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Hi RotoBaller readers, my name is Dustin Albino, experienced NASCAR writer at Frontstretch.com. This week, I’ll be writing on NASCAR DFS, helping you build the ultimate DraftKings lineup for Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Because it’s a 500-lap race, there will be 250 total points on the line for fastest laps. In addition, there will be a total of 125 points given out for laps led, with each lap being .25 points. For the second 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. Brad Keselowski drew the pole, as the No. 2 team did at Darlington. 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.
Since Keselowski is on the pole, and both he and Team Penske performs well at the half-mile short track, we’re going to base this lineup around the No. 2 car. Let’s find out who else should be on your team.
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My DraftKings Lineup for the Food City 500
Brad Keslowski ($9,100)
Career at Bristol: 20 starts, 2 wins, 5 top fives, 697 laps led
Average finish at Bristol: 17.3
Quietly, Keselowski has gotten off to a solid start to the 2020 NASCAR season, winning the Coca-Cola 600 last week. He’s also known for being a solid short track racer, and has had good numbers at Bristol.
The No. 2 team will start from the pole, and the new aerodynamic package NASCAR gave to its teams on short tracks this season favors the likes of Keselowski. In its first outing at Phoenix Raceway, Keselowski led 82 laps, though falling to 11th at the finish. Even then, he netted three points after starting 14th.
Keselowski hasn’t won at Bristol since the spring of 2012. However, his first-place starting position is going to give the No. 2 clean air, ultimately racking up points for laps led. He’s a shoo-in.
Jimmie Johnson ($10,200)
Career at Bristol: 36 starts, 2 wins, 12 top fives, 914 laps led
Average finish at Bristol: 13.3
Don’t let Johnson’s price shy you away from him. For the first time in over two years, the No. 48 team has speed to win. Via the random draw, Johnson will be mired back in 24th at the start, meaning the only way he can go is up (OK, not really, but work with me here).
At the beginning, it’s likely the No. 48 car won’t be racking off the quickest laps in the field. On the positive side, Hendrick Motorsports is the fastest team in NASCAR. Don’t be surprised to see the seven-time champ run near the front, as Bristol is one of the few tracks he’s shown winning speed at over the past couple of years with four straight top-10 finishes.
Kurt Busch ($8,300)
Career at Bristol: 38 starts, 6 wins, 12 top fives, 1,095 laps led
Average finish at Bristol: 14.2
For Busch’s price at Thunder Valley, the No. 1 car is a steal for your team. Not only does Busch have six victories – the last being in August, 2018 – he is always a frontrunner at Bristol. Last Spring, he nearly lost to his younger brother Kyle. That race, he came from 27th on the starting grid. The 2004 Cup champion will start 12th on Sunday, and surely, he’ll be moving up the scoring pylon in the No. 1 Chevrolet.
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Bubba Wallace ($7,500)
Career at Bristol: 4 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 6 laps led
Average finish at Bristol: 22.0
An average finish of 22nd isn’t all that good, but good news, Wallace has performed better than what the average finish has shown. In the 2018 Spring race, Wallace drove from 20th to the lead. Sure, the famed No. 43 dropped to 16th at the finish, but 2020 has a different feel. Granted, the results aren’t there, but Wallace was running inside the top 15 for nearly the all the opening 150 laps at Charlotte on Thursday. Unfortunately, he had a right rear hub failure, as he also did last Sunday.
Fortunately, Wallace is a good short track driver. Last October at Martinsville Speedway, he piloted the No. 43 from 26th to 13th, at times running inside the top 10. Plus, he’s starting 36th this week, meaning he can almost only go up.
Christopher Bell ($7,300)
Career at Bristol: 0 Starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 laps led
Career average finish at Bristol: 0.0
I’ve got some explaining to do with this selection. Thus is true Bell has no starts at Bristol in his Cup career, but remember, he’s a rookie driver. But, his Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota finishes runner-up last August with Matt DiBenedetto at the helm (more on that later).
Over his two-year Xfinity career, Bell made a statement by winning on short tracks. Of his 16 wins, 10 came on tracks under 1-mile in length. In his four starts at BMS, he has one victory, a runner-up finish and last spring rebounded to 14th after being involved in an early accident. The No. 95 team got off to a horrific start this year, but has shown flashes of brilliance since NASCAR returned two weeks ago. Expect Bell to move forward from his 35th starting position.
Matt DiBenedetto ($7,100)
Career at Bristol: 10 starts, 0 wins, 1 top five, 93 laps led
Career average finish: 17.9
There’s no doubt about it, DiBenedetto has had this race circled on the calendar since NASCAR announced it would be running the event on May 31. Last time the Cup Series visited Bristol, DiBenedetto was on his way to the first victory of his career… until Denny Hamlin passed the No. 95 car with 12 laps remaining.
But now, DiBenedetto drives for the Wood Brothers, who have excelled at tracks like Bristol in the past. With this wheelman driving the No. 21 – remember he finished sixth with BK Racing at Bristol in 2016 – a win is possible. He’s worth the price.
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