Tomorrow we head to Richmond, Virginia for the Toyota Owners 400. Looking at the track specs for Richmond Raceway, it is a 0.75 mile, oval track. However, you could argue Richmond is not your ordinary short track, more like a Superspeedway. Due to the distinctive D-shaped track outlay, it allows drivers to travel at higher speeds than other short tracks.
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Strategy
What a swing this weekend in terms of fantasy, we move on from the shortest race in terms of laps with 68 to one of the longest with 400 laps. On DraftKings, the dominator points will spike from just 47 to 280. 100 of those of which are from laps led. Due to the size of these short tracks, the laps pile up rapidly. Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. led 591 laps combined in the two Richmond races last season. To have the best chance of winning, one needs at least two drivers who can each lead a good portion of the laps (and fastest laps). In addition, you will want to ensure that you have a dark horse option in your arsenal.
This week, the Money Train delves into the DFS options for Sunday’s Cup Series event in Richmond. 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
Martin Truex Jr. (14,000 FD | 9,600 DK)
In fairness to Truex, he has been solid so far this season with three top-eight finishes. However, we have yet to see Truex’s dominant performance as of yet. That will change this weekend. With three wins in six visits to this track, Truex has been nearly unstoppable at times. When he has a rare bad finish, Truex finds a way to make up the points. Some fantasy owners may remember his performance at Richmond in 2017. While he finished 20th that day, he still managed to lead 198 laps. If he expects to dominate on Sunday, he’ll need to seize the lead early, as mentioned. For Truex to qualify in that top 10 will be crucial.
Joey Logano (12,000 FD | 9,200 DK)
After suffering a rough end to the COTA due to a multi-car pileup, Logano still sits an impressive third overall in the point standings. A dominant performance at the Richmond short track would indeed be the icing on the cake. In last year’s spring race, he had the speed to compete with Truex and Denny Hamlin. Sure Logano has yet to dominate a race at Richmond. However, he has come close on a couple of separate occasions. It was at the Toyota Owners 400 in 2018, in which Sliced Bread led 92 laps. Only Truex led more with 121 laps. More recently, over the last two of three Richmond races, he’s managed to lead at least 40 laps. He should have success in tomorrow’s Toyota Owners 400 race.
Mid-Range
Christopher Bell (9,000 FD | 8,700 DK)
The attention is generally focused more on Kyle Larson’s abilities on a short track, but Bell himself was a talented short tracker coming up. He began with micro sprints in the early 2000s, gradually working his way up through the ranks. Bell does have longstanding history at Richmond. In two of his three cup appearances at the Virginia short track, he has finished in the top four. As an Xfinity driver, Bell was at his best. He won an incredible three of five attempts. His third-place finish last weekend was a nice shot in the arm, following a pair of rough showings. He should be capable of carrying that success over to Richmond.
Value Play
Brad Keselowski (6,800 FD | 7,400 DK)
After losing 100 points only days before the race at Austin, Keselowski responded with a respectable 12th place finish. While certainly a good first step, there is still plenty of work to do before he can consider challenging for a possible playoff spot. He now visits Richmond, a short track in which he’s done plenty of damage over his cup career. On top of being a two-time winner, he has topped more than 100 laps led on five different attempts. Keselowski doesn’t have the speed to dominate at Richmond like he once did. However, don’t sleep on Keselowski as your value play as he’s still capable of putting in a stellar effort. Another top 12 finish could be in the cards this weekend, which is all you will need from him.
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