NASCAR Fantasy Picks: Dover International Speedway

NASCAR is headed to Dover International Speedway for the Citizen Solider 400. This is the final race of the first round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Fantasy racing players should use this race to their advantage as some drivers will be racing with nothing to lose, while others will take a more conservative approach.

Start with Hendrick Motorsports

All season long it has been Joe Gibbs Racing, and that hasn’t changed. But when it comes to Dover, the Hendrick cars might just be the best of the bunch.

For starters, Jimmie Johnson has ten victories at Dover. That’s not bad at all. What is bad are Johnson’s last two finishes at Dover. Johnson finished 25th in May after causing a log jam on a restart and causing the “big one.” We all know Jimmie was knocked out of the Chase in 2015 due to a mechanical issue, a mistake that no one saw coming. Avoiding mistakes will be the key for many Chase drivers on Sunday.

Then you have Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. Gordon has an average finish of 7.7 in his las three races at Dover. Kahne on the other hand has an average finish of 8.5 in his last four races at Dover. Both of these drivers are not in the Chase and only plans for race day are to stay out of their teammates way and win.

Don’t forget about Chase Elliott either. Elliott finished third in May after battling with eventual winner Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson during the closing laps. Elliott has yet to finish outside the top-ten in any of his NASCAR Sprint Cup or Xfinity Series races.

Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick

You know what’s great for fans of these drivers? Both Truex Jr. and Harvick are locked into the next round of the Chase. You know what’s even better for your fantasy racing team? Truex Jr. and Harvick are pretty good at Dover.

Truex has finished 11th or better in his previous four starts at Dover. During that timeframe he has led 178 laps.

Harvick visited victory lane at Dover a year ago during the fall race. In his last four races at Dover, he yet to finish outside the top 15. During that timeframe Harvick has led a whopping 786 laps. Yes, Harvick is pretty good at Dover.

May 15, 2016; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer (15) leads driver Trevor Bayne and driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr (17) and driver Aric Almirola (43) during the AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

Clint Bowyer and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are your sleeper picks

Bowyer has struggled all season and hasn’t had a finish inside the top ten since the summer Daytona race. But, Bowyer did finish 12th at Dover in May and in his last four starts at Dover has finishes of 12th, 14th, 9th and 9th.

Stenhouse Jr. finished 14th at Dover in May and 8th in the fall 2015 race. Stenhouse Jr. and his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Trevor Bayne have showed flashes of speed this season and Stenhouse Jr. typically runs well at speedways under a mile where the racing is close.

Both of these drivers should be priced middle of the pack and provide an enticing option to complete your team.

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