NASCAR By The Numbers: Daytona 500
I’m excited that the first full race of the season is here. The few races we’ve had over the last week have been nice, but it’s awesome that the Daytona 500 is finally here. I will be focusing on cash game plays in my Daily Fantasy Pit Stop video, and this article will have a mix of everything.
This weekend, don’t be afraid to leave cap on the table on DraftKings. If you guys have any questions, leave them in the comments section or hit me up on twitter.
Kyle Busch – $9,100 – Starting 4th – I talked about Dale Earnhardt Jr being the top cash game option in my video, but I really like Kyle Busch this weekend. He actually has the highest driver rating here at Daytona, and he has the highest percentage of laps led. He showed in the second Duel, if he gets out front, he’s going to be tough to beat. I’m expecting Jr and Busch to lead a lot of laps in this race, and they’re two guys I really want to target this weekend. Kyle Busch has yet to win a Daytona 500, and this might finally be the weekend for him.
Brad Keselowski – $9,200 – Starting 25th – If you look at the chart above, you won’t see Keselowski’s name on it. He’s had some tough races here over the last five, and his driver rating has been awful. He kept the car clean through the Duels, and I like his upside starting in the middle of the field. He’s shown speed throughout the week, and I really like him for GPPs this weekend. He’s going to be one of my highest owned drivers in the big GPPs. He’s risky with all the troubles here lately, but I think this team is really confident coming into this season.
Jimmie Johnson – $9,900 – Starting 26th – Johnson will officially be listed as starting 26th, but he will actually start at the back of the field. I think a lot of people will move off of him because he’s starting with negative place differential points. I think it’s a good time to jump on him. Johnson has the fifth highest driver rating here at Daytona, and he’s won the Daytona 500 twice. In 2014, Johnson started the 500 in 32nd place, and finished 5th with 15 laps led. In 2009 Matt Kenseth won this race from the back, and I feel like Johnson has the best chance of doing that this weekend.
Paul Menard – $7,300 – Starting 37th – Menard had a tire rub in the first Duel, and ended up pulling off the track with one lap to go. This has him starting at the back of the field, and he will actually start with positive place differential points with everybody going to the rear. Menard has been up and down at Daytona over the last few years, but I have a hard time seeing him not hit value at this point. I like Menard for all formats this weekend, and I’m locking him into my cash lineups.
Aric Almirola – $7,200 – Starting 34th – Almirola has an average finish of 24.7 in 9 races at Daytona, but has two top 15 finishes out of the last three races here, including a win here in July of 2014. I like him a lot as a place differential driver this weekend, and I think he’s in play in all formats as well. He has an average running position of 21.9, and I think he’s going to be moving up in this race.
Value Play
Michael McDowell – $5,600 – Starting 39th – McDowell is one of my favorite plays this weekend, and I think he’s going to be in the winning GPP lineup this weekend. He finished 14th in the first Duel, but actually made the race by time. So with that being the case, he will start 39th in the Daytona 500. He was fast enough to keep up with the lead draft in that first race, and I really like his chances to finish in the top 25 this weekend. I’m going to be using him a lot, and I really think he’s a safe option at a risky track.