NASCAR on TV this week

Daily Fantasy Forecast powered by DraftKings: 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400

Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Forecast, brought to you by our partners at DraftKings. DraftKings is the world’s leading skill-based Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform that allows fans in North America and the UK to compete in single-day, online fantasy sports contests across the largest variety of professional sports. Interested in joining the fun? Courtesy of DraftKings, you can enter promo code “FRONTSTRECH17,” today, to earn a free $10 deposit that can be used towards your first contest entry. Sign up here to learn more!

As the racing season comes to a close, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20th for the Ford EcoBoost 400. Four drivers: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Joey Logano have their eyes set on the championship.

Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when constructing your Homestead DraftKings lineup.

ELITE TIER: $10,000 and up

Jimmie Johnson ($10,800) – Career at Homestead: 15 Starts, 4 Top-5s, 10 Top-10s

Average finish at Homestead: 14

Jimmie Johnson is the top daily fantasy pick heading into this weekend’s season finale at Homestead.

Johnson has yet to win at Miami in his 15 starts at the track, but he may need a win on Sunday to clinch his seventh championship. In the past three races at Homestead, Johnson has finished ninth all three times. He also has five top-10 finishes in his last seven races at the track. Johnson has been near perfect during the Chase, which is why he is the most expensive driver in the field.

Kevin Harvick ($10,700) – Career at Homestead: 15 Starts, 1 Win, 7 Top-5s, 13 Top-10s

Average finish at Homestead: 7.2

Harvick has the best average finish position (AFP) of all active drivers at Homestead (7.2). His worst finish at the track was 20th back in 2002. He won this race and the championship back in 2014, and was the runner up last season. Harvick has eight straight top-10 finishes at Homestead. He is the cornerstone to build your lineup around.

Joey Logano ($10,200) – Career at Homestead: 7 Starts, 1 Top-5, 2 Top-10s

Average finish at 17.7

Joey Logano led 72 laps and finished fourth in this race just a season ago. Since making the move to Team Penske in 2013, Joey has two top-10s in three races, and has raised his AFP from 24 to 9.3. The Chase has been kind to him the past two seasons, with the #22 team picking up five wins in 19 races (26%). It is tough to bet against late season Logano.

ALL-STAR TIER: $8,500 – $9,999

Carl Edwards ($9,700) – Career at Homestead: 12 Starts, 2 Wins, 5 Top-5s, 7 Top-10s

Average finish at Homestead: 9.3

Edwards has two wins at Homestead (‘08 and ‘10), and is having his best season since 2011, where he was as close as possible to winning the championship without actually winning the championship. Edwards has led more laps (568) than any other active Sprint Cup driver at Homestead. Carl Edwards is also significantly cheaper than all three of the other championship contenders, and has the most success of any in the bunch.

Kyle Larson ($8,800) – Career at Homestead: 3 Starts, 1 Top-5, 3 Top-15s

Average finish at Homestead: 11

Larson drove from 23rd up to fifth place in this race last year, and if it weren’t for a late caution, he very well could have driven into victory lane for the first time in his young career. Kyle Larson accels at any track where he can run the high groove, so Homestead is tailored to Larson’s driving style. In three races at Homestead, Larson has not finished outside the top-15, even though he has never started better than 20th.

Denny Hamlin ($8,600) – Career at Homestead: 11 Starts, 2 Wins, 4 Top-5s

Average finish at Homestead: 10.7

Denny Hamlin heads into Homestead with elite level numbers. Hamlin has seven top-10s in his 11 trips to Miami, including two wins (‘09, ‘13). He is ranked 6th at Homestead in laps led out of all active drivers in the series. In eleven starts, he has only recorded a negative place differential once, and that was a 10th place finish after starting on the pole in 2015. Hamlin is a lock to run at the front of the pack and is a legitimate contender to win this race.

MID TIER: $7,500 – $8,499

Kasey Kahne ($8,200) – Career at Homestead: 12 Starts, 1 Top-5, 4 Top 10s

Average finish at Homestead: 15.3

Kahne may seem like an odd choice, especially during a disappointing 2016 campaign, but recent numbers hold hope. Kasey Kahne has four straight top-10 finishes in the last four races at 1.5-mile race tracks. In the past 13 races, Kahne has 12 top-15s, and seven top-10s. At Homestead specifically, he has three top-20 finishes in three years. Kahne is finishing up the season on a positive streak, and Homestead should be no different.

Ryan Newman ($7,800) – Career at Homestead: 14 Starts, 2 Top-5s, 5 Top-10s

Average finish at Homestead: 15.9

Ryan Newman has posted five top-15 finishes in the past six races, and nine straight inside the top-20. In 2016, Newman is averaging a 15th place finish over 35 races. Even though Newman did not make the Chase this season, he has been one of the most consistent fantasy picks of the year.

Tony Stewart ($7,500) – Career at Homestead: 16 Starts, 3 Wins, 4 Top-5s, 7 Top-10s

Average finish at Homestead: 14.9

Stewart is entering the final race of his Hall of Fame career at a track where he has won three times, including one of the most famous races in recent history in 2011. Those three wins at Homestead are tied for the most of any active driver on the circuit. Although the last round of the Chase was not ideal for Stewart with finishes of 26th at Martinsville and 31st at Texas, he left Phoenix with a top-15 and will look to finish his career on a positive note.

BARGAIN TIER: $4,500 – $7,499

Greg Biffle ($7,300) – Career at Homestead: 14 Starts, 3 Wins, 4 Top-5s, 5 Top-10s

Average Finish at Homestead: 17

Greg Biffle is tied with the aforementioned Stewart with three career wins at Homestead. For a three race stretch from 2004-2006, there was no better driver down in Miami than Biffle. Biffle has finished 18th or better in the past four races and can be had for a low price. If he can finish anywhere near his career average at Homestead, he will be well worth the money.

AJ Allmendinger ($7,200) – Career at Homestead: 7 Starts, 1 Top-5, 2 Top-10s, 4 Top-15s

Average finish at Homestead: 19.6

Allmendinger has hit a hot streak to end the 2016 season. Five straight top-20 finishes, including three Top-10s have earned him a look for this weeks’ lineup. Allmendinger has four top-15, two top-10s, and one top-5 finish in his seven starts at Homestead.