Kansas 2 Post Practice Fantasy NASCAR Predictions
The last two Sprint Cup NASCAR races have been anything but ordinary, and the last time we raced here at Kansas Speedway was on a Saturday night back in May, so that makes handicapping Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 race a little more difficult. With that being said, don’t be surprised if things get toned down a notch here on Sunday and we have an un-eventful race. A lot of Fantasy NASCAR players would actually probably prefer that. Matt Kenseth won the pole for this weekend’s race, and the full starting lineup can be found by clicking here. There were then two practice sessions on Saturday (yay, no rain!) and those results are here: Practice #2 — Happy Hour. Don’t forget to check out our in-depth notes for each as well: Practice #2 — Happy Hour.
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Final Top 25 Ranking For Kansas 2
1. Kyle Busch – Starts 2nd – DraftKings Price: $10,000 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Low Risk**
Finish-wise, Kyle Busch has been the best here at Kansas over the last five races, with an average result of 6th during that span (although it should be noted that he only raced in four of those events). Rowdy used to be absolutely terrible here at Kansas–and that’s putting it nicely–but lately he seems to have figured this track out, and I don’t expect him to regress this weekend. Currently Kyle Busch is on a three-race streak of top 5 finishes here at Kansas and that includes his first win here, which came back in May. The #18 Toyota had the best ten-lap average during Practice #2 on Saturday and then in Happy Hour it was 3rd on that chart. Kyle Busch hasn’t finished worse than 6th in the last three Sprint Cup races overall and I don’t expect that to change this weekend. He qualified 2nd for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, and unless Matt Kenseth has a rocket ship to start out with, I expect Kyle Busch to lead some laps early, and he may be able to lead the most.
2. Kevin Harvick – Starts 11th – DraftKings Price: $10,900 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
When analyzing Kevin Harvick from a Fantasy NASCAR perspective this weekend, it’s a peculiar situation. This #4 team had mechanical issues once again at Charlotte last week, and you now have to wonder whether they’re going to go a little more conservative with the car setup here at Kansas. If Harvick has another finish outside of the top 10 on Sunday, he’s probably going to be in must-win territory at Talladega–and that’s not a good thing. On the other hand, you can look at it like this: the #4 team absolutely needs a good run here at Kansas on Sunday, and there are very few teams that are clutch in high-pressure situations like this #4 crew. As far as the car itself, the #4 Chevrolet had good long run speed this weekend (best ten-lap average in Happy Hour), and if Harvick gets out front he could run away from the field. He starts back in 11th but it’s not like it’s impossible to pass at Kansas. Harvick has finished 1st or 2nd in four of the last six races at this track and should be a contender again this weekend as long as he avoids any and all in-race issues.
3. Matt Kenseth – Starts 1st – DraftKings Price: $8,700 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
It used to be that when Matt Kenseth qualified up front, he was going to be a very good Fantasy NASCAR pick that weekend, and when he qualified on the pole, he was probably the guy to beat that weekend. That’s just how it used to be, though. Kenseth has qualified inside the top 5 in ten of the other Sprint Cup races this season and only has two top 5s to show for it (and only four top 10s). But don’t let that discourage you from picking the #20 Toyota this weekend. Kenseth was 5th-fastest in Practice #2 on Saturday morning and wound up 8th in ten-lap average during that session, and then in Happy Hour he was 1st and 5th on those two charts, respectively. He’s a two-time winner here at Kansas and finished 4th here back in May after qualifying 2nd. Kenseth has a wide point gap in terms of the Chase standings, so he can play if safe this weekend, but at the same time it’s not like he’s going to give up a win if he’s in position late in the race. Kenseth should be a solid top 5 threat on Sunday.
