Photo Cred: Jayski.com

DraftKings Preview

AustYn

The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the most historic events in the NASCAR Cup Series. Endurance will be the name of the game this weekend. With an off week in terms of points last week, Ryan Blaney came away victorious at Texas Motor Speedway and won the All-Star race. I think there are a few takeaways from that event as Texas is the most similar track to Charlotte on the circuit. Chase Elliott remains the Cup Series points leader and with qualifying taking place, many of the front-runners are starting in great positions. Expect high ownership for a few drivers, which I will name later. With that being said, it is totally up to you on how you want to attack the Coke 600…you can go for a dominator(s) who will lead a lot of laps or go with a more balanced approach with positive EV.

Expect long and I mean LONG green flag runs in this event. The stages will help break up some of the action, but there is no doubt that picking a driver with a good starting spot would be crucial if stages did not exist. They do however, and that allows players to get “fancy” with their choices. With a total of 4 stages (4th being the final one) at 100 laps apiece, the field will reset quite often. Kyle Larson will be starting 36th and will have undoubtedly the highest amount of ownership. I will be picking him, but he’s not my choice to win. You can fade Larson and go with the pole sitter, Denny Hamlin but you would be picking a driver who has never led more than 54 laps in a single race at Charlotte. Getting out front and staying there is a skill that only a few drivers have, and it’ll hit you when I make my top pick. There will be 400 laps completed along with 13 sets of tires, which will be plenty. Even though the cars look more difficult to drive and they aren’t anywhere near as fast as they were a few years ago, tire conservation will be key.

Top Pick: Martin Truex Jr. ($10,200) Starting 14th

With 3 victories at this place, Martin Truex Jr is one of the best at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He is known for his ability to stay fast on long runs, and I know that the JGR stable is fast this week. With Hamlin getting the pole and his teammates and engine partners all recording top-10 qualifying speeds, Truex is actually the lowest starting Toyota in the field. With his long-run ability, I look for a lot of fastest laps to sneak in the equation. The engine is there, and the driver is the best here. At 9/1 according to CBS Sports, take the #19 to win his 4th at Charlotte.

Supporting Cast: Brad Keselowski ($6,600) Starting 35th and Corey LaJoie ($4,900) Starting 37th

I will admit, I am not going to give you groundbreaking advice here, other than the fact that these two drivers will be 50% owned or more in all your entries. With Brad Keselowski, you get a 2-time winner and a 35th starting spot. Why on earth DK priced him this low is beyond me, but Brad is totally capable of getting a top-15 here. Lajoie is no surprise either…he has an average finish of 24.3 here which would be 13 points from where he is starting, and I think he can gut out a top-25 here. He makes seats on the side too, so you can bet he’ll be comfortable in the Coke 600!

FanDuel Preview

Yacs

Tonight, we will see the longest race of the season and we are also at home in Charlotte. Well, Concord precisely, but close enough. The most iconic mile and a half track will be the setting of tonight’s Coca Cola 600 and it should be a fun one. Last week got a little crazy in the All-Star Race with Ryan Blaney taking the checkered flag. Texas is a totally different track, but it obviously races similar to Charlotte, so we’ll likely see a similar type of racing.

We will likely see a lot of green flag laps and a lot of the same drivers towards the front, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be climbers, because there will be. You definitely want to pick the driver who you think will lead the most laps. That’s easier said than done, but it’s the truth. You have to set yourself up with a couple guys you think will stay at the top and remain there for the majority of the race. Practice speeds can help with that, but I think past results at similar tracks will be a better indicator. Well, let’s get to it. Here’s my FanDuel lineup for Charlotte.

Pay the Price! : Kyle Larson ($14,500) Starting 36th; William Byron ($12,000) Starting 5th

These two Hendrick drivers are basically in play at every track on the circuit and this week is no different. Larson is starting in the back after hitting the wall in practice yesterday, but that shouldn’t harm him too much. He’ll have a fast car regardless. He had the fastest car in practice and I think they’ll get that car fixed right up in time for the 600-mile marathon.

Williams Byron is starting in the Top 5 and I think he’s one of those guys that can stay up there for the entire race. You need a couple guys like that this week and I think he gives you the best chance to do so. Also, Coca Cola 600 is a big race for any driver and if you can win this big race, it’s a huge milestone. Byron could get that big milestone today.

Value Picks: Tyler Reddick ($10,000) Starting 8th; Ross Chastain ($10,000) Starting 22nd

These guys are price normally this week and I consider them value picks because of how well both drivers have done this season. Reddick hasn’t had the luck that Chastain has had, but Reddick is normally in the mix of most races. He is making the leap into a contender right before our eyes. His starting spot doesn’t yield a ton of passing potential, but he definitely could be a guy that stays in the mix for the whole race. He’s my dark horse to win today. I think it’s very possible.

As for Chastain, he’s been one of the best drivers all season long and he’s arguably been the best at the intermediate tracks. His starting spot yields good passing potential and I think he’s another guy that could be in the mix when it’s said and done.

Risky Business: Corey LaJoie ($3,000) Starting 37th

This really isn’t too risky, but I don’t think you’ll have DFS players reaching to draft him. He’s starting dead last and has nowhere to go but up. Like Larson, he had an accident in practice and will have to go to the back. He practiced 16th before slapping the wall, so he’ll likely have a fast backup too. That’s not always the case, but I have confidence in that because of how well he’s ran at intermediate tracks. He even has a top 5 this season at an intermediate track. I’m not expecting a Top 5, but with these cars anything can happen.

NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 DFS Preview