The rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for Sunday. The order is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.
The DraftKings NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas slate locks at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $175K Engineer [$50K to 1st] (Cup)
1. Kyle Busch ($10,900) — The No. 18 JGR Toyota was not the best in the first Kansas race, but it was a top-3 car and could have won if the race played out differently. Last Sunday, Busch had the best car at Darlington (155 laps led).
2. Kyle Larson ($10,700) — His car was great in practice, but then it nearly died in the Southern 500. Mysteriously, the car fixed itself and Larson rebounded for a solid finish after being several laps down. Is it possible the Xfinity laps caused Larson to misdiagnose a mechanical issue in the Next Gen car?
3. Denny Hamlin ($11,100) — Truex and Busch have an excuse, their Toyotas blew up. Hamlin’s hot rod should have won at Darlington. The JGR Toyotas should have won at Kansas, but Hamlin’s 23XI Toyota did win at Kansas (Kurt Busch).
4. Martin Truex Jr ($10,300) — On the surface a sixth-place finish at Kansas in the spring seems disappointing. It was a let down, but only because of what could have been. Truex blew a tire before the end of a stage and earned a pit road penalty at another point in the race. He overcame the adversity and earned a respectful finish.
5. Ross Chastain ($10,000) — A mechanical failure got him last week. At Kansas, Chastain had a bad pit stop and a caution caught Chastain during a pit cycle. Those two disadvantages were too much for Chastain to overcome.
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6. Christopher Bell ($9,600) — The Toyotas were fast in the first Kansas race and they were fast last week at Darlington. It didn’t work out for the JGR Toyotas in either race. That happens. JGR can’t win every race, but they can be fast at most of them.
7. Ryan Blaney ($8,900) — In clean air, Blaney looked good at Kansas. It’s amazing how that works. Another issue that could have affected Team Penske in the first Kansas race was the 20-degree drop in temperature from Saturday to Sunday.
8. William Byron ($9,100) — In the first Kansas race, Byron blew a tire while leading the race in Stage 2. Last week, Byron recorded 260 laps inside the top 5 (second-most). He should be a favorite this weekend.
9. Chase Elliott ($10,500) — Being that nearly everyone blew a tire at Kansas and nearly everyone had bad luck last week at Darlington, it would be wise to guess Kansas and Darlington did not go well for Elliott. This is correct. Throw those races out when predicting Elliott’s result for the Kansas fall race.
10. Joey Logano ($9,300) — Team Penske was all over the place in the first Kansas race and Logano struggled the most. They could struggle again, but there’s a good chance that they show up with their customary short-run speed. That could be a winning strategy at this one-groove, limited passing track.
11. Kevin Harvick ($8,700) — Even before his car caught on fire, Harvick was not running well at Darlington. The No. 4 SHR car struggled in practice and qualifying, too. The first race at Kansas did not end up in a fireball, but the car lacked speed and was never in contention.
12. Alex Bowman ($8,200) — This feels like an Alex Bowman special. He hangs around the top 10 all race long, then after a late race caution, he steals the win. Bowman has finished 11th or better in seven of the last eight Kansas races.
13. Ty Gibbs ($7,200) — The JGR and 23XI Toyotas were the class of the field in the first Kansas race. In fact, they have been the class of the field at most tracks this season. The specific Toyota that Gibbs will be driving won this race in the spring.
14. Bubba Wallace ($8,000) — Remember how Ross Chastain snuck up on everybody? Chastain had the talent but lacked the equipment. Bubba is following a similar development arc. After years of grinding, he’s finally in a great car. He’s becoming a top-10 regular, and soon he’ll be fighting for wins.
15. Justin Haley ($5,500) — The Kaulig Racing Cup Series cars are nothing to get excited about, but they have been consistent and Haley is somehow cheaper than his part-time teammate, Noah Gragson. Over the last 13 races, Haley has 12 top-25 finishes and an average finish of 19th.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $175K Engineer [$50K to 1st] (Cup)
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