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Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the 2015 Pure Michigan 400

By Rich Pelesky

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Aug 15, 2015; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon signs autographs for fans during practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy NASCAR Picks for the 2015 Pure Michigan 400

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 register with a minimum deposit of just $5 & get $25 of DK Cash! DraftKings will even match your initial deposit up to $600 – just click “Sign Up”!

MUST SEE: Fantasy NASCAR Scoring Changes on DraftKings effective 8/2!

If you haven’t already, check out our 2015 Pure Michigan 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

Race Entrants in Qualifying Order w/ DraftKings Salaries

NOTE: Due to DraftKings recently changing the number to entrants from 5 to 6 but keeping the salary cap at $50,000, the salaries will be relatively lower than in some previous contests.

  1. #20 Matt Kenseth, Dollar General Toyota for $9,700
  2. #11 Denny Hamlin, FedEx Freight Toyota for $8,400
  3. #19 Carl Edwards, Arris Toyota for $9,000
  4. #3 Austin Dillon, Dow Chevrolet for $7,300
  5. #14 Tony Stewart, Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for $7,600
  6. #18 Kyle Busch, Interstate Batteries Toyota for $10,500
  7. #4 Kevin Harvick, Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet for $10,600
  8. #48 Jimmie Johnson, LOWES Chevrolet for $9,700
  9. #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., Microsoft Chevrolet $9,300
  10. #22 Joey Logano, Shell Pennzoil Ford for $9,600
  11. #5 Kasey Kahne, Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet for $8,200
  12. #15 Clint Bowyer, 5-Hour Energy Toyota for $7,400
  13. #55 David Ragan, Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for $7,300
  14. #2 Brad Keselowski, Miller Lite Ford  for $9,500
  15. #9 Sam Hornish Jr., Transportation Impact Ford for $5,600
  16. #41 Kurt Busch, Haas Automation Chevrolet for $9,900
  17. #31 Ryan Newman, Caterpillar Chevrolet for $7,100
  18. #1 Jamie McMurray, Cessna/McDonald’s Chevrolet for $7,900
  19. #21 Ryan Blaney, Motorcraft Ford for $7,300
  20. #16 Greg Biffle, Ortho Ford Fusion for $7,100
  21. #24 Jeff Gordon, Pepsi Chevrolet for $8,500
  22. #78 Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Chevrolet for $9,600
  23. #10 Danica Patrick, GoDaddy Chevrolet for $7,200
  24. #27 Paul Menard, Richmond/Menards Chevrolet for $7,800
  25. #6 Trevor Bayne, AdvoCare Ford Fusion for $7,100
  26. #47 A.J. Allmendinger, Kroger/Scott’s Products Chevrolet for $7,400
  27. #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Zest Ford Fusion for $7,200
  28. #51 Justin Allgaier, Brandt Chevrolet for $5,800
  29. #26 Jeb Burton, Maxim Toyota for $5,200
  30. #43 Aric Almirola, Armour Ford for $7,400
  31. #40 Landon Cassill, Snap Fitness Chevrolet for $5,300
  32. #83 Matt DiBenedetto, Cosmo Motors Toyota for $5,300
  33. #7 Alex Bowman, Advanced Patient Care Chevrolet for $5,300
  34. #42 Kyle Larson, Target Chevrolet for $8,100
  35. #35 Cole Whitt, Dockside Ford for $5,400
  36. #38 David Gilliland, MDS Transportation Ford for $5,700
  37. #23 J.J. Yeley, Dr. Pepper Toyota for $5,300
  38. #34 Brett Moffitt,  CSX Play It Safe Ford for $5,300
  39. #46 Michael Annett, Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for $5,300
  40. #13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet SS for $7,200
  41. #32 Josh Wise, TBD Ford for $6,400
  42. #33 Travis Kvapil, TBA Chevrolet for $5,300
  43. #98 Timmy Hill, Premium Motorsports Ford for $5,300

Next: High Priced Drivers - $9,400 and up

Aug 15, 2015; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) during practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

High: $9,400 and up

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    • #4 Kevin Harvick, Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet for $10,600 (Qualed 7th): Despite Kyle Busch’s recent theatrics, week in week out the #4 is the strongest, most-consistent team/driver in NASCAR. Harvick dominated the June race leading 63 laps before wrecking. At Indy, driving in the same high-drag package NASCAR put in place again for this race, he led 75 of the 164 Brickyard 400 laps and finished a strong 3rd.

    #2 Brad Keselowski, Miller Lite Ford for $9,500 (Qualed 14th): Keslowski loves MIS, with no worst than 13th place finish in his last 8 races here including 3 straight Top 10s. The #2 won this year at Sonoma (a similar track to MIS) and had a decent 10th place result (with 17 Laps Led) at the 2015 Brickyard 400. In DK formats, the 14th starting position is too alluring to pass on Keslowski, who has a car and team that can win any week.

    Aug 15, 2015; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon signs autographs for fans during practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

    Medium-High: $8,500 to $9,300

    More from DraftKings

    #24 Jeff Gordon, Pepsi Chevrolet for $8,500 (Qualed 21st): Chevy has dominated this track lately, and this Hendricks team has as good of a chance as any of them. Plus, Gordon has a Driver Rating of 93.3 here, seventh-best among active drivers; His three wins (including last year), 19 top fives, and 27 top 10s overshadow his competition; The 11th row starting position will help in Fantasy Points-wise.

    Honorable Mention: #5 Kasey Kahne, Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet for $8,200 (Qualed 11th): In addition to a fast Qualifying run, Kahne demonstrated speed all weekend with 6th, 11th, and 19th practice session finishes; A former Champion here, Kahne has a 9.75 average finish in his last 4 MIS races. Plus, the #5 needs a win to make the chase – he will roll the rice with strategy and go for the win.

    Next: Medium-Low Priced Drivers - $7,300 to $8,400

    Jul 24, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) during practice for the Crown Royal 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

    Medium-Low: $7,300 to $8,400

    These next two picks are similar as they represent drivers with poor to mediocre qualifying runs (with its high potential for Place Differential Points) but who have showed some speed at the practice sessions here and have had recent success at MIS and at Indianapolis.

    #42 Kyle Larson, Suave MEN Chevrolet for $8,300 (Qualed 34th): Larson rebounded from a horrible 34th qualifying run to put up the 4th best 3rd Practice lap.; He ran 17th at the June race here, missing out on a win by only two laps. Lastly, he handled the new NASCAR aero package well at the Brickyard 400 finishing 9th.

    #27 Paul Menard, Richmond/Menards Chevrolet for $7,800 (Qualed 24th): Menard finished an impressive 8th at the 2015 Brickyard 400 and 14th was here in Quicken Loans 400 in June. Sitting 13th in Cup standings, Menard will likely run a conservative race and will get a good, while probably not great, finish and FP total as long as he has a clean run.

    Next: Low Priced Drivers - $7,200 and below

    Jul 25, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Casey Mears walks down pit road before qualifying for the Crown Royal 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

    Low: $7,200 and below

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    • #46 Michael Annett, Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for $5,300 (Qualed 39th): Annet’s slowest practice was 37th, also demonstrating that his qual run was an slight aberration; The #46 finished 30th at both the 2015 Brickyard 400 and Quicken Loans 400, and an equivalent finish on Sunday will bring a good return on this rock bottom salary.

    Honorable Mention: #13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet SS for $7,200 (Qualed 40th): Although Mears is starting 40th, he had practice marks of 28th, 30th, and 25th showing a much faster car. He also finished 13th in the June MIS race which is astounding considering his single car team and moderate budget. He followed that up with a decent 20th at Indy last month.

    Not just a Fantasy NASCAR Player? SEE OUR Fantasy Football Coverage: Two Quarterback Draft Strategy

    Please participate in my poll question and make your comments below!

    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: Pure Michigan 400 Fantasy Recap