.jpg)
Cheez-It 355
Watkins Glen International
Last week’s Pennsylvania 400 finally got underway on Monday, after it was rained out on Sunday. Even after getting underway, there were numerous cautions due to the weather that ultimately shortened it by better than 20 laps. Chris Buescher logged his first Sprint Cup win by staying off pit road when most of the rest of the field pitted in front of him. Monday was the second week in a row that late-race pit strategy shuffled the field up in a way that the lineups did not finish in the money.
For the second time in the schedule, there are right turns and chicanes involved on the laps. Watkins Glen, or The Glen, is the host for the Cheez-It 355 on Sunday and it offers a speedier road course than the one at Sonoma Raceway. The less technical style of driving required in the upstate New York circuit opens the field up more than it was at Sonoma several weeks ago. Passing is a completely different animal here too as a dozen or so drivers have +7 positional differentials, though 94% of winners have come from the top-five starting spots in the grid.
One thing to keep in mind this week is that Watkins Glen was just repaved this year, making it essentially a new track with fewer grooves. There are also new harder tires in play this week on the 2.45-mile, eight-turn laps, and no one ran more than 15 laps on them in practice on Friday. One final thing to mention about the setup for the 355 is a low-down-force package, like what has been used in a few other races this year. All that combined should lead to an exciting and could-be unpredictable race on Sunday afternoon.
PLAYBOOK
| Driver | Draft Kings | Description |
| Kurt Busch | $10,400 | Kurt has the second best average finish at Watkins Glen (4.0) and has two top-five finishes. He is the most expensive driver this week but should bring value starting in 17th |
| Kevin Harvick | $10,300 | Harvick has similar numbers to Kurt Busch, though one fewer top-five finish. He has also led 29 laps in the last two races (tied for second most). P15 offers good value here |
| Kyle Busch | $10,100 | Kyle doesn't have the best history on the track as he typically goes backwards. However He's shown top-five speed in each practice and in qualifying. He's worth a shot in cash |
| A.J. Allmendinger | $9,900 | Allmendinger is a top driver at The Glen with a win and the most laps led (51) in the last two races. He's a road course specialist and should be in GPP lineups this week |
| Carl Edwards | $9,700 | Edwards has a +9 position differential in the last two races and has been very fast this week (in practice and winning the pole). With the style of track he can be in either lineup |
| Joey Logano | $9,500 | Logano is the defending champion at Watkins Glen and has the best average finish in the last couple of races. He has also finished 6th and 70th in practice and qualifying |
| Martin Truex Jr. | $8,900 | Truex Jr. has ended in the middle of the pack the last two years but this year has been different for him. A 1-2 finish in practices have him in place to be good again this week |
| Kyle Larson | $8,200 | Larson is a young gun that is starting to come on strong. He also has a +6.5 postional differential at The Glen. In the middle tier of salaries, he is a good fit in either GPP or cash |
| Matt Kenseth | $8,100 | Kenseth has a +10.5 postional differenatial here and one of the best average finishes in the last few races. He has had a strong stretch of late and at $8,100 he has great value |
| Clint Bowyer | $7,800 | Bowyer has a top-10 to his credit in the last two years and four overall in his 10 races here. He has been solid in recent weeks as well and the $7,800 salary only raises his value |
| Greg Biffle | $7,700 | Biffle owns the best postiional mark In the field at +15.5. He also has a top-10 and two finishes 14th or better. A mid-tier salary is a good value for a race that could be his best |
| Casey Mears | $6,600 | Mears is coming to a track that has been kind to him in the past and with a $6,600 salary this week, he could be a sneaky play with a P20 spot in the grid and a P3 in practice |
| Danica Patrick | $6,100 | Danica has moved up an average of 13 spots in each of the previous races here which is great value this far down the price list. This week should be no different at The Glen |
| Michael McDowell | $5,500 | McDowell is a budget guy who has shown good speed this week despite not a great history at the track. Qualifying 11th and running 7th in practice gives him GPP upside |
| Cole Whitt | $4,900 | Whitt is a budget-friendly play to round out a roster with a solid average PPR of 21.3. He is the most consistent driver at that price point this week for either cash or GPP |
OPTIMAL LINEUPS
| Draft Kings Cash | |
| Kurt Busch | $10,400 |
| Kyle Busch | $10,100 |
| Carl Edwards | $9,700 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | $8,900 |
| Danica Patrick | $6,100 |
| Michael Annett | $4,700 |
| Total | $49,900 |
Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch, towards the top of the salary list, anchor the cash lineup this week. They are also among the top-eight drivers on the circuit. Carl Edwards makes the cash lineup from the pole as this track is one of the hardest to pass on making him much more likely to lead laps right from the jump. Martin Truex Jr. has shown great speed throughout this week and has been dominant at times this season making him way too hard to pass up at $8,900 in salary. Danica Patrick is something of a road race specialist and Watkins Glen has been very good to her in the past few years. She owns a +11.5 positional differential, which really boosts her value at $6,100. Michael Annett rounds out the six-driver squad as a budget-friendly play who has shown an ability to move through the field well at Watkins Glen.
| Draft Kings GPP | |
| Kevin Harvick | $10,300 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | $9,900 |
| Joey Logano | $9,500 |
| Matt Kenseth | $8,100 |
| Danica Patrick | $6,100 |
| Michale McDowell | $5,500 |
| Total | $49,400 |
Our GPP lineup this week is led by Kevin Harvick and A.J. Allmendinger as two of the top drivers at the track in recent races. Harvick has finished 3rd and 7th in the last two races while leading 29 laps and Allmendinger has a one and 51 laps led which are the most in the field. Joey Logano is the defending champ and has shown very good speed this week in practice and qualifying. Matt Kenseth is next up as a driver with elite positional differential capability and who is on a roll of late. Danica Patrick and Michael McDowell round up the group of six as upside plays at the bottom of the salary list.