DFS NASCAR DraftKings Lineup Advice: Darlington Picks 9/3/17

After a bye week for the Monster Energy Cup drivers, NASCAR returns to the playoff chase. Only two more races until the playoffs where sixteen drivers compete in an elimination style playoff. Thirteen drivers have locked in their positions with race wins, with Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, and Jamie McMurray holding onto the last three playoff spots.   Drivers such as Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Erik Jones are looking to leapfrog them with a trip to victory lane.

Darlington Raceway is the original Super Speedway, and is one of the more difficult tracks to drive, giving the famed race track the nickname, “Too Tough to Tame”.  This 1.36 Mile track has a unique shape compared to other racetracks which can frustrate even the savviest of veteran drivers.

Top 5 Drivers for the Bojangles’ Southern 500

Denny Hamlin($9,900):   Hamlin grades extremely well at Darlington, as he is on top of the Drivers Rating for this track.  He has the best average finish among active drivers, with a win in 2010.   Hamlin also has six Top 5’s, and nine Top 10’s at this track.

Kyle Busch($10,600):  Kyle Busch is coming off of a highly successful weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway where he completed a rare sweep winning the Truck, Xfinity, and Monster Energy Cup series.   Kyle Busch is the hottest driver right now, winning the last two of the four races.   In one of the races, at Watkins Glen, he had the fastest car all race long, but pit road mistakes and a tangle with Brad Keselowski doomed his day.  He still managed to finish seventh.

Kevin Harvick($9,700):  Harvick is my favorite pick for this track and will use him in Cash and GPP games.  He is the Lap Leader at this track among active drivers.   He won this race in 2014, his championship year, and has finished in the Top 10 in five out of the last seven races at this track.

Kyle Larson($10,300):  Larson is an excellent driver and I would count on him doing well here at this difficult track.  In his three races at Darlington, his average finish is 7.00, which is second only to Denny Hamlin among active drivers.   His highest finish was last year, where he placed third.

Martin Truex Jr.($10,700):  Truex could be the top chalk pick this week with his dominance all year-long.   He won this race in 2016, leading 28 laps in that race.   Other wise, his history at this track is average.   He is the highest priced driver and may be faded in cash, which would make him a great GPP play.

Value Picks

Kurt Busch($8,200):  For a race track like Darlington, I like to target the veteran drivers.  Rookies who do not have experience in this track will surely fail and rarely perform well enough to use in your lineups.    Kurt Busch is a savvy, decently priced veteran for this track.   He has two Top 5’s, and six Top 10’s at this track.

Ryan Newman($8,100):   Newman is another veteran I would trust at Darlington.  He is a great value at $8,100 and will be patient enough to work his way up to the front.   Newman had a strong eighth place finish last year and has seven Top 5’s and twelve Top 10’s at this race track.

Sleeper Pick

Brad Keselowski($9,200):  Keselowski performs well at this track, but is not getting the respect this year at this point in the season as the Ford Penske cars are slower than their Toyota counterparts.   He will be low owned, and a great GPP play.     He finished ninth last year, and in 2015, he finished second.   He would be a great pivot off of fellow Ford driver, Kevin Harvick, for GPP plays.

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