This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Bank of America 400
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Format: 2.28-mile road course
Laps: 109
Race Preview
Denny Hamlin survived a chaotic visit to Talladega Superspeedway last week, threading the needle of a near crash on the final lap, to win and join Kurt Busch with a secured spot in the penultimate round of championship eliminations. This week's Bank of America 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL will finalize the other six drivers to join them. Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch will hope to have luck on their side to win, or gather enough points, to rise above the cutline and keep their playoffs alive for at least three more races. Chase Elliott won last year's race, while Ryan Blaney won in 2018. Martin Truex Jr. had been leading the 2018 edition before contact with an aggressive Jimmie Johnson spun both, letting Blaney slip through. Fantasy players will see drivers scrapping for every point on offer through the three stages.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
- Number of races: 2
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 0
- Winners from top-10 starters: 1
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 106.868 mph
Previous 2 Charlotte ROVAL Winners
2019 - Chase Elliott
2018 - Ryan Blaney
The transition from Talladega to Charlotte's road course couldn't be much more different. The 2.28-mile circuit carves through the infield and combines the fast high-banked turns of the oval with a twisty infield layout. The course features some dramatic elevation changes along with blind-apex corners that bring out the best in road course ringers. Track position is of the utmost importance on any road course, and the same is true for this weekend's race. Teams will structure their pit strategies by working backward to the finish, but they must be willing to change things up if pitting early means getting away from slower traffic. Restarts may be the best chance drivers have to overtake, and long green-flag stretches are sure to string out the field, giving drivers at the front ample time to separate themselves from the pack.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Chase Elliott - $10,600
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,300
Brad Keselowski - $10,100
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Kevin Harvick - $9,900
Kyle Busch - $9,300
Jimmie Johnson - $9,100
Alex Bowman - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Clint Bowyer - $8,800
William Byron - $8,600
Erik Jones - $8,200
Michael McDowell - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Christopher Bell - $7,500
Austin Dillon - $7,200
Ryan Newman - $6,400
James Davison - $5,500
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,300
Kevin Harvick - $9,900
Michael McDowell - $8,100
Matt DiBenedetto - $7,900
Cole Custer - $7,100
Daniel Suarez - $6,700
Martin Truex Jr. (DK $10,300, FD $13,200) led five laps and was on his way to winning this race in 2018 before getting clipped from behind by Jimmie Johnson. Truex is one of the best road course racers on the circuit and will start Sunday's race seventh. Kevin Harvick (DK $9,900, FD $13,000) is also quite good on road courses. He finished ninth in this race in 2018 and then led 34 laps before finishing third here last season. Fantasy players also typically look to Michael McDowell (DK $8,100, FD $9,000) for road course visits. He finished 10th on Daytona's infield road course earlier this season and finished 12th in this race last year. He will start 31st on Sunday. Matt DiBenedetto (DK $7,900, FD $9,300) finally got his 2021 plans finalized after a close finish with Denny Hamlin last week. He will remain with Wood Brothers Racing next season and has finishes of 13th and 11th at this circuit. This will be Cole Custer's (DK $7,100, FD $7,300) first series visit to the Charlotte ROVAL, but he raced to seventh- and eighth-place finishes at the track in the Xfinity Series. Another driver who settled his 2021 plans this past week is Daniel Suarez (DK $6,700, FD $4,000). He will join newcomers Trackhouse Racing next season. He starts this week's race 34th and has a best finish of 21st at this circuit.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Chase Elliott - $10,600
Kyle Busch - $9,500
William Byron - $8,600
Erik Jones - $8,200
Christopher Bell - $7,500
James Davison - $5,500
Chase Elliott (DK $10,600, FD $13,500) may be the best road course racer in NASCAR at the moment. He won the last three road course races, including on this track last season. He is one of the best in the field on these types of tracks and has a front-row starting spot to give him a boost right from the green flag. Kyle Busch (DK $9,500, FD $10,000) is no slouch on the road courses either. He has wins at Watkins Glen and Sonoma but hasn't finished a race on the Charlotte course yet. This week could be the end of his playoff run if he doesn't win the race. So, he has plenty of motivation to be at his best Sunday. William Byron (DK $8,600, FD $9,700) started this race on pole last season and led 26 laps. He finished that race sixth and will start this week's race 13th. Erik Jones (DK $8,200, FD $8,000) has picked up his pace despite not being in the playoffs. He is racing for a new ride next season and has put together four top-10 finishes in the last five races. He finished 11th on the only road course race so far this season. Rookie Christopher Bell (DK $7,500, FD $7,600) will visit this course for the first time as a Cup Series driver, but finished fifth and 12th in his two Xfinity visits. James Davison (DK $5,500, FD $5,000) has said it is nearly impossible for him to come in and win on a road course despite his abilities on them. That doesn't mean fantasy players shouldn't select him this week, though. His pedigree on these tracks is among the best in the world and he will be starting 37th. He should add plenty of finish differential points to rosters this week.
