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Cactuses, dry heat, and the image of Beavis and Butt-Head walking through a desert on Peyote are some of the things that come to mind when I think about the desert. The other thing (that's not as weird) is ISM Raceway in Phoenix Arizona. With the championship race at Homestead coming up next weekend, it's time to see some "nut up or shut up" style driving out of the final eight drivers in the NASCAR Playoffs.
On Saturday, Kyle Busch took the pole at ISM, and based off his record should be one of the higher scoring drivers this Sunday, but his biggest challenger will be starting from third place, and also happens to be his teammate Denny Hamlin. With both of these drivers aiming for a lock at Homestead, I expect to see things get dicey on the track this Sunday between them.
Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney ended up having the best practice times in the second practice on Friday, and are both in contention (but barely) to save their season and advance to Homestead. Out of these two drivers, Elliott ended up with the better qualifying spot ( sixth), but with the strange luck, Elliott has been having it will be tough to trust playing him in DFS. Look for this race to be highly entertaining for the fans, and a nail biter for the drivers and DFS players alike.
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DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Kyle Busch #18 (DraftKings $11,900 | FanDuel $15,000)
Rowdy Busch put on a show in Pheonix during practice and qualifying over the weekend and has one more box to check on Sunday if he wants to lock himself in for Homestead. Busch took first place with a speed of 137.562 in the first practice on Friday, and followed up with a speed of 140.116 in qualifying to take the pole.
Even with his recent drought, Busch has one of the best records at this track, and should be able to lead laps early, allowing for some fast-paced fantasy production early on. You just can't sleep on this man this weekend with a playoff spot on the line.
Matt DiBenedetto #95 (DraftKings $7,300 | FanDuel $6,000)
DiBenedetto may not have the best record at ISM, but if we have learned anything this year, it's that the game has changed for Matty D. Another important thing to note is that DiBenedetto has never qualified inside the Top 20, and that could be a huge difference maker for where he ends up when the checkered flag waves.
In both practices on Friday, DiBenedetto finished inside the Top 10 with a top speed of 137.169 in the first practice. DiBenedetto will start in P16, and the speed is there as long as he can work his way through the pack accident free.
Denny Hamlin #11 (DraftKings $10,600 | FanDuel $13,500)
Hamlin had a soul crushing accident last weekend in Texas, but the past is in the past, and you can't afford to miss out on him with his eyes glued on winning his first championship. Since 2017, Hamlin has averaged around 44 FPTS at this track, but with him starting in P3 on Sunday, he could easily jump out to take the lead early from teammate Kyle Busch.
In both practices on Friday, Hamlin finished inside the Top 10, trailing just behind Kyle Busch with a speed of 137.478 in the first practice. In March, Hamlin finished inside the Top 5 after starting third so expect to see another finish close to the front (as long as he can remember his car is not an airplane).
Austin Dillon #3 (DraftKings $6,800 | FanDuel $6,500)
I know you're probably like "But why tho?", so hear me out when it comes to Dillon. Over the past few years, it's statistically proven that Dillon has better finishes at this track in the month of November.
Dillon may not have looked that impressive earning his P28 starting position with a speed of 136.254 on Saturday, but with him having positive place differential since 2017, he could definitely help put you deep in the money on Sunday. Dillon finished last November's race here in eighth after starting 15th, and with him starting so far back on Sunday, he could be one of the most rewarding plays of the day if he lands a Top 10 finish.
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 and subscribe to the Garage Guys Fantasy Sports Podcast for Fantasy Football and NASCAR talk. Good luck RotoBallers!
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