NASCAR Fantasy 2015: Sylvania 300 Top Drivers and Sleeper Picks
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Loudon, New Hampshire, this week for the Sylvania 300.
The best way to assemble a dominant 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 are the drivers who are in the Chase. Fantasy teams who can find the perfect sleeper pick will be taking home the cash in their contest.
There are only three races in each round of the Chase. The drivers who finished poorly at Chicago (Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer) will have a sense of urgency this week. It will be important that they have a bounce-back week to ensure they have a shot at advancing to the Contender Round of the Chase.
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The series last raced at New Hampshire two months ago. Kyle Busch dominated the race. It was his third win in a stretch of races where he won four out of five events during the summer. He is the favorite to go to Victory Lane again Sunday.
Here are the top 10 drivers with the highest point totals from the last race at New Hampshire from ifantasyrace.com.
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Brad Keselowski | 107 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 93.5 |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 92.75 |
| 4 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 59.5 |
| 5 | Austin Dillon | 52 |
| 6 | Jeff Gordon | 52 |
| 7 | Ryan Newman | 48 |
| 8 | Carl Edwards | 44.25 |
| 9 | Matt Kenseth | 43.5 |
| 10 | AJ Allmendinger | 43.25 |
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. There are 300 laps in the race and 75 bonus points available for leading laps. Fantasy teams must score as many of these bonus points as possible to finish in the money Sunday. Remember to pair these drivers with some sleepers who start deeper in the field with a good chance to move up throughout the race.
Top Drivers
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota ($10,800)
The best choice for your DraftKings contest this week is Busch. He has a series-best average finish position and the second-best driver rating at New Hampshire. Busch has finished a remarkable four out of his last five races at the track in the top two. He should be on every lineup this week.
Busch made one of the best moves of the year in the last race at New Hampshire. He had problems in the pits and was a lap down. Busch came out of the pits and threaded the needle between leaders Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick to get his lap back. After a caution flag, Busch powered his way to Victory Lane.
Busch is the second-highest priced driver in this DraftKings contest, but he is worth every penny this week. Smart fantasy players will select Busch for their contest and build their lineup around him Sunday.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 2 | 8 | 11 | 10.5 | 13.4 |
It is hard to say that a driver is a sure bet at any track, but this week Busch is almost a lock for a top-five finish. He is my pick to be the second driver to secure his spot in the Contender Round of the playoffs.
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevy ($11,000)
The bad news for Harvick is that he finished 42nd in the first round of the Chase. The good news for fantasy teams is that he must finish up front to advance into the next round of the playoffs. Last year, Harvick found himself in a similar situation, and he followed it up with wins at Phoenix and Homestead to capture the championship. I expect a strong run from Harvick Sunday.
Harvick would have won the race two months ago at New Hampshire if the caution flag did not come out late in the race. He qualified 12th and led 59 laps on his way to a third-place finish. He also finished third in this race in 2014. I expect Harvick to get a top-five finish and to lead many laps this week.
It is no surprise that Harvick is the highest-priced driver in this DraftKings contest. He consistently comes in at the top of the list, but that is what happens when a driver finishes 18 of the 27 races in the top five. Harvick is worth his price this week.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 1 | 7 | 15 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
I have heard people say Harvick will be looking for revenge on Jimmie Johnson this week after the No. 48 car got into the No. 4 last week. I highly doubt that will happen. It is too important for Harvick to finish up front to be concerned with revenge. If he gets eliminated from the Chase, then the No. 48 car may have problems.
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford ($10,600)
Keselowski is the driver to pick for your contest if you go purely off stats this week. He has a series-best driver rating and the second-best average finish in the last five races at New Hampshire. Keselowski has finished eight consecutive races at the track in the top 11. He is a safe driver for your team Sunday.
The No. 2 was the car to beat in the July race at New Hampshire. Keselowski qualified 10th and led 100 of the 301 laps on his way to a runner-up finish. I expect Keselowski to win the pole and lead many laps in the race this week.
DraftKings decided to give fantasy players a slight discount on Keselowski this week. There is no way Kurt Busch should have a higher price than Keselowski, but fantasy players should be happy and take advantage of his discount. Keselowski scored the most points in the DraftKings contest in the July race at New Hampshire, and he could do it again in the second race of the Chase.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 1 | 5 | 8 | 12.3 | 10.2 |
Keselowski is ninth in the Chase standings after the race at Chicago. Drivers usually are not confident unless they are in the top five heading into the last race of the Challenger Round at Dover. Keselowski will need a good run Sunday to move up the leaderboard. He has the poise and determination to get the job done.
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota ($10,000)
Kenseth is one of the most reliable drivers fantasy teams can select for their DraftKings contest. He is one of the best at managing his tires and making his way to the front at the end of the race. Kenseth would be a good choice to start building your lineup around this week.
Kenseth has had a lot of success at New Hampshire. He has the third-best average finish and the third-best driver rating in the last five races at the track. Kenseth won this race two years ago and finished sixth in July. He will be racing his teammates for a top-five finish Sunday.
The 43-year-old is almost a lock for a top-five finish this week, yet his price is the sixth-highest in this DraftKings contest. Kenseth has been the best driver on the best team for the last month, and he should find his way back to Victory Lane very soon. He is a great value pick at $10,000.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 1 | 7 | 16 | 19.6 | 13.0 |
If you had to make a list of the drivers who are running the best right now, Kenseth would have to be considered the top pick. He has won three of the last seven races and finished five of those races in the top five. I would not be surprised to see Kenseth find his way to Victory Lane at New Hampshire.
Sleepers
Ryan Newman, Richard Childress Racing, Chevy ($7,400)
The Chase began last week, and that means it is now time for Newman to start collecting top-five finishes. He got off to a good start with a fourth-place finish at Chicago. I expect the No. 31 team to easily finish in the top 10 this week.
Newman has had success at New Hampshire in his career. He has three wins and finished 16 races in the top 10. Newman probably will not qualify up front or lead many laps, but when the checkered flag is waived, he will be one of the drivers running up front.
After Newman finished in the top five at Chicago, DraftKings decided to lower his price by $300. Fantasy teams need to take advantage of the discount. Newman consistently scores high in DraftKings contests because of his ability to improve his position in the race and score bonus points for place differential. He is one of the contest's best bargains this week.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 3 | 7 | 16 | 9.3 | 13.6 |
Newman is currently eighth in the Chase standings. Since the top 12 drivers advance to the next round, Newman needs another top-five finish to be comfortable heading into the race at Dover. When he needs a good points race, he usually gets it. He is a safe pick for your contest this week.
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevy ($7,200)
Dillon had one of the cars to beat last week but got into the wall and finished last. He will be looking to bounce back this week at a track where he knows his way around.
Dillon has competed in three races in the Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire. He finished all three races inside the top 15, including an eighth-place finish in July. Dillon should earn many bonus points by qualifying in the top 20 and finishing in the top 10 this week.
The 25-year-old has been running well the last month, but he does not have the results to back it up. DraftKings has kept his price low based on how he finished those races and not how he ran in those races. Sooner or later, Dillon will be able to not only run up front but finish up front. Fantasy teams need to take advantage of his price before it goes up.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 23.0 | 11.0 |
Dillon does not have a spot in the Chase, but that does not mean he has nothing to race for. One of the biggest achievements in any driver’s career is winning his or her first race. Dillon is still looking for his first win and will have a car to get to the front Sunday.
Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports, Ford ($6,600)
Almirola is one of the most underrated drivers in the garage. He does not run up front much, but he does know how to finish in the top 10 at tracks where he has had some success. New Hampshire is one of those tracks.
Almirola qualified 21st and finished sixth in this race last season. He has been running well the last month and will be looking to end the season with some momentum heading into 2016. Almirola should qualify in the top 25 and make his way into the top 15 at the end of the race Sunday.
Almirola will need to finish in the top 20 to justify his $6,600 price tag this week. I think he can do it. He enters the race at New Hampshire after finishing three consecutive races in the top 11. He should continue his streak in the race this week.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 23.4 | 19.1 |
Richard Petty Motorsports has not been to Victory Lane since Almirola won the July race at Daytona in 2014. I doubt the team will win this week, but the No. 43 car will be a great value pick to round out your DraftKings contest.
AJ Allmendinger, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevy ($6,400)
One of the secrets to success in DraftKings is to select the drivers at their best tracks. New Hampshire is not a road course, but Allmendinger has been able to consistently run well at the track.
Allmendinger started 27th and finished 13th in this race last year and qualified 22nd and finished 13th in the race in July. I expect the same type of run from the No. 43 team this week.
Allmendinger is the best sleeper pick in the DraftKings contest this week. His $6,000 price tag is a reflection of how he has fared this season and is not based on his past performances at New Hampshire. There are a handful of tracks where Allmendinger is worth a spot in your lineup. This is one of those races.
| Wins | Top Five's | Top 10's | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
Fantasy teams need to check out the starting lineup before they decide to select Allmendinger for their contest. If he qualifies up front, he will be too big of a risk to use because he could lose points for place differential. If he qualifies just inside the top 25, he will be an excellent pick and should score many bonus points for your team.
DraftKings Picks for New Hampshire
Driver 1: Brad Keselowski ($10,600)
Driver 2: Kyle Busch ($10,800)
Driver 3: Matt Kenseth ($10,000)
Driver 4: Aric Almirola ($6,600)
Driver 5: AJ Allmendinger ($6,000)
Driver 6: Casey Mears ($6,000)
Advanced stats courtesy Racing-Reference.Info.
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.
If you need any further advice with your team, look for me on Twitter: @MrFantasyNASCAR. If you like Fantasy NASCAR, LIKE my Fantasy NASCAR Tips Page on Facebook.
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