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Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the 2015 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky

By Rich Pelesky

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Jul 10, 2015; Sparta, KY, USA; Sprint Cup Series drivers turn around in pit lane to head back to the garage before rain during practice for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy NASCAR Picks for 2015 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky for DraftKings and other Fantasy Formats

Welcome back to FantasyCPR’s coverage of the 2015 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway to be held on Saturday evening, July 11th with a Green Flag time of approx. 7:46 p.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!

If you haven’t joined DraftKings yet and want to play in their exciting contests, use this direct DraftKings Link to sign up and you will earn a FREE entry to cash contest with a minimum deposit of just $5.  DraftKings will even match your initial deposit up to $600.

HAVEN’T PLAYED YET? GO TO: Fantasy NASCAR Introduction for DraftKings

If you haven’t already, check out our DraftKings Quaker State 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

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 Friday’s Qualifying was cancelled due to weather, Qualifying order is based on Practice #1 times.

  1. #42 Kyle Larson, Target Chevrolet for $9,800
  2. #2 Brad Keselowski, Miller Lite Ford for $12,100
  3. #24 Jeff Gordon, AARP MEMBER ADVANTAGES Chevrolet for $11,600
  4. #22 Joey Logano, Shell Pennzoil/Auto-Trader Ford for $11,400
  5. #78 Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet for $13,000
  6. #48 Jimmie Johnson, LOWE’S PRO SERVICES Chevrolet for $13,100
  7. #1 Jamie McMurray, CESSNA Chevrolet for $9,500
  8. #11 Denny Hamlin, FedEx Office Toyota for $10,100
  9. #18 Kyle Busch, M&M’s Crispy Toyota for $10,800
  10. #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., Nationwide Chevrolet for $11,500
  11. #3 Austin Dillon, Dow – Styrofoam Chevrolet for $8,500
  12. #43 Aric Almirola, Smithfield Ford for $7,900
  13. #41 Kurt Busch, Haas Automation Chevrolet for $12,200
  14. #27 Paul Menard, Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet for $8,800
  15. #4 Kevin Harvick, Budweiser/Jimmy John’s  Chevrolet for $13,900
  16. #20 Matt Kenseth, Dollar General Toyota for $11,300 (+$100)
  17. #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Fifth Third Bank Ford Fusion for $7,600
  18. #9 Sam Hornish Jr., Advanced Auto Speed Perks Ford for $7,800
  19. #5 Kasey Kahne, LiftMaster Chevrolet for $10,500
  20.  #19 Carl Edwards, COMCAST MINIONS Toyota for $10,400
  21. #13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet SS for $7,500
  22.  #14 Tony Stewart, Rush Trucking Chevrolet for $9,000
  23.  #10 Danica Patrick, GoDaddy Chevrolet for $7,700
  24.  #47 AJ Allmendinger, Kroger/Scott Products Chevrolet for $7,800
  25.  #55 David Ragan, Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for $8,100
  26.  #31 Ryan Newman, Caterpillar Chevrolet for $9,300
  27.  #16 Greg Biffle, Ortho Ford Fusion for $8,900
  28.  #6 Trevor Bayne, AdvoCare Ford Fusion for $8,600
  29.   #46 Michael Annett, Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for $7,000
  30.  #15 Clint Bowyer, Hughes General Contractors Toyota for $8,600
  31.  #7 Alex Bowman, Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet for $7,100
  32.  #51 Justin Allgaier, Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet for $7,300
  33.   #35 Cole Whitt, Kentucky Fried Chicken Ford for $7,100
  34.   #38 David Gilliland, Lowe’s Travel. Stops Ford for $7,400
  35.   #26 Jeb Burton, Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota for $7,000
  36.  #40 Landon Cassill, CRC Brakleen Chevrolet for $7,300
  37.  #98 Josh Wise, TBA Ford for $7,300
  38.  #34 Brett Moffitt, Dockside Logistics for $6,900
  39.  #83 Matt DiBenedetto, Anest Iwata Toyota for $7,300
  40.  #32 Will Kimmel III, CorvetteParts.net Ford (No Salary Listed)
  41. #23 J.J. Yeley, TraqGear-Coolshirt Toyota for $7,200
  42.  #62 Reed Sorenson, TBA Chrevrolet (No Salary Listed)

Next: High Priced Drivers - $11,300 and up

Jul 5, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) during the Coke Zero 400 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 $13,900 (Qualed 15th): The reigning Cup champion is continuing his dominant season in 2015 and chalked up another 2nd place finish at Daytona last week. Harvick is a master at Intermediate tracks and is leading all DK drivers with an astounding 72.4 FPPG. He always seems to end up near the front and the 15th starting position is too good to pass up and makes his top DK salary worth spending.

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    • Honorable Mention: #41 Kurt Busch, Haas Automation Chevrolet for $12,200 (Qualed 13th): Kurt is very good at 1.5 mile tracks and finished a respectable 12th here last year. He is 2nd in DK in fantasy scoring at 53 FPPG. Busch recorded the 5th best lap in the 2nd practice and is a serious contender as a 6:1 shot to win second only to the #4. Plus, the 13th spot also gives him some room to pick up valuable fantasy points.

    Stay Away: #22 Joey Logano, Shell Pennzoil/Auto-Trader Ford for $11,400 (Qualed 4th): Logano and Penske has been fast here, but the high starting position and salary limits his potential payout. He’s not even in the favorite on his own team (see 7:1 shot Brad Keslowski) to win here. Save Logano for another week.

    Next: Medium-High Priced Drivers - $9,500 to $10,800

    Jul 10, 2015; Sparta, KY, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) during practice for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

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

    #18 Kyle Busch, Interstate Batteries Toyota for $10,800 (Qualed 9th): Kyle got his needed win two weeks ago, and stayed on track to eventually finish in the Top 30 and earn a Chase Berth by finishing 17th in the Coke Zero 400. Kyle has won here in Kentucky (2011) and has three Top 5s & four Top 10s in the four Cup races here. His top Kentucky Driver Rating (124.3) and average Running Position (5.27) among entrants also bode well in the DK scoring system. Kyle is a steal at $10,800 as a driver with 12:1 odds to win.

    #5 Kasey Kahne, LiftMaster Chevrolet for $10,500 (Qualed 19th): While Kahne does not have a win here, he’s nevertheless has been successful with the 5th highest average finish (8.5) and Driver Rating (98.9) among entrants along with 145 Quality Passes (2nd).  Kahne needs a win and could be the Hendricks driver to do it this week. His 19th starting spot is very good for fantasy purposes and as long as he has a clean race he should net you around 50 FP.

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    Stay Away: #42 Kyle Larson, Target Chevrolet for $9,800 (Qualed 1st): Larson is still looking for his first Cup win, and while he has been fastest in the practices it’s just hard to think that this is the week and track he’ll break through on. In DK, if you are going to go with a Pole Winner you need to be pretty darn sure they will dominate. While it is reasonable to expect a Top 10, it’s unlikely that the Chip Ganassi driver will top all the big-name teams and drivers here.

    Next: Medium-Low Priced Drivers - $7,800 to $9,300

    Medium-Low: $7.800 to $9,300

    #16 Greg Biffle, Ortho Ford Fusion for $8,900 (Qualed 27th): Biffle has been much better in the last couple of months and has averaged over 35 FPPG in his last 4 intermediate track races. He had a decent 14th place finish here last year and starts from the 27th spot on Saturday night. While he probably won’t threaten to win, he has a solid lead lap car and the combination of his starting position with his low salary makes him a very good option.

    Honorable Mention: #9 Sam Hornish Jr., Advanced Auto Speed Perks Ford for $7,800 (Qualed 18th): Hornish Jr. ran some pretty good laps during practice and could be a dark horse to finish in the Top 10. He has Top 10s in his only two XFinity appearances at Kentucky. Also, Marcos Ambrose and the #9 Ford had relatively good success here with a 14.75 average finish in four races, a notable 13th among active drivers.

    Stay Away: #3 Austin Dillon, Dow – Styrofoam Chevrolet for $8,500 (Qualified 11th):  The talented and poised Dillon will be a sentimental choice here, especially after his amazing crash at Daytona. But despite the decent starting position near the front, his team simply doesn’t have the horses to run with the big guns here at Kentucky.

    Next: Low Priced Drivers - $7,700 and below

    Jun 13, 2015; Brooklyn, MI, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Justin Allgaier (51) during practice of the Quicken Loans 400. at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

    Low: $7,700 and below

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    • #51 Justin Allgaier, Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet for $7,300 (Qualed 32nd): Allgaier finished 24th (from the 28th position) last year in the 2014 Quaker State 400. His #51 car/team (under several different drivers) has earned an average Cup finish of 21.5 in 4 races at Kentucky. That’s all you really need here for a driver with such a low starting position and salary. Although the small teams don’t really have a shot at the Top 15 here, he’s a solid bet to get you in the Top 25 and around 30-40 FP which would be a steal at this cost.

    Non-DraftKings Fantasy Pick: #48 Jimmie Johnson, LOWE’S PRO SERVICES Chevrolet for $13,100 (Qualified 6th). 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.

    See More NASCAR PICKS from Fansided’s CHARLES RAHRIG V: NASCAR Quaker State 400 Preview and Prediction

    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: 2015 Quaker State 400 Fantasy Recap