DraftKings NASCAR: Good Sam 500

This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.

Good Sam 500 
 
Location: Avondale, Ariz. 
Course: Phoenix International Raceway 
Format: 1-mile oval 
Laps: 312 
 
Race Preview 
 
The Penske Racing teammates made their way back to the sharp end of the field last week in Las Vegas. Both cars were competitive throughout the weekend, but it was Brad Keselowski who passed both his teammate and the struggling Kyle Busch in the final miles to snatch his first win this season. After two weeks of racing on 1.5-mile ovals, the drivers and teams face the unique challenge of Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. The race is the second leg of a West Coast three-race stretch. In this season's first races the Joe Gibbs Racing cars have been consistently fast, while Hendrick Motorsports has been capable of giving them a run for their money. With Penske back in the thick of things, this week's race could be the most competitive we've seen at the track in years. Kevin Harvick is still searching for his first win of 2016, and there's arguably no more likely track than Phoenix for him to get that done. 
 
Key Stats at Phoenix International Raceway 

• Number of previous races: 39 
  
• Winners from pole: 4 
  
• Winners from top-5 starters: 14 
  
• Winners from top-10 starters: 19 
  
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 3 
  
• Fastest race: 118.132 mph 
  

Can anyone beat Kevin Harvick at Phoenix? Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed to snap Harvick's four-race win streak at the track last fall, but the No. 4 is expected to be as strong as ever this week. The Phoenix track is different from other ovals on the Sprint Cup calendar and can present teams with a unique challenge in chassis setup. All of the corners on the circuit are different, so no setup will be perfect everywhere on the track. The drivers and teams will be forced to compromise in one or two turns to find the fastest total lap time around the circuit. Harvick has been the master of that throughout his career. While the track offers plenty of passing options, the caution periods generally make track position an important factor in determining the outcome. Teams will need to be on top of their pit strategies, and drivers will have to preserve their tires and brakes if they want to come out on top. 
 
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap) 
 
DraftKings Tier 1 Values 
 
Kevin Harvick - $10,800 
Jimmie Johnson - 10,300 
Kyle Busch - $10,000 
 
DraftKings Tier 2 Values 
 
Joey Logano - $9,900 
Matt Kenseth - $9,800 
Carl Edwards - 9,400 
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - $9,200 
 
DraftKings Tier 3 Values 
 
Kasey Kahne - $8,400 
Chase Elliott - $7,700 
Ryan Newman - $7,500 
 
DraftKings Long-Shot Values 
 
Austin Dillon - $6,800 
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,600 
Greg Biffle - $6,500 
Casey Mears - $6,200 
 
MY PICKS THIS WEEK 

Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap) 

Kevin Harvick - $10,800 
Joey Logano - $9,900 
Kasey Kahne - $8,400 
Ryan Newman - $7,500 
Aric Almirola - 6,700 
A.J. Allmendinger - $6,300 

It's little surprise that Harvick would head the lower-risk lineup this week in Phoenix. With seven wins at the track, there isn't a better choice for fantasy rosters. Logano was strong last week in Las Vegas after a slow start to the season, and he has five consecutive top-10 finishes at Phoenix heading into this week's race. Kasey Kahne is another driver who's starting to show some better finishes. He finished 10th last week and is a former Phoenix winner, which earns him a spot in this lineup. Newman's only Phoenix win came in 2010, but he hasn't finished lower than 11th in his last five. A 10th-place finish in last year's fall race at Phoenix is a good omen for Aric Almirola's fantasy value this week, and A.J. Allmendinger's 14th-place finish in Las Vegas shows he's capable of top-15 finishes any given week. 
 
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap) 

Jimmie Johnson - $10,300 
Brad Keselowski - $9,700 
Carl Edwards - $9,400 
Austin Dillon - $6,800 
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,600 
Greg Biffle - $6,500 

Jimmie Johnson is off to a strong 2016 with two top-five finishes in the first three races. He also boasts the best driver rating this week at Phoenix — 112.6 compared to Harvick's 109.9. Keselowski is hot off a win in Las Vegas and is hunting for his first at Phoenix where he hasn't finished lower than 11th since 2011. The strength of Joe Gibbs Racing is undeniable so far in 2016, and Carl Edwards has started to gain some leverage from it. He can use that this weekend when he tries for his third Phoenix win. Austin Dillon's improvement has also been noticeable in 2016. He finished fifth last week and will try for his first top finish in Phoenix this week. Finally, teammates Ricky Stenhouse and Greg Biffle have both enjoyed Roush Fenway Racing's resurgence and offer valuable at the low-end of the price spectrum for fantasy points.