As the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs get closer and closer, the drivers on the outside looking in have a few more chances to get a win in the regular season. Or, what will probably happen is one or two drivers already in the Playoffs will rack up more points. This weekend, they’ll all have two chances as we have our final double-header of the season (thankfully) at Dover International Speedway.
Dover is a 1-mile concrete track that really doesn’t compare well to anywhere else. Goodyear is bringing the same left side tire that was used at Fontana, both Darlington races, and Homestead this year, so I’ll be leaning on those speeds as well as intermediate tracks overall this year. NASCAR’s new formula set the starting lineup this week and Chase Elliott is on the pole for Saturday’s Drydene 311. The full starting lineup can be found by clicking here.
*Please note: the picks and suggestions below are my opinions and strategy for the Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest. These are not meant to sway your thinking in any way, but rather give you insight into the drivers I am most likely to pick on race day.*
Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest Picks for Dover Saturday
Kevin Harvick ($13,000) – Last week at the Daytona Road Course, Kevin Harvick’s nine-race streak of top 5 finishes came to a halt, but you can expect “The Closer” to get right back on that horse at Dover this weekend. Thanks to Harvick’s bad finish last week, he will start from 10th for Saturday’s Drydene 311, which makes him a must play in the Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest, in my opinion. Harvick has finished 6th or better in each of the last four Dover races and that includes a win here back in 2018.
Kyle Busch ($11,600) – The bad luck has to stop sometime, right? …right!? Kyle Busch posted his second finish of 37th or worse in the last four races last weekend, which means he doesn’t have a great starting spot for Dover here on Saturday (or a good pit stall for that matter). However, with the former, that just makes Rowdy a great pick in this Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest, assuming he finishes the race. At “The Monster Mile,” Busch’s last win came in 2017 (one of three career) and he’s ended up 10th or better in five of the last seven races here. The speed is there in this #18 Toyota, but mechanical issues are really messing up Kyle’s season. It’s risky but I’m willing to roll the dice on Saturday. Another driver in this price range is Ryan Blaney ($11,300), who will also start in the 20s. However, I don’t like Blaney’s poor track record here at Dover very much, and I especially don’t like his bad momentum (four finishes of 20th or worse in the last five races, as well as in six of the last nine).
Aric Almirola ($10,200) – This weekend, Aric Almirola should offer great value for players in the Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest. Thanks to his 24th-place finish at the Daytona Road Course last weekend, AA will have his worst starting spot since the second Pocono race here at Dover on Sunday, which means a nice opportunity to get those place differential fantasy points. Here at “The Monster Mile,” Aric hasn’t had a top 10 finish since 2015, but he did wind up top 5 in both of those races. In terms of similar tracks, as I mentioned before, Goodyear is bringing the same left side tire as Fontana, Darlington, and Homestead this weekend, and in those four races Almirola came home 8th, 12th, 7th, and 5th. He’s not a superstar NASCAR Fantasy pick by any means this weekend but Aric should be able to challenge for a top 10 finish.
Tyler Reddick ($8,500) – As soon as I saw that Goodyear was bringing the same left side tire as Darlington and Homestead, Tyler Reddick jumped on my radar. At Darlington, Reddick finished 7th and 13th in the two races, and then he came home 4th at Homestead despite starting way back in 24th. This Saturday, Tyler doesn’t have the same place differential upside as he did at Homestead, but there’s still room there for points since he’s starting back in the teens. For what it’s worth, Reddick has two top 5s in his last four starts here at Dover in the Xfinity Series. Also, if you want to go with the chalk option here, Austin Dillon ($8,600) (or his replacement if he can’t race) will be scored from the 32nd starting spot.
Ty Dillon ($6,600) – Ty Dillon is a safe NASCAR Fantasy option this week, and as this #13 team continues to find their groove, he should post more and more top 20 finishes. Over the last five races of this season, Ty has ended up between 18th and 23rd in every event, and here at Dover he’s finished between 22nd and 24th in four of the last five races. This isn’t a track where you want to dip down and take a shot with a bottom feeder, and I think Ty and Ryan Preece ($6,800) are the best options for Saturday down in this price range. Unfortunately, with this lineup, I can’t afford to fit in Preece, although it’d be possible if you decide to roll with Blaney instead of Kyle Busch.
