2 months agoWilliam Byron started The Great American Getaway 400 from outside of Row 1 on Sunday. The Hendrick Motorsports Racing driver dropped a mere two spots after 160 laps. Byron never could get close enough to the leaders on Sunday. He did not lead a single lap but him and his team played the pit strategy well. As a result, Byron and his Chevy were able to stay near the front. Late in the final stage, it did not hurt to have teammate Alex Bowman near him. Byron was able to hold off Joey Logano for fourth as he stayed third in the playoff picture.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 months agoBubba Wallace will start 29th in this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. This is Wallace's lowest starting position at Pocono since 2018 the lowest of the season so far. In 11 Cup starts at the site, Wallace has four top-15 finishes, which he scored in his last four appearances there in the Cup Series. The No. 23 Toyota driver also has six finishes with positive Place Differential at Pocono. Through 20 races so far this year, Wallace has 14 top-20 finishes with six inside the Top 10. In practice, Wallace ranked 11th in overall lap averages and fifth in five consecutive lap averages. With incredible PD upside, Wallace is one of the best drivers to consider for DFS contests this week, as he is capable of placing in the Top 15 based on equipment, practice speeds, and recent Pocono history.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoDuring qualifying for the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. nabbed a starting position of third. This is the second year in a row that Truex will start inside the Top 3 and the best starting position of the year for the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver. In 34 starts at Pocono, Truex has two wins and 15 top-10 finishes. Truex also led in each of the last three Cup events at the site, including 20 circuits in last year's race. In 20 races so far this season, Truex has eight top-10 finishes, and 447 laps led, which is the fourth-most of all drivers. In practice, Truex ranked as the fastest driver in all categories except for single lap times. Due to his equipment and his strong Pocono history, Truex is one of the top favorites to compete for the win.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoJoey Logano scored a starting position of 10th in qualifying for this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. It is Logano's second top-10 starting position in a row at Pocono and his first this season since New Hampshire three races ago. In 28 starts at Pocono in the Cup Series, Logano has one win and 10 top-10 finishes. The No. 22 Team Penske Ford driver also led 21 laps in last year's Cup event at Pocono before obtaining a DNF. After 20 Cup races, Logano has one win and six top-10 finishes, including three of the last six Cup events. In practice, Logano ranked 27th in five consecutive lap averages and 17th in overall lap averages. Despite the below-average practice speeds, Logano is historically great at Pocono, making him someone to consider for tournament lineups instead of all formats due to his low Place Differential upside.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoRFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski will start 14th in this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. This continues a trend of Keselowski starting every Pocono race outside of the Top 10 since the first race at the site in 2020 and is his first starting position outside of the Top 10 this year since Sonoma. In 26 starts at Pocono, Keselowski has one win and 15 top-10 finishes, including five of the last eight Cup events at the Pennsylvania track. Through 20 races so far this season, Keselowski has one win and nine top-10 finishes. In practice, the No. 6 Ford driver ranked eighth in five consecutive lap averages and sixth in overall lap averages. With his practice speeds and favorable Pocono history, Keselowski is one of the better options to consider as a mid-tier salaried driver who will compete for a top-10 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoIn qualifying for this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, Chase Elliott nabbed a starting position of 11th. This is the third consecutive race this season where Elliott failed to qualify inside the Top 10. In 14 previous races at Pocono in the Cup Series, Elliott has nine finishes inside the Top 10, which include both races with the Next-Gen car and one win. With 20 races completed so far this year, Elliott has one win, nine top-10 finishes, and the highest average finish of all full-time drivers (10.6). In practice, Elliott did not run five consecutive laps but ranked fourth in overall lap averages. Based on his track history and equipment, Elliott will compete for a top-10 finish at Pocono, making him a solid option to consider for any DFS format this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoAustin Cindric will start this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway from the 20th position. This is the third time he will start in the Top 20 at Pocono in his Cup career. In two previous starts at the site, Cindric had a best finish of 23rd, and he failed to capture positive Place Differential both times. After 20 races so far this season, Cindric has nine top-20 finishes, including each of the last three races. In practice, Cindric ranked fourth in five, 10, and 15 consecutive lap averages while ranking 15th in overall lap averages. Based on his practice speeds, equipment, and recent races this season, Cindric is a solid value pick who fantasy players should expect to place in the Top 15 despite the lackluster track history.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoHendrick Motorsports driver William Byron qualified second for this week's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. This is Byron's second time starting from the second position at Pocono. In 10 races at the "Tricky Triangle," Byron has five top-10 finishes and placed inside the Top 20 every time. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver also led the most laps (60) of anyone in last year's race at the Pennsylvania track. Through 20 races so far this year, Byron has three wins and 11 top-10 finishes. In practice, Byron ranked third in overall lap averages and second in five consecutive lap averages, showcasing how he has one of the fastest cars in the field. Based on his practice speeds, top equipment, and history at Pocono, Byron is among the top favorites to compete for the win and lead laps early.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoIn what should not be surprising to anyone, Denny Hamlin is the favorite to win The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway this weekend. Hamlin is the defending winner of this race and also was the first car to cross the finish line in the 2022 event, but was disqualified after the race. Denny's No. 11 Toyota was strong in practice this weekend, ranking fifth-fastest in 10-lap average and second-quickest in 15-lap average, behind only his teammate, Martin Truex Jr. Last year at Pocono and similar tracks, Hamlin had the best average running position of anyone in the garage. He's definitely going to be a contender on Sunday and is a prime DFS pick, even at his high salary of $11,000 on DraftKings. Denny is a seven-time winner at Pocono Raceway and will be a contender on Sunday, barring any mechanical issues or mistakes. He qualified fourth for the event.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Win The Race
2 months agoSportsbooks think that Sunday's The Great American Getaway 400 is going to come down to one of the Toyotas, specifically Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. However, don't be surprised if Tyler Reddick throws his name in the hat. The 23XI Racing driver has back-to-back second-place finishes at "The Tricky Triangle" in the Next Gen era and has the fourth-best driver rating and sixth-best average running position during that time span. This weekend, Reddick brought some speed, too, as the No. 45 Toyota was fastest in practice on Saturday despite Reddick spinning out early in the session. He qualified seventh for this weekend's race and should definitely be a top five contender. At just $9,800 on DraftKings, Reddick could be one of the best value plays on the slate when it's all said and done on Sunday. Definitely have some good Reddick exposure with your DFS lineups this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
2 months agoFor the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, Kyle Busch qualified 24th. It is the ninth time in his Cup career that Busch will start a race at Pocono 20th or worse and the sixth time overall this season. In 36 starts at the site, Busch has 18 top-10 finishes, including four wins. After 20 races so far this season, Busch has six top-10 finishes, including last week's race at the Chicago Street Course, which was his first in seven races. In practice, Busch ranked 20th in overall lap averages and did not run five consecutive laps. Based on his starting position, Busch offers a modest amount of Place Differential upside that makes him worth consideration for DFS lineups of any format. Expect Busch to place in the Top 20 based on equipment, past Pocono history, and his practice speeds.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: racing-reference.info
2 months agoCould this be the weekend that Ty Gibbs finally breaks through and gets his first career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series? It looks like he may have the car to do it. Gibbs posted the sixth-fastest lap in practice at Pocono on Saturday and followed that up later that afternoon by winning the pole for this weekend's The Great American Getaway 400. He will now have the best track position to start the race with this weekend and also the best pit stall selection. The Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas are always fast at "The Tricky Triangle," and Gibbs' No. 54 Toyota definitely has the speed to contend on Sunday. He's priced at $9,000 on DraftKings, and with his dominator potential as well as his high finishing possibility, you should definitely have a good amount of exposure to the pole sitter with your DFS lineups on Sunday. Last year at Pocono, Gibbs walked away with a top-five finish in his rookie year.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
2 months agoKyle Larson was an early week favorite to win The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway this weekend, but he's slipped a little bit in the minds of analysts after practice and qualifying on Saturday. Larson posted the eighth-fastest lap in practice despite spinning out late in the session, but then surprisingly missed the final round of qualifying and will start from back in 12th for Sunday's race. While this is still Kyle Larson we're talking about, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if he still won the race, there are a handful of race cars that have more speed than the No. 5 Chevrolet this weekend. On DraftKings, Larson is priced at $10,800, and with his Place Differential potential in starting 12th, he still makes for a good DFS option. However, Larson's lack of potential dominator points on Sunday means it may be better to look elsewhere in the high-dollar driver range when building your DraftKings lineup.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
2 months agoAt $6,500 on DraftKings, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has the potential to be one of the most valuable DFS plays at Pocono on Sunday afternoon. The JTG Daugherty Racing driver will start from way back in 31st place for The Great American Getaway 400, and while track position is important at Pocono, Stenhouse is used to coming from the back the season. As far as race speed goes, though, the No. 47 Chevrolet looks to have potential. Stenhouse was 22nd-fastest in practice on Saturday afternoon at The Tricky Triangle and ranked seventh-fastest in 10-lap average. What may be the best thing about Stenhouse this weekend, though, is his track record at Pocono. Stenhouse has finished seventh and 18th in his two starts here in the Next Gen era and has ended up 18th or better in 10 of his last 14 attempts at the track. Be sure to have plenty of Stenhouse in your DFS lineups this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
2 months agoHeading into the race weekend, a few analysts pegged Josh Berry as a sleeper to keep your eyes on for The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, but not many could have predicted how strong Berry's No. 4 Ford would be on Saturday. Although he posted just the 23rd-fastest lap in practice, Berry made it to the final round of qualifying and will roll off the starting grid from fifth-place for this weekend's race. Track position can be very important at Pocono, so the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team definitely has a good place to start for Sunday's race. And while Berry is definitely still a sleeper for a top-10 finish--especially considering the strong history that his crew chief, Rodney Childers, has at this track--it's extremely risky to pick Berry in DFS this weekend due to his high starting position. It'd likely be best to stay away from the SHR driver on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
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