For the first time in history, we will have the NASCAR All-Star race in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Texas Motor Speedway. Until now, the all-star race had only left Charlotte twice in its history. The 100-lap main event has been split into six phases with the lineup for each stage being determined by separate methods. The first four stages will run 15 laps each. The fifth and sixth rounds will last for 30 and 10 laps, respectively. There is a mandatory, four-tire pit stop during the fifth round.
Along with the three all-star open qualifiers, the winner of the all-star fan vote will join the other 17 drivers. Those 17 drivers qualified early through either race win or past championship. Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher are among the drivers that will likely need to race their way into the grand finale. With only three available spots, it’s not going to be a gimme either. Consider that leading up to the deadline on Friday, neither driver was among the top five vote-getters.
We will follow a similar scoring formula from last weekend. However, with driver positions being shuffled after the conclusion of each round, it’s going to make securing lap leaders a little more uncertain. Keep in mind that over the last eight all-star races, there has been a different driver each time.
This week, the Money Train delves into the DFS options for Sunday’s Cup Series event in Fort Worth, TX. 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
Ryan Blaney (10.500 FD | 9,600 DK)
There’s a handful of guys this Sunday that click all the boxes. Consider a driver like Blaney, for example, he’s not only starting third last in the field, but his lap-leading success over the last three all-star races has been among the very best. Keep in mind his 72 laps led rank second-most among drivers and is only three laps shy of Kevin Harvick. Depending on where he gets shuffled after the first 15 laps, Blaney should be in a good position to lead laps at some point. The betting odds on Blaney finishing with a top-five sits at +240.
Kyle Larson (13,500 FD | 10,200 DK)
Right now, Larson is undeniably the dominant driver in the cup series. And until other teams manage to catch up to the No. 5 car, it’s wise to keep riding the hot hand. However, as stated previously the all-star race is a whole different animal. He has shown he can lead laps here when the opportunity arises. Larson led 74 laps here just three years ago. Regardless you’re going to want to pair Larson with another driver that can lead laps at Texas. Starting the race on pole, Larson again gets an opportunity to put points in the bank from the outset.
Mid-Range
Kevin Harvick (11,500 FD | 8,700 DK)
A winner here three times, Harvick has plenty of on-track success at Texas. This is also the track that cost Harvick a chance at the final four last season. While he has yet to win a race this season, he has been able to keep his cars upfront and competitive most weeks. It was seven weeks ago at Talladega that Harvick finished as well as fourth, the most recent track where they used a spacer engine package. He’ll be coming off the line 12th, which does still leave you value. Although we’ve yet to see him dominate at a track this season, he’s worth a punt. Not often do you have a chance to get a three-time track winner at such a reasonable price.
Value Play
Austin Dillon (6,000 FD | 6,600 DK)
When Dillon won the race two years ago at Texas, he needed to beat back all challengers on the final pair of restarts (using only two left sides). He’s never been much of a lap leader when it comes to Texas. Although, Dillon does have those 22 laps in the bank from his lone track win. With a fifth-place starting position, he could certainly be a risky option. However, if Dillon can avoid any on-the-track collisions, he should be in good shape. Dillon continues to hold an average finish of 13, which dwarfs the record of 16 from a season ago.
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