Brian Tulloch 
Welcome to the NASCAR DFS Pit Stop: Cup Series for the 2021 season! If you’ve been with us before then you know the drill, but if you are new the WinDaily Sports or to my NASCAR content, welcome! I break down the field each week and give you my favorite plays for each race in three different price categories.
Make sure to check out my NASCAR DFS Tutorial to make sure you are ready and understand how I break down the races and build lineups (https://windailysports.com/nascar-dfs-pit-stop-2021-introduction-to-nascar-dfs/). You will notice that all pricing is for DraftKings in these articles since they are the only site that has contests for all three series (Trucks, Xfinity, Cup) and is the site I mainly play on. All plays in the Cup Series article will translate to FanDuel if that is where you play.
This weekend is one of the Crown Jewel events on the NASCAR schedule, the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the year that starts at 6 pm local time in daylight and ends some 4+ hours later under the lights. This race is a test of endurance for not just the drivers, but the teams, and even those of us watching from home and in the stands.
Last season at this race Brad Keselowski ($9,700) won this race while only leading 21 laps. In this race there four different drivers led at least 38 laps, and six led at least 21. This is a race that I would like to try and fit 3 dominators into my lineups. There are some drivers in the mid-tier who could also lead laps on Sunday so I also like 2 dominator builds with a mid-tier driver as a third “dominator”.
NASCAR DFS: Dominators
Kyle Larson ($11,300)
Starting Position: 1st
Larson is the top pick for this race and is the odds on favorite to win. This season at 1.5-mile tracks with low tire wear Larson has dominated. At Las Vegas Larson led 103 laps on his way to victory, and then at Kansas Larson led 132 laps but finished 19th after a late caution and run-in with Ryan Blaney on the final laps. This week Larson was 3rd in practice and had the fastest 10 lap average. I think Larson will be key to getting a takedown this week and could easily be the driver with the highest points. Larson might be semi-chalky, but it’s chalk that you might need to eat.
Kyle Busch (10,200)
Starting Position: 20th
Kyle is the best place differential play in this tier but he is also someone who could win this race. Busch was 10th in practice and had the 6th best 10 lap average which is good for his car’s long-run ability. At Charlotte, over the last four races, Busch has finished top 4 in all races including one win. This season, Kyle owns a win (Kansas) at 1.5-mile tracks as well as having the best average finish at these tracks this season (4.8).
Martin Truex Jr. ($11,100)
Starting Position: 8th
The 2019 Coca-Cola 600 winner, his third career at Charlotte, Truex will be a driver who will be contending for the win. Over the past six Charlotte races, Truex has 2 wins, an average finish of 3rd, and lead an average of 159 laps PER RACE. To say Truex dominates at Charlotte may be an understatement. One concern I have, and it is slight, is that Truex didn’t run well in practice. Truex had the 14th fastest lap and the 9th best 10 lap average, but this concern is slight. The 19 team will make sure this car is ready to go for Sunday and Truex should be running up front all day (and night).
Chase Elliott ($10,500)
Starting Position: 3rd
Elliott had a great qualifying run and looked extremely fast, unlike in practice. In practice on Friday, Elliott had the 12th fastest single lap time and the seventh-best 10 lap average. Elliott won the second race here in 2020 and he would have won the 600 if it was not for a late caution with two laps left. Elliott had the 6th best total speed ranking at Kansas and finished 5th, the last 1.5-mile race we had in 2021.
Other Top Tier Drivers:
- Denny Hamlin ($10,800) – P14: Hamlin has never won here, but does own a 2nd place finish. Hamlin has top 5’s in six of the last 9 1.5-mile tracks
- Kevin Harvick ($10,000) – P5: Since 2013 at Charlotte, Harvick has only finished outside the top 10 two times. I don’t love his price, but he will be one of the lower owned plays in this tier
- William Byron ($9,200) – P4: Byron is the most consistent driver in the series this season and even though he starts towards the front, like Larson he could be a force and lead a bunch of laps here. Byron won earlier this season at Homestead, a similar 1.5-mile track.
- Brad Keselowski ($9,700) – P13: Keselowski won last year’s 600 and has an average finish of 7.8 in the last four races.
- Alex Bowman ($9,400) – P7: Bowman loves the high line and that is usually the fastest part on the track at Charlotte. Last year at this race Bowman led 164 laps but finished 20th. I really like Bowman on Sunday for a top 5.
NASCAR DFS: Mid Tier
Joey Logano ($8,800)
Starting Position: 16th
Logano is one of the drivers I spoke about in the open who could be a dominator in this race but not be in the top tier. In the last four Charlotte races, Logano has an average finish of 7.3 and the 5th best driver rating. In his last five races at 1.5-mile tracks, Logano has finished between 8th and 11th in four of them.
Tyler Reddick ($8,200)
Starting Position: 15th
Reddick and the #8 team have been getting some great results over the last eight races. In seven of those eight races, Reddick has finishes between 7th and 12th. At Kansas, earlier this season Reddick finished 7th and had an average running position of 9.7. Reddick was fast in practice on Friday finishing with the 7th best single lap time and the third-best 10 lap average.
Austin Dillon ($7,700)
Starting Position: 6th
Dillon is a former winner of this race and will probably come in with little to no ownership on Sunday. If you are going to roster Dillon you need to know there is risk, but as a former winner and someone who does well at 1.5-mile tracks he could be key to getting a takedown on Sunday. Dillon has an average finish of 10th at 1.5-mile tracks this season and has not finished lower than 12th. In Friday’s practice, nobody ran a faster lap than Dillon and he also has the 12th best 10 lap average.
Other Options: Matt DiBenedetto ($7,500 – P22), Aric Almirola ($7,900 – P31) – Honestly, I hate this play, but you can’t ignore the potential upside. He is a CASH ONLY play. Christopher Bell ($8,600 – P17), Erik Jones ($7,200 – P19)
NASCAR DFS: Value Tier Rankings
- Chris Buescher ($6,700) – P27: Buescher has a 12th place average finish in 1.5-mile track this season and could be a sneaky top 10 driver this week
- Ryan Newman ($6,400) – P25: Newman was a top 15 car in practice this week and should contend for a top 20. Newman has a 13.5 avg finish at 1.5-mile tracks in 2021.
- Michael McDowell ($5,800) – P24: McDowell has performed well at 1.5-mile low tire wear tracks this season. In two races he has an average finish of 15th.
- Chase Briscoe ($6,200) – P21: Briscoe has finished between 18th and 23rd at 1.5-mile tracks this season and should contend for a top 20 on Sunday
- Ross Chastain ($6,900) – P10: Chastain has been a low teens driver at 1.5-mile tracks this season. I know he starts high, but a top 10 is not out of the question.
- Daniel Suarez ($6,500) – P9: On Sunday Suarez will need a lot of attrition and be able to avoid the big wreck(s). Suarez is a GPP only play but will be under 10% owned in contests.
- Ryan Preece ($6,000) – P28: Preece is mainly a low 20’s driver on 1.5-mile tracks but could end up in the top 20 if things go his way.
- Anthony Alfredo ($5,500) – P29: Alfredo has finishes of 23rd and 24th at 1.5-mile tracks in 2021, and I see him finishing around that on Sunday.
- Corey Lajoie ($5,600) – P26: Lajoie is not a sexy pick, but if things shape up like that did in the previous two races this weekend Lajoie could pull a top 20.
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