As a result of Bubba Wallace’s rain-out win last weekend, Denny Hamlin remains the only driver to be assured of his spot in the round of eight. The next track in the round of 12 will be the Charlotte Roval, which will determine which seven drivers will join Hamlin. Looking at the track specs for the Charlotte Roval, it is a 2.28-mile asphalt road course.
In terms of selecting drivers for this upcoming race at the Roval, it is an event that will not allow for a whole lot of dominating value, with 109 laps to run at a total of 76.3 DraftKings points. The goal of a successful points day at a road course is to have a team designed so the different drivers will accumulate points by progressing through the field. Of course, you can include a single dominator to fill out the roster. However, the majority of your points are going to need to come mainly from place differential and high finishing position.
This week, the Money Train delves into the DFS options for Sunday’s Cup Series event in Charlotte, NC. The selections are broken down between high salary, mid-range, and value play. Included are player salaries from both FanDuel (FD) and DraftKings (DK). Best of luck to everyone with lineups this weekend.
High Salary
Chase Elliott (14,500 FD | 10,700 DK)
There was a time when people compared Martin Truex, Jr. and Elliott on the road course. Elliott quickly put that talk to shame. He’s been outstanding at the Roval, winning two of the past three events. Moreover, he led at least 27 laps in each of those wins, so despite not yet dominating, his value remains. As he starts eighth, he won’t have to worry about weeding through the field, wasting a lot of laps in the process. Following the fiasco at Talladega, just about every playoff driver outside of a handful will be battling to make the round of eight. Among them is Elliot, who only has an eight-point cushion over Kevin Harvick for the final transfer spot. What fortune for a driver who rips up road courses like nobody’s business.
A.J. Allmendinger (12,000 FD | 11,200 DK)
Almost two months after winning at Indy, where he had to take advantage of Hamlin’s spin to win the race on the final lap, he returns to compete in the Roval. This road course has only been in NASCAR for three consecutive seasons, but that hasn’t stopped Allmendinger from making his mark. In addition to his seventh-place finish in the Cup race here in 2018, he’s managed to win back-to-back Xfinity races.
Because of Allmendinger’s 33rd place starting position on Sunday, it’s not surprising that he’s the highest price driver on DraftKings. During the inaugural Daytona road course event in February, Allmendinger moved up from a 34th place starting position to finish seventh. He could be an excellent candidate for the top point earner, provided he reaches or exceeds his Daytona performance.
Mid-Range
Matt DiBenedetto (8,500 FD | 7,900 DK)
On the road course, DiBenedetto had a miserable start to the year, but that has gradually changed the more road course tracks they’ve visited. He finished in the top 10 at Road America, after starting from a prime seventh-place spot. I was pleased to see him hold up throughout most of that event, he showed a lot of character. Despite his recent 22nd place finish at the Roval, his previous two visits saw him finish 13th and 11th. In sum, DiBenedetto has been more than serviceable for a mid-range driver. With a starting position of 30th on Sunday, he could offer you some great value at a much cheaper rate than the high-salary drivers.
Value Play
Cole Custer (7,100 FD | 5,700 DK)
Custer took advantage of the possible hazards at Talladega last weekend, finishing 13th after starting as far back as 26th. It was a good finish, but Custer needs to start building up a solid resume. He hasn’t been a beast on road courses, usually hovering around the top 18. At the Roval, it’s been different, as this is one event where he has run competitively, finishing ninth at last year’s Cup race. For a driver who costs you $5,700 on DraftKings, Custer would be a solid buy if he can finish in the top 15.
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