DraftKings NASCAR: Auto Club 400

This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.

Auto Club 400 
 
Location: Fontana, Calif. 
Course: Auto Club Speedway 
Format: 2-mile D-shaped oval 
Laps: 200 
 
Race Preview 
 
Kevin Harvick scored his first win in 2016 last week at Phoenix, where he continued his domination of the track. The win was a close one, though. Carl Edwards lost the winner's trophy by inches at the line, as the pair raced hard in the final feet. Edwards should feel encouraged heading to Auto Club Speedway this week, where his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have six wins between them (three each for Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth). The team hasn't visited Victory Lane since Denny Hamlin's Daytona 500 triumph but continues to be on the verge each week. The California oval, the last leg of NASCAR Sprint Cup's "West Coast Swing," could give the team an ideal opportunity to put another of its drivers into the Chase for the Sprint Cup with a win. 
 
Key Stats at Auto Club Speedway 

• Number of previous races: 26 
  
• Winners from pole: 1 
  
• Winners from top-5 starters: 9 
  
• Winners from top-10 starters: 14 
  
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 7 
  
• Fastest race: 160.166 mph 
  

Fontana is often compared with its sister circuit, Michigan International Speedway. The tracks are similar in configuration, but Fontana doesn't feature as much banking. The flatter corners mean higher loads and temperatures on right-side tires while engines are strained by the long straights with full throttle. Equipment preservation is an important factor at this track, but fuel mileage also has a history of coming into play. Drivers can move up and down the circuit's wide turns to adjust their line as handling changes, and a slippery track under sunshine is going to be amplified with NASCAR's low-downforce rules configuration, which seems to suit the JGR teammates quite nicely. Qualifying at the oval isn't as important as other tracks, and just one pole-sitter has scored the win in 26 Sprint Cup races. 
 
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap) 
 
DraftKings Tier 1 Values 
 
Kevin Harvick - $10,500 
Jimmie Johnson - 10,400 
Kyle Busch - $10,300 
Joey Logano - $10,000 
 
DraftKings Tier 2 Values 
 
Matt Kenseth - $9,900 
Kurt Busch - $9,500 
Brad Keselowski - $9,200 
Carl Edwards - $9,100 
 
DraftKings Tier 3 Values 
 
Denny Hamlin - $8,900 
Martin Truex Jr. - $8,800 
Kyle Larson - $8,200 
 
DraftKings Long-Shot Values 
 
Austin Dillon - $6,700 
Greg Biffle - $6,600 
A.J. Allmendinger - $6,400 
Brian Vickers - $5,400 
 
MY PICKS THIS WEEK 

Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap) 

Kyle Busch - $10,300 
Jimmie Johnson - $10,400 
Kurt Busch - $9,500 
Ryan Newman - $7,300 
Paul Menard - $6,500 
Brian Vickers - $5,400 

Kyle Busch has been one of the best drivers at Auto Club Speedway in recent times. He won each of his last two visits and hasn't finished outside of the top five there in his last four. Johnson has the best driver rating at the track at 119.4 and has two top-10s in his last four trips to the track. Stewart Haas finally broke through for a 2016 win with Kevin Harvick last week, but Kurt Busch has been awfully strong as well. He has three consecutive Fontana top-fives heading into this week. Mr. Consistency, Ryan Newman, is a bargain this week since he hasn't scored a top-10 yet this season, but has only one finish outside of the top 10 at Fontana in his last six races there. His teammate Paul Menard has been a regular top-10 driver at this track, and Brian Vickers scored top-10s in both of his last races at the track. 
 
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap) 

Kevin Harvick - $10,500 
Joey Logano - $10,000 
Matt Kenseth - $9,900 
Austin Dillon - $6,700 
Greg Biffle - $6,600 
Chris Buescher - $5,700 

Kevin Harvick has been a strong fantasy play every week in 2016. While it's tough to win consecutive races, Harvick is capable. He has six top-10s and one win in his last eight Fontana races. Logano hit trouble last week in Phoenix but is still a contender with two top-10 finishes at this track in his last three races. Joe Gibbs Racing's Matt Kenseth just needs some luck to find Victory Lane this season and, with three prior wins on his Fontana resume, he could be a top choice this week. Austin Dillon's price hasn't caught up with his results yet, and his top-10s so far can continue paying dividends to fantasy players this week. Greg Biffle has yet to rise to the level of progress Roush Fenway Racing has made, but Fontana has been a decent track for him in the past. If he doesn't capitalize on it now he may be one to avoid for the foreseeable future. Finally, rookie Chris Buescher has a top-20 finish at this track from his only appearance here in Sprint Cup.