Short track racing remains the theme this weekend when Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits Richmond Raceway. The three-quarter-mile, low-banked oval will host Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 Saturday night, but while Richmond is a much different short track than Martinsville or Bristol, your strategy at DraftKings can actually be very similar.
With 400 laps on tap, the dominator categories once come front and center. After Brad Keselowski monopolized the laps led category at Martinsville a few weeks back, we saw a more typical trend last weekend at Bristol. In that race, two drivers led more than 140 laps, three led more than 70 laps, and five led over 30 laps.
I expect the dominator points to be spread out over a few drivers again at Richmond, and as a result, I like to roster three to four drivers who I believe could lead some laps, even if it means pairing them with a punt play or two.
Fortunately, there are a lot of intriguing mid-priced options available this weekend with Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola all available for less than $9,000. You also have Martin Truex Jr. priced at less than $10,000, and there are some potential steals in the $7,000 range. I think you can build a lineup that is both balanced and has plenty of dominator potential this weekend. This should be a fun one.
Make sure to check back after practice and qualifying for updated driver picks and lineup strategies. Until then, check out a closer look at some of my favorite options at DraftKings for the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway.
Must-Own Drivers
Kyle Busch ($13,000)
We are eight races into 2019, and Busch owns three wins and a ridiculous 3.4 average finish. Now, he heads to a track where he swept both races a year ago and has led 30-plus laps in three straight starts. Busch is a six-time winner at Richmond overall, and he ranks in the Top 3 in both dominator categories. There’s no reason to jump off the bandwagon this weekend.
Joey Logano ($11,800)
He’s been as good as any driver out there over the last 10 races at Richmond, piling up a series-best nine Top 10s and leading the series with a 5.4 average finish. Logano has six Top 5s, including a pair of wins, and has led at least 25 laps five times over that same span. Expect another strong finish and some dominator points out of him this weekend.
Martin Truex Jr. ($9,800)
While a win at Richmond has somehow eluded Truex, he’s been nothing short of dominant at the track the last few years. He has led over 120 laps in four of the last five races here, leading more than 190 laps twice. Truex has also recorded double-digit fastest laps in every race that span, topping 80 fastest laps twice. When he’s piling up that any dominator points, it doesn’t really matter that he isn’t ending up in victory lane.
Difference Makers and Value Plays
Brad Keselowski ($10,600)
Keselowski has been steady at Richmond, finishing 11th or better in nine of the last 10 races here, but he’s also shown plenty of muscle. He has led over 100 laps three times that span, leading 383 of the 400 laps in a win in 2014. Keselowski has led laps and topped 30 fastest laps in three of the last four Richmond races, leading 67 laps in the fall race last year.
Denny Hamlin ($8,900)
He’s been piling up great finishes all year, winning twice and logging seven Top 10s in eight races. Hamlin hasn’t exactly dominated a race yet, but that could change in a big way this weekend. Hamlin is a three-time winner at Richmond overall, and he ranks first in both dominator categories here. He has finished sixth or better in six of his last seven starts here, recording double-digit fastest laps in every race over that stretch.
Clint Bowyer ($8,600)
I said last weekend that short tracks bring out the best in Bowyer, and he didn’t disappoint as he led 24 laps and recorded 32 fastest laps. Don’t be surprised if he chips in some dominator points again Saturday. Bowyer is a two-time winner at Richmond for his career, and he picked up a pair of Top 10s here a year ago, leading 45 laps in the spring and recording double-digit fastest laps in both races.
Jimmie Johnson ($8,300)
After a rough start, Johnson has put together back-to-back Top 10 runs ahead of Saturday’s race. He’s also been one of the most reliable drivers at Richmond recently, finishing 11th or better in his last nine starts here and gaining at least 11 positions in three straight. If he starts outside the Top 15, he will be one of my favorite mid-priced drivers to target.
Aric Almirola ($7,700)
His 17th-place run at Richmond last spring is very misleading. Almirola finished second and third in the two stages of that race before a series of late-race restarts caused him to hemorrhage spots. He came back in the fall and finished in the Top 5 here, and he recorded double-digit fastest laps in both races. Almirola could be a sneaky source of dominator points this weekend, and he looks like a steal at this price.
Daniel Suarez ($7,500)
Suarez seems to have found a rhythm with Stewart-Haas Racing, reeling off four straight Top 15s and three straight Top 10s coming into Saturday’s race. His surge could continue at Richmond where he has an 11.5 average finish and an average place differential of +11.3 in four starts. Even if he qualifies well, this isn’t a terrible price for a driver showing Top 10 upside on a weekly basis.
Austin Dillon ($7,000)
After posting forgettable numbers at Richmond for most of his career, Dillon delivered a pair of quality starts here last season. He gained eight spots and finished 15th in the spring race, and he moved up 20 spots to finish sixth in the fall. Dillon has also cracked the Top 15 in four straight races heading into Richmond, so he has some momentum on his side. If he starts in the middle of the pack, he’s worth a look among the lower-priced guys.
Sleeper Special
Ty Dillon ($6,100)
Dillon’s numbers at Richmond don’t jump off the page, but he has gained double-digit spots in two of his four starts here. More importantly, he’s been solid on the short tracks this year. Dillon has cracked the Top 15 at Phoenix, Martinsville and Bristol, gaining an average of 7.7 spots in those races. He looks like a decent source of cap relief for cash lineups if he starts deeper in the field.
Claim a Dynasty Orphan or Sign up for a high-stakes Dynasty Startup!
New league price points: $75, $150, $299, $500, $1000 and of course, huge cash payouts to the winners!
