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The Chase Grid is set, and 16 drivers are now set to race there way to Homestead for a shot at the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. There are eight different race teams in the Chase which should create a great 10-race atmosphere. Everyone is talking about Joe Gibbs Racing and how hot they have been for the months leading up to the Chase. They will have the most cars of any team(4) in the Chase followed by Hendrick Motorsports(3), Team Penske(2), Richard Childress Racing(2), Stewart Haas Racing(2), Furniture Row Racing(1), Chip Ganassi Racing(1), and Micheal Waltrip Racing(1).
Two drivers(Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard) are making their first ever Chase playoff appearance. Jimmie Johnson is the only driver in NASCAR to make every single Chase since it started back in 2004. Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon are tied for 2nd having only missed one playoff. The pressure goes up in the Chase, and it will be the drivers who can handle their emotions throughout each race the best who will find their way into the next round.
The first race in the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup playoffs is the MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The track is a 1.5 Mile D Shaped Oval with 24 degree banking in the corners. Traditionally this race is dominated by the Chase drivers, so this week in daily fantasy we will be concentrating heavily on those 16 drivers for the next 10 races. Not to say there can be some other drivers who can play the role of spoiler during these races, because it will happen. Watch closely during practice for not only fast laps but also for consecutive 10 lap averages, as there could be some extended green flag racing here on the mile and half track at Chicago.
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Daily Fantasy NASCAR: DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Harvick - $11,100
He sits in 5th on the Chase Grid going in with two wins so far this season. He also has an amazing 18 top 5 finishes and has only finished outside the top 10 in four races. He has two wins here at Chicagoland lifetime but none in his last five races. He has picked up three top 5's in that time. Look for Harvick to come out gunning for the win and start his quest for a back-to-back championship.
Brad Keselowski - $10,400
When talking Chicago, Keselowski is always a topic of conversation. In the previous five races here he has two wins, three top 5's, four top 10's and a 6.4 average finish. He kicked off the Chase in 2012 with a win here before winning his first championship and will be looking to duplicate that again this year. Team Penske has been extremely consistent and shown tons of speed all year. They won't be worried at all about the bigger teams in front of them as they "chase" after a championship.
Carl Edwards - $9,600
He is coming into the Chase with lots of momentum, finishing inside of 13th in nice straight races. He has a nice track record here at Chicagoland as well with two top 5 finishes in his previous five races here. Joe Gibbs Racing has been on fire in the second half of the season and will be fielding all four cars in the Chase. Look for all the cars to put up a strong performance. Edwards presents the best value on the JGR team this week, as he comes 2nd cheapest and with the 2nd best track history in the previous five races here.
Kyle Larson - $8,400
He didn't qualify for the Chase this year but will definitely be there giving it his all as he does every week. He will try to play the role of spoiler, and this is a great opening track for him to do so. He has only one race here so far in his young career but finished 3rd last year while on the outside looking on on the the Chase.
Clint Bowyer - $7,900
He will be looking to close the season's final 10 races in style for Micheal Waltrip Racing as the team will no longer be in NASCAR come 2016. He has one top 5 and four top 10 finishes with a 13.8 average finish in his previous five races here at Chicagoland. Look for the #15 team to give it all they got for 10 more races to try and get Micheal Waltrip one more win as a car owner.
Qualifying Update
***Qualifying Top 10***
- #4 Kevin Harvick
- #22 Joey Logano
- #2 Brad Keselowski
- #78 Martin Truex Jr.
- #3 Austin Dillon
- #31 Ryan Newman
- #18 Kyle Busch
- #5 Kasey Kahne
- #41 Kurt Busch
- #24 Jeff Gordon
Qualifying was rained out on Saturday which makes practice #1 speeds determine the field for the race. Fastest in first practice and winning the Coors Lite Pole was Kevin Harvick. He followed it up with an 11th and 14th in the final two practices but don't fear the #4 team. They will find what is needed by race end and be there for a chance at the win. Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski will start 2nd and 3rd respectively and should be contenders this weekend. Look for Jimmie Johnson to pick up some bonus points this week after qualifying 11th and finishing 6th in the final two practices. He should be lower owned going into the Chase and could be a winning option in GPP formats. When digging a little lower down the salary don't forget about David Ragan at $6,900. He qualified 28th but was 15th and 20th in the final two practices. He should be able to pick up a top 20 this weekend at Chicago.
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