Drivers, including Clint Bowyer (15) line up on pit road during a practice session for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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Want to see how more analysis and information on building lineups for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400? Chris is selling his cheatsheet & targets for only $5. Just scroll to the bottom of the picks. This is a separate service than our traditional monthly membership.
Chicagoland Speedway - Joliet,IL
Track - 1.5 Mile D Shaped Oval Intermediate Track
24° Banking in the Corners
The time has finally come. The Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs and the final 10 races of the season.
The Chase is broken up into four elimination rounds with Rounds 1-3 consisting of three races and a winner of any race along the way gets automatic advancement into the next round. Round 4 consists of the final four drivers who will all get a reset on their points and face off at Homestead Miami for the Championship Trophy. The complete Chase Grid can be viewed HERE.
The NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup begins this Sunday with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The spotlight will be on the 16 Chase drivers who will be giving it everything they got to get a win and automatic advancement into the next round. The previous five years stats show that at least five drivers have started outside the Top 10 and finished inside with Denny Hamlin winning form the 29th starting position last season. There is a 40-50% chance of rain on Friday and Saturday which could mes up practice and qualifying so stay tuned for updates.
The following is the initial schedule for the weekend:
Are looking to get better as fantasy NASCAR but don't have the time to conduct all the research necessary? Check out my DFS NASCAR Cheatsheet which will give you the edge to cash more consistently on DraftKings. The cheatsheet includes driver salaries, current form(Last 5 races), Track History(Last 5 Years), Loop Data, weekly salary trends, and practice and qualifying ranks. I have also created a weighting system which changes weekly and takes in to account all of the things listed previously. I update the practice and qualifying as they happen which changes the overall rankings through the weekend. The cheatsheet will also be final shortly after the final practice. If you purchase the cheatsheet prior to final practice you will receive an email when the final lineup has been set.
If you have any questions about the cheatsheet throw me an email(jagerbombs99@gmail.com) or hit me up on Twitter(@jager_bombs9).
Brad Keselowski
DraftKings - $10,100
Practice #1 - 4th
Qualified - 2nd
Practice #2 - 25th
Final Practice - 9th
Not many times this year has the top driver in my pre Practice/Qualifying model come outside the Top 3 in salary. This is the case this week as Brad Keselowski's track history is impossible to ignore. In the last five years he has two wins, three Top 5's and has finished all five races inside the Top 10 with a 4.4 average finish. He is also coming into the Chase with momentum with 11 Top 10 finishes in his last 14 races including back to back wins at Daytona and Kentucky in July. He is 4th in salary and an elite option in any format this week.
Kevin Harvick
DraftKings - $10,800
Practice #1 - 12th
Qualified - 4th
Practice #2 - 16th
Final Practice - 22nd
A close second in my rankings this week is Kevin Harvick. He is coming in angry after having winning cars but getting punished by his pit crew's performance. Whether or not you think he is a whiner it is very tough to pass the best in NASCAR once let alone every time out of the pits. He has something to prove after calling them out and getting two of his crew replaced. He has been the most consistent driver in NASCAR this season with two wins and a series leading 13 Top 5's and 21 Top 10 finishes. He rises to the top comes Chase time ans has finished inside the Top 4 in three straight years. With his season high salary I would only consider Harvick for GPP's this week.
Kyle Larson
DraftKings - $9,700
Practice #1 - 8th
Qualified - 10th
Practice #2 - 1st
Final Practice - 1st
Larson enters the Chase on a hot streak picking up his first career win at Michigan and following it up with a 3rd at Darlington and 2nd at Richmond. He now comes back to Chicago where he has raced twice finishing inside the Top 10 in both races with an impressive 5.0 average finish. His price, as expected, has reached a season high which has me avoiding him for cash games but makes him an excellent GPP play as many will turn to more consistent drivers in Kenseth, Edwards and Kurt Busch who are all cheaper this week.
Also Consider - Kurt Busch
Jimmie Johnson
DraftKings - $8,800
Practice #1 - 1st
Qualified - 8th
Practice #2 - 17th
Final Practice - 11th
Jimmie has once again reached a season low salary right in time for the Chase and if you have been living under a rock Jimmie has six Championships under his belt. Yes, he is coming in with some poor form but this is the case almost every summer before the playoffs. Chicago is one of the few tracks Jimmie has never won at despite a series leading 9.29 career average finish, outside Kyle Larson who has only raced here twice. Some may have given up on ole six time but I can guarantee the #48 will be going all out as one of only two Hendrick drivers in the Chase. Again, it all depends on practice/qualifying but at this price Jimmie should be safe in all formats.
Jamie McMurray
DraftKings - $7,800
Practice #1 - 21st
Qualified - 16th
Practice #2 - 21st
Final Practice - 17th
It took McMurray and the #1 team right down to the final laps at Richmond to clinch their spot in the Chase and it should give him tremendous momentum heading into the playoffs. His salary still sits under $8K which is a value considering his current form. He has four Top 10 finishes in his last five races and hasn't finished outside the Top 20 since a wreck back at Daytona in July. He leads all drivers in the sub $8K range in last five and 10 race DraftKings points average and is safe in all formats.
Also Consider - Kasey Kahne
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
DraftKings - $6,600
Practice #1 - 23rd
Qualified - 23rd
Practice #2 - 26th
Final Practice - 27th
As expected there is no driver in this range that made the Chase as Chris Buescher took a big leap to $7,200 this week. Stenhouse Jr. is next in line for me here at Chicago with three Top 20 finishes in his three career starts including an 8th back in 2013, his rookie season. Coming into the Chase he has seven Top 20 finishes in his last 10 races including a 5th a Daytona and 2nd at Bristol. As of now I will use him in all formats that could easily change with a high qualifying position. Stay Tuned.
Also Consider - A.J. Allmendinger
Qualifying Top 10
If you have any questions on lineups or drivers prior to lineup lock scroll down to the comment section and join the conversation.
Good Luck everyone!
Want to see how more analysis and information on building lineups for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400? Chris is selling his cheatsheet & targets for only $5. Just scroll to the bottom of the picks. This is a separate service than our traditional monthly membership. Or Purchase through PayPal here.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400
Chris Durell has been playing Daily Fantasy Sports for three years and fantasy in general for more than a decade. He is active player in college football, NFL, NBA, PGA, and of course NASCAR. He lives in Saskatchewan, Canada with his wife and two daughters. You can follow him on Twitter at @jager_bombs9 for advice, strategy, answers to any NASCAR questions or how he copes with the winters up north.
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View Comments
Good ol Qualifying being rained out again eh Chris. This could be interesting though.
Ya very interesting. Just finished updating the cheatsheet and Larson coming in #1 which is and isn't surprising LOL.