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Hope y'all enjoyed the off weekend, because once business picks back up on Sunday (Aug. 2) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, it's full throttle to the end of the season.
NASCAR used to visit the Granite State twice per season, but as of 2018, it's just one annual trip to the most northeastern track on the NASCAR circuit. And by most standards, New Hampshire is a relatively short race -- just 301 laps -- especially when action tends to get strung out.
With that said, there are fantasy points on the line. Given there are 301 laps, there are 150.5 points on the table for fast laps, while 75.25 points are up for grabs for laps led. Let's see who you should have in your DraftKings lineup.
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My DFS Lineup - Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Denny Hamlin ($10,400)
Career at New Hampshire: 26 starts, 3 wins, 662 laps led
Average finish at New Hampshire: 9.9
Anyone else getting the feeling this is the year of Denny Hamlin? I certainly do.
While Hamlin's other Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have sometimes struggled for speed this season (Kyle Busch is still looking for his first victory), the No. 11 team has been lights out, winning a series-high five races. Now, the Cup Series goes to New Hampshire, a place Hamlin's been very competitive at, scoring 15 top-10 finishes in 26 starts.
Via the random draw, Hamlin drew the second starting position for Sunday's race. He's starting next to Aric Almirola, who's also shown promise in recent years at the one-mile track, but I give the edge to the No. 11 team. He's going to lead laps, and likely a bunch of them. Honestly, though, you don't go wrong if you build your lineup around Hamlin or Kevin Harvick... every week.
Christopher Bell ($10,100)
Career at New Hampshire: 0 starts, 0 wins, 0 laps led
Average finish at New Hampshire: N/A
Since NASCAR has gone to the random draw (13 races overall), Bell has had arguably the worst end of the stick, drawing 32nd or worse nine times (he starts 35th on Sunday). Yikes! While that's not good for the No. 95 team, it is good for fantasy players, though oftentimes leading to a high price.
This week is no different. And though Bell has no experience in a Cup car at New Hampshire, the Oklahoma native has been stellar in NASCAR's development series. He's two-for-two in the win column in the Xfinity Series, leading 279 of 400 total laps (69.75%). He's got four straight top-two efforts at the track going back to his Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series days, when he finishes second and first in two starts, respectively.
Look, Bell is a must have on your team this weekend given his starting position. No, not all of his success from Xfinity and Trucks has translated over to Cup, but he's shown flashes of legit speed, and let's not forget Matt DiBenedetto had a top-five finish at New Hampshire with this same Leavine Family Racing team.
Erik Jones ($8,900)
Career at New Hampshire: 4 starts, 0 wins, 4 laps led
Average finish at New Hampshire: 16.0
New Hampshire has been feast or famine for Jones. Since joining the Cup Series in 2017, he's got a pair of top-six efforts at the track, while scoring a 16th-place finish in 2018 and a disappointing 39th-place effort in his first outing at the track as a rookie.
However, if you look at my lineup, you might see a theme: Toyota. While the manufacture hasn't gotten a win in the past two years at the track (I see you Harivck), there was a time not long ago where Toyota was straight dominating at the track. I think they get some of that magic back this weekend.
Jones starts the race mid-pack in 17th. Expect the No. 20 car to soar through the field, as he sits just outside the playoff bubble in 18th on the grid. Plus, driving for JGR means he could potentially fight for the win, as he did last year, finishing third.
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Clint Bowyer ($7,200)
Career at New Hampshire: 26 starts, 2 wins, 516 laps led
Average finish at New Hampshire: 16.8
Like Jones, Bowyer has had his fair share of ups and downs at New Hampshire. Flashback to 2007, Bowyer scored his first career victory in dominating fashion, leading 222 of 300 laps at New Hampshire. Three years later, he won on fuel mileage, and it's one of just three tracks on the circuit where he's earned multiple victories at.
The 2020 season has been eventful for Bowyer; he's ran well at a lot of places, but doesn't have the finishes to show for it with just five top 10s. However, he's typically competitive at one of NASCAR's flattest tracks, though his success seemingly comes in spurts.
Starting sixth is a small cause for concern, as Bowyer has just two top-five finishes in 19 races this season. Plus, he hasn't scored a top five at New Hampshire since 2012. But give the nod to the No. 14 team, after all, they need a good run.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($6,800)
Career at New Hampshire: 12 starts, 0 wins, 11 laps led
Average finish at New Hampshire: 22.1
So I'm yelling you to put a JTG Daugherty driver on your team after Stenhouse and Ryan Preece combined to DNF seven times in eight starts during the month of July? Yup.
This might be a bold pick, especially since Stenhouse has a best finish of 29th over the past four races, but the team's luck has to turn around at some point, right? I believe so, and though the Mississippi driver's numbers aren't all good at New Hampshire, his starting position is attractive.
With the recent stretch of bad luck, the No. 47 car has dropped to 27th in the owner's standings, meaning Stenhouse can start anywhere from 25th to 36th. This week, he drew 31st, and as long as he can complete all the laps, the No. 47 will gain you points based on finishing position.
Ryan Newman ($6,600)
Career at New Hampshire: 34 starts, 3 wins, 722 laps led
Average finish at New Hampshire: 13.5
Last year's race at New Hampshire began the incline in Newman's success in his first season with Roush Fenway Racing. Then, the No. 6 car finished seventh, but spent time inside the top five, earning valuable points. He needs some shred of light, as 2020 has been a tough season.
Since returning from injury following his horrific crash at the end of the Daytona 500, Newman has yet to score a top-10 finish in 15 races. Luckily for him, this place is one of his better tracks on the schedule, earning 20 top-10 finishes, including two straight.
This is a weekend where, if Newman has a solid car, he and crew chief Scott Graves could pull some strategy to compete for the win. Starting 22nd, the No. 6 team is playing with house money, needing a win to make the postseason. Put this guy in your lineup!
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