This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Gander RV 400
Location: Dover, Del.
Course: Dover International Speedway
Format: 1.0-mile oval
Laps: 400
Race Preview
Chevrolet leveraged teamwork to perfection last week at Talladega Superspeedway to put Chase Elliott into Victory Lane for the first 2019 win for the manufacturer. The manufacturer's drivers consistently teamed up whenever possible throughout the race's 500 miles, effectively locking out challenges from the usual contenders from the Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing teams. It was a lesson other teams and manufacturers will take to heart and be more aware of when the series heads back to another superspeedway. In the meantime, the series now turns its attention to the concrete mile of Dover International Raceway. Gibbs and Penske had won every points race up until last week and even split the two qualifying races at Daytona amongst themselves. Much remains to be seen as to whether the steps Chevrolet and other teams were able to take in the week off will close the gap as the schedule roars onward to the All-Star Race weekend. Four drivers sit within 10 points of each other at the cut-off line for the Playoffs making the next few races critical to solidifying a position within the Playoff standings from which to defend through the summer.
Key Stats at Dover International Speedway
• Number of previous races: 98
• Winners from pole: 13
• Winners from top-5 starters: 56
• Winners from top-10 starters: 76
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
• Fastest race: 132.719 mph
Last 10 Dover Winners
2018 fall - Chase Elliott
2018 spring - Kevin Harvick
2017 fall - Kyle Busch
2017 spring - Jimmie Johnson
2016 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2016 spring - Matt Kenseth
2015 fall - Kevin Harvick
2015 spring - Jimmie Johnson
2014 fall - Jeff Gordon
2014 spring - Denny Hamlin
Dover International Speedway is a 1.0-mile concrete oval that punishes mistakes and rewards drivers who roll off the truck with a good setup early in the weekend. Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick both won there last season with Harvick leading more than 200 laps each time. Fantasy owners will want to find that driver that has speed early in the weekend and backs it up with a top qualifying effort. That driver will likely go on to lead long stretches of the race to earn valuable points for laps led. The Dover circuit can be a challenge on setups as cars and grip change throughout the distance. Maintaining a balanced car that can rocket off of the corners down the straights will be the focus throughout the weekend. Making the right adjustments at each pit stop will be critical in determining the outcome, but Dover's punishing nature can also open the door to mechanical failures. Overusing the equipment or tires will prematurely end the afternoon and the short lap distance makes any mistakes on pit road detrimental.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Busch - $12,400
Joey Logano - $11,800
Brad Keselowski - $10,700
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,800
Denny Hamlin - $9,500
Ryan Blaney - $9,200
Clint Bowyer - $8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kyle Larson - $8,000
Ryan Newman - $7,900
Daniel Suarez - $7,700
Austin Dillon - $7,400
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Bowman - $7,100
Paul Menard - $6,900
Ryan Preece - $6,500
Daniel Hemric - $6,200
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kevin Harvick - $11,300
Chase Elliott - $9,800
Ryan Blaney - $9,200
Kyle Larson - $8,000
Ty Dillon - $6,400
Michael McDowell - $5,300
Kevin Harvick may not yet have a win in 2019, but he remains a viable fantasy option most weeks. Dover is definitely one of those times he can be used. He won here last spring and led more than 200 laps in both visits in 2018. Chase Elliott won last week at Talladega and is also the most recent Dover winner. He has only finished outside of the top five once in the six times he has been here in the Cup series. Ryan Blaney is another driver looking for a 2019 win. He was eighth at Dover last spring but has yet to lead a lap at the circuit. Still, his pace so far in 2019 suggests he can improve on those statistics this week. It has been a season of frustration so far for Kyle Larson, and last week's wreck at Talladega was more of the same. Pressure is mounting on him, but Dover is one of his best tracks. He has led over 400 laps in 10 starts and carries an average finish of 8.5 into this weekend. Slowly working his way into playoff contention is Ty Dillon. He has been turning in top-15 and top-20 finishes and led 27 laps on his way to a 14th-place Dover finish in 2017. A bit further out is Michael McDowell, but his 15th-place run at Texas showed that he could offer up some surprises. He has finished higher than his starting position in the last five Dover races.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Busch - $12,400
Denny Hamlin - $9,500
Clint Bowyer - $8,5000
Daniel Suarez - $7,700
Ryan Preece - $6,500
Landon Cassill - $5,000
No end is in sight to Kyle Busch's power this season. With a win and two poles in the last four Dover races he is justifiably going to be one of the top fantasy choices. Teammate Denny Hamlin is no slouch here either, though. He was the runner up here last fall and has five top-10s from his last six Dover starts. Talladega was a race to forget for Clint Bowyer but he remains a regular face among the top-10 finishers. He finished second, leading 40 laps, in this race last season. Fantasy owners paying attention should see Daniel Suarez as a value pick this week. He has a worst Dover finish of 10th from four career tries in this series and has been racing at his best so far this season. That combination could mean a top-five outing for him this week. Ryan Preece grabbed his first career top-five last week at Talladega and has been adding top-20 finishes to his account much of this season so far. He finished fourth in the Xfinity race at the track last fall. The last driver to fill out this lineup is Landon Cassill. His best finish so far this season was 24th in the Daytona 500. A nice run to the finish for him should deliver positive finish differential points for rosters, but an alternative choice could be Michael McDowell for those wishing to take a different route.
