This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Alsco Uniforms 500
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 400
Race Preview
Chase Elliott missed another golden opportunity to win Sunday in Charlotte when the Hendrick Motorsports driver was in position to cruise to the checkered flag and a late caution caused by teammate William Byron set up an overtime finish. Elliott chose to pit for fresh tires, giving up the crucial track position that had been the primary determinant of success all night. That poor choice opened the door for Brad Keselowski to sneak in his first victory of the season. Second-place finisher Jimmie Johnson's disqualification from failing post-race inspection then promoted Elliott to second. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the jumbled top-five following the overtime shootout.
Sunday's race gave fantasy owners plenty of information to set their lineups for Wednesday. Alex Bowman, Elliott, Johnson, and others were quick throughout the night and will likely be so again in Wednesday's shorter return to the speedway. Like Darlington, the finishing order of the top 20 from Sunday is inverted to determine the starting lineup for Wednesday. Johnson, with his disqualification, will start last. Leading the field to he green will be teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman, who led 164 laps before slipping back on the final lap Sunday.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 121
- Winners from pole: 17
- Winners from top-5 starters: 67
- Winners from top-10 starters: 90
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 10
- Fastest race: 160.655 mph
Previous 10 Charlotte Winners
2020 - Brad Keselowski
2019 - Martin Truex Jr.
2018 - Kyle Busch
2017 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2017 spring - Austin Dillon
2016 fall - Jimmie Johnson
2016 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
2015 fall - Joey Logano
2015 spring - Carl Edwards
2014 fall - Kevin Harvick
Sunday's race delivered the long green-flag runs Charlotte has a tendency to produce. Kurt Busch spent the early laps in front until Alex Bowman took over and dominated the middle portion. Penske Racing's Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski made smart choices in pit strategy and stole a stage win and the race. The Chevrolet cars seemed to have an advantage throughout the race distance, but the final caution and overtime finish jumbled the finishing order. Fantasy owners should expect much of the same on Wednesday. Long green-flag runs will be expected again, but Wednesday night's race distance will only be half of what it was Sunday. Teams will be pressured to perfect their car setups more quickly and there will be less time to recover from any mistakes. Wednesday should be a fast and exciting night of racing.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Jimmie Johnson - $12,300
Denny Hamlin - $11,200
Kyle Busch - $10,500
Brad Keselowski - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,700
Martin Truex Jr. - $9,400
Kurt Busch - $9,000
Alex Bowman - $8,700
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ryan Blaney - $7,900
Erik Jones - $7,800
Tyler Reddick - $7,600
Austin Dillon - $7,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Christopher Bell - $6,800
Matt DiBenedetto - $6,500
Ryan Preece - $6,000
John Hunter Nemechek - $5,700
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Jimmie Johnson - $12,300
Martin Truex Jr. - $9,400
Alex Bowman - $8,700
Tyler Reddick - $7,600
Cole Custer - $5,800
John Hunter Nemechek - $5,700
Starting last for Wednesday night's race puts Jimmie Johnson (DK $12,300, FD $11,200) behind the ball, but fantasy owners should remember he finished second on track Sunday. He should be able to make his way through the field and score plenty of finish differential points for fantasy rosters. Martin Truex Jr. (DK $9,400, FD $14,000) is still working on getting up to speed with his new crew chief, and Toyota has not had the advantage in 2020 that they did in 2019. Still, he led 87 laps and finished sixth in Sunday's race. Alex Bowman (DK $8,700, FD $12,200) could be the favorite Wednesday and is a steal at his DraftKings price. He starts on the front row Sunday and led 186 laps Sunday. He could easily dominate long stretches of Wednesday's race and is a good early choice to win outright. Tyler Reddick (DK $ 7,600, FD $8,000) had another impressive performance Sunday and is starting to look more consistent from week to week. He was eighth on Sunday and has a quick car that should remain so for Wednesday. Another young driver making his mark on Sunday was Cole Custer (DK $5,800, FD $6,500), who started 28th and finished 12th. He starts ninth on Sunday and could potentially hold on top a top 10 with better track position in a shorter race. Finally, John Hunter Nemechek (DK $5,700, FD $6,000) continues to impress. He started 26th and finished 16th in Sunday's race. He had a top-10 in the first Darlington race last week and could walk away from Charlotte with another.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Denny Hamlin - $11,200
Chase Elliott - $9,700
Kurt Busch - $7,000
Christopher Bell - $6,800
Chris Buescher - $6,700
Matt DiBenedetto - $6,500
Like Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin's (DK $11,200, FD $12,000) starting position for Wednesday night could mean extra points for finish differential for fantasy owners. The risky part of choosing him this time is the fact that his crew chief, car chief, and engineer are all suspended for the next four races. Chase Elliott (DK $9,700, FD $13,000) will have to come through the field to get to the lead, but that wasn't an issue for him Sunday. He should be expected to be fast again, but fantasy owners will hope the right decisions are made this time. Kurt Busch (DK $7,000, FD $10,000) lost the handling no his car once he was forced to race in traffic. The team should be able to sort that out for Wednesday's shorter race. He led 54 laps on Sunday. Christopher Bell (DK $6,800, FD $6,000) was a surprise with his ninth-place finish Sunday from 15th starting position. He will start 12th on Wednesday and will have plenty of confidence in grabbing another top-10. Chris Buescher (DK $$6,700, FD $6,700) was another top-10 finisher in Sunday's race. That was his second consecutive top-10 finish at the track. Matt DiBenedetto's (DK $6,500, FD $8,100) 17th-place finish on Sunday was his best at Charlotte so far and gives him something to build on for Wednesday.
