NASCAR By the Numbers: Sprint Unlimited
It’s been a long NASCAR offseason. Actually, it really hasn’t been, but I really have missed the smell of racing fuel.
The Sprint Unlimited is a non-points race, but DraftKings announced a lot of contests for the event. This race is much different than normal, and we really want to focus on targeting drivers starting towards the back and pairing drivers on the same team.
There are only 25 racers competing in this race. This is going to be a fun race to watch, and I’m really glad to be back on the NASCAR grind.
Joey Logano – $9,200 – Starting 25th – Logano is going to be the highest owned driver for this race, and he’s almost a must start for me in cash games. He has raced in eight total Sprint Unlimited races, and has an average finish of 12th. In his last three Unlimited races, he has finished sixth or better, and he’s coming off a win at the Daytona 500 last season. The place differential upside is insane with him starting last, and it’s really hard to recommend fading him.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – $9,900 – Starting 23rd – Going into the random drawing for starting spot, I really wanted Jr. to start in the top five. If he would have been in the top five, I could have easily faded him at his ownership percentage, but starting 23rd, he’s a top cash game option for me. In ten Sprint Unlimited races, Jr has an average finish of 11.1, and he has won this race twice. With three straight top ten finishes, the place differential points are going to be there for Jr, and he has the upside to bring home the checkered flag on Saturday night.
Kurt Busch – $8,300 – Starting 21st – I’m sure you see a trend with my picks, but it’s really hard to fade the guys starting at the back of the pack in this race. Kurt Busch is by far one of my favorite picks for this race, and for any kind of Daytona race for that matter. Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Busch has finished in the top five in two of those three races. He won this race in 2011, and he could be a deep sleeper to take home the trophy again on Saturday night. Busch also has the third-highest driver rating in point races here among active drivers.
Jamie McMurray – $7,800 – Starting 24th – So, let’s get into some plays under that $8,000 price tag on DraftKings. McMurray is a lock for me in all formats, and he might be the best price per dollar play this weekend. He has eight career Sprint Unlimited races, and has the second highest driver rating among active drivers. He’s been involved in an accident in two of the last three Unlimited races, but has top five finished in two of the last five. I’m a huge fan of him this weekend, and I highly recommend fitting him into your lineups.
Casey Mears – $7,000 – Starting 6th – Best of the 7k guys? For me it’s going to be Mears. I was really hoping that he would start back further, but I still think he’s an excellent play here. He has three career Sprint Unlimited races and has an average finish of 8.3. It’s really risky with him starting up towards the front, but this is his best track, and he has always run well here. In his last five point races, he has finished 11th or better, and he had a fourth place finish in the Unlimited last season.
High Risk High Reward
Jimmie Johnson – $9,600 – Starting 1st – I got asked for GPP plays a lot last season, so I figured I’d add a high risk high reward play. Johnson is starting on the pole for the Unlimited on Saturday, and he could potentially lead a good amount of laps. The pole sitter has finished outside of the top ten in nine of the last ten races, and this could potentially be a big bust. Jr. and Harvick are going to be highly owned, and this is a chance to be a little different.