Rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for that day. The ordering is not based on highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.
(fppk = average fantasy points per $1,000 of salary. The typical median fppk for a 2016 race was in the 3s. Plate tracks tend to be lower and short tracks tend to run higher due to the amount of laps.)
1. Martin Truex, Jr. ($10,700) – The King of the Intermediate Tracks lived up to the name at Kansas by scoring the most fantasy points. This week he returns the track where he ascended to the throne. In the last Memorial Day race at Charlotte, Truex almost scored 200 fantasy points. (6.2 fppk)
2. Kevin Harvick ($10,300) – Not many drivers have dared threaten Truex’s reign, but Harvick is one of them. The Atlanta race was all Harvick. In the other intermediate track races, Harvick was nipping at the leader’s heels. (4.3 fppk)
3. Jimmie Johnson ($10,200) – With eight wins at Charlotte, it’s comical that Johnson is not ranked No. 1, but that’s a testament to how great Truex is at the 1.5-mile tracks. Johnson cannot qualify to save his life, but this is a long race, and there will be plenty of time for Johnson to move up front. (5.0 fppk)
4. Kyle Larson ($10,100) – Average running position is the best indication of driver performance. Finishing position is misleading because drivers can nail a late race restart or wreck on the last lap. At intermediate tracks this season, Larson has the best average running position. (6.1 fppk)
5. Brad Keselowski ($10,400) – At Kansas, Keselowski finished second, but his average running position was 16th. After a poor qualifying effort, BK worked his way to the front but suffered a vibration, then a penalty. He said his car was good enough to win. (6.0 fppk)
6. Chase Elliott ($9,300) – Here is Elliott’s recipe for a top-five DFS score: Finish around fifth, earn around five place differential points and run 15 fast laps. That’s not very hard to imagine. (4.3 fppk)
7. Joey Logano ($9,600) – Wrecking is one thing, but wrecking after starting on the front row is a catastrophe. Before the Kansas race, Logano had finished sixth or better in the three previous intermediate track races. (4.3 fppk)
8. Kyle Busch ($9,800) – After struggling at the intermediate tracks to start the season, Kyle Busch righted the ship at Kansas (67 fantasy points). His teammate Denny Hamlin ran inside the top-10 for most of the race, so it seems that JGR is back on track. (4.8 fppk)
9. Ryan Blaney ($9,000) – It’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon, but now it’s going to cost you. In the last two intermediate track races, Blaney has started on the front row and has scored over 75 fantasy points in both races. (3.7 fppk)
10. Jamie McMurray ($8,400) – Chip Ganassi Racing is on the same level as Hendrick, JGR and Penske. McMurray has been fast and consistent. Among the $8,000 drivers, McMurray is the favorite to sneak away with a win first. (3.9 fppk)
11. Denny Hamlin ($9,200) – His struggles at 1.5-mile tracks have been well noted here in the weekly DraftKings rankings. Last week, Hamlin didn’t get the finish he wanted (late race restart wreck), but his average running position was seventh. (3.0 fppk)
12. Kurt Busch ($8,200) – This season, races have gone one of three ways for Kurt Busch. He doesn’t finish (wreck or mechanical error), he finishes worse than where he runs or he quietly has a very good race. (2.8 fppk)
13. Trevor Bayne ($7,100) – At this price, daily fantasy NASCAR players flinch a little, but they shouldn’t. Bayne has been the model of consistency this season with top-15 finishes in all four intermediate track races. (4.6 fppk)
14. Clint Bowyer ($8,500) – Even with a 32nd-place finish in the Daytona 500, Clint Bowyer has the fourth-best average finish this season. He’s not leading laps or churning out the fast laps, but you have to pick six drivers. Several of your drivers just need to finish inside the top-10. (4.4 fppk)
15. Ryan Newman ($7,300) – There is always a driver that stirs the debate between current form statistics and track history statistics. Newman is riding an eight-race top-15 streak at Charlotte. His average finish over that span is ninth. (3.0 fppk)
16. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ($7,500) – The late race wreck boosted Stenhouse at Kansas. Otherwise, he had a very disappointing race. It’s the same Ricky Stenhouse, but his car and crew chief are better this year. He’s a top-10 or a DNF and is not someone I’d recommend for cash games. (4.9 fppk)
17. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($7,900) – You know it’s your final season when your DraftKings salary dips below $8,000 for the first time. Junior hasn’t won an intermediate track race in over 10 years. He almost won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2011, but he ran out of gas. (1.9 fppk)
18. Kasey Kahne ($8,000) – The only thing left is to win a race. Kahne’s long funk is over, but he may have hit his ceiling. He’s a top-15 driver, but the days of multiple win seasons may be over. Still, Charlotte has been kind to Kasey (four wins). (4.3 fppk)
19. Matt Kenseth ($8,700) – Most fantasy NASCAR players will likely write off Kenseth this week. His price tag does not match his performance. This creates an opportunity. Kenseth is capable, has a good enough ride and will likely be low-owned this week. (2.7 fppk)
20. Ty Dillon ($6,900) – From a point per dollar perspective, the $5,000 drivers are likely a better investment this week. However, results matter. Being the unofficial fourth RCR car matters. At the intermediate tracks, Ty has finished 15th, 21st, 17th and 14th. (4.6 fppk)