NASCAR Lineup Thoughts - Brickyard 400

Been having a tough time with DFS Nascar since DraftKings began running it a couple of months ago.  Still trying to figure out the scoring and which drivers to target on a weekly basis.  With the series heading to my home track in Indianapolis this week, I'm hoping to change my fortunes and return some positive results.  Going to target place differential with my drivers this week and hopefully rack up some points that way. Running two lineups this week with three core drivers, and playing mostly cash games.  Here's who I got.

THE CORE THREE
I really like Kyle Busch for the win this week.  He's been running so strong lately with three wins in his last four races.  He also won the Xfinity race yesterday at the track.  In ten career starts at the Brickyard, he has notched eight top-10 finishes, incuding a series-leading five straight.  Busch has finished 2nd in two of the last three races at Indy, and his 98.5 driver rating is 6th best for the track.

Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman are almost must-plays based on their starting positions.  Keselowski will roll off 31st and Newman starts 43rd after his car failed the safety inspection after qualifying.  Both have legitimate shots at turning in a top-10 performance, which would rack up a ton of place differential points along the way.  Kesolowski has had a rough season to date, but his team is turning it around lately.  And his owner, Roger Penske, is a legend at the track.  Newman is a former winner here, has finished in the top-15 in six of his last seven trips to Indy, and owns the 4th best driver rating.  Both will be highly owned, but in a cash game, I don't really care.

THE RINGERS
Jeff Gordon is my favorite driver, and the Brickyard is one of his most successful tracks, and that's saying a lot based on his illustrious career.  He has five wins here with an average finish of 8.4 in 21 starts, which include 17 top-10s.  He rolls off the grid 19th, allowing him the opportunity to rack up some of the sought after place differential points.  This will be his final trip to Indy, and there could be no better place for him to pick up a win to clinch his place in the Chase in his final season.

Kasey Kahne makes the lineup for the same reason Keselowski made it - place differential.  Kahne rolls off 27th.  He led 70 laps and finished 6th last year.  His Hendrick power will have him moving towards the front right from the start in this one.  Love him this week.

THE PUNTS
The theme this week is position differential, and that's how Cole Whitt and Brian Scott come into the fold.  Whitt rolls off 41st and is dirt cheap at only $6,700.  If he can work his way into the top-25, he'll pay off his salary and then some.  Same goes for Scott, who starts 36th.  I really like his chances to move forward today, running with RCR power.  Again, if he can crack the top-25, he'll pay off his pricetag.