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FanDuel fantasy NASCAR lineup picks for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

By Nick Tylwalk

SONOMA, CA - JUNE 23: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA - JUNE 23: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /
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Get the lineup advice you need to hopefully get your team to the Winners Circle at Sonoma.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway may be one of the most distinct challenges for stock car races today. But does it mean there’s something special to watch out for when setting your FanDuel fantasy NASCAR lineups for Sunday?

Well, no … and yes. See, Sonoma has produced a lot of different winners in recent years, including nine different ones since 2009. However, that list of recent winners includes all four of this year’s usual suspects (a.k.a. multi-race winners): Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer.

That means you don’t want to get too cute with your FanDuel picks, although guys like AJ Allmendinger tend to know how to go faster here than they do on ovals. Except that your opponents know this too, and you know they they know, and they know that you know that they know. You know what we mean.

Also, it’s worth noting that Chevy drivers qualified very well here, taking four of the first five and six of the top eight spots. Does that mean they will do better than they have been on Sunday? We don’t know that yet, but it is interesting.

In any case, we’ve gone through some of our thinking, so let’s get to some Toyota/Save Mart 350 potential FanDuel picks. As always, a disclaimer: 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

SONOMA, CA – JUNE 23: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Caramel Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA – JUNE 23: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Caramel Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /

Premium drivers (salary above $10,500)

Kyle Busch ($12,200) – Here’s this week’s “let’s not overthink this” pick. Busch is the only multi-time Sonoma winner over the last decade, taking the checkered flag in 2008 and 2015. He’s finished no worse than seventh each of the last three years, and you know what he’s done so far in 2018. We wouldn’t blame you at all for centering your lineup this week around Rowdy.

Martin Truex Jr. ($12,000) – A riskier pick that Busch because he’s been up and down over the least five years at Sonoma. Still, he has a win during that time and led the most laps twice, including last year. Starting on the outside pole means he could lead a bunch of early laps if he can get past Kyle Larson.

Denny Hamlin ($11,000) – Has gotten much, much better at this track over the years, finishing second in 2016 and fourth last season. Starting 21st gives him some sweet positional upside as well.

Kurt Busch ($10,600) – We haven’t called his name often in 2018, even though he’s been consistently pretty good. And he’s better than that at Sonoma, finishing no worse than 12th in his last five starts. Like Hamlin, has positions gained upside thanks to his 23rd starting spot.