NASCAR Fantasy 2015: myAFibRisk.com 400 Top Drivers and Sleeper Picks
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Joliet, Illinois, this week for the myAFibRisk.com 400.
The best way to assemble a dominating DraftKings lineup this week is to select the perfect combination of top drivers and sleeper picks. A sleeper pick is any driver priced under $8,000 who has a legitimate chance of finishing in the top 10. The favorites do not always finish upfront. Fantasy teams who can find the perfect sleeper pick will be taking home the cash in their contest.
The Chase for the Sprint Cup field has been set, and fantasy players must consider the 16 drivers in the playoffs (Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer) for their contest.
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The drivers who make the Chase usually score the most points in DraftKings contest. They are in the playoffs because they have been able to finish upfront on a consistent basis and led many laps this season. The cream rises to the top in the last 10 races, so make sure you consider which drivers have a lot to race for and which ones are just logging laps in preparation for the 2016 season.
Here are the top 10 drivers with the highest point totals from the last race at Chicago from ifantasyrace.com.
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Brad Keselowski | 105.5 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 85.25 |
| 3 | Kyle Larson | 75 |
| 4 | Jeff Gordon | 71.5 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 65 |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | 56 |
| 7 | Jamie McMurray | 53 |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | 48.5 |
| 9 | Kurt Busch | 43.5 |
| 10 | Martin Truex Jr. | 43 |
The best strategy for your DraftKings contest this week is to select three higher-priced drivers who start the race upfront with a good chance to lead many laps and three drivers who can move through the field. There are 267 laps and 66 bonus points available in the DraftKings contest for leading laps. Fantasy teams will not finish in the money without capturing as many of the bonus points as possible.
Top Drivers
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford ($10,400)
Keselowski has been the driver to beat at Chicago. He won two of the last three races at the track and has led 140 laps in the three races. Keselowski has been one of the hottest drivers this summer with a series-best average finish position in the last six races. He is the perfect driver to select when you start to construct your DraftKings lineup.
Keselowski has been so dominant at Chicago that I am surprised he is not the highest-priced driver in DraftKings contest this week. He has a good chance to qualify on the front row and lead many laps in the race. If he does, he will be worth every penny of his $10,400 salary.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 17.5 | 10.6 |
Drivers must be able to focus and take their game to the next level in order to win the Sprint Cup Championship. Keselowski knows what it takes because he has done it before. He is my pick to win Sunday and clinch a spot in the second round of the playoffs.
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevy ($11,100)
Harvick has been the most consistent driver in the sport this season. He has finished 18 of the 26 in the top five. Harvick has also finished 22 races in the top 10. He is almost a lock for another top-five finish Sunday.
Fantasy teams will have a hard time finding a better driver for their contest this week then Harvick. He has the third-best average finish position and the fifth-best driver rating at Chicago in the last two seasons. Harvick has also led 81 laps in the two races. He is the type of driver who could dominate the race Sunday and score the most points in DraftKings contest.
Harvick has been the highest-priced driver for most of the season in DraftKings contest, and that is not going to change heading into the first race of the Chase. In order to justify his price, Harvick will need to lead the most laps and win the race. I would not be surprised to see Harvick take over the race Sunday.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 2 | 8 | 9 | 18.2 | 9.5 |
Last season, there were questions whether or not Harvick had what it takes to be a NASCAR Champion. Now that he has a championship trophy he knows how to focus in the Chase. Harvick has not been running as well lately as he did earlier in the season. But now that he has something to race for, I expect the No. 4 team to be the dominant car once again.
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota ($10,300)
Kenseth has been the hottest driver in the sport the last month, and he will have a lot of momentum heading into the Chase after winning Saturday night at Richmond. Kenseth has won three of the last six races this season, and it would not surprise me to see him back in Victory Lane Sunday.
Kenseth has been much better at Chicago since he joined Joe Gibbs Racing. In his two races with the team, he has one win and a top-10 finish. He also led 89 laps in the two races. The No. 20 team will give Kenseth the car and the pit stops he needs to finish upfront this week.
It is rare for fantasy players to be able to purchase the hottest driver in the sport for the fourth-highest price. I was expecting Kenseth to be the highest-priced driver after he led the most laps and won at Richmond. Fantasy teams should select Kenseth as their top driver and build their team around him this week.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 1 | 3 | 6 | 15.7 | 11.7 |
It has been 13 seasons since Kenseth won the Sprint Cup Championship. He has to be considered one of the favorites to win this season. The best thing he can do is get his run for the title off to a good start with a win at Chicago. He is the best driver on the best team in the sport right now.
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota ($10,600)
Who would have thought that Busch would enter the Chase as the second seed? He had an incredible summer by winning four races, and I do not anticipate him cooling off any time soon.
Chicago is a great track for Busch to begin his run for his first Sprint Cup Championship. He has the second-best driver rating and the third-best average finish position in the last two races at the track. No driver has led more laps at Chicago than Busch since 2012. He is a great pick for your DraftKings contest.
Busch is the second-highest priced driver in DraftKings contest this week. His price is more of a reflection of how he raced earlier in the summer, but Busch could still be worth the money. Make sure you check the Happy Hour Speeds Saturday to see how fast Busch is. If he does not have a top-five speed, it would be wise to save some money and select Joey Logano or Carl Edwards.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 13.6 | 11.6 |
Could this be the season Busch wins his first Sprint Cup Championship? He has always been considered one of the best drivers in the sport, but his emotions often get in the way of his driving ability. That has not been the case this season. Busch seams cool and confident and could start the Chase with a win at Chicago.
Sleepers
Ryan Newman, Richard Childress Racing, Chevy ($7,700)
Newman is always a good pick for your DraftKings contest because he is so consistent. He will not run upfront or lead many laps, but he has been one of the best drivers at moving through the field at the end of the race and scoring many bonus points for place differential.
Newman has been good at Chicago in his career. He has finished three of the last four races at the track in the top 10. Expect Newman to qualify just inside the top 15 and finish inside the top 10 Sunday.
I have been preaching that Newman is underpriced all season. As long as DraftKings keeps him under $8,000, I will keep adding him to my sleepers list. Newman is good for your contest because he improves his position in the race and scores many bonus points. He is well worth his price for the race at Chicago.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 1 | 3 | 8 | 10.3 | 14.5 |
The Chase is made for a driver like Newman. Last year, he finished nine of the 10 Chase races in the top 15. He is one of the best drivers at not overdriving his car and finishing with enough points to move onto the next round of the playoffs. I expect Newman to get off to a good start at Chicago.
Jamie McMurray, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevy ($8,000)
McMurray is one of my sleeper drivers to advance in the first round of the Chase. In order to do so, he will need a good finish at Chicago. I think he will get it.
McMurray ran well at Chicago last season. He qualified 11th and led 32 laps on his way to a top-10 finish. I would not be surprised to see McMurray have the same type of race Sunday.
McMurray is priced higher than I thought he would be this week, but fantasy teams should be able to work his $8,000 price into their lineup. McMurray has a good chance to finish in the top 10 this week, so he makes for a nice investment for your contest.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 21.3 | 21.2 |
This will be the first time McMurray has had an opportunity to compete for a Championship in the Chase format. You would have to think he will be extra motivated to run well this week. McMurray is one of the most underrated drivers in the garage, and it would not surprise me to see him finish in the top 10 at Chicago.
Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip Racing, Toyota ($7,900)
Bowyer has been under enormous pressure this season. The No. 15 team got off to a horrible start and spent the summer digging out of a hole. When Michael Waltrip Racing announced the 2015 season would be its last, Bowyer and many other employees were left scrambling for new jobs. Now that he is in the Chase, some of this pressure is off, and he can relax as he makes a run for the championship.
Bowyer has been good but not great at Chicago. He has finished seven of his nine races in the top 10. Bowyer has been running well recently and has finished four of the last six races inside the top 10. He is a good pick for another top-10 finish this week.
DraftKings usually sets Bowyer’s price based on where he qualifies and not where he finishes the race. Bowyer consistently starts the race in the middle of the pack but has been making his way to the top 10 at the end of the race. Bowyer would have a $9,000 salary if his finishing position were the only factor in his price.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 0 | 1 | 7 | 15.0 | 13.2 |
Bowyer is one of the Chase drivers with nothing to lose. No one expects him to win the championship, and most people do not expect the No. 15 team to make it past the first round. Bowyer is the type of driver who loves to prove people wrong. Fans will see his best effort in the race Sunday.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing, Ford ($6,400)
Fantasy teams need the perfect sleeper pick whom other teams will not have in order to build a winning lineup in their DraftKings contest. Stenhouse Jr. is the driver fantasy teams will need this week.
Stenhouse has not finished upfront many times this season, but Chicago is one of his best tracks. He has competed in two races in the Sprint Cup Series at Chicago and finished eighth in his first race and 17th in his second. Stenhouse should be able to finish in the top 20 again Sunday.
Stenhouse has a low enough price this week that his risk will be well worth the rewards. At $6,400, Stenhouse will allow fantasy teams the money to select a few of the higher-priced drivers. He could be your ticket to the cash window if he is able to finish in the top 15 this week.
| Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.5 | 12.5 |
While other drivers are racing for the championship, Stenhouse will be racing for pride. It has been a tough season for Roush Fenway Racing, but they still have some time to finish on a high note. Stenhouse could get it started if he is able to run in the top 15 this week.
DraftKings Picks for Chicago
Driver 1: Brad Keselowski ($10,400)
Driver 2: Matt Kenseth ($10,300)
Driver 3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (($8,300)
Driver 4: Clint Bowyer ($7,900)
Driver 5: Ryan Newman ($7,700)
Driver 6: Landon Cassill ($5,400)
DraftKings has a NASCAR King of the Speedway 25k contest running right now. Use this knowledge to help you win some of that cash. Play now for FREE at DraftKings.com.
Advanced stats courtesy Racing-Reference.Info.
If you need any further advice with your team, look for me on Twitter @MrFantasyNASCAR
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