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Richmond International Raceway is the setting for the ninth race of the 2017 NASCAR season, as drivers are set to compete in the Toyota Owners 400 on Sunday afternoon. And with it comes lots of compelling storylines from both a real-life and DraftKings perspective.
What can Jimmie Johnson do for an encore? After a mostly underwhelming start to the season, the 41-year-old has caught fire the last two weekends, winning at both Texas and Bristol to vault into sixth in the Cup Series standings. As such, he presents an interesting DFS case this weekend. He has tallied four Top-10 finishes in his last five starts at Richmond and he has a solid starting position at 17 (full starting lineup here), so there's a good chance he he has another big day, but at the same time, he's the fourth most expensive driver ($9,900) and will surely be a popular play, making him also a potential fade candidate.
Kyle Busch will be another one to watch. He has won this race four times, has two second-place finishes in his last three trips to Richmond and has the best career average finish--by far--of any driver on this track.
Another important note to keep in mind. Drivers who start near the front are typically riskier in DFS, but according to Fantasy Sports Network, the pole has produced more winners (24) than any other position at Richmond, while 78.5 percent of races at this track have been won from a Top-10 starting position. Ultimately, a good mix of drivers near the front who can rack up laps led and drivers near the back who can get bonuses for place differential seems to be the way to go.
With that in mind, you can click through the gallery for my ideal DraftKings lineup for Richmond. (Getty)