Welcome to the Cup Series Setup for Fanduel. Here we will be breaking down the best plays for Fanduel purposes. My name is RyanLarkin88 and you can follow me @Larkin8 on twitter. This week the Cup Series is at Kansas. The VIP Member Research Station and Domination Station will be ready to go for you to help create your lineups so be sure to check that out. Also, jump in the NASCAR VIP Slack and get some great insight into this weeks race.
Top Tier Plays
Joey Logano
Being the driver on the playoff bubble it is no surprise Logano’s team went the safe route and added a bunch of downforce to his car. This means he will have killer long run speed. Starting 29th he will have elite Place Differential potential but more importantly a top 10 or even top 5 is a strong possibility. He Started deep in the field at Vegas before driving through the entire pack to dominate the first half of the race. I would expect a similar type of performance this week with Logano making a killing on long runs.
Kyle Larson
Larson is locked into the next round of the playoffs which has allowed for his team to take downforce out of the car. This means his short run speed is very strong. If the top lane comes into play like it did for the Xfinity Series on Saturday then Larson could be set up nicely for a dominating performance. With less downforce he does run the risk of struggling on the long runs. However, his natural talent might be enough to overcome this especially if that top groove comes in.
Kevin Harvick
This is about as obvious as it comes. He starts 40th so has tons of Place differential points in his future. Also, he has had the fastest car on this style of track all season so he is a legit threat to win and dominate later in the race. I expect Harvick to be a top 3 scorer on the slate with the only thing able to stop him being a mechanical failure or crash not of his doing.
Value Plays
William Byron
Byron has finished top 10 in half the 1.5 mile races this year including a 7th at the most recent one in Vegas. His teammate Bowman has definitely led the way for the group on this style of track but Byron has done well himself. The Hendrick cars as a whole have been really strong on the intermediate 1.5 mile tracks. Starting 25th is a sign Byron has a ton of downforce built into his car which will be fantastic for the long run. Starting 25th and with top 10 upside he is a fantastic play.
Kurt Busch
Busch has been great on the 1.5 mile tracks this year. 6 top 10s in 9 starts including a win at Kentucky. Outside of a mechanical issue or getting involved in an accident he is someone I expect to be running towards the front by the end of the race. Finished 7th here earlier this season.
Low Tier/Punts
Ricky Stenhouse
I am going to continue to ride Stenhouse the rest of the year. When he puts it all together he is a really solid play. This week is shaping up perfectly for him to be a sneaky top 10 finisher. He has had strong runs on 1.5 mile tracks this year starting with a 6th at Vegas and including a 5th at Charlotte, 12th at Kentucky and Chicago as well as a 11th here at Kansas. He starts 19th so if he can replicate these finishes and sprinkle in that place diff. he then becomes a top play for this race. Plus I expect low ownership which is another great reason to play him.
Chris Buescher
Buescher has finished top 20 in every single 1.5 mile track so far in 2019 including a 10th here at Kansas. He starts 26th so there is some place differential out there for him and he is definitely someone who can score a top 15 finish. At $6,600 he is definitely a top play this week.
Matt Dibenedetto
The 1.5 mile tracks have been the weakness of this team so far this year. With killer runs at short tracks and road courses they have raised expectations across the board. That being said he showed much better overall speed at Vegas and finished 8th at Darlington. Starting 27th and only costing $6,000 makes worth a shot for sure. Top 20 would be great and if he can break into the top 15 he will be a home run play.
This will conclude this edition of The Monster Energy Cup Series Setup for Fanduel. If you would like to reach out and talk NASCAR Follow me on twitter @Larkin8 and join me as well as our other DFS Army NASCAR contributors (Brady Miller, Taco, and NillyJay) in the NASCAR coaching channels.