Well… that just happened. And here I thought we’d leave all of the craziness at Talladega.
In case you’re not sure what I’m talking about, you’re going to have to look at the starting lineup for the race at Kansas this weekend (click here). It all started when Kevin Harvick wasn’t even allowed to post a qualifying lap, and then just got weirder from there. Unfortunately it’s looking like another chalk week in the Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with your lineup. And who knows, maybe some of those “chalk” plays will have issues during the race, too.
You can find the speeds from Practice #1 on Friday by clicking here. For speeds from the second practice (Happy Hour), click here. Please note that that second practice was ran in the evening, and we’re going to be racing in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday. That’s not to say that the speeds there are completely invalid, but just take them with a grain of salt.
*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 Sunday.*
Hollywood Casino 400 Slingshot Picks
Kevin Harvick ($12,800) – I’m not a fan of this either. Last week we saw Denny Hamlin start in last, thus becoming the “chalk” pick in all place differential NASCAR Fantasy leagues; here in the Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest, over 50% of teams had him. It’s the same story for Kevin Harvick this weekend. The #4 team wasn’t even allowed to put down a lap in qualifying here at Kansas on Saturday because of inspection issues, so now Harvick will have a bunch of cars to pass on Sunday–and a ton of Slingshot points to gain. Honestly, this isn’t too much of a disadvantage for the #4 team, except the fact that they don’t get a get pit stall. Still, Harvick should be inside the top 30 within the first two laps after the green waves, and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he still wins the Hollywood Casino 400–my algorithm still likes him a lot. Harvick has consistently been one of the top NASCAR Fantasy picks on the 1.5-mile tracks this season and that’s not going to change this weekend. He’s finished 3rd or better in seven of the last twelve Kansas races.
Joey Logano ($12,000) – Chalk. Again, I’m not a fans of weeks like this, but it’s what we have to go with. Joey Logano starts back in 29th for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas but he’s still one of the favorites to win. Nobody has gotten more consistent results on the 1.5-mile tracks this season than him (7.7 average finish), and his average running position of 10.6 is 3rd-best in the series as well. As far as Kansas specifically, Logano finished 8th in this race one year ago and has posted seven top 5s in the last twelve races at this track. The #22 team missed it in qualifying this weekend but this Penske teammates both start in the top 5. Logano will be just fine on race day.
Chase Elliott ($11,800) – I know there’s some concern out there about the race speed that the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets have this weekend, but honestly I’m not concerned. And with Chase Elliott starting back in 14th, I really like that place differential potential out of him on Sunday. On the 1.5-mile tracks this season (excluding Atlanta), Chase has an average finish of 8.6, which is 2nd-best in the series), and here at Kansas his record is even more impressive; in addition to being the defending winner of this fall race, Elliott has top 5 finishes in three of the last four races at Kansas, and it’s noteworthy that he’s started 13th or worse each time. This #9 team is used to coming through traffic on race day at Kansas and that should equal a big points day out of Chase in the Slingshot Fantasy Auto Contest this weekend.
Chris Buescher ($7,700) – In recent weeks, Chris Buescher has kind of killed his top 18 finish streak, as he’s ended up 31st at Richmond, 36th at Dover, and 20th at Talladega recently, but when you look at the 1.5-mile tracks in 2019, you see consistency out of this #37 team, and I like that. In the second Vegas race last month, Buescher came home 18th after starting 28th, and at Kentucky he finished 10th. He wound up 18th at Chicagoland, 6th at Charlotte, 10th in the first Kansas race, 20th at Texas, and 18th in the first Vegas race. And not that I really count it in comparisons, but Buescher did wind up 9th at Atlanta this year. So, to recap that, he has yet to finish worse than 20th on a 1.5-mile track this season, and he starts 26th here at Kansas on Sunday. This is a value pick all the way, and one of my favorites in the field. Also don’t forget that since joining JTG Daugherty Racing, Buescher has finishes of 18th, 6th, 16th, and 10th here at Kansas.
Parker Kligerman ($5,400) – Yeah, this is a punt play, but this is a punt play that I actually don’t hate that much. I’ll be rolling with plenty of Kligerman in DraftKings too, for what that’s worth. Anyway, if you checked out my “Bargains and Busts” article for Kansas 2, you’ll know why I actually like Parker Kligerman this weekend: he’s been decently solid on the 1.5-mile tracks this year. Now, he’s only raced in three of them, but Parker still has an average running position and finish of 28.0, which are both great for this price tier. This weekend, he starts 32nd, so those few place differential points won’t be too bad, either.
