2015 NASCAR Fantasy Predictions at Kentucky
NASCAR Fantasy Race Picks for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway
By Jay Horne of NASCARWagers.com
After a wild and crazy race at Daytona that ended in the twilight hours of Monday morning, the Sprint Cup Series heads back to one of the cookie cutter tracks this week with the running of the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Unlike most tracks on circuit, Kentucky is relatively new to the Sprint Cup Series. While the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series have both been coming to Kentucky since roughly 2001, the Sprint Cup Series just started visiting Kentucky Speedway in 2011 and has just 4 races on the books. Therefore we take this time to provide some fantasy advice for fantasy owners this week and NASCAR fans who may not be too familiar with some of the top drivers for Kentucky.
Best Favorite: Brad Keselowski (Draft Kings Salary – $12,100)
Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano have a ton of experience and wins on their resume at Kentucky Speedway from their days of battling each other in the Xfinity Series. Logano actually won 3 races in a row in the Xfinity Series from 2008 to 2010 at Kentucky. However only one of those drivers has relayed that success to the next level. Brad Keselowski has won 2 of the 4 races held at Kentucky while leading the most laps during those 4 races as well. Based on the way the #2 has performed at the 1.5 mile tracks this season, there is no reason that Keselowski should not contend for the victory again this year.
Best Value: Kyle Busch (Draft Kings Salary – $10,800)
I know Keselowski may be the best pick if you are going for wins but Kyle Busch has the best value on the board at a salary of just $10,800. Busch won the first race at Kentucky back in 2011 and has posted finishes of 10th, 5th, and 2nd in the 3 races since. Rowdy has a 124.3 driver rating at Kentucky which is well ahead of Jimmie Johnson who has the 2nd best rating at 116.6. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck, Kyle Busch is a must have for fantasy rosters this week especially considering the desperate need the #18 team is in for points to make the Chase.
Value Driver: Ryan Newman (Draft Kings Salary – $9,300)
Outside of one bad finish in 2012, Ryan Newman has been as solid as any other driver at Kentucky Speedway with two respectable top 5 finishes. Newman finished 3rd at Kentucky most recently in 2014 and the #31 has been rock solid on the 1.5 mile tracks this season. In fact, Newman has finished no worse than 12th on any 1.5 mile track this season. For a guy with a rather low salary requirement, Newman is a good option if you are looking for someone to put together a solid finish.
Dark Horse: Casey Mears (Draft Kings Salary – $7,500)
I do not know how many people have been paying attention but the #13 car has been running really well in recent weeks. The finishes have not exactly matched the running position but Casey Mears has still posted finishes of 16th or better in 3 of the last 4 races. Mears also has finishes of 20th or better in 3 of his 4 starts at Kentucky Speedway as well. Considering the speed the #13 car has shown in recent weeks, I would say this is Mears’ best opportunity to score his best finish at Kentucky Speedway. Everyone needs one of those really low tier drivers to manage their lineups and Mears could be the driver to get you a quality finish from that group.
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