There are very few drivers that are going to come up through the field and have a shot at a top 5 finish this weekend because of how it all played out on Friday. We had the first practice session as scheduled, but then qualifying was rained out so the starting lineup for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 was set by those initial practice speeds. The bad things for DraftKings players is that the best picks for this race all start toward the front, so we will have to forget about place differential points for some and instead try and capitalize on laps led and fastest lap points. There are some drivers that should make their way through the field on Sunday, though. Keep in mind that almost 80% of the winners here at Richmond have started inside the top 10, and each of the last three started 3rd or better. We also haven’t had a repeat winner at this track in the last four years (eight races).
Ultimate Value DraftKings Picks for the Richmond Toyota Owners 400
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($9,300) – While Kasey Kahne should have a permanent spot for DraftKings drivers to avoid (read about that here), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is a consistent driver that you should definitely pick. The thing is, this #88 team always seems to struggle to find speed at the beginning of a race weekend. We didn’t even qualify this weekend and Junior still isn’t getting that great of a starting spot. But, like we’ve seen many times this year, it doesn’t really faze him. Hell, he started the Bristol race without any power and went two laps down, only to come back and finish 2nd. We still don’t see how that happened. Anyway, Junior starts 16th here at Richmond on Sunday, and while the #88 Chevrolet wasn’t the fastest on Saturday, we’re confident that this team will find the speed they need by the checkered flag on Sunday. Earnhardt has won three times here at Richmond in the Sprint Cup Series and just today won the Xfinity race. In the last Cup race here (last September), he finished 5th after starting 29th. Earnhardt, Jr. should be a solid DraftKings choice this weekend, and at only $9,300!? Steal.
Paul Menard ($6,700) – Paul Menard is one of the cheaper DraftKings options this weekend, and that works out great because he should give us plenty of place differential points on Sunday. This #27 Chevrolet started out pretty bad on Friday, and because of that Menard will start 26th for this year’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond. However, this #27 team seemed to turn things around on Saturday, as Paul quietly posted the 9th-best lap in Happy Hour while ranking 21st on the ten-lap average chart. He finished 15th in this race one year ago and has ended up 18th or better in five of the last eight Richmond races. Menard also has three top 15s in the last three Sprint Cup races overall, and that includes his only top 10 finish of the season thus far back at Martinsville.
Jimmie Johnson ($10,000) – We look at it this way: in terms of price, Jimmie Johnson is 7th this week. But in terms of points, he has the opportunity to be 1st. Going into Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400, we think the race is going to be won by either Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, or Kyle Busch. However, we’re leaning more toward Harvick and Johnson as the drivers that are going to lead the majority of this race, and, we we mentioned before, that’s where we need to target DraftKings points this weekend. Jimmie Johnson has won three times here at Richmond International Raceway and will start Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 from the 3rd place. He had the fastest lap in Happy Hour on Saturday and had the best ten-lap average as well. With as many solid low-dollar DraftKings options available this weekend, you should be able to easily afford some of the “top dogs” for Richmond, and we think Jimmie Johnson is going to give DraftKings owners a big return this weekend.
Ryan Blaney ($6,800) – At this price, Blaney is going to be on the majority of DraftKings rosters this weekend. He starts 29th, too, so you know everyone is going to be hopping all over the #21 Ford. However, we can’t really blame them, because it’s probably going to be the right pick. Heading into Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400, we have Ryan Blaney ranked as a top 15 threat, although the opportunity for him to run top 10 is there. With those finish points paired with the place differential points, we could get a huge return for not a lot of money. Blaney was 13th on the overall speed chart during Saturday’s lone practice session and ranked 10th in ten-lap average. The other rookie, Chase Elliott, should be a great choice in DraftKings this week as well. He starts 23rd and should be able to finish top 10 if he has an error-free race. Elliott costs a full $2,000 more than Blaney, though, at $8,800.
Martin Truex, Jr. ($8,500) – If you don’t want to go with Chase Elliott this weekend, or can’t quite fit his salary on your DraftKings roster, Martin Truex, Jr. should be a good pick for Richmond and is a little bit cheaper. This #78 team has had a tendency to under-perform this season, but with Truex starting 22nd for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400, it’s going to take a wreck or some mechanical issue for him to do that again. The #78 Toyota was 7th-fastest during Saturday’s lone practice session and Truex laid down the 11th-best ten-lap average as well. His record at this race track is nowhere near stellar (average finish of 22nd over twenty career starts) but Martin has finished 10th in each of the last two Richmond spring races and has had three results inside that mark over his last five overall starts at this track. Even just a 15th-place run on Sunday would net Martin Truex, Jr. DraftKings owners 36 points.
