RADIO
Hello again RotoBallers! Dustin Albino here, back for another week of helping you build the ultimate DraftKings lineup for this Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This week, the race will be 325 laps, meaning there are a total of 162.5 points being awarded for fastest laps. Meanwhile, 81.25 points will be on the line for leading a lap, with .25 points per lap.
For the third time since NASCAR’s return two weeks ago at Darlington Raceway, the starting lineup was based on a random draw, split up via the current owner’s standings. Hometown driver and hottest driver in the Cup Series Chase Elliott drew the pole, as the No. 9 team is looking to back-to-back in the win column on intermediate tracks. Positions were split between 1-12, 13-24, 25-36 in the owner standings, with any additional cars starting at the rear based on owner points.
Because Elliott has been the fastest car this season, clean air is going to be a big advantage, meaning this lineup will be centered around the No. 9 team. Let’s find out who else should be on your team.
My Lineup for the QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Chase Elliott ($9,900)
Career at Atlanta: 4 starts, 0 wins, 1 top five, 0 laps led
Average finish: 10.5
There’s no doubt about it, Elliott’s No. 9 car has been the fastest car in the field through the first quarter of the 2020 Cup season. His 368 laps led in nine races ranks third in the series, only behind Kevin Harvick (more on him later) and Alex Bowman.
The last time NASCAR visited an intermediate track, Elliott won at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Thinking back, he was in position to win the last three races; with a questionable pit call on a green-white-checkered finish in the Coca-Cola 600 and got wrecked by Kyle Busch in the second race at Darlington Raceway.
Elliott’s 0 laps led in four starts at AMS is a cause for concern. However, starting from the pole, the No. 9 car is going to have a distinct advantage in clean air at the start, which means, points, points, points!
Kevin Harvick ($11,700)
Career at Atlanta: 29 starts, 2 wins, 8 top fives, 1,197 laps led
Average finish: 16.3
Harvick’s average finish at Atlanta is deceiving from how good the California native truly is at the track. One thing for certain, there’s a high probability Harvick will be out front at some point on Sunday.
Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, Harvick has led at least 45 laps in each of the six events at AMS and 116 laps in five of those races. While racking up points by leading a multitude of laps, he’s scored just one victory in that same timeframe (2018).
The No. 4 car will begin the 500-miler from ninth position. He comes in as the points leader, having led the most laps this season.
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Brad Keselowski ($8,900)
Career at Atlanta: 11 starts, 4 top fives, 130 laps led
Average finish: 15.1
While Harvick has dominated early portions of races at Atlanta, over the past few years it’s been Keselowski finishing races at the same venue. In the past three races at the track, the Michigan native has two victories and a runner-up finish.
Keselowski will start Sunday’s race in sixth position. Clean air will be king, but since NASCAR’s return from the COVID-19 pandemic, Keselowski has stolen two wins, including two of the past three.
Atlanta is a solid track for Keselowski, leading between 21 and 38 laps over the past three starts. The No. 2 car will be a factor and score valuable points for your team.
William Byron ($7,900)
Career at Atlanta: 2 starts, 0 top fives, 0 laps
Average finish: 17.5
If anyone has been bitten by bad luck this year, Byron is public enemy No. 1. But it’s not from a lack of speed, as Hendrick Motorsports, arguably, has had the most sheer speed in 2020.
Byron doesn’t have a lot to choose from in terms of career at Atlanta with two starts. While piloting the No. 24, he’s yet to lead at AMS. However, in a season unlike any other, it’s quite possible Byron puts a full race together and gets you points!
The No. 24 car is low risk, starting mid-pack in 20th. Byron is coming off his best finish of the season last weekend at Bristol (eighth).
Austin Dillon ($6,400)
Career at Atlanta: 7 starts, 0 top fives, 0 laps led
Average finish: 22.9
With his stats at Atlanta, you’re probably asking Austin Dillon, why? Hear me out!
Through nine races this season, Chevrolet has shown the most speed among the three manufactures. With the addition of Tyler Reddick, Dillon’s game has been upped, sitting 16th in the championship standings, and in the midst consecutive top-10 finishes for the first time since the end of 2018.
While Dillon likely won’t spend much time at the front (has led 1 lap all season), he’s averaging 35.4 FPPR points per race this season. Atlanta is an intermediate track and Dillon has ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the last 900 miles on intermediates this season, while adding a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February.
Michael McDowell ($5,200)
Career at Atlanta: 9 starts, 0 top fives, 1 lap led
Average finish: 34.9
Like a few other selections above, you might be thinking why McDowell at Atlanta? An average finish of 34.9 at any racetrack isn’t attractive. At all. But four of those races have been start-and-park efforts.
Last year he finished shotgun on the field with mechanical issues. Entering this week, McDowell sits 25th in points, and via the random qualifying draw, lost 11 positions, as the No. 34 Ford starts the 500-mile race from 36th.
Compared to the past two years competing for Front Row Motorsports, McDowell has shown flashes of brilliance this season, especially at 1.5-mile tracks. His FRM teammate, John Hunter Nemechek, has overachieved a great deal. With seven consecutive top-25 finishes this season, the No. 34 car is going to move forward come Sunday.
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