DraftKings NASCAR: Gander RV 400

DraftKings NASCAR: Gander RV 400

This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.

Gander RV 400 

Location: Dover, Del. 
Course: Dover International Speedway 
Format: 1.0-mile oval 
Laps: 400 

Race Preview 

Chevrolet leveraged teamwork to perfection last week at Talladega Superspeedway to put Chase Elliott into Victory Lane for the first 2019 win for the manufacturer. The manufacturer's drivers consistently teamed up whenever possible throughout the race's 500 miles, effectively locking out challenges from the usual contenders from the Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing teams. It was a lesson other teams and manufacturers will take to heart and be more aware of when the series heads back to another superspeedway. In the meantime, the series now turns its attention to the concrete mile of Dover International Raceway. Gibbs and Penske had won every points race up until last week and even split the two qualifying races at Daytona amongst themselves. Much remains to be seen as to whether the steps Chevrolet and other teams were able to take in the week off will close the gap as the schedule roars onward to the All-Star Race weekend. Four drivers sit within 10 points of each other at the cut-off line for the Playoffs making the next few races critical to solidifying a position within the Playoff standings from which to defend through the summer. 

Key Stats at Dover International Speedway 

• Number of previous races: 98 
• Winners from pole: 13 
• Winners from top-5 starters: 56 
• Winners from top-10 starters: 76 
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5 
• Fastest race: 132.719 mph 

Last 10 Dover Winners 

2018 fall - Chase Elliott
2018 spring - Kevin Harvick
2017 fall - Kyle Busch
2017 spring - Jimmie Johnson
2016 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2016 spring - Matt Kenseth
2015 fall - Kevin Harvick
2015 spring - Jimmie Johnson
2014 fall - Jeff Gordon
2014 spring - Denny Hamlin

Dover International Speedway is a 1.0-mile concrete oval that punishes mistakes and rewards drivers who roll off the truck with a good setup early in the weekend. Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick both won there last season with Harvick leading more than 200 laps each time. Fantasy owners will want to find that driver that has speed early in the weekend and backs it up with a top qualifying effort. That driver will likely go on to lead long stretches of the race to earn valuable points for laps led. The Dover circuit can be a challenge on setups as cars and grip change throughout the distance. Maintaining a balanced car that can rocket off of the corners down the straights will be the focus throughout the weekend. Making the right adjustments at each pit stop will be critical in determining the outcome, but Dover's punishing nature can also open the door to mechanical failures. Overusing the equipment or tires will prematurely end the afternoon and the short lap distance makes any mistakes on pit road detrimental. 

DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)

DraftKings Tier 1 Values  

Kyle Busch - $12,400 
Joey Logano - $11,800 
Brad Keselowski - $10,700 

DraftKings Tier 2 Values  

Chase Elliott - $9,800 
Denny Hamlin - $9,500 
Ryan Blaney - $9,200 
Clint Bowyer - $8,500 

DraftKings Tier 3 Values 

Kyle Larson - $8,000 
Ryan Newman - $7,900 
Daniel Suarez - $7,700 
Austin Dillon - $7,400 

DraftKings Long-Shot Values 

Alex Bowman - $7,100 
Paul Menard - $6,900 
Ryan Preece - $6,500 
Daniel Hemric - $6,200 

MY PICKS THIS WEEK

Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap) 

Kevin Harvick - $11,300 
Chase Elliott - $9,800 
Ryan Blaney - $9,200 
Kyle Larson - $8,000 
Ty Dillon - $6,400 
Michael McDowell - $5,300 

Kevin Harvick may not yet have a win in 2019, but he remains a viable fantasy option most weeks. Dover is definitely one of those times he can be used. He won here last spring and led more than 200 laps in both visits in 2018. Chase Elliott won last week at Talladega and is also the most recent Dover winner. He has only finished outside of the top five once in the six times he has been here in the Cup series. Ryan Blaney is another driver looking for a 2019 win. He was eighth at Dover last spring but has yet to lead a lap at the circuit. Still, his pace so far in 2019 suggests he can improve on those statistics this week. It has been a season of frustration so far for Kyle Larson, and last week's wreck at Talladega was more of the same. Pressure is mounting on him, but Dover is one of his best tracks. He has led over 400 laps in 10 starts and carries an average finish of 8.5 into this weekend. Slowly working his way into playoff contention is Ty Dillon. He has been turning in top-15 and top-20 finishes and led 27 laps on his way to a 14th-place Dover finish in 2017. A bit further out is Michael McDowell, but his 15th-place run at Texas showed that he could offer up some surprises. He has finished higher than his starting position in the last five Dover races. 

Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap) 

Kyle Busch - $12,400 
Denny Hamlin - $9,500 
Clint Bowyer - $8,5000 
Daniel Suarez - $7,700 
Ryan Preece - $6,500 
Landon Cassill - $5,000 

No end is in sight to Kyle Busch's power this season. With a win and two poles in the last four Dover races he is justifiably going to be one of the top fantasy choices. Teammate Denny Hamlin is no slouch here either, though. He was the runner up here last fall and has five top-10s from his last six Dover starts. Talladega was a race to forget for Clint Bowyer but he remains a regular face among the top-10 finishers. He finished second, leading 40 laps, in this race last season. Fantasy owners paying attention should see Daniel Suarez as a value pick this week. He has a worst Dover finish of 10th from four career tries in this series and has been racing at his best so far this season. That combination could mean a top-five outing for him this week. Ryan Preece grabbed his first career top-five last week at Talladega and has been adding top-20 finishes to his account much of this season so far. He finished fourth in the Xfinity race at the track last fall. The last driver to fill out this lineup is Landon Cassill. His best finish so far this season was 24th in the Daytona 500. A nice run to the finish for him should deliver positive finish differential points for rosters, but an alternative choice could be Michael McDowell for those wishing to take a different route.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. C.J. Radune plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.J. Radune
Radune covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and soccer for RotoWire. He was named the Racing Writer of the Year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association in 2012 and 2015.
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