The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is back after the Easter break. After four straight weeks of racing with the new down force package we go on a short track stretch that will see the drivers race three short tracks(Martinsville, Bristol, Richmond) in four weeks. The cars don't reach high enough speeds for the new rules package to take effect so we will, for the most part, be ignoring that data.

The first race of this four week run starts at Martinsville Speedway, better know as the "Paper Clip". The track is a .526 mile short track, shaped like a paper clip and with just 12° of banking in the corners. To pass other cars you need to be aggressive and sometimes push other drivers out of your way. Qualifying will be important this week with the difficulty in passing.

Denny Hamlin is the defending champion of this race but most people will remember the fall race. Joey Logano was dominating before Matt Kenseth decided to get revenge on Joey after he took him out at Kansas two weeks prior. This resulted in Jeff Gordon taking a late lead and eventually winning the race. It was the final win of his career and put him int the Final Four of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

If you have any questions leading up to the race be sure to join the conversation in the chat below.

Daily Fantasy NASCAR: DraftKings DFS  Lineup Picks

Joey Logano - $10,200  

If not for Matt Kenseth taking him out last fall he would have probably won that race after starting from the pole and leading a ton of laps. He will get another great opportunity for his first win here on Sunday as he picked up his third straight pole here at Martinsville. Look for the #22 to lead a bunch of laps early and use that pit selection to his advantage and be in contention in the closing laps.

Kevin Harvick - $9,900

So far in 2016 he is the only driver to finish inside the Top 10 in all five races. Anytime you can get a driver of his caliber as the 4th ranked driver in salary on DraftKings you just have to pull the trigger. Over the past fives years here at Martinsville Speedway he has a win, two Top 5's, six Top 10's and a 13.1 average finish. They haven't quite found the speed they would like as the #4 was 17th in first practice and will start 19th for the race on Sunday. Look for them to get it right as they progress through the weekend.

Carl Edwards - $8,700

This pic comes with a GPP tag this week. This is not Edwards best track and in the past five years(10 races) he has only recorded one Top 10 finish. He had issues early ranking 20th in first practice and didn't make it out of the first round in qualifying, starting 25th on Sunday. This opens up big place differential value but will come with the risk of getting in a wreck trying to navigate through the field.

Clint Bowyer - $7,200

He is one of the drivers with excellent track history here and knows how to come through the field from the back of the pack. He will have to do it again on Sunday as he qualified 30th for the race. In his previous 10 races here at Martinsville he has three Top 5's, seven Top 10's and a 12.0 average finish. It has been a disastrous start to the year for the #15 so don't risk it in cash games.

Brian Vickers - $5,500

It is hard to avoid the value this season with who ever is filling in for Tony Stewart. It will be Brian Vickers once again this weekend as he has a pretty good track history here. He has raced here seven times in the last five years and has recorded one Top 10 and a decent 18.1 average finish. He qualified 3rd which limits any place differential upside but the #14 team was fastest in first practice so be sure to pay attention to the final two practices on Saturday. His min price on DraftKings allows you to pay up for three elite drivers in GPP lineups.

DFS & Fantasy NASCAR Chat Room

If you have any questions leading up to the race hit me up in the chat below!

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