Get some help setting your FanDuel lineups for the KC Masterpiece 400 before the checkered flag drops on Saturday night.
Welcome to our very first FanDuel fantasy NASCAR picks article. We figured since we were already having some fun with DraftKings, we might as well branch out and tackle FanDuel contests as well, seeing as they’re still relatively new to the DFS racing scene.
Unlike DraftKings, FanDuel fantasy NASCAR competitions ask you to pick just five drivers with a maximum salary of $50,000. As you might expect, the top drivers then have their salaries bumped up, so the challenge is still similar. The scoring system is also slightly but importantly different, as FanDuel gives less points for point differential and laps led, as well as no points for fastest laps, but also awards small amounts of points for laps completed, meaning running until the end and staying on the lead lap is more crucial for your drivers.
The similarity, though, is that the favorites are still the favorites, and the idea is to sort out one or two expensive picks with an excellent chance to win while filling in with drivers who can out-perform their starting spots and move up. Let’s dive into Kansas and see what we’ve got.
Important note: Just like in other FanSided.com DFS articles, we’re not going to give you a copy/paste lineup, though we will give you a sample lineup with picks that we feel good about that fits under the salary threshold.
Premium drivers (salary above $10,500)
Kevin Harvick ($13,500) – You want the best, you’ve got to pay for the best. In this case, it might be worth it, because Harvick has the most wins this season and figures to be a good bet to lead early laps since he starts from the pole. You’re probably going to be running down players with a Harvick-based lineup if you don’t roll with him.
Kyle Busch ($12,200) – Definitely works as the centerpiece of a contrarian lineup without Harvick, as he’s starting third and figures to be right in the thick of things. He’s been in the top five each of the last two seasons and won the 2016 edition of this race.
Ryan Blaney ($11,500) – Starting second and figures to stay near the front, as he has already shown top-five ability in the KC Masterpiece 400 even before he came to Team Penske. A Busch-Blaney tandem could definitely work as a counter to Harvick.
Brad Keselowski ($10,900) – The least sexy pick from this group but also the cheapest, which does matter. Brad K. is going to be in the top 10 as long as he doesn’t encounter mechanical trouble or someone else’s wreck, but he doesn’t quite look like he is back in race-winning from just yet.