Here are some options to consider for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in California:
— Kevin Harvick ($11,500): He’s sooooo expensive. But can you afford to not take him? He’s been the fastest car all weekend, has won three races in a row and could easily dominate the race under the right circumstances Sunday. The question is whether you can build a solid lineup once he puts a major hit on your salary cap.
— Kyle Busch ($10,300): If you’re looking for an alternative to Harvick and think he might not lead 90% percent of the laps, Busch or Martin Truex Jr. ($10,800) are going to be your best options. It really comes down to whether you think a single driver will be able to crush the competition, because your lineup likely won’t have room for both of these guys.
— Jimmie Johnson ($9,000): This is a simple play. Johnson starts 33rd thanks to his failure to get on track for qualifying, so you’re hoping he can get you position differential points en route to a top 10 if you go with this option. Chase Elliott ($9,700) is a good alternative for the same reason if you can afford him over Johnson (likely comes down to whether you picked Harvick or Busch).
— Austin Dillon ($7,400): Dillon has been fast all weekend and this is a good price. He doesn’t have much of a ceiling because he starts fifth, but it’s a better bargain than taking Erik Jones ($8,200), who starts fourth. Dillon was fifth-fastest in 10-lap average for final practice (Jones was sixth).
— Daniel Suarez ($7,000): He starts 30th in a fast car (albeit a backup after crashing in practice on Friday), which is another chance for a good position differential play.
— Paul Menard ($6,800): The best bargain of the season seemingly every week so far is Menard, who comes at a cheap price but was 12th-fastest in 10-lap average for final practice. That’s a good deal at this range.
— Kasey Kahne ($6,100): I don’t feel great about Kahne’s chances this weekend, as the team has struggled throughout and he was only 23rd in 10-lap average for final practice. That said, he’s a patient veteran who should have the chance to get you a top-25 finish — which means some decent points for this price level after he starts 34th.