Chris Bouchard 
Martinsville did not turn out like I has hoped as Martin Truex Jr. did exactly what I expected Denny Hamlin to do by dominating the race. Those short tracks are tricky and you have to throw your dart. This week we get back to a 1.5 mile track at the Texas Motor Speedway. There are only 2 races left for those 8 finalists still left in the playoffs to make the final four in Miami. For those below the cut line, this week in crucial as a DNF could force a must-win situation at Phoenix next week. Truex is currently on top followed by Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano in the top 4.
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The Texas Motor Speedway is a newer track opening in 1996. It hosts 2 races yearly with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 in the Spring and the AAA Texas 500 in the fall. Jimmie Johnson has dominated at this track with 7 wins, but many others in the race Sunday have also had success including Kyle Busch and Hamlin with 3 wins, Harvick with 2, and Logano and Newman with one. Hamlin took the race earlier this season with some longer shots in the next three spots including Bowyer, Suarez, and Jones. I will have to spread a bit more in this race, to make sure I have proper DFS coverage.
Below are my pre-qualifying NASCAR DFS rankings for DraftKings. I am a little more comfortable on this type of track, but I still prefer the super speedways. I always like drivers who will go for the win and take the risks necessary to make it happen.
NASCAR DFS High-Priced
- Denny Hamlin $10,800
- Kevin Harvick $10,400
- Kyle Busch $11,200
Mid-Tier
- Jimmie Johnson $8,600
- Erik Jones $8,400
- William Byron $8,000
Value Plays
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. $6,800
- Daniel Suarez $7,200
- Paul Menard $7,300
Kevin Harvick led qualifying which was no surprise. Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin were close behind followed by Kurt Busch to complete the first two rows. The other playoff drivers qualified 11th (Logano), 12th (Kyle Busch), 13th (Larson), 14th (Elliott), 15th (Larson), and 17th (Truex Jr.) so all are in decent position to make a run to the top.
It was very hard to decide who I wanted to back in this race on DraftKings. I decided to lean on the big three of Harvick, Hamlin, and Kyle Busch and wheel a bunch of value around them. It was hard to ignore Johnson who qualified 25th, but I was cautious only using him 4 times. I also thought Bowyer (24th), Newman (25th), and Menard (31st) had top 10-15 potential which would score well in DFS. I had to throw in some deep value in some lineups, but no one under $6K stood out. Below is my driver usage over 23 lineups. Good Luck!
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I am a bit leery about Logano in this spot, so I would lean under with him, but I think Jones could lead some laps and get a top 5 finish, thus, I am on the over with him.
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