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NASCAR heads to Sonoma, California this week for the year's first road course. The track itself has been home to parity over the past ten years, where it has seen ten different winners over that time. This race is one where track position is king. Passing opportunities are few and far between, so drivers push hard on restarts to get close to the front. This aggressiveness leads to two or three cautions every race that come from multiple car accidents. The drivers who can qualify well and save their tires in the long runs will have the most success come Sunday afternoon.
Pass differential and place differential shouldn't really play a factor in Draftkings scoring this week, so target the guys starting up front and fast in practice. There will only be one practice for the drivers on Friday afternoon followed by Qualifying on Saturday. Check back Saturday afternoon for my post qualifying update and final thoughts going into the race.
Daily Fantasy NASCAR: DraftKings Picks
Kurt Busch - $12,400
Busch is coming off of a win in the rain-shortened Quicken Loans 400 in Michigan. He has finished in the top 10 four times in his previous five races. The team seems to get him a fast and competitive car week in and week out, making him a contender as we get close to the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Busch has a win and three top 5 finishes in his last five trips to Sonoma Raceway. He is priced right below Harvick and Johnson with the same winning upside.
Jeff Gordon - $11,300
It's hard to pass up on Gordon at Sonoma Raceway. In his previous five starts here, he hasn't finished outside the top 10 and has finished inside the top 5 on four occasions. Before the 10-year stretch where there had been a new winner every year, Gordon dominated here with five wins. He is still looking for that first win here in 2015 to lock himself into the Chase for the Sprint Cup in his final season. He will be motivated this week at a track he loves, so get him in your lineups.
Kasey Kahne - $10,700
With only nine more races left until the Chase begins, Kahne hasn't punched his ticket yet. He will be another driver, much like Gordon, looking to get that win at Sonoma. He has recorded three top 10 finishes in his last five starts with an average starting position of 13.4. He has been consistent as of late with top 10 finishes in each of his last five starts in 2015. Kahne makes a solid cash game play in a balanced lineup.
Greg Biffle - $9,200
Biffle is one the best value pays on Draftkings this week. He is ranked 18th in salary but has some nice numbers here at Sonoma. He has top 10 finishes in four of his last five races here with an average finish of 10.3. He has been building momentum since the start of the season and is ready to break through anytime. Biffle makes a great Cash Game play or GPP play this week.
Casey Mears - $7,600
When looking for some salary relief this week for your tournament tickets, look no further than Mears. He comes in to this race with momentum after finishing inside the top 16 in his previous two races. He has raced here at Sonoma four times and has an average finish of 19.5. Mears is one of the most consistent drivers in his price range this week so don't pass him over.
Post Qualifying and Practice Update
There seems to be quite a bit of value this week as Draftkings hasn't adjusted their salaries for the guys who excel on the road courses. AJ Allmendinger picked up the Coors Lite Pole and will be starting first. Most of the drivers and people around the sport consider AJ to be the best road racer of all the drivers, and with a salary of $8300 this week he presents tremendous value. He should be able to get out front and lead a fair share of the laps and have a shot at the end to win the race. Clint Bowyer is another driver who excels at this road course, was fast in practice and will be starting 6th tomorrow. He comes in at a salary under $9000 making him a great start to a cash lineup. On the high end this week make sure to roster both Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch. Both were fast in practice and qualified inside the Top 10 for the race. It is a great week for constructing multiple GPP lineups with so much value out there. If you have any questions going into the race tomorrow be sure to hit me up on Twitter as I am out of town this weekend and won't back on the chat room. Good luck everyone!
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