RADIO
When I was a kid I was in love with the movie Detroit Rock City and my favorite musicians were Kid Rock and Eminem. My parents would have flipped their lids if they knew I was consuming that content at such a young age but it gave me my first view of what I thought the state of Michigan was like.
It's easy to see that this week in NASCAR is one of my favorites not just because of the culture, but because of the hot nasty speed that is produced at Michigan International Speedway. Drivers are rolling at speeds over 200 mph at this track due to its long straightaways and wide turns. It's one of the quicker races of the season but it's so fun to watch. Especially when the restarts happen (*insert Grinch smiling GIF*).
This week I'll be showcasing a hometown kid, the former winner of this race, a Top 10 bounce-back candidate and one of the most consistent drivers at Michigan since the start of his career. In the words of Kid Rock, its time to Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy.
DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Erik Jones #20 (DraftKings $8,300 | FanDuel $10,000)
I've decided to refer to Erik Jones as EJ from now on just because I like the way it sounds (FYI). Jones crushed it last week at Pocono finishing third behind Brad Keselowski and race winner Kyle Busch. Not only does he have momentum from last weeks race going into Michigan, but this is also EJ's home track.
Jones didn't have his best finishes at this track last year but this time around he's got the speed to give me the confidence to go back to back with him. In both practices on Friday, Jones finished inside the Top 10 with a high speed of 187.877. Look for Jones to finish inside the Top-10 come Sunday.
Clint Bowyer #14 (DraftKings $8,700 | FanDuel $10,800 )
The ever-lovable Clint Bowyer has made it back to my picks after checking out his speeds in Friday's practice. From 2015 to 2017, Bowyer had some rough finishes at Michigan but saw some improvement last year. Clint won this race last season after starting P12 and followed it up with a 12th place finish in the 2018 August race at this track.
Bowyer posted a top speed of 188.659 in Friday's practice and his teammates at Stewart Haas racing are looking pretty fast as well (Daniel Suarez, Kevin Harvick, and Aric Almirola). Harvick is a great play this week if you're willing to spend the cash, but when it comes to stretching your budget, Bowyer is the SHR guy to play.
Kurt Busch #1 (DraftKings $9,300 | FanDuel $10,700)
I'm officially back on my Busch-it! I've been waiting to say that for a while now but ole Kurt just hasn't been as hot as he was at the start of the season. Since Kyle Larson has shown he can finish some races, he's quickly taken back over the media spotlight for Chip Ganassi Racing but I see that being flipped this week.
Most will argue that Larson has the better odds out of the two this week but Busch also has three wins here throughout his career. What it comes down to me is experience and Busch has Larson beat in that category. Kurt posted two Top 10 finishes in Friday's practice and seems to have a car that's ready to do work on Sunday.
Chase Elliott #9 (DraftKings $10,000 | FanDuel $12,500)
Mr. Consistancy is none other than Chase Elliott. Since Elliott started racing in the cup series he has NEVER finished outside the Top 10 at this track. His first three career races at Michigan consisted of a P2 three-peat followed by one eighth-place finish and to finishes in P9 in 2018.
Although Elliott has never won a stage in Michigan, he's led a total of 66 career laps and has gained position from where he started in all but one race at MIS. Since Talladega, Chase has yet to finish outside the Top 10 on race day and with that momentum, you can bet he's not going to let you down this weekend.
More NASCAR DFS Analysis
Be sure to also check out this week's Revvin' Up, a weekly video series by Sean Engel focused on previewing every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from DFS perspectives. Sean Engel is a six-time DraftKings NASCAR DFS tournament winner and a 15-year NASCAR veteran.
For any and all fantasy NASCAR questions, find me on Twitter @GarageGuyChase. Good luck RotoBallers!
More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis
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