The Quaker State 400, presented by Advance Auto Parts, is the next stop on the NASCAR tour. Before you get set to draft your daily fantasy NASCAR roster, be sure to check out our analysis of some of the top racers entered this weekend. Our goal is to get you pointed in the right direction so you can have the best possible lineup and dominate within your fantasy league.
Kevin Harvick: Harvick is the top seed in this field with a salary of $10,600. He’s the most expensive for a reason: he has the highest average fantasy point total per race with his 63.0. In the 20 races he’s been in, he’s finished in the top ten 14 times, and he has 1 win to his credit. His average finishing position is 9.6, which is very strong this deep into the season. Harvick’s only fault is that he’s so expensive. This can be worked around if you are willing to make concessions in other parts of your lineup. Finding great value everywhere else will be a big help.
Kurt Busch: Busch might be the most valuable fantasy driver in this whole field. He has an extremely low average finishing position at 8.8, but his salary is only $9,400. His average fantasy point total is 43.8, which isn’t as good as many of those that are more expensive than him, but when it comes to performance level, he is currently one of the best in the field. Of his 20 races so far this season, he has 17 top ten finishes, putting him well above anyone else entered for this race. Busch is ranked in the number 8 slot for this race, but he really should be in the top 3. Passing him by is a mistake. If you aren’t looking for a cheap top tier driver, you are making big fantasy NASCAR mistakes, and that will come back to bite you. Essentially, you are getting a top driver at a large discount here, and you can use that extra money lower down in your roster to draft better racers.
Carl Edwards: Similar could be said about Edwards. His salary of $9,600 makes him competitive with Busch, but Edwards is at a slight disadvantage. He has made 13 out of 20 top tens, has an average finishing spot of 10.6, and has averaged 50.3 fantasy points per race. He’s better than Busch in this last category, but not in the others. Busch has been more consistent than Edwards, and for us, that means that if you’re going to draft only one or the other, Busch is the better choice.
Denny Hamlin: If you’re looking for value in the middle of your lineup, Hamlin is the way to go. His salary of $8,500 puts him at just above average at DraftKings, but his performance is definitely above average. With an average finishing position of 13.9, he is one of the top performing mid-tier drivers. He has made 10 out of 20 top tens, and has 2 wins so far this season. That’s exactly the kind of performance we dream of finding at this price. He’s a great pick in almost any roster.
Austin Dillon: Dillon is another mid-tier gem. His price tag of $7,900 makes him priced at below average, but his performance is above average on the season. He has made 9 out of 20 top tens, and has an average finishing spot of 14.3. His best finish for the year is 3rd, but he has shown great signs of consistency throughout the season. This is a talented field, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see him start cracking the top ten with a bit more consistency. This is likely going to be one of the cheapest prices you will find on Dillon for the rest of the season. We’d really like him to stay inexpensive though so other fantasy players will not think to look at him.
