This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
AdventHealth 400
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Course: Kansas Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 267
NASCAR AdventHealth 400 Race Preview
Martin Truex Jr. snapped his winless streak a week ago at Dover Motor Speedway and put himself into the championship playoffs, a step he missed last season after failing to get to Victory Lane. The former champion held off Ross Chastain and overcame early strength from William Byron to capture the win, which will no doubt give him some relief this summer knowing that he will be among the championship contenders this time. His win made him the eighth different winner this season, meaning that half of the playoff positions are now occupied by race winners. With positions among the top 16 starting to trickle away the pressure on winless drivers this season will only increase. Their next chance to relieve that pressure comes at Kansas Speedway with a return to 1.5-mile oval racing. Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace swept wins at the track last season for the 23XI Racing team, but Hendrick Motorsports, more specifically William Byron, has been the one to beat on 1.5-mile ovals so far. With everything still to race for the championship battle is already starting to heat up.
Key Stats at Kansas Speedway
- Number of races: 34
- Winners from pole: 7
- Winners from top-5 starters: 16
- Winners from top-10 starters: 22
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 3
- Fastest race: 152.057 mph
Previous 10 Kansas Winners
2022 fall - Bubba Wallace
2022 spring - Kurt Busch
2021 fall - Kyle Larson
2021 spring - Kyle Busch
2020 fall - Joey Logano
2020 spring - Denny Hamlin
2019 fall - Denny Hamlin
2019 spring - Brad Keselowski
2018 fall - Chase Elliott
2018 spring - Kevin Harvick
The NASCAR Cup Series makes a return to 1.5-mile oval racing this week at Kansas Speedway. The tri-oval configuration is fast and rewards speed and track position. Racing tends to be good at this track since there is room to change grooves in the corners. Those groove options help drivers adjust to find the fastest line around the track to make passes and compensate for handling issues, but traffic will be a concern throughout the distance. Drivers with a good grip on their setups will have a greater ability to cut through the field by changing lanes, whereas those with fewer options in the turns will find it much more difficult to make up ground. Pit strategy could become a factor as teams understand the tire and how hard they can push it, too. We've seen a number of races this season where two-tire stops gain track position with little tradeoff of reduced lap time back on track. That could be a good opportunity for teams to come from behind and be competitive, and that opportunity will increase with more unplanned cautions, too. Again, that means a particular focus will be on restarts - especially those that come late in the final stage.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the AdventHealth 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,200
William Byron - $10,900
Denny Hamlin - $10,700
Tyler Reddick - $10,400
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,800
Ross Chastain - $9,600
Kyle Busch - $9,400
Ryan Blaney - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kevin Harvick - $8,700
Joey Logano - $8,400
Brad Keselowski - $8,200
Daniel Suarez - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ty Gibbs - $7,800
Josh Berry - $7,700
Austin Cindric - $6,500
Todd Gilliland - $5,400
NASCAR DFS Picks for the AdventHealth 400
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Denny Hamlin - $10,700
Kyle Busch - $9,400
Kevin Harvick - $8,700
Joey Logano - $8,400
Ryan Preece - $7,200
Todd Gilliland - $5,400
Multiple previous Kansas winners lead the lower-risk lineup for the AdventHealth 400. Denny Hamlin (DK $10,700, FD $12,000) will be quite hungry to visit Victory Lane soon after teammate Martin Truex Jr. got the job done last week. Kansas has been a fruitful venue for the No. 11 with three prior wins, too. The team he part owns swept races at the track in 2022, and Hamlin was runner up in the second of those. Kyle Busch (DK $9,400, FD $10,000) suffered from another somewhat self-inflicted wound last week, but that doesn't mean he wasn't competitive before then. He is a two-time winner at Kansas and finished third in this race last year with 18 laps led. Busch should be a reliable option for fantasy lineups this week. Similarly, Kevin Harvick (DK $8,700, FD $8,500) is seeking to return to his consistent top finishes after three tough races in a row. Like Hamlin, Harvick has also won three times at this track, but he didn't fare as well in last year's races. His 2023 finishes have been better than 2022 though, and fantasy players can expect him to be a top-10 contender this week after his ninth-place finish at Las Vegas earlier this season.
Fantasy players can grab yet another three-time Kansas winner in the form of Joey Logano (DK $8,400, FD $8,200). Like Harvick, Logano has endured a few weeks of suboptimal results. However, the Team Penske Fords have been powerful in 2023 and this 1.5-mile oval could play to their favor. The only stretch in this lineup might be Ryan Preece (DK $7,200, FD $6,000). While Preece has shown potential, he hasn't yet converted it into a top result. His best finish so far was 12th at Phoenix. His best finish at this track is also 12th. He has top-15 speed and capability, and needs to deliver on it. Finally, Todd Gilliland (DK $5,400, FD $3,000) has been making a case for selection all season. He brings three top-10 finishes into this weekend, including two in the last five races. This will be his third Kansas start and could leave this weekend with his first Kansas top-20 finish in hand.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
William Byron - $10,900
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,000
Ty Gibbs - $7,800
Josh Berry - $7,700
Chase Briscoe - $7,500
AJ Allmendinger - $6,100
William Byron (DK $10,900, FD $13,500) has been one of the most competitive drivers so far this season. He has two wins and five top-10s so far. One of those wins was on the Las Vegas 1.5-mile oval. With six top-10s from 10 Kansas tries it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the mix for another win this week. Martin Truex Jr. (DK $10,000, FD $11,500) is now seeking to join Byron and others as a two-time winner in 2023. Truex made the breakthrough just one week ago to end his winless streak, which could set up a string of top finishes. Truex has two Kansas victories and will look to extend his run of seven consecutive top-10 finishes at the track. Rookie Ty Gibbs (DK $7,800, FD $7,200) has quietly and consistently been moving forward. He lost out on a potential top-five last week at Dover after having to save fuel, but he is becoming a regular contender among the top 10. He crashed out of his only other series start at this track but won there in the Xfinity Series in 2021.
Super-sub Josh Berry (DK $7,700, FD $7,500) also makes an enticing fantasy selection this week. He is filling in for injured Alex Bowman and grabbed his third top-10 from six starts last week at Dover. We know Hendrick Motorsports have some of the best equipment this season and Berry is putting it to good use. This will be his first series start at Kansas. Lineups looking for another top-15 contender should consider Chase Briscoe (DK $7,500, FD $6,200). He brings three top-fives and four top-15s from the last five races into this week's contest and currently sits among the playoff positions in the standings in 16th. Briscoe has four prior Kansas starts and scored his best finish at the track (13th) last time out. AJ Allmendinger (DK $6,100, FD $4,500) could also add some top-20 potential to this lineup. He has six top-20 finishes so far this season with two in the last four races. He has four previous top-10s at Kansas, though. If things go well he could be looking at another top-15 outing this week.
