It has been two weeks since we last saw the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series take the track at Talladega. The “Big One” struck early that day and on lap 13 a crash ended multiple drivers’ days. The race was however exciting from lap one to 94. After a caution with two laps to go 19-year-old Canadian Raphael Lessard was able to get ahead of Trevor Bayne and secure his first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series victory. On the final restart of the race, playoff spots were on the line. This being the final race in the round of 10; only eight drivers remain in the hunt for the championship. Advancing to the round of eight are as follows Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, ZaneSmith, Grant Enfinger, Brett Moffitt, Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, and Tyler Ankrum. This race proved to be a letdown for playoff hopefuls Todd Gilliland who left the race after 47 laps due to engine issues and Christian Eckes who finished 27th and missed the playoff cutoff by eight points.
Today’s free pick for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway is Matt Crafton ($9,000 DK). Since the start of the 2017 Truck Series season Crafton has raced at Kansas five times. In those five races he has finished first once, has two top five finishes, and four top 10 finishes. In those five races he has led 37 laps. Crafton will start this weekends race in the fifth spot which should easily put him in contention to drive for the win. Crafton at Kansas has an average start of seven and an average finish of 6.6. Look for that similar consistency as Crafton looks to lock his place into the next round of the playoffs with a win this weekend.
Starting at $5 per week subscribers can expect to find high value plays that are well priced on DraftKings. We have DFS Potential Dominators, DFS Place Differential Options and who to avoid for the upcoming Clean Harbors 200.
Potential Dominators
Austin Hill: Kansas Speedway has been kind to one of this week’s potential dominators Austin Hill ($ 10,700 DK). In four races at Kansas Speedway Hill has one win, two top five finishes and three top ten finishes. His win at Kansas came earlier this year. The worst Hill has finished at Kansas has been 12th. Hill starts in the 8th spot for the Clean Harbors 200. This is boasted by his average start of 9.3 and average finish of 5.75 at Kansas. If you widen your deep dive into how he has fared at intermediate tracks, you will see that success has come to Hill on intermediate tracks where he has two wins at Kansas and Las Vegas, six top five finishes and has finished top ten in all nine races. Hill is expensive this week; if you can fit him into your lineup I do not think you will be disappointed.
DFS Place Differential Options
Todd Gilliland: The last race at Talladega will surely leave a sick feeling in Todd Gilliland’s (9,200 DK) stomach as he was forced to exit the race with engine issues. Gilliland will start the Clean Harbors 200 in the 17th spot which based on his race last year at Kansas Speedway where he finished third he is an attractive option this week. Gilliland will be aggressive and try to prove that if he had not have had engine problems he would have been on the inside looking out of the playoffs as opposed to the other way around. Gilliland has seen success at intermediate tracks this year; earlier at Las Vegas Motor Speedway he started 25th and finished seventh, at Atlanta Motor Speedway he started 12th and finished fourth and at Homestead-Miami Speedway he started 18th and finished sixth. I think Todd could easily make his way into the top 10 or even top five this weekend.
Ryan Truex: Starting in the 21st spot this week is Ryan Truex ($7,600 DK). This will be Truex’s sixth race of the year with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. In his three races so far at intermediate tracks he has started 20th and finished 13th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, started 18th and finished 27th at Kentucky Speedway, and started 23rd and finished 12th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In previous years Truex has raced at Kansas twice in the truck series. In those two races he has started 21st and finished sixth and started fifth and finished sixth. Truex has shown that he can perform on intermediate, mile and a half tracks and with him starting 21st and being in the value pick range this weekend he has plenty of point differential potential.
DFS Picks to Avoid
Sheldon Creed: My pick of who to avoid this weekend is a driver who has had his ups and downs this year and that is Sheldon Creed ($9,900). Yes, Creed has won three races this year but, with that being said he has not had that same success on intermediate tracks. In nine races at intermediate tracks this year Creed has an average starting position of eighth and an average finishing spot of 11.56. In five of the nine races he finished eight or more places lower then he started. Starting fourth this week Creed does not have much place differential appeal either. Based on his history this year on intermediate tracks he could be negative points very quickly.
MY TOP-FIVE OVERALL AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY
- Austin Hill
- Ben Rhodes
- Brett Moffitt
- Matt Crafton
- Chandler Smith
