FanDuel NASCAR contests are finally here!! The leader in one-day fantasy sports has decided to dip their toe into the NASCAR water. There is no better race to get your start in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) then the largest track on the circuit; Talladega. FanDuel contests offer a more balanced scoring option than what you are used to in the DFS NASCAR game. Fantasy Racing Tips has partnered with FanDuel to ensure you are provided the best fantasy advice possible for the best DFS racing game in the industry.
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Scoring on FanDuel
|
Laps Completed |
Laps Led | Place Differential |
| +0.1 Points | +0.1 Points |
+/- 0.5 Points |
Finishing Position Points: 1st = 43 Pts, 2nd = 40 Pts, 3rd = 38 Pts, 4th = 37 Pts and 1 point deducted from every position after that…
Scoring for FanDuel will be more focused on where a driver finishes the race than how many laps he leads or how many positions he gains in the race. There are no points awarded in FanDuel for fastest laps and that is a good thing. The 0.1 point for every Lap Completed means you will need drivers who finish on the lead lap. If your driver crashes early in the race, your lineup is toast! So make sure you select the drivers who finish up front and complete all of the laps when you fill out your FanDuel Lineups.
Strategy for Talladega
Finish on the lead lap and finish up front. That will be our main focus this week and it is harder than you think to find these drivers at Talladega. The “Track Too Tough To Tame” usually has a wreck which takes out 1/3 of the field. Some drivers are good at avoiding wrecks at this track. The drivers who have completed the most laps in the last 10 Superspeedway races include: 1. Ryan Newman, 2. Trevor Bayne, 3. Kyle Larson, 4. Denny Hamlin, 5. Kurt Busch, 6. Michael McDowell, 7. A.J. Allmendinger, 8. Paul Menard, 9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 10. Brad Keselowski
There are only 188 laps and only 18.8 points available for leading laps. It really does not matter where your drivers run in the race. These 18.8 points are not going to win you your contest this week. It is more important that they finish up front at the end. The drivers with the best average finishing position in the last 10 Superspeedway races include: 1. Darrell Wallace Jr., 2. Aric Almirola, 3. Joey Logano, 4. Paul Menard, 5. Kurt Busch, 6. Ryan Newman, 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 8. Denny Hamlin, 9. Kyle Larson, 10. Brad Keselowski
You cannot ignore the place differential points this week. A driver’s starting position means nothing in this race. A driver can go from last to the top 10 in one lap. It will be important to select some drivers who start in the back at Talladega. We will not know who those drivers are until after qualifying Saturday. Here are the drivers who have been the best at gaining positions in the last 10 Superspeedway races: 1. Grey Gaulding, 2.Aric Almirola, 3. AJ Allmendinger, 4. Chris Buescher, 5. Paul Menard, 6. Darrell Wallace Jr., 7. Brendan Guaghan, 8. David Ragan, 9. Matt Dibenedetto, 10. Kyle Larson
* The only driver to show up on each list is Kyle Larson
5 Drivers to Consider for Talladega
Brad Keselowski ($12,300) has been the best driver at this track and that will not change Sunday. Keselowski has won a series-high 5 times at Talladega, including the race last October. The No. 2 team is still looking for their first win this season and they will have a great chance to get to Victory Lane Sunday. Keselowski has finished on the lead lap in 7 of his last 8 races at the track and he has led laps in 4 consecutive races at Talladega. He should score very well in FanDuel contests this week.
Denny Hamlin ($11,900) is better at Daytona than he is at Talladea but that does not mean he is a bad pick this week. Hamlin has the second-highest driver ranking (Behind Brad Keselowski) at Talladega. He is also almost garuanteed bonus points for leading a lap Sunday. Hamlin has led at least one laps in his last 8 races at the track. Joe Gibbs Racing needs to get another car into the playoffs. I expect Hamlin to have a great car in this race.
Joey Logano ($12,100) had a great race at Richmond and he should back it up with a solid run at Talladega. The Team Penske Racing cars have been the best picks in the last 6 races at this track. They have won 4 of the last 6 races at Talladega. Logano won at this track in 2016 and 2015. He has also led laps in 5 consecutive races at Talladega. I expect Logano to be one of the top picks in FanDuel this week.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($10,800) has won 2 of the last 4 races on the Superspeedways. Stenhouse has led laps in 5 of the last 6 races at Talladega so he should be a good pick to score your team some bonus points Sunday. A driver must be crazy to put his car on the edge at Talladage to get it to the front. No one in the field has the guts to make the moves Stenhouse does at this track. Stenhouse will be highly owned but he could be worth every penny in your FanDuel lineup this week.
Kurt Busch $10,400) is having one of his best seasons and I doubt he will slow down at Talladega. Busch has finished the last 3 races on the Superspeedways: 4th, 1st and 6th. I expect his No. 41 Ford Fussion to be up front again Sunday. His average finishing position in the last 7 races at Talladega is 7.2. Busch should be a safe pick for your FanDuel lineup Sunday.
5 Sleeper Picks for Talladega
Aric Almirola ($9,100) is my pick to win this week. Stewart-Haas Racing desperately wants to get the No. 10 and No. 41 cars to Victory Lane so they can lock up their playoff spots and join Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer in the playoffs. With a good car this week, Almirola can win this race. He has a series-best 6.4 average finishing position in the last 6 races on the Superspeedways. Here are his last 6 finishes: 8th, 4th, 4th, 5th and 11th. That is outstanding. Almirola may be the best pick in the field for this race.
Ryan Newman ($10,300) will probably not win the GEICO 500 but he should finish in the top 10. Newman has a history of running well at the Superspeedways. He has finished his last 3 races in the top 8, including a 2nd-place finish at Talladega last October. Newman will be one of my top Cash Contest drivers this week.
Paul Menard ($10,100) is a great pick this week. He has the second-best average finishing position (8th) in the last 6 Superspeedway races. Menard is almost a lock for a 12th-place finish this week. Most fantasy players would take a 12th-place finish from Menard right now if it was offered to them. Since 2014 his worst finish at a Superspeedway is 13th. That makes him a safe option for your FanDuel lineup.
AJ Allmendinger ($8,300) will be a great cheap driver for your team this week. He ranks 7th in average finishing position in the last 6 Superspeedway races. It would be higher if he was not involved in a lap 191 crash at Talladega last year. Allmendinger is known as a Road Course expect, but he also has a lot of value at the restrictor-plate tracks. He will be worth a spot in your FanDuel lineups this week.
Gray Gaulding ($6,100) is my “Super Sleeper” pick this week. He is one of the cheapest drivers in the field and his stats at the Superspeedways are really good. He has three starts at the restrictor-plate tracks and he has never finished outside the top 20. He ranks No. 1 in place differential points as well. If you want to spend up for the higher-priced drivers, Gaulding will be a good driver to save some salary with this week.
FanDuel Initial Lineup for Talladega
Brad Keselowski ($12,300)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($10,800)
Paul Menard ($10,100)
Aric Almirola ($9,100)
Gray Gaulding ($6,100)
Due not be afraid to leave so some salary on the table this week. It is more important to have the correct lineup than it is to spend the $50K.
– Be sure to check FantasyRacingTips.com Saturday evening for my updated FanDuel lineup!!
** Remember to make a deposit on FanDuel and enter a NASCAR contest this week to receive two (2) free months of premium membership to Fantasy Racing Tips. Click here to sign up: FantasyRacingTips Promotion **
*Stats from Driveraverages.com and career stats from Racing-Reference.Info…
If you need any further advice with your team or want to see my updated picks after Happy Hour practice, look for me on Twitter (@MrFantasyNASCAR).