Coca-Cola 600

Charlotte Motor Speedway

I hope everyone enjoyed there off week from the DFS schedule of NASCAR last week, though Boom Fantasy did have games to play for the All-Star Race. The new format and entry process for the All-Star Race created pretty good excitement for the exhibition that ultimately saw Kyle Busch drive away with $1 million in cold hard cash. Though last weekend’s affair was at Charlotte Motor Speedway as well, it doesn’t necessarily hold a lot of water in terms of using the results to help predict this week’s race. The format for the All-Star Race was a set of sprints, compared to the length of the race on Sunday evening.

The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the year in terms of mileage. At 1.5 miles per lap, it will take 400 trips around the Quad-Oval track to make the 600-mile marathon complete. Last year, one man, in Martin Truex Jr., dominated the race as he led 394 of the 400 laps on his way to victory and a remarkable DFS point total. Considering it was an all-time record breaking performance, the likelihood of anyone coming close to that showing this year is practically impossible, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be laps led dominators. Dating back to the May 2011 Coca-Cola 600, with the exception of last year and 2011, two drivers have led 100 or more laps each in each race. So trying to find the two that will lead that many this year, will give you the leg up over the competition in both formats.

The drivers and crew chiefs know Charlotte as arguably the most temperamental track on the schedule, especially when you throw in the change from day to night that will happen during the mid-way point of the race on Sunday evening. Changes in temperature will affect the handling of the cars and tire wear and which grooves are fastest, just like with every track, but Charlotte is the hardest one to predict with how exactly it will change. Cars that lead in the beginning of the race may not have the adjustments it will take to win at the end of the race and vice versa. Over all, 84% of winners have come from the top-five starting positions at Charlotte with Chevys winning 38% of all the races run.

It’s time to see who we’re playing and why for the Coca-Cola 600.

DFS Playbook

DriverDraft KingsNASCAR LiveDescription
Martin Truex Jr.$10,700$27.50Truex, as I've mentioned before, dominated last year's race. He also has two top-fives, two top-10s and 130 laps led in the other three recent races here. He can be used in both
Brad Keselowski$10,400$28.00Keselowski has a top-five and four top-10s over the last four races. He also has the best average finish of P9 in the last three years. He has been consistent in practice too
Jimmie Johnson$10,200$27.00JJ has the most career wins here in the field with eight, as well as a win, two top-fives, and two top-10s in the last four races. He has his mojo going again and should factor late
Kyle Larson$10,100$27.75Larson has been one of the best drivers week in and week out this year. He has run top-10 speeds in practice and starts P39. He should be a must own this week in all lineups
Kyle Busch$9,800$26.50Busch is coming off winning the All-Star race last week but has a shaky history here of late. Just one top-10 in the last four races and five laps led mean that he should be a GPP play
Joey Logano$9,600$27.50Logano has a win and two top-10s here the last two years along with the second-most laps led at 248. His practices and qualifying though limit him to GPP lineups with big upside
Chase Elliott$9,300$26.75Elliott will start P3 on Sunday night but the high starting spot hasn't always worked for him. He tends to go backwards here but does have 103 laps led in the last three races. GPP
Ryan Blaney$9,000$20.75Blaney has another fast race car this week based on practice runs. His history suggests he backs up in the field, but he hasn't had a car like this in the past. Limit exposure to GPP
Matt Kenseth$8,700$24.25Kenseth is a two-time winner with 11 top-fives and 19 top-10s in 35 races. He has two top-fives and three top-10s in the last four races. Top-five speed and starting P4 means cash
Kurt Busch$8,200$21.00Kurt flashed speed at practice with a P4 showing in the final practice. He has one of the best positional differentials in the field and four top-10s in the last two years. GPP play here
Kasey Kahne$8,000$21.50Kahne is the second best driver historically in the field with four wins at Charlotte. He hasn't done much this year though. He has shown decent speed this week but is only GPP
Erik Jones$7,800$20.00Jones is another young gun with a fast car. He has run at or near the top in each practice and starts P5. He has shown flashes of speed before and if it holds, a big day could happen
Austin Dillon$7,600$19.75Austin has run in the top-15 at each practice this week and starts P22. In the last four races here he has a top-10 and three top-20s. He is a solid mid-tier GPP play this week
Ryan Newman$7,300$19.50Newman owns one of the best positional differentials at +7.25 in the field and has a top-five with three top-10s. He has run top-15 each practice this week either format works
Regan Smith$5,600$11.00Smith is back in a car for the first time all season as he fills in for the injured Aric Almirola. The 43-car had shown speed before Kansas and Smith has a solid history here. Cheap play

Optimal Lineups

Draft Kings Cash 
Brad Keselowski$10,400
Kyle Larson$10,100
Joey Logano$9,600
Matt Kenseth$8,700
Regan Smith$5,600
Landon Cassill$5,100
  
Total$49,500

The cash lineup this week is top heavy with big names in Brad Keselowski ($10,400), Kyle Larson ($10,100), Joey Logano ($9,600) and Matt Kenseth ($8,700). Those four drivers have consistent enough history on the track both recently and historically to make for a solid combination. Brad has four straight top-10s, Larson has been the best car all season and has big time upside starting P39, Logano and Kenseth both have the history here to win or rack up the points. Regan Smith ($5,600) and Landon Cassill ($5,100) finish out the lineup with budget plays. Smith is filling-in in the 43-car while Aric Almirola recovers from a broken back, but he has a solid history here and is in a quick car.

Draft Kings GPP 
Jimmie Johnson$10,200
Kyle Larson$10,100
Ryan Blaney$9,000
Erik Jones$7,800
Ryan Newman$7,300
Regan Smith$5,600
  
Total$50,000

The first GPP roster starts with two heavy hitters in Jimmie Johnson ($10,200) and Kyle Larson ($10,100) for both similar reasons. Both have fast cars but start mid-pack back giving the upside wanted in this format. Ryan Blaney ($9,000) is next up after showing very well in practice and qualifying this week. He is a bit of a risk given his history of backing up in the field, but this year should be different. Erik Jones ($7,800) and Ryan Newman ($7,300) bring two different backgrounds to the roster but both should bring in the points. Jones has been quick most races but hasn’t put it all together just yet and Newman has very good history here plus a fast car this week. Regan Smith ($5,600) finishes off the group of six.

Draft Kings GPP #2 
Martin Truex Jr.$10,700
Kyle Larson$10,100
Kurt Busch$8,200
Erik Jones$7,800
Austin Dillon$7,600
Regan Smith$5,600
  
Total$50,000

The second GPP has some similar names in Kyle Larson ($10,100), Erik Jones ($7,800), and Regan Smith ($5,600), but rounds out the lineup with three new drivers. Martin Truex Jr. ($10,700) leads the way following his dominant showing last year and solid showings so far this year. He hasn’t shown top-end speed just yet but starting P8 is good enough. Kurt Busch ($8,200) hasn’t shown terribly well since Daytona, with any consistency, but has flashed speed this week. Four top-10s in the last two years suggest he can get back on track here. Austin Dillon ($7,600) has been up and down in the 3-car this year but has run top-15 all week. He has a top-10 at Charlotte in the last four races and could sneak in there once more.

NASCAR Live 
Brad Keselowski$28.00
Kyle Larson$27.75
Martin Truex Jr.$27.50
Regan Smith$11.00
Cole Whitt$5.00
Bonus WinnerMatt Kenseth
Bonus ManufacturerToyota
  
Total$99.25

The NASCAR Fantasy Live group of five is made up of four drivers we’ve talked about previously in Brad Keselowski ($28.00), Kyle Larson ($27.75), Martin Truex Jr. ($27.50) and Regan Smith ($11.00). It adds Cole Whitt ($5.00) as the finisher to the grouping as a low-end upside play of sorts.

Streak To The FinishBrad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski should be able to keep his streak of top-10 finishes at Charlotte intact one more race.

The Boom questions this week are similar to previous weeks in that you must pick drivers from groupings of two or four and answer which will have the most points by the end of the given stage. Six of the eight questions are of that nature as they progress through the race but the seventh and eighth questions are slightly different. The seventh questions asks you to determine who will have more hits among four players in the Mets/Pirates Sunday night game while the eighth asks you to guess the finishing position for Martin Truex Jr. with you receiving more points for being closer to the correct answer.