NASCAR DFS DraftKings Lineup Advice: Martinsville Picks 3/25/2018
In last week’s race, the reigning Monster Energy Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. breaks Kevin Harvick’s amazing three-race winning streak by taking victory lane at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Harvick tangled with Kyle Larson and hit the wall essentially ending his day. Truex Jr. joins Harvick and Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon in the playoffs, as 13 more spots remain.
The Monster Energy Cup series travels back East to one of the circuits favorite tracks, the iconic Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, VA. This speedway is a .526 mile short track, with tight racing, heavy braking, and inadvertent bumping. This type of racing can lead to several spin-outs and crashes into the wall, as well as tempers flaring among the drivers.
My Top 4 Drivers for the STP 500
Kyle Busch($11,000): Kyle Busch has been dominant lately at Martinsville. He finished 2nd to Brad Keselowski in the Spring 2017 race but did lead 274 laps. Last fall, he lead 184 laps in the Martinsville playoff race beating Martin Truex Jr. on a final lap restart. Here are the results from his last five races, starting with last fall’s race: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 1st, and 5th. Build your lineups around Kyle Busch.
Chase Elliott($9,900): Elliott is on the cusp of winning his first ever Monster Energy Cup series race. He has come close many times. In last year’s Fall race at Martinsville, he was leading with three laps to go before getting spun out by Denny Hamlin which lead to a near brawl after the race. Elliott finished 3rd in the Spring 2017 race. This could be the race that finally gets him his first ever victory, and more importantly, a spot in the 2018 playoffs.
Denny Hamlin($9,400): Hamlin is considered a master at Martinsville with his rock solid record at this track. In last fall’s race, he finished 7th, but was battling with Chase Elliott for the lead with three laps to go. He has five wins, nineteen Top 5’s, and twenty-four Top 10’s at this iconic racetrack. His average finish is 10.00 for his career at Martinsville, second behind only Jimmie Johnson among all active drivers. He is a cheaper top option at $9,400 compared to Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, or Martin Truex Jr.
Brad Keselowski($10,100): I wouldn’t consider Keselowski a sleeper pick, but he could be a good pivot away from Kyle Busch when building lineups. He won the Spring 2017 race, besting Kyle Busch in the final 50 laps to take victory lane. He has eight Top 10’s in the last eleven races at Martinsville. His last four starts at Martinsville are very impressive and consistent: 4th, 1st, 2nd, and 5th.
Others to Consider
AJ Allmendinger($6,400): Allmendinger was a skilled road racer before becoming a NASCAR driver. The road racer skill set translates well in the tight racing and the heavy braking of a Martinsville race. In the last two Spring races at Martinsville, Allmendinger finished 6th in 2017, and 2nd in 2016. He provides much-needed salary relief if you are trying to jam in Kyle Busch or Brad Keselowski in your lineup.
Martin Truex Jr.($10,700): The one thing that I emphasize in NASCAR is momentum, and Truex Jr. is not only the reigning champion of the Monster Energy Cup Series but is coming off of a huge win last week at Auto Club Speedway. He is no slouch at Martinsville either, finishing 2nd behind Kyle Busch in last fall’s race, and has three Top 10’s in the last five races at Martinsville.
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