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By: RJ Kraft
Editor's note: Fantasy Fastlane will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the outlook for the top 10 drivers as well as two sleepers and two value plays based on NASCAR Fantasy Live prices. NASCAR.com fantasy expert RJ Kraft breaks down the drivers you want in your lineup and which drivers you want to avoid for this week.
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Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 ChevroletLearn more about Johnson
Fantasy Live price: $27.00
Fastlane forecast: The defending race winner has three career wins at Kansas and has finished outside the top 10 just three times in 19 starts at the track. 'Six-Time' is tops in average running position (9.383), driver rating (112.0) and second in laps led (601) in the loop data era. The 48 team has long been stout on the intermediate tracks.
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Brad Keselowski
Team Penske, No. 2 FordLearn more about Keselowski
Fantasy Live price: $26.25
Fastlane forecast: Last weekend’s winner at Talladega has one win at Kansas. The 2012 champion starts strong here with five straight starting spots inside the top six, but those have yielded no top fives in that stretch. Even with two wins on the year, it's been hard to pin down the 2 team in fantasy.
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Martin Truex Jr.
Furniture Row Racing, No. 78 ToyotaLearn more about Truex
Fantasy Live price: $25.75
Fastlane forecast: Truex led a race-high 95 laps in this race last year but came up just short. Despite being winless at Kansas, the veteran driver has all four of his top fives here in the past eight races. With an average finish of 8.0 at intermediates this year, Truex is primed for a strong run in the heartland.
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Matt Kenseth
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 ToyotaLearn more about Kenseth
Fantasy Live price: $26.00
Fastlane forecast: Kenseth has two wins at Kansas and the numbers paint a strong case for why he can turn his season around this weekend. The 2003 champion has led the most laps (655) and holds the second-best driver rating (106.8) and average running position (10.32) in the loop data era.
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Joey Logano
Team Penske, No. 22 FordLearn more about Logano
Fantasy Live price: $26.75
Fastlane forecast: Logano has won two of the last three Kansas races and has five straight top-five finishes there with 289 laps led over that stretch (second-most among drivers). It’s been a weird 2016 so far for Logano, but the price is coming down to a point where the potential reward is well worth it.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 88 ChevroletLearn more about Earnhardt
Fantasy Live price: $26.75
Fastlane forecast: Dale Jr. has not won at Kansas but does have three top 10s in his last five races there. On the season, he has a 4.0 average finish at intermediate tracks but he has yet to lead a lap in those races. That said he does have a place differential of +40 in those races but the price feels a bit high.
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Kurt Busch
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 ChevroletLearn more about Kurt Busch
Fantasy Live price: $27.50
Fastlane forecast: Kansas has not been overly kind to the 2004 champion with just six top 10s in 20 starts there. However, three of those have come in the past five races there. The price tag is awfully high for someone who has no wins and just one top five at the track.
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Kevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 ChevroletLearn more about Harvick
Fantasy Live price: $27.50
Fastlane forecast: The 2014 champion has a win and two runner-up finishes in the past five races at Kansas. During that stretch, Harvick has led 392 laps, which is the most among Sprint Cup drivers. His intermediate track record has been strong at SHR as he seemingly is a threat to win every time he takes the track.
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Carl Edwards
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 ToyotaLearn more about Edwards
Fantasy Live price: $27.75
Fastlane forecast: Edwards is winless at Kansas (which is as close to a home race for him as it gets for the Missouri native) but has the second-best average finish (10.6) among active drivers. The JGR driver has already led his most laps since 2011 and has been one of the best so far in 2016. Trust in him this week.
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Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 ToyotaLearn more about Kyle Busch
Fantasy Live price: $28.00
Fastlane forecast: Kansas is one of three tracks that the 2015 champion has yet to win at and he holds an average finish of 20.4. 'Rowdy' has made gains with two top fives in his past two Kansas races and his overall mark at intermediate tracks this year bode well for success. If you have Busch at less than market price, play him.
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SLEEPER PICK
Kasey Kahne
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 ChevroletLearn more about Kahne
Fantasy Live price: $20.25
Fastlane forecast: Kahne scored a fourth-place finish last fall at Kansas. Of drivers with at least two starts here, Kahne has the sixth-best average finish (13.4). This is a good week to utilize Kahne.
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SLEEPER PICK
Ryan Blaney
Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 FordLearn more about Blaney
Fantasy Live price: $16.75
Fastlane forecast: Blaney's second of two top 10s in 2015 came at Kansas. The rookie is a little risker of a play than fellow freshman Chase Elliott. However, Blaney is nearly $4 less so owners can achieve more of a balanced roster.
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VALUE PLAY
Casey Mears
Germain Racing, No. 13 ChevroletLearn more about Mears
Fantasy Live price: $11.25
Fastlane forecast: Mears is a sneaky play due to his average finish (20.0) on intermediates. In four of the last five Kansas races, Mears has had a positive place differential, with double-digit gains in two races.
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VALUE PLAY
Michael Annett
HScott Motorsports, No. 46 ChevroletLearn more about Annett
Fantasy Live price: $5.50
Fastlane forecast: Looking for low-price place differential? Annett is a solid play for that with an average gain of +11 from start to finish in four Kansas races. In eight of his 10 starts in 2016, Annett has a positive place differential.