Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Jul 4, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; A general view as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cars line up for qualifying for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy NASCAR Picks for 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona for DraftKings and other Fantasy Formats

Welcome back to FantasyCPR’s coverage of the 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona to be held on Sunday evening, July 5th with a Green Flag time of 8:04p.m. EST. 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!

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If you haven’t already, check out our DraftKings Coke Zero 400 Fantasy Preview and 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 practices. Also, it has resources to help fantasy players familiarize themselves with the new DraftKings Daily NASCAR contests and scoring.

Before we get to my picks, let’s take a look at the field!

Next: The Field: Qualifying Order with DraftKings Salaries

Jul 4, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; A general view as dark storm clouds delay qualifications for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

If you are new to these games, please refer to the Daily Fantasy NASCAR Strategy Guide by DraftKings that breaks down the specific rules and point calculations that govern these contests.

Race Entrants in Qualifying Order w/ DraftKings Salaries

NOTE: Since Saturday’s Qualifying was cancelled due to weather, Qualifying order is based on Practice #1 times.

NOTE 2: Several Drivers (#1, #6, #9, #11, #16, #18, #19, #31, #46, & #78) wrecked in the first Practice and had to switch to back-up cars.

1. #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., Nationwide Stars & Stripes Chevrolet for $12,300
2. #3 Austin Dillon, Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for $9,600
3. #15 Clint Bowyer, 5-hour Energy Toyota for $10,100
4. #27 Paul Menard, Nibco/Menards Chevrolet for $9,500
5. #6 Trevor Bayne, AdvoCare Ford for $8,600
6. #38 David Gilliland, Florida Lottery Ford for $7,700
7. #47 AJ Allmendinger, Kroger Chevrolet for $9,300
8. #55 David Ragan, Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for $9,600
9. #1 Jamie McMurray, McDonald’s Chevrolet for $10,200
10. #5 Kasey Kahne, Great Clips/Shark Week Chevrolet for $11,300
11. #9 Sam Hornish Jr., Twisted Tea Ford for $7,900
12. #48 Jimmie Johnson, Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet for $11,800
13. #18 Kyle Busch, Interstate Batteries Toyota for $10,800
14. #34 Brett Moffitt, CSX Play It Safe Chevrolet for $7,100
15. #13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet SS for $8,700
16. #42 Kyle Larson, Coca-Cola Chevrolet for $9,800
17. #31 Ryan Newman, Grainger Chevrolet for $9,700
18. #46 Michael Annett, Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for $7,000
19. #20 Matt Kenseth, DEWALT Made In USA Toyota for $11,200
20. #78 Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Chevrolet for $11,300
21. #51 Justin Allgaier, TradeMark Nitrogen Chevrolet for $7,500
22. #40 Landon Cassill, Snap Fitness Chevrolet for $7,400
23. #24 Jeff Gordon, Axalta Chevrolet for $11,700
24. #19 Carl Edwards, Subway Toyota for $10,700
25. #16 Greg Biffle, OrthoCheez-It Ford for $9,700
26. #33 Brian Scott, Shore Lodge Chrevolet for $7,000
27. #10 Danica Patrick, GoDaddy Chevrolet for $9,200
28. #41 Kurt Busch, Haas Automation Chevrolet for $11,400
29. #35 Cole Whitt, Speed Stick Ford for $7,300
30. #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Fifth Third Bank Ford for $9,100
31. #14 Tony Stewart, Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for $10,300
32. #2 Brad Keselowski, Alliance Truck Parts Ford for $10,900
33. #22 Joey Logano, Shell Pennzoil Ford for $11,200
34. #4 Kevin Harvick, Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet for $11,600
35. #11 Denny Hamlin, FedEx Ground Toyota for $11,100
36. #43 Aric Almirola, Smithfield Ford for $9,200
37. #7 Alex Bowman, Golden Corral Chevrolet for $7,100
38. #32 Bobby Labonte, C&J Energy Services Ford for $7,000
39. #23 J.J. Yeley, Dr. Pepper Toyota for $7,300
40. #26 Jeb Burton, Maxim Toyota for $7,200
41. #83 Matt DiBenedetto, Dustless Blasting Toyota for $7,400
42. #98 Josh Wise, Heat Treating Inc./Royal Teak Ford for $7,200
43. #62 Brendan Gaughan, VYDOX Plus Chevrolet for $7,000

Next: High Priced Drivers - $11,100 and up

Jul 3, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) during practice for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

High: $11,100 and up

#4 Kevin Harvick, Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet for $11,600 (Qualed 34^th): The reigning Cup champion has had a dominant season in 2015 and is actually underrated at restrictor-plate tracks. Harvick has won twice at Daytona, including this race in 2011, and has the 2nd best average finish (16.2) among active drivers. He has 12 Top 10s in 28 Daytona starts and was 2nd in the 2015 Daytona 500. Despite the poor first practice time, he rebounded to have the 3rd fasted lap in the 2nd practice. His DK salary is down $2,300 for this race and the 34th starting position is too good to pass up. Draft Harvick (12:1 Odds) and you have a good chance to put up a top DK FP figure.

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Beyond the Flag

Honorable Mention: #24 Jeff Gordon, Axalta Chevrolet for $11,700 (Qualed 23^rd): Gordon has the most restrictor-plate wins in the field and has 6 Cup victories here at Daytona. He needs a win desperately to lock in a Chase berth and has teammates that can help. He also demonstrated speed on Friday with a 6th in the 2nd practice session.

Stay Away: #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., Nationwide Stars & Stripes Chevrolet for $12,300: Dale Jr. is obviously a great restrictor-plate driver, but his starting position, top-salary and the wild-card nature of this race makes this pick actually high-risk. For example, if he gets caught up in a wreck, owners stand to lose a lot of fantasy points. He could win, but there’s better values here in this price range.

Next: Medium-High Priced Drivers - $9,800 to $10,900

Jul 3, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (24) leads driver Kasey Kahne (5), driver Tony Stewart (14) and driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) during practice for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Medium-High: $9,800 to $10,900

#14 Tony Stewart, Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for $10,300 (Qualed 31st): Smoke has 4 Daytona wins, 14 Top 10s and the 8th best Driver Rating (86.6) among active drivers. He also needs a win to keep his Chase chances alive. This is the type of race that Stewart could recapture his magic and turn his disappointing season around. After a mediocre 31st fastest lap in the early practice session, he rebounded to put up an impressive 4th best lap in the 2nd practice session. The combination of his starting position and his team’s resources make Stewart a decent DK option.

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Stay Away: #18 Kyle Busch, Interstate Batteries Toyota for $10,800: Kyle got his needed win last week, but returns to Daytona where he was involved in the brutal wreck in the 500. Do not underestimate the pressure Kyle is under to finish high to help make up the huge deficit to get into the top 30 in the NASCAR Standings. He could be too aggressive on Sunday and get wrecked. Add to all of this that he is facing the demons of this track/type of race so soon after returning from injury and this seems like a precarious pick. To make matters worse, he’s in a back-up car. Buyer Beware!

Non-DraftKings Fantasy Pick: Clint Bowyer, #15 5-hour Energy Toyota (Qualified 3^rd). NOTE: This driver has a good chance for success in the race and in standard fantasy formats but is not recommended for DK due its scoring/salary system. Justification for this pick can be found in the DraftKings Coke Zero 400 Fantasy Analysis.

Next: Medium-Low Priced Drivers - $8,600 to $9,700

Medium-Low: $8,600 to $9,700

#43 Aric Almirola, Smithfield Ford for $9,200 (Qualed 36^th): Almirola won in this race last year and had a respectable 15th finish in this year’s Daytona 500. He having a decent season and is sitting inside the Chase cut-off at 16th. He and his team will most likely play it safe and drive conservatively in order to have a good enough finish to maintain his Chase status rather than risk a wreck and bad finish. He was better in the second practice (24th) and his 36th starting position gives him ample opportunity to get a ton of place and pass differential points at a very affordable salary.

Honorable Mention: #10 Danica Patrick, GoDaddy Chevrolet for $9,200 (Qualed 27^th): Danica has put up decent numbers here, finishing in the Top 21 in 6 of her 8 Cup starts at Daytona including a 8^th place finish in the 2014 Coke Zero 400. She put up the best time in the second practice and has a decent starting position. The unpredictable nature of this race allows for Patrick to be seriously considered this week.

Stay Away: David Ragan, #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for $8,600 (Qualified 9th): Ragan is good at restrictor tracks but is hampered by his starting position. Plus, he made some enemies last week at Sonoma and I wouldn’t be surprised if the #78 or #19 takes him out this week.

Non-DraftKings Fantasy Pick: #16 Greg Biffle, OrthoCheez-It Ford for $9,700 (Qualified 25^th). NOTE: This driver has a good chance for success in the race and in standard fantasy formats but is not recommended for DK due its scoring/salary system and better options in this price range. Justification for this pick can be found in the DraftKings Coke Zero 400 Fantasy Analysis.

Next: Low Priced Drivers - $7,900 and below

Low: $7,900 and below

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Beyond the Flag

#98 Josh Wise, Heat Treating Inc./Royal Teak Ford for $7,200 (42^nd): Wise drove the same #98 car to a respectable 23rd finish in this race last year and got a 24th in the 2015 Daytona 500. He has consistently finished in the teens or 20s over the last 3 years at Daytona and Talladega and that’s all you really need with a driver with such a low starting position and salary. In one of the few races where the small teams have a chance to really compete, he is a bargain at $7,200.

#32 Bobby Labonte, C&J Energy Services Ford for $7,000 (38^th): Labonte’s skill and career accomplishments go without saying, but the part-time veteran can still compete in this type of his race as his 26th finish last year (and 24th in the 2015 Dayton 500) attests to. His brother Terry finished 11th in last year’s race in the same #32 Ford that Bobby is driving on Sunday night. At the lowest salary of $7,000 and starting 38th, Bobby is a safe bet to get you 20+ FP.

Non-DraftKings Fantasy Pick: #38 David Gilliland, Florida Lottery Ford for $7,700 (Qualified 3^rd). NOTE: This driver has a good chance for success in the race and in standard fantasy formats but is not recommended for DK due its scoring/salary system. NOTE: Justification for this pick can be found in the DraftKings Coke Zero 400 Fantasy Analysis.

Good Luck!

Need help with your daily or season-long fantasy NASCAR contests? Contact me on Twitter @Rich_Pelesky and I will give you the guidance you need to make the best fantasy decisions.

Next: See How My Picks Have Done: Toyota/Save Mart 350 Fantasy Recap