In Atlanta, it was a brother 1-2 finish with Kurt Busch emerging as the surprise winner. As well as Kurt bested his brother Kyle Busch last Sunday, it’s uncommon these days to see him do that. Amazingly, Kurt didn’t lead more than 144 laps in a Cup race since 2015 at Richmond, in which he led 291 laps. Kurt did lead the lion’s share of 260 laps, but Kyle also had his moments of glory, leading 91 laps in the course of the day.
It is the fourth time in the history of the Cup Series that the two brothers have finished 1-2 (sharing the wins). Kurt was in a heated battle with Roush Fenway driver Chris Buescher for the final playoff spot before last week’s win. He is now free to focus on picking up as many Chase points as possible.
Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin both had speeding penalties affecting their chances of finishing well. The round of 16 is still five weeks away, and Hamlin is still looking for his first win despite leading the field in points. As for Larson, he is out of the top 15 for the second consecutive week. The young Hendricks driver should find this weekend to be a good challenge.
Loudon will Host the Final Cup Event in July
Leaving the deep south, we now visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. The track, known as “The Magic Mile” to many race fans, is a 1.058-mile asphalt oval speedway holding 76,000 spectators. The race will be the final one in July, after which there will be four more regular-season events in August.
In terms of selecting drivers for this race at New Hampshire, this is an event that will offer plenty of dominating value, with 301 laps to run at a total of 210.7 dominator points on the DraftKings scoring format. It is important to note that three of the four most recent Foxwoods Resort Casino races have featured two separate dominators (last year was the exception). The fact is that two different drivers may control the laps once again this year, so everyone should pick a pair of wheelmen they think can carve up the field.
This week, the Money Train delves into the DFS options for Sunday’s Cup Series event in Loudon, NH. I’ve broken down the selections between high salary, mid-range, and value play. Included are player salaries from both FanDuel and DraftKings. Best of luck to everyone with their lineups this weekend.
High Salary
Kyle Larson (14,000 FD | 11,200 DK)
The performance of Larson over May and June was unbelievable, but it was only a matter of time before he suffered a hiccup. The majority of his history at New Hampshire has been good. There have been a few average runs he’d rather forget, but those four podium finishes are what I want to highlight. Larson is starting on the fifth row, so it should not take him long to challenge those front runners. Additionally, there are nine place differential points on the table should he take advantage. Due to his considerable potential, expect many teams to target him for Sunday. Regardless of his high price tag, you’re going to need him in your arsenal.
Denny Hamlin (13,000 FD | 10,000 DK)
Hamlin has failed to reach the same impactful level since registering eight top-five finishes in his first nine races. Hamlin still leads all drivers in points, but he hasn’t been the driver Fantasy owners crave. With New Hampshire now in the crosshairs, I feel that things may be looking up for him. The reigning two-time New Hampshire runner-up not only finished strong in those races but also showed his worth as a dominator. Over those two events, he led 113 laps and 92 laps respectively. Hamlin so far has had an outstanding year on tracks of one mile or less, finishing among the top three at Richmond, Martinsville, and Phoenix.
Mid-Range
Daniel Suarez (5,700 FD | 8,900 DK)
Suarez may seem very expensive, but there is a good reason for this. Starting 31st carries minimal backlash, but on the flip side, it also leaves plenty to gain. Having run here five times as a cup driver, Suarez has an average finish of 16.20. Say Suarez has a strong run and finishes the day in the top-16, which would leave the possibility of a 45 plus points day. With that kind of performance, he’d be a mid-range selection on anybody’s roster. Before the latest setback, Suarez had posted five top-15 finishes in six races. Although there may be a few disillusioned owners, I believe this is a great spot to make amends.
Value Play
Cole Custer (6,200 FD | 6,300 DK)
The two races leading up to New Hampshire saw him rack up a pair of top 17 results, which is a healthy improvement considering his overall season so far (although I don’t put all the blame on him). Custer never finished lower than ninth at New Hampshire during his regular stint in the Xfinity series. Some might not be surprised, given how well he did at most tracks during his Xfinity career. However, you might recall Custer’s visit last year to the Speedway in which he finished eighth, his fourth-best effort as a Cup rookie. There is no doubt that he understands this tiny Flat Track very well (a top 15 run would seem reasonable).
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Dale Money on Twitter @packerd_00
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
