This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Hollywood Casino 400
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Course: Kansas Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 267
NASCAR Hollywood Casino 400 Race Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue this week at Kansas Speedway in the Hollywood Casino 400. Kyle Larson became the first driver to punch his ticket to the next elimination round by winning at Darlington. Denny Hamlin dominated much of that race before the night unraveled and left him to finish 25th, slipping to fifth in the playoff standings. However, Hamlin won at Kansas earlier this season and has plenty of reasons to be optimistic after signing a new multi-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing. Two races remain in the round of 16 and four drivers' championship efforts will come to a close. Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Michael McDowell all enter this race weekend behind the cut line with work to do. Christopher Bell sits in the final transfer position with a mere one-point cushion to Wallace in 13th. Anything can still happen and the final field of 12 championship contenders will take a step closer to finalization this week at Kansas.
Key Stats at Kansas Speedway
- Number of races: 35
- Winners from pole: 7
- Winners from top-5 starters: 16
- Winners from top-10 starters: 23
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 3
- Fastest race: 152.057 mph
Previous 10 Kansas Winners
2023 spring - Denny Hamlin
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
Kansas Speedway features a fast tri-oval configuration is fast that tends to favor positive track position. The wide turns offer multiple grooves that drivers can use to make passes, which promotes close racing throughout the field, but traffic is also a concern. The current generation of car has proven to be susceptible to aerodynamic influences when running behind other cars, which can play havoc with car settings. Drivers with a good setup will have the opportunity to separate themselves from the competition as others struggle to find the right line to make their lap times as fast as possible. Pit strategy is one way to improve track position, but the timing of cautions makes that a gamble that can backfire. All of these factors make qualifying up front one of the best ways to have a successful race at this track. Only two races in the last five seasons were won by a driver starting outside of the top 10.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Hollywood Casino 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $10,500
William Byron - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Tyler Reddick - $9,800
Kyle Busch - $9,600
Kevin Harvick - $9,500
Ross Chastain - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Joey Logano - $8,800
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Ryan Blaney - $8,500
Chase Elliott - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ty Gibbs - $7,600
Erik Jones - $7,000
Chase Briscoe - $6,600
Austin Cindric - $6,200
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Hollywood Casino 400
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Tyler Reddick - $9,800
Kevin Harvick - $9,500
Ryan Blaney - $8,500
Chase Elliott - $8,100
Daniel Suarez - $7,500
Chase Briscoe - $6,600
The lower-risk lineup for the Hollywood Casino 400 avoids some of the higher-priced favorites in favor of targeting the entire lineup finishing inside the top 15. Tyler Reddick (DK $9,800, FD $12,000) is a driver with win potential, though. After his runner-up finish last week, he is in good standing in the playoff order and could leverage his Toyota power at Kansas this week, too. He finished ninth at the track earlier in the season and has led at least 20 laps in each of the last three Kansas races. Kevin Harvick (DK $9,500, FD $8,000) has bee a contender for the top five every week. Without a victory, he has less wiggle room in the playoff standings and can't afford not having another top-10 this week. He finished 19th at Darlington last week, which means he needs to race for as many points as possible. Ryan Blaney (DK $8,500, FD $9,500) started his playoffs with a ninth-place finish last week. Blaney's issue this year has been failure to capitalize on the speed he has. Consistent top-10s this round will get him through the first round of cuts, though. He finished 16th at Kansas in May but was ninth in this race last year.
The remainder of this lineup are high potential non-playoff drivers. Chase Elliott (DK $8,100, FD $9,000) is racing for wins the remainder of the season, and he should get one before then, too. He was one of just a few non-playoff drivers to score a top-10 last week, which was also his third in the last four races. He has one Kansas victory and has only finished lower than 12th there three times in his 15 tries. Daniel Suarez (DK $7,500, FD $6,800) is another driver with a fast car seeking race wins. He should be a confident top-15 option this week having scored four finishes in that range from his last five Kansas visits. Similarly, Chase Briscoe (DK $6,600, FD $6,000) has found some pace late in the season. He was 15th a week ago at Darlington and should bring that same top-15 speed into this week's race as well.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,700
Ross Chastain - $9,000
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Alex Bowman - $7,800
Ty Gibbs - $7,600
Austin Cindric - $6,200
This week's higher-risk lineup incorporates one of the high-priced favorites, while taking some gambles further down the order. As far as favorites go, Martin Truex Jr. (DK $10,700, FD $13,500) offers similar potential this week as Denny Hamlin, but at a lower price point. Truex has been consistently quick and a threat to win each week. He has two Kansas victories already and hasn't finished worse than ninth at the track since the spring of 2019. Ross Chastain (DK $9,000, FD $10,000) took a step forward last week at the start of the playoffs. His fifth-place finish was his second top-10 finish in the last five races and his first top-five since winning at Nashville. He has been a calmer driver on track, which has impacted his results, but that seems to be changing with the arrival of the knockout races. Fantasy players should expect a more aggressive Chastain these final races, which should lead to more upside potential. He finished fifth at Kansas in May, too. Chris Buescher (DK $8,600, FD $8,500) has been one of the best drivers recently. He sits fourth in the standings with two wins, three top-fives, four top-10s, and five finishes of 11th or better in the last five races. Buescher is riding a wave and is currently at his best, and fantasy rosters should take advantage of that while it lasts.
Unlike Buescher, Alex Bowman (DK $7,800, FD $7,500) is seeking some progress. Despite two top-10 finishes in the last five races, Bowman stumbled at Darlington. He is only racing for wins at this point in the season, and after leading 107 laps and finishing fourthin this race last season, he is looking to make the turn into Victory Lane this week. Ty Gibbs (DK $7,600, FD $7,000) and Austin Cindric (DK $6,200, FD $4,800) tangled last week but they both join the roster for Kansas. Both are racing for wins now versus a championship. Gibbs is arguably more likely to do that, but a top-15 or possible top-10 are more likely. However, he has yet to finish a Cup race at Kansas despite starting seventh in May. Cindric, on the other hand, has two top-15s from four Kansas starts.
