Fresh off a somewhat calm race by Talladega standards, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will head to Dover International Speedway this weekend. The concrete oval affectionally known as “The Monster Mile” will host Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism, and while the track has been known to tear up some cars, it can also be a fantasy friendly track.
There are certain drivers who really excel at Dover and have amassed impressive numbers, and last year, there were four drivers who finished in the Top 5 in both races. Since I have been budgeting my starts from the top drivers during the recent races at short tracks and last weekend’s trip to Talladega, I won’t hesitate to load up my lineups with these Dover studs in the Driver Group Game and NASCAR Fantasy Live.
I’ll be deploying a similar strategy in DFS contests. With 400 laps on tap, there ate plenty of points available in the dominator categories, and if you are playing at Fanduel, there are a lot of points available in the laps completed category.
The bottom line is that this isn’t a track where you will want to get stingy with your lineups and your driver usage. We will still have plenty of tracks where we can save some starts in the coming weeks, so be aggressive at Dover.
His winning streak ended at Dover, but he could start a new one this weekend. He went to victory lane here last fall, and he has finished either first or second in three of the last five races. Don’t hesitate to deploy Busch as your Group A option in the Driver Group Game and as a starter in Fantasy Live.
He has enjoyed success at Dover throughout his career, and he’s really been locked in recently. Truex has finished in the Top 15 in his last nine starts at Dover, and he has finished in the Top 5 and led more than 50 laps in each of the last three races here. He should be a stud in any fantasy format.
3. Kyle Larson, #42 CreditOne/DC Solar, Chip Ganassi Racing
Dover is one of those tracks that just seems to fit Larson’s driving style. I’ll be all over him in Fantasy Live. He has finished 11th or better in seven of his eight starts here, and he was in the mix for the win in both races last year. Larson led 241 laps and finished second in the spring race, and he led 137 laps and finished fifth in the fall.
4. Chase Elliott, #9 NAPA Auto Parts, Hendrick Motorsports
Elliott is still searching for his first Cup win, but he could get the monkey off his back this weekend. He has finished in the Top 5 in all four of his starts at Dover, and he led 138 laps and finished second here last fall. I will likely use him in both the Driver Group Game and Fantasy Live.
5. Kevin Harvick, #4 Jimmy Johns/Busch Beer, Stewart-Haas Racing
His last couple of starts at Dover haven’t been great, but Harvick has had several impressive runs here since joining Stewart-Haas Racing. He has led more than 90 laps in four of the last seven races, leading more than 200 laps twice. I’ll have my eye on him for DFS contests because of his dominator potential.
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