a 2nd place finish, two 3rds, and a 33rd. While Harvick averages 62.8 points per round with a lot of consistency, Keselowski can easily score 65 or more here, but there’s also a chance he could see negative points, too. His average stands at 44.5. He has 4 wins this year, which is 2 more than Harvick. From a value perspective, Keselowski is averaging $229 per point, which is a lot more expensive than Harvick on average.
Joey Logano: Logano has been on the brink of greatness all season, but hasn’t quite made it to where we thought he could go. He’s been one of the most consistent drivers in the field the entire season, but he’s only seen 2 wins. His salary of $10,000 gives him a number five ranking this weekend, but based upon his performance, this is far too expensive for him. He’s averaging just 39.1 fantasy points per race, which gives him a project value of $255 per point. Both Keselowski and Harvick have better returns, and are projected to see more points in this particular race. Logano will be a decent choice if you can’t afford anyone ranked above him, but by making some good value moves at the bottom of your roster, you should be able to avoid drafting him.
Denny Hamlin: Over the last four races, Hamlin has been more consistent than almost anyone entered here. He has averaged a finishing position of 5.0 over the last four races, but he hasn’t moved much up the rankings even with this new push forward. He is priced at $9,600, giving him a value of $296 per point for the season. But if you look at his last four performances, his value changes to $207 per point. Whether this momentum will continue or not, we aren’t sure. But if it does, he is going to be a good number two driver on your roster with upside for a top five finish. This is a risk we are pretty comfortable taking at this price.
Kurt Busch: Busch is another driver that you need to take a serious look at. He is priced low enough that he’s listed below the top ten, but he has an average finishing position of 10.7. His salary stands at $8,800, which is also pretty enticing. He has averaged 38.8 fantasy points per race this year, which makes him a top ten threat from a fantasy point of view. He’s a good value pick at $227 per point. Busch has struggled lately so this might be inflated, but a good race is very possible out of him and he’s cheap enough that it’s not a stretch to include him.
