Axalta 400 at Pocono Fantasy Picks for DraftKings NASCAR Contests

Welcome back to FantasyCPR’s coverage of the 2015 Axalta 400 at Pocono Speedway. Whether you are a fantasy racing player or just a NASCAR fan, let us be your one stop shop for all the information you need to prepare you for NASCAR races in the 2015 season. Go to our Fantasy NASCAR Hub at https://fansided.com/category/nascar-fantasy/ and bookmark it!

Our weekly coverage will typically consist of 4 articles a week: 1) A fantasy recap from the previous race; 2) A race preview mid-week prior to the race; 3) A comprehensive fantasy analysis after the initial practice & qualifying sessions that will include the starting grid; and 4) Our expert driver picks released after the final practice sessions.

NASCAR: Denny Hamlin not the big winner at Pocono

Beyond the Flag

NASCAR: Kyle Busch reveals ideal retirement seasonBeyond the Flag

NASCAR: Denny Hamlin penalty could come back to haunt himBeyond the Flag

NASCAR: Denny Hamlin ties all-time unwanted recordBeyond the Flag

NASCAR: Major recurring issue not a factor at PoconoBeyond the Flag

NASCAR: Recurring issue may not be a factor at PoconoBeyond the Flag

If you haven’t already, check out our DraftKings Axalta 400 Fantasy Preview and Axalta 400 Fantasy Analysis. This will give you insight in how you should make your selections for the race which is based on track and race history as well as the initial practice and qualifying. Also, it has resources to help fantasy players familiarize themselves with the new DraftKings Daily NASCAR contests and scoring.

There was not a lot of surprises from the practice sessions and qualifying as the Chevrolets looked like they will continue their recent dominance of the Tricky Triangle. Chevrolet race cars represent 5 of top 6 qualifiers and their speed was best demonstrated by pole winner Kurt Busch as well as Kevin Harvick who ran most of the fastest laps in the weekend sessions. The Fords were the manufacturer furthest behind the curve as the only Ford to qualify in the Top 10 was Brad Keslowski and not a single Ford finished in the Top 10 in ether of the Saturday practice sessions. Without further ado, here are my picks for the Axalta 400, broken down in four salary ranges to aid you in getting under the $50,000 salary cap:

Next: High: $11,500 and up

High: $11,500 and up

Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 Nationwide Chevrolet for $12,200 (Qualified 20^th): This pick goes far beyond Junior’s recent dominance at Pocono. While he does go for his third straight Pocono win (proving he can handle this unique track) he also has a fast car as shown by him finishing no slower than 9^th in any of the practice sessions. He had some problems in qualifying that put him down the pecking order but he attributed it to his driving and not the car. Selecting the #88 is the perfect DraftKings scenario: Get a driver and car that could dominate but starts far enough back in the field to get you extra fantasy points.

Aug 3, 2014; Long Pond, PA, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) sprays champagne on victory lane as he celebrates winning the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mention: Kevin Harvick #4 Chevrolet for $14,000 (Qualified 5^th): Harvick has been the most consistent and strong car this season, first in points and in second place with 2 wins with only Jimmie Johnson (4) having more. Even at this salary and starting position it is hard to ignore the #4’s speed as Harvick finished first in every session except the last qualifying run. Although this is one of only three tracks where Harvick hasn’t won at, he has proven his ability here with six Top 5s in his last 18 races at Pocono with only one of those finishes outside the top 17.

Honorable Mention: Denny Hamlin, #11 Toyota for $11,600 (Qualified 8^th): Hamlin has 4 wins at Pocono and has the highest track rating among the entrants. Hamlin finished no lower than an 11^th in any of the sessions. Plus, the 8^th spot will give him some fantasy advantage especially if he has a Top 5 car which could very much be the case.

Stay Away: Joey Logano #22 Ford for $11,500 (Qualified 11^th): Logano has generally not had good luck here and the Penske Fords (and all the Fords for that matter) have had issues this weekend at Pocono. Logano did not finish better than 15^th in any of the practice sessions. For this kind of money, there are much surer bets than Logano here.

Next: Medium High: $10,100 to $11,300

Medium-High $10,100 to $11,300

Jeff Gordon #24 Chevrolet for $11,300 (Qualified 4^th): The all-time Cup winner at Pocono (6 wins) has demonstrated a fast car on Friday and Saturday. Like Hamlin, he finished no lower than 11^th in any of the sessions. Gordon is still looking for a win to lock in his spot in the Chase and this is a very good weekend to do it as both he and Hendricks Motorsports have the credentials at Pocono.

Apr 18, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions fans pose for a photo with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Penn State-branded Axalta Chevy to be driven by Jeff Gordon at Pocono Raceway in June prior to the start of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mention: Kyle Larson, #42 Chevrolet for $10,100 (Qualified 15^th): Larson had a great 3^rd place finish at Dover last week (as predicted in this column) to break out of his sophomore slump. Although this is his only 3^rd Cup start at Pocono he definitely can handle the track with a 5^th in this race last year and a pole and an 11^th in the Summer 2014 race. He looked comfortable and fast in the #42 this weekend as well. Despite his 15^th best qualifying time (which still isn’t shabby), he continued to improve over the practice sessions going from 13^th to 8^th and to 2^nd in the final practice.

Stay Away: Kyle Busch, #18 Toyota for $10,300 (Qualified 17^th): Pocono has not been a good track for Kyle as it is one of only three tracks (including Indianapolis and Martinsville) where he hasn’t won. Additionally, his 17.85 average finish position is 20^th among current drivers in this race with at least 9 Pocono starts.

Next: Medium-Low: $8,700 to $9,700

Medium-Low $8,700 to $9,700

Greg Biffle, #16 Chevrolet for $10,100 (Qualified 27^th): Biffle has been decent here of late with Top 10s in 3 of the last 4 races at Pocono that featured the current Gen-6 cars and the 400 mile distance. Biffle appeared to make a lap in qualifying that beat the timer and would have put him into the second round and at least in the Top 24, but NASCAR ruled that he was too late across the line. Bottom line, the #16 was faster than its qualifying position would indicate and Biffle continued to make better speed with a 14^th best lap at the final practice. For this price and starting position, Biffle could return a healthy fantasy investment here.

Honorable Mention: Tony Stewart, #14 Chevrolet for $9,100 (Qualified 28^th): Smoke has the 5^th best average finishing position (11.45) of the current drivers with at least 3 Cup starts at Pocono. Plus, Stewart has three Top 5 finishes at the six 400 mile Pocono races. The two-time Pocono winner has struggled this year in the #14, but definitely has the skill get his car to a respectable finish. While never fast, Stewart did improve the #14’s time in each of the sequential weekend sessions. And I’m sure that Stewart will get feedback from Kurt Busch and his pole-sitting #41 car that will help. With the 28^th starting position, Stewart is a low-risk, high-reward selection here.