This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Bank of America ROVAL 400
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 2.28-mile road course
Laps: 109
Race Preview
Martin Truex Jr. took firm command of the playoffs with his second consecutive win in the first two races of the round of 16. The team is hitting its peak at the most critical time, and Truex looks likely to advance all the way to the Homestead finale. Also securing their spots in the next round were Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. The driver in the biggest hole following last week's Richmond race is Erik Jones, though. After a mechanical problem in the first playoff race, his car then failed post-race inspection at Richmond and he was moved to the last position. Those problems put him 16th among the playoff drivers and 45 points from safety. His only hope of advancing to the round of 12 is to win this week's road course race. Similarly, Kurt Busch has had two less than successful opening races. He is 14 points behind William Byron in 12th and also faces a steep uphill battle to advance to the next round. The playoff picture tightens dramatically around the cutoff line, though. While Byron holds the final transfer spot, only 10 points separate Ryan Blaney in ninth and Clint Bowyer in 14th. Anything can happen in this final race of the round of 16.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
• Number of previous races: 1
• 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: 82.125 mph
Top-10 Charlotte Road Course Finishers (2018)
A.J. Allmendinger
Last season's inaugural race on the Charlotte road course created a spectacular finish as drivers jockeyed and battled one another for spots in the next round of the playoffs. Fantasy players shouldn't expect the same level of chaos that reigned in the final laps of last year's race and teams will adjust their tactics with a year of history as their guide. The race is a unique layout within the oval that leverages much of the banking, too. Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag last season as Truex and Jimmie Johnson collided on their way to the finish, and fans will remember Kyle Larson also bouncing off the wall on his way to the line to grab every position he could along the way. Larson had led 47 of the 109 laps before his contact nearly knocked him out of the playoffs. In total there were six cautions that were not brought out by the stage finishes and 10 cars failed to finish with even more suffering contact of some sort. Red-hot Truex already has one win on a road course this season and could sweep the first round of eliminations with another win this week. Chase Elliott won the only other road course race this season and finished sixth on this course last season.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,900
Kyle Busch - $10,700
Denny Hamlin - $10,400
Kevin Harvick - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,600
Kyle Larson - $9,400
Ryan Blaney - $9,200
Kurt Busch - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Clint Bowyer - $8,400
Jimmie Johnson - $7,900
Matt DiBenedetto - $7,600
Chris Buescher - $7,400
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Paul Menard - $7,100
Ty Dillon - $6,600
Darrell Wallace Jr. - $6,500
Matt Tifft - $5,700
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,900
Chase Elliott - $9,600
Kurt Busch - $9,000
Clint Bowyer - $8,400
Daniel Hemric - $6,300
Matt Tifft - $5,700
Martin Truex Jr. will be gunning to sweep the victories in the first round of playoff eliminations with his third consecutive win on Sunday. He was in position to win this race last season when a collision with an overeager Jimmie Johnson dropped him to 14th instead. He won on Sonoma's road course earlier this season. Chase Elliott was a beneficiary of that contact last season moving forward to finish sixth. He is also a road course winner this season having taken the checkered flag at Watkins Glen. Kurt Busch is also a top driver on the road courses. He is fighting for his playoff life this week and finished 13th and 10th at the two prior road course races earlier this season. Another driver looking for some playoff magic on the road course is Clint Bowyer. Bowyer has won on these types of tracks in the past and was third here last year. He starts inside the top five Sunday, too. These last races of the season will be serving as an audition for Daniel Hemric after his release from Richard Childress Racing. He came from 25th to finish 15th at Sonoma earlier this season. Lastly, Matt Tifft could turn some fantasy heads this week. Tifft finished 20th at Richmond last week, was 28th at Sonoma, and 24th at Watkins Glen.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Busch - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $9,200
Ryan Newman - $8,300
Matt DiBenedetto - $7,600
Chris Buescher - $7,400
Darrell Wallace Jr. - $6,500
The higher-risk lineup this week focuses on drivers with the potential to outperform expectations this week. Kyle Busch may normally be considered the favorite for this race, but teammate Truex has stolen the spotlight from him. Busch is an excellent racer on the road courses and finished 14th here last year, second at Sonoma, and 11th at Watkins Glen. His 17th-place staring position isn't ideal but should garner finish differential points as he moves forward. Kyle Larson led 47 of 109 laps on this course last season before finishing fifth. He is still looking for his first win of the season but was a top-10 finisher in both road course races so far this season. Ryan Newman's consistency is seeing him right through to the round of 12. He started 29th and finished 11th here last season and sits ninth in the standings. Matt DiBenedetto and Chris Buescher will both have new rides next season and both have earned those opportunities with their performances this season. Both finished inside the top 20 here last season, and DiBenedetto finished an impressive sixth at Watkins Glen earlier this year. Completing the selections is Bubba Wallace. Wallace has started seeing more bright spots as the season has edged toward its conclusion. He has one top-five and three top-15s in the last five races heading into this weekend.
