The NASCAR XFINITY Series heads to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend for the Overton’s 300, and with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series also in town, the companion event has one of the most stacked fields of the 2018 season.
In addition to heavy hitters Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Paul Menard and Daniel Suarez will also be in the field. These Cup drivers already dominate when they pull double duty, and their advantage should only be magnified at a 1.5-mile oval like Chicagoland.
The prices at DraftKings adjust accordingly, and it is pretty much going to force you to choose between Harvick and Larson when you construct one of your lineups. Lineups with just a single dominator can be dangerous, but the odds of committing more than half of your salary to just two drivers and coming out ahead are slim.
How you build around your dominator will be just as important, especially since many of the top series regulars are also pricey. A strong finish alone isn’t going to justify the salary of some of the top XFINITY guys, and you can’t count on dominator points with so many Cup guys in the field.
I suggest loading up on any appealing midrange drivers, along with a punt play. Qualifying will go a long way to identifying the top plays cheaper and midrange options, but in the meantime, here is a closer look at the drivers I have my eye on for the Overton’s 300 at Chicagoland.
Must-Own Drivers
Kevin Harvick ($13,200)
The last time Harvick ran an XFINITY race at Chicagoland, he led 43 laps and went to victory lane. In three XFINITY starts this year, he has led a combined 152 laps and gained a total of 41 spots. Don’t expect him to be anything less than a dominant DFS force in Saturday’s race, so you might have to pay up.
Kyle Larson ($12,700)
Larson has made his presence felt in his two XFINITY starts this year, leading 61 laps and Daytona and 142 of the 200 laps in a win at Las Vegas. He has also finished third or better in four of his last five XFINITY starts at Chicagoland. Larson could be the top scorer at DraftKings this weekend, and at worst, we are talking about a Top 5 with some dominator points. If he looks to have the car to beat, you might want to go all in with Larson as your dominator.
Value Plays
Chase Elliott ($10,000)
He led 85 laps and went to victory lane in his Chicagoland debut in the XFINITY Series, and Elliott has led laps in three of his four starts here. He will be back in the GMS Racing No. 23 this weekend, the same team he finished second at Pocono with a couple of weeks back. Elliott will have an excellent shot at a Top 5 this weekend with a chance at some dominator points.
Christopher Bell ($9,800)
Bell has been a force at the 1.5-mile ovals this year, finishing third or better in all four races and leading multiple laps in three of them. In a stout field, he is a contrarian option to build around and the one XFINITY regular that you can pretty much pencil in for some dominator points this weekend.
Cole Custer ($9,200)
He has been starting to show the upside he flashed last year at the 1.5-mile tracks, finishing fourth at Texas and leading 29 laps and finishing second at Charlotte. Custer scored the most points of any driver at the mile-and-a-half tracks last year, and he could be a sneaky source of dominator points this weekend, especially if he grabs the pole.
Daniel Suarez ($9,100)
He has three Top 10s in five XFINITY starts at Chicagoland, leading a couple laps in three of those starts. Driving a Joe Gibbs Racing entry this weekend immediately puts Suarez in the mix for a Top 5, and some dominator points aren’t out of the question. He should be on your radar as a potential pivot to the obvious dominators heading into the weekend.
Paul Menard ($8,900)
Menard has a respectable 7.2 average finish in four XFINITY starts at Chicagoland since 2012, and this season, he has finished eighth and fifth in two starts in the series, leading a few laps in both races. He doesn’t have the high ceiling of some of the other Cup regulars in the field, but Menard is potential option for cash games, especially if he has a little differential upside after qualifying.
Daniel Hemric ($8,600)
Hemric has been knocking on the door of a win all year, and he has shown a blend of reliability and upside at the 1.5-mile tracks. He has a 6.8 average finish in the four races, leading laps at both Texas and Charlotte. Hemric has been able to contend for Top 5s, even in stacked fields, so he is looking like one of the bargains of the weekend.
Jeb Burton ($7,400)
Burton will be back in the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 this weekend, and he has finished 12th in his first two starts for the team. A mid-pack qualifying effort would be ideal for his fantasy value, but regardless, he offers exposure to strong equipment and a potential Top 10 for a discounted price.
Kaz Grala ($6,900)
He has at least one more week with his Fury Race Cars team, and Grala just keeps delivering solid finishes. He has three finishes of 12th or better with this team and hasn’t finished worse than 16th. Grala will be a no-brainer play if he has differential upside, but he should be a safe, cheaper source of around 25 fantasy points either way.
Michael Annett ($6,700)
He isn’t flashy, but Annett has a 15.0 average finish in the four races at 1.5-mile tracks this year, and he has gained an average of 6.2 spots in those starts. If he starts in the middle of the pack or worse, he should finish with a decent point total. His safe floor makes him an appealing option in cash games, especially at this price.
Sleeper Special
David Starr ($5,600)
Cheap options always help when there are Cup drivers in the field, and Starr has been able to exploit the place differential category to post useful scores at the 1.5-mile tracks. In the four races, he has a 26.0 average finish and +8.5 average differential. Starr has also been decent at Chicagoland. He has never finished outside the Top 25 in five starts here, gaining an average of 6.2 starts per race.
