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Welcome to the NASCAR DFS Pit Stop breakdown for Atlanta! I am not going to lie, I have no idea what to expect from this track. If anyone out there in the industry tells you they know how Atlanta will race this weekend they are lying. Nobody really knows what to expect from this track (not even NASCAR and their drivers) after it was completely ripped up and a new track was installed. Speedway motorsports repaved and reconfigured this track after the July 2021 race here. The 1.5 oval was reconfigured to have 28-degree banking from 24 degrees, which is higher than any other 1.5-mile track. The front stretch was widened as well. These changes were done to promote a superspeedway style of racing similar to Daytona and Talladega.
What the drivers are saying…
Kurt Busch stated that “Once we got out there in a group the pace picked up by over a second having the cars draft together… things were amplified way more than what we expected when we had just three cars drafting with each other”. Ross Chastain also said that you will “need friends to navigate the draft”. Both of these drivers tested tires for Goodyear at Atlanta back in January.
Roster Construction
My suggestion for this weekend will be to play light and build multiple lineups. If you are not an avid NASCAR DFS player, maybe sit this weekend out. There are two schools of thought here, one being that the drivers will race like Daytona and it could turn into a wreck fest where we need to stack the back. The second one is that the drivers will just drive around single file trying not to wreck and maybe push for a win in the late stages of the race. I think that the second strategy will be more likely to happen in the Cup Series where the drivers are more experienced and don’t want to tear up their cars.
For this race, I think we take a hybrid stack-the-back approach. I don’t think you’ll need to select six drivers starting in the 30s, but I think the best bet would be to take 3-4 drivers starting towards the back, look for 1 potential race dominator and fill out the rest with whoever best fits the salary you have remaining. I’m sorry I can’t be more precise and give better advice, but if I did give out firm advice it would be me lying to you and that’s not what I do. I want those of you who read my articles to be successful and I am not just looking for clicks.
NASCAR DFS: Top Tier ($9K +)
Ross Chastain ($10,700)
Starting Position: 36th
Chastain is back in the Truck Series this weekend in the Niece Motorsports #41. Will Chastain be chalky? Probably. Will he be worth ignoring that fact? Yes. Chastain has had a great season in the Cup Series so far and he should run well here on Saturday. This is a pay-up spot that can’t really hurt you with Chastain starting dead last and I view Chastain as a core play on this slate.
Zane Smith ($9,600)
Starting Position: 25th
Zane Smith has two top 2 finishes this season and he gets a $600 price decrease this week. Smith starts 25th and potentially has the chance to be the best play on this slate. I will have plenty of exposure to the 38 truck this week.
John Hunter Nemechek ($11,100)
Starting Position: 12th
Nemechek has wrecked in both truck races this season so there is potential that people shy away, especially with there being a few drivers in this tier worth using on Saturday. With Chastain most likely carrying the highest ownership, Nemechek could be significantly lower owned than he usually is.
Other Options: Ben Rhodes ($10,000 – P15), Ryan Preece ($10,200 – P11)
NASCAR DFS: Mid Tier ($7K-$8.9K)
Jordan Anderson ($7,600)
Starting Position: 33rd
Anderson will be the mid-tier chalk play on Saturday but this time I am ok if you choose to fade him. I will have exposure to Anderson in my builds because I am prioritizing the top tier in this race. Anderson fits perfectly in a Chastain/Smith/JNH build with two value plays.
Matt Crafton ($8,300)
Starting Position: 3rd
With this race being so unpredictable, it might not be a bad a idea to take a chance on a driver who could lead laps early in GPP’s. Crafton is a veteran driver, one of the few in the field, who will be best equipped to handle this track as the rest of the field learns how it races. With Smith and Friesen starting in front of him, Crafton could easily get out in front early and lead some laps.
Hailie Deegan ($7,100)
Starting Position: 27th
Deegan is a driver similar to Anderson where as she might be semi-chalky and I will not argue if you fade her but she also fits perfectly in three top tier lineups. Deegan started out the season well in Daytona with a 17th place finish, but she wrecked in Las Vegas and came home 34th. The 17th place finish Deegan earned in Daytona is more like where I think she will run all season and a top 20 is what I expect on Saturday.
Other Options: Corey Heim ($8,500 – P19th), Chase Purdy ($7,200 -P20), Derek Kraus ($7,500 – P18)
NASCAR DFS: Value Tier (Under $7K)
- Jesse Little ($5,300) – P34: Little was 6th at Daytona, but I do not expect that type of finish on Saturday. Realistically a top 30 is more likely but he will still make value if he does that.
- Kris Wright ($5,400) – P21: Wright is a riskier play, but he has finished top 20 in both races this season. I can see that happening again on Saturday.
- Brennan Poole ($6,400) – P35: Poole doesn’t offer much upside, and is riskier than Little even though he start one spot behind him. But if this is a wreck fest, than Poole could be a top 10 truck. Either way, if you have the salary and want to stack the back Poole is a good play.
- Jack Wood ($6,900) – P22: If this ends up being a drafting race then Wood has a chance at a solid day. Wood is in a GMS truck which means he is teammates with some of the top drivers in the field. Wood could pull a top 10 with his teammates.
- Timmy Hill ($6,100) – P23: Timmy Hill is someone we NEVER roster in the Cup Series, but in the Truck Series it’s a completely different situation. Hill has finished top 20 in both races this season and his truck is usually one of the better ones in the field. Hill is experienced enough to navigate the field and if this is a drafting race he is smart enough to avoid the potential big ones.
- Matt Jaskol ($5,000) – P31: Jaskol is the cheapest driver in the field and starts near the back. At Las Vegas, Jaskol drove this truck to a 22nd place finish and a top 25 is not out of the question.
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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/).
There were a lot of changes in the cars and what driver is in what car/truck in 2022, check out my What’s new in 2022 article (https://windailysports.com/nascar-dfs-whats-new-in-2022/)
