The NASCAR Cup Series races under the light for the first time this season on Saturday night. The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 will take place at one of the oldest tracks on the circuit, Martinsville Speedway. The half-mile oval should provide us with some good beating and banging over the course of 500 laps. Want to earn some money during the race? I am here to help you do just that with my weekly NASCAR DFS advice!
FanDuel NASCAR DFS Overview
In this NASCAR Cup Series DFS column, I will be using FanDuel prices and scoring. Their scoring includes the following:
- .1 points for leading a lap
- .1 points for completing a lap
- Add/subtract a point based on the difference in a driver’s finishing position relative to their starting position
- Points based on where the driver finishes
FanDuel NASCAR DFS | Race 4
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Drivers to Consider
Brad Keselowski ($13,000)
Brad Keselowski is the best driver at Martinsville Speedway. He has two career wins and an average finish of 3.6. He is also the only driver to complete every lap at the track in each of the past 10 races. When you’re talking about 500 laps per race, that’s a whole lot of circuits. The Team Penske deuce should continue to be dominant here at the track this weekend. I believe he could get the outright win.
Kurt Busch ($9,000)
Kurt Busch is a sneaky good NASCAR DFS driver here. He has only won twice (last time in 2014), but you don’t always have to bank on wins for DFS. I really see Kurt as a guy who can put together a strong top-10 run this weekend. With him starting 21st, he will undoubtedly earn you some position differential points. Busch could very well be a guy who uses the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 as a momentum-building race.
Alex Bowman ($9,500)
The driver of the No. 48 Ally Camaro has underperformed compared to his Hendrick Motorsports teammates this season. That said, I like Alex Bowman to turn things around this weekend. He starts 20th and his average finish at Martinsville Speedway is 13.3. Keep in mind that this includes some races run in lesser equipment. The 48 is used to great runs at this track. Why not take Bowman in NASCAR DFS this week?
Martin Truex Jr. ($14,000)
Alright, I am taking the low-hanging fruit with this NASCAR DFS pick. The Joe Gibbs No. 19 crew won here last year, and I feel like with the no practice, they are better equipped to race here at night more than the other teams. Martin Truex Jr. will be a top-5 finisher and very well could get the win too.
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Drivers to Avoid
Tyler Reddick ($8,000)
Am I continuing the “Mention Reddick” streak? Yes I am! Will I be able to go one week without including him in a NASCAR DFS article? Who knows, but for now, keep him out of your lineups. Reddick has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville and his average finish is just 20th. With him starting 13th, he is more than likely to lose spots than gain them. He’s simply not worth the $8k price tag.
Kyle Larson ($11,000)
That’s right, I am fading probably the best driver on the season so far. Kyle Larson usually starts up front at Martinsville, but something always seems to happen that leads to him falling off. His average finish of 18.9 is a little more than double his average starting position of 9.3. This week, he doesn’t even have the benefit of starting towards the front as he slots in 20th on the grid. I don’t see him continuing his hot start to the season this week.
Aric Almirola ($7,700)
Aric Almirola might seem like a good NASCAR DFS option considering that he starts 31st, but I don’t think he will make up that much ground on Saturday. Almirola has an average finish of 20.2 at Martinsville and that is with an average starting spot of 10.7. With the way his season has been going, Almirola needs to show some improvement before I put him in my lineup.
Rickey Stenhouse Jr. ($4,500)
Rickey Stenhouse Jr. starts sixth and that is enough to tell you to stay away. He is cheap, yes, but he won’t be up front for long. The loss in position differential points is not worth the cheap price tag here. Look elsewhere if you need a value play.
