Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond: NASCAR DFS Preview

And we’re back! Last Wednesday, we took a look at the Toyota Owners 400 and who the pre-qualifier favorites may be going into today. Since we now know the qualifying positions (QP) for each driver is, it’s time to find the favorites and the values for today’s race.

To recap, Richmond Raceway is a short track – only 0.75 miles – but it drives like a superspeedway, making the list of drivers we want just a bit more exclusive. It’s supposed to be 67 degrees and sunny this afternoon so that outside heat won’t affect the cars. Unfortunately, the tires issues on the Next Gen cars continue to plague drivers, so it is essential to find the ones most likely to finish the race (barring unforeseen crashes, etc., of course).

If you’re looking for some race day recommendations, I’ve got you covered for both FanDuel and DraftKings. If you’re playing season-long, even if I am not sure of the independent salaries in your league, I’ll give you a variety of choices I like.

One note: Remember that a qualifying position (QP) is crucial concerning NASCAR fantasy. FanDuel rewards laps led with only 0.1 points, but you earn or lose 0.5 points for place differential. On DraftKings, it’s even starker: Laps led is 0.25 points, whereas place differential is +/- 1 point.

Ryan Blaney grabbed the pole for the second week in a row and is in second place in the overall standings. I want to roster him at $9,500 on FanDuel, but his driver rating at this track is only 72.5, and I don’t see him holding the lead for that long.

Let’s look at who is on the value-play docket for this afternoon’s race in Richmond.

Toyota Owners 400 DFS Preview

Table 1: The Values

Due to his QP and the opportunity for points, Alex Bowman sits in the pole position of value on both sites. He starts in the 28th spot, and I think he will end up in the Top 10 if he continues to drive the way he has been racing thus far. I will probably have him in the majority of my lineups for this reason.

On FanDuel, Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez are both priced in the $7,000 range, and both have a QP in the double digits. Suarez has had some hard luck thus far, and though I don’t see him being a true contender in this one, that $7,300 salary could fit in very nicely with some of the more prominent names. Kurt Busch is in the same boat, though he holds a slightly better driver rating in Richmond.

On DraftKings, both Austin and Ty Dillon look reasonable at their $7,000 and $5,200 respective salaries. They are starting way in the back of the field, and DFS players should think of them as lineup builders; again, we hope to fit more primary contenders into your DFS team.

And those primary contenders here remain Martin Truex, Jr., Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick. (This is where I remind you that Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski have excellent records at this track and are viable candidates for your lineups, and I have concerns about both that will have me shy away from them today.)

Truex, Logano, Busch, and Harvick have proven track records in Richmond and on this type of track. They are priced as such on FanDuel except for Harvick, who comes in with a salary of $8,500. I plan to pick two of them to go with Bowman in a few different contests and let it ride for the afternoon.

Here are two lineups, one for each site, that I plan to enter into contests. If you have any thoughts, questions, or opinions, please hit me up on Twitter at @thewonkypenguin. And, as always, good luck!

Table 2: The Plays