Tires will be destroyed and money will be made this week as we head down to Atlanta. Daytona was a DYNAMITE week for the DFSArmy and the calamity of Atlanta gives us a great opportunity to do it again. As I am sure you are aware, this week marks the debut of a new package (but not THE new package). There are a few small differences between the Atlanta package and the full time 2019 package, so dont expect any drafting or 100% side by side racing. As always, the research is just getting started, so think about getting signed up and get exclusive access to our projection model, the domination station lineup optimizer, and most importantly, direct chat room access to some of the sharpest NASCAR minds in the industry. I will be on there all weekend updating everyone on my research.
This week will be shrouded in mystery as we scramble to determine how the cars will interact with this rules package. From what I have seen and heard, I don’t expect this race to be too different from the Atlanta races we have seen the last couple years. I expect one or two dominators and a priority put on a drivers who know how to take care of their gear.
Top Plays
Joey Logano – It has become abundantly clear that there is a wide variety of setups being utilized this weekend. Some guys are super fast on the long run, some are super fast on the short run, and some are right in the middle – and that is where Joey fits in. Penske as a whole had a pretty miserable qualifying trim, but their race trim looks stout at both ends of a run. Joey is one of the best in the field at taking care of equipment, and paired with a 27th starting spot offers us a phenomenal low risk high reward play.
Kevin Harvick – Harvick was once (and probably still is) the king of Atlanta. His qualifying attempt wasn’t great, but his teammates was. Regardless, Harvick is a master at Atlanta, which an unparralled sense of keeping his car stout on the bottom of the race track at all times. His 18th place starting spot makes him damn near a lock.
Brad Keselowski – Kes has actually been a little more successful at Atlanta than Logano, but starts a little further up in the field. Regardless, I am confident Kes will end up inside the top 7 before the end of the day. He was battling an illness on Saturday, so keep an eye on that – but if he is racing, I am playing him.
Martin Truex Jr – I don’t understand Truex’s price here – did Draftkings forget!? He is THE GUY on 1.5 mile tracks. Well Atlanta is by no means his best track, he is a top ten staples that showed top 10 short and long run speed throughout the weekend. He starts 9th, which is a bet of a DFS deadzone – but I can’t pass him up at that price.
Fades
I may eat crow here – but I am fading all the “feel good” stories that posted good single laps speeds this weekend, namely McDowell and Lajoie. I am quite confident that their long run speed will be unremarkable – and their competitiveness will dwindle as the run progresses.
Value
Chris Buescher – Buescher had a miserable qualifying attempt, rolling off 30th on Sunday. His final practice speed was top 20, though. Buescher has a really good sense when it comes to managing tire wear, and while he has never been a killer at Atlanta, I think a top 15 finish is very much in the cards this weekend.
Ryan Preece – Coming out of the same camp as Buescher, and starting five spots ahead, Preece looks to make his Atlanta Cup debut a bountiful one. Preece has very little in the way of Atlanta experience, but his time spent in the lower ranks of the sport has given him a tremendous ability to conserve equipment. That should serve him well here. His predecessor AJ Allmendinger has good runs with this team, and I think Preece can too.
Daniel Hemric – I am not 100% sold on this pick, because Hemric never really impressed at Atlanta in the xFinity series, but he has a few things going for him. First and foremost – he starts 28th. Second, he is in an RCR car, which is better than everyone he will be racing against in 28th. Third, he has top ten long and short run speed in final practice, and his teammate had top 3 single run speed. Thats enough for some exposure.
Parker Kligerman – Punt of the week. These are always hard to pick at the start of the year, when we dont REALLY have a good sense of the quaility of equipment of the backmarkers. However, I am pretty sure this 96 car will attempt to complete the race, and I am confident in Kilgermans ability to outrun his equipment.
So there it is folks. We will be talking more strategy on the DFS Army Slack Room right up until lock. Get signed up and get exclusive access to our projection model, the domination station lineup optimizer, and most importantly, direct chat room access to some of the sharpest NASCAR minds in the industry. As always, use my research as a launching point for yours. Trust your process, good luck this week, and let’s make some cash.