NASCAR Daily Fantasy Helper: Gander Outdoors 400
After watching what became a very fun race at the Charlotte Roval, we now get the second running of the Gander Outdoors 400. This will be the second time this season that there is a race at Dover, with the first taking place in May. Also of note, qualifying and the second practice session were rained out, giving us a starting lineup concocted from the point standings. Before getting into the top plays, let's talk about what happened here in the spring race.
This was a relatively clean race for a short track, with only one multi-car accident the whole race. There were other cautions, of course, outside of the stage ones, including a Kyle Busch car issue, along with separate oil and rain cautions. Going to the race itself, Kevin Harvick, who eventually ended up winning the race, led the lion's share of laps, leading 201 of 400. He was followed by fellow dominator Brad Keselowski. The most notable part of the spring Dover race was Daniel Suarez finishing third behind Bowyer and the aforementioned Harvick.
Here at numberFire, we've always got you covered for everything NASCAR DFS. Our track preview gives you more information about this track, our driver preview helps bring you up to speed on drivers' recent history here and elsewhere, and our Heat Check Podcast with Jim Sannes gives you insight to how he is approaching this weekend's slate.
High-Priced Drivers
Kevin Harvick ($14,500): If you're looking at drivers to start this weekend, why not go to a driver who dominated here earlier this season? Harvick is starting in the same second position that he did in May on his way to victory. The only issue is that he would have to pass Kyle Busch in order to do win. The good news, Kyle Busch has not been great in practice this weekend, which means Harvick could make this pass early, which is important for Harvick to do in order for him to end up in the optimal lineup. With 400 laps, the number of laps a driver leads becomes more important. Harvick certainly has the ability to lead plenty of laps as he has been one of the best drivers all season.
Kyle Busch ($14,000): While the practice numbers for Busch have not been ideal this weekend, that does mean he can’t excel here. The reason why Kyle Busch is on the pole in the first place (see what I did there?) is because he is in first in the point standings, a clear indicator that he has had the dominant car all season. Busch had a rough go at it here in May, having to leave the race early due to a drive train issue. His win in Richmond a couple of weeks ago is also a clear indicator that the number 18 car is fine when it comes to short-track racing. Roster Busch with confidence in lineups where Harvick is omitted.
Mid-Priced Drivers
Denny Hamlin ($10,200): Now eliminated from playoff contention, Hamlin is possibly competing to keep his spot on the JGR squad. But keeping team rumors aside, Hamlin makes for a solid option as he is starting 15th. Mr. Short Track himself drove his way to a seventh-place finish after starting 10th in May. And practice has not been too shabby for him this week. posting the second fastest single lap speed and the fifth fastest 10-lap average in second practice. Hamlin is more of a cash-game play, though, with his upside coming from place differential and finishing position.
Daniel Suarez (8,900): Suarez is another driver in the midst of figuring out what the future holds for him. As he will most likely be the driver let go from JGR in order to make room for Martin Truex Jr. next season. So the remaining races of the campaign will pretty much act as an audition for Suarez for the other teams in NASCAR. Dover might be one of the best places for this to happen, because in May, Suarez drove to a career-best (at the time) third-place finish. Practice has looked good for Suarez, running 12th best in his 10-lap run. Starting 19th and at his price tag, he should be fine in terms of providing upside via his place differential and finishing position.
Low-Priced Drivers
Paul Menard ($7,100): Starting in the 18th position, Paul Menard is one of those drivers who we can look at for place-differential and finishing-position upside. While he technically finished the race in May, it was not without many car issues that required several long pit stops to remedy just to complete the race. His 10-lap average was 11th amongst all drivers who ran one. We shouldn’t expect a top-10 finish here, but he is capable of moving up the field to be a driver you can roster in tournaments.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr ($7,000): What does Ricky have to lose at this point? This sets up as one of his flagship races, where he can either finish in the top 10 or wreck out in the second stage, much to the shagrin of a playoff driver. Stenhouse finished 15th here in May after starting 5th, which was not good. But starting 21st, he’s in a good spot to get some place-differential points. His second practice stands out because he was able to put up the third-best 10-lap average behind only Bowyer and Larson. Can Stenhouse post a top 10 finish? It is possible, and it’s a good idea to at least have some exposure to hi.
Evan Cheney is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Evan Cheney also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username theman90210. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
