NASCAR Daily Fantasy Helper: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
If you are looking for an action-packed way to get your sports fix, NASCAR may be a great avenue to explore. Far from just driving in circles, some of the world's best compete nearly every weekend from February to November on tracks across America. NASCAR drivers are scored ultimately based on how they finish in the race, how many spots they advance from their starting position, and how many laps they finish and lead. Avoiding drivers who crash out of the race is a must, of course!
numberFire is always your home for fantasy NASCAR advice. In addition to this helper, Jim Sannes has you covered with his current form and odds breakdown as well as his track preview to spotlight this week's venue. For driver picks and a full preview of the event, Jim also discussed this weekend's race on the latest NASCAR episode of The Heat Check Daily Fantasy Podcast.
A total surprise last Sunday in Atlanta has turned NASCAR's playoff picture upside down. Kurt Busch had been turning his dismal season around with recent top-10 finishes, but no one expected the veteran to lead 144 laps and outduel his brother for a victory to lock himself into the 2021 postseason.
Busch and Chevrolet will look to continue their hot streak this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
This flat, 1.058-mile track nicknamed "The Magic Mile" is a sensitive, asphalt track where track position is crucial, and the 301-lap distance has been famously attached to the speedway since 2008.
With a normal track that has been on the schedule for years, no practice or qualifying will be used this weekend. The starting lineup was set through the qualifying procedure factoring in last week's finishing position, last week's fastest laps, and overall owner points.
That formula awarded Kyle Busch the pole for this weekend, and Martin Truex Jr. will start outside of Row 1. This weekend's aerodynamic package is the higher 750-horsepower package with low drag.
With all of this in mind, let's preview the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on FanDuel.
High-Salaried Drivers
Denny Hamlin ($13,000): This is a pivotal week for Joe Gibbs Racing at a track they are primed to dominate at. That starts with Hamlin, who was absolutely dominant on this short, flat configuration in the spring when leading over 200 laps at both Richmond and Martinsville. Hamlin has faded through the stretch of road course and 550-horsepower tracks during the summer, but after finishing top five in both stages in Atlanta last week, his overall momentum is headed in the right direction entering the format he has thrived in. Hamlin is also no stranger to success at Loudon, leading the most laps (205) of any driver since the start of 2018.
Kyle Busch ($12,500): The "championship favorite" torch may be with the former champion at this point as Kyle Larson has struggled in successive weeks, whereas Busch has finished 3rd or better in four straight races and led 155 laps in that span. That is in addition to Busch, also in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, entering this weekend with equipment that has been much stronger on 750-horsepower ovals than Larson's Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. New Hampshire has been feast or famine for Busch, as he has led 95 or more laps in three of the past five "Magic Mile" races, but he also crashed out of the 2020 event. At a track where track position will be key, Busch has the best starting spot of all to find the front from pole position.
Others to Consider: Kyle Larson ($14,000), Martin Truex Jr. ($13,500)
Mid-Salaried Drivers
Joey Logano ($10,800): Logano has been a different driver inside the different aerodynamic packages in 2021. While fairly dreadful in the 550-horsepower package on larger ovals, he has thrived on short, flat tracks and finished inside the top-10 spots at every oval that this package has been used. He has also led 259 laps on the package this year, including 143 laps at Phoenix, which is far and away New Hampshire's closest comparison.
That alone is enticing, but Logano also starts 15th, which provides him some place-differential upside, and that in addition to this mid-range salary provides him flexibility not to have to lead to be worth a roster spot.
Christopher Bell ($9,000): In preparation for Saturday's Xfinity Series slate from a daily fantasy perspective, Christopher Bell has absolutely earned his way into this helper. Bell will drive the same Joe Gibbs Racing equipment as Hamlin and Busch, but his recent success at the track may even be better. Bell has won each of the last two Xfinity Series events at this track, and he has led a mammoth 279 laps of the 400 total laps in that span.
In total, 8 of Bell's 16 Xfinity wins came on short, flat ovals matching this configuration, and that translated to top-10 finishes at both Martinsville and Richmond earlier this year. For a very reasonable salary, it would not be surprising at all to see Bell lead a significant portion of this race or win it at his best statistical track.
Others to Consider: William Byron ($11,000)
Low-Salaried Drivers
Aric Almirola ($7,500): If there is a "horse for the course" in the value tier this week, Aric Almirola certainly qualifies. The Stewart-Haas racing driver has never finished worse than 11th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway since joining the team and has led in all three races.
Almirola's terrible 2021 has him in a must-win situation to make the playoffs, but the glimmer of hope has been in the 750-horsepower configuration on ovals, where notably he won the pole and finished fourth in the most recent event using this package at Nashville. He starts 22nd after another forgettable run last weekend, but that leaves him with place-differential upside in his superior package on one of his favorite tracks.
Daniel Suarez ($5,700): Both Suarez and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($6,000) were collected by a slower vehicle last weekend at Atlanta, and that makes both viable place-differential options given that their Chevrolets have had general speed all year, despite this not being a great track in particular for either.
Stenhouse has just a 26.67 average finish since the start of 2018, but Suarez has reason to be optimistic given that he had a 12th-place average finish at this track when driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017. This marks his first return to the venue in competitive equipment, and his floor is solid for his salary given that he has 12 top-20 finishes across all formats of track this season. Tthat is all he would need in this particular space.
Others to Consider: Ross Chastain ($7,000), Cole Custer ($6,200), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($6,000), Ryan Newman ($5,500)
Austin Swaim is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austin Swaim also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username ASwaim3. 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.
