DFS NASCAR

Welcome to the NASCAR DFS Pit Stop for Saturday’s Xfinity Series Championship race from Phoenix!

This is it, we have made it through another season of NASCAR DFS! We saw some crazy action last week when Ty Gibbs, or Jesus as he prefers, spun his own teammate to win the race and knock said teammate (Brandon Jones) out of the final four. Gibbs did not need to do this as his spot in the final four was already secured earlier in that race at Martinsville. By doing that, Gibbs allowed a third Junior Motorsports car in Justin Allgaier to join Noah Gragson and Josh Berry in the final four. It will be a fun finale to the Xfinity season with two major questions still left to answer, who will win the title, and will anyone spin Gibbs on purpose costing him the championship?

As for the actual race, as I said in the Truck Series article, this is a short track that is not really like many others and because of that, there will be a lot of laps run. For Saturday evenings race, there will be 200 laps of action leading to 140 dominator points available. Also like in the Truck Series, we should expect the championship four drivers to be right at the front most of the night and be the ones collecting those dominator points. There should be a lot of long runs in Saturday’s race and all four of the championship drivers ran 10-lap average speeds inside the top 10.

NASCAR DFS: Championship 4

*** All four drivers are potential dominators ***

Noah Gragson ($11,400)

Starting Position: 4th

Gragson has been the class of the Xfinity Series and is the favorite, in my eyes at least, coming into Saturday’s championship. This will be Gragsons last time piloting the #9 for JRM as he moves into the #42 for PettyGMS in the Cup Series next season and what better way to go out then with a championship. Earlier this season, Gragson won here at Phoenix in dominating fashion. In that spring race, Gragson started from P2, led 114 laps, and racked up 93.4 DK points on his way to victory lane. If you go all the back to Darlington, Gragson has won five times, had eight top 5s, and nine top 10s in NINE races. If you combine his dominance at Phoenix this season with his dominance in his current run it is hard to pick anyone else to win this race and championship.

Josh Berry ($10,300)

Starting Position: 9th

Josh Berry is a driver who specializes on short tracks. Berry has one win (Martinsvile) and five top 10s in 11 career short track races as well as leading 136 laps. Earlier this season at this track, Berry earned one of those top 10s when he finished 3rd. In that race, Berry wasn’t spectacular, but he did manage to pick a +5 place differential and 50.1 DKFP. Berry was solid on this track in 2022 with finishes of 3rd and 7th at Phoenix and Richmond respectively and he was running well at New Hampshire until he got caught up in a wreck on lap 126 that involved eight cars in total. Berry winning this championship would be a great cinderella story and if it’s not Gragson lifting the trophy at race end, I want it to be Berry.

Other Options: Ty Gibbs ($11,000 – P1), Justin Allgaier ($10,600 – P11)

I will have exposure to at least two drivers in this tier in all my lineups and will have exposure to all four

NASCAR DFS: Top Tier

Brandon Jones ($9,400) – Potential Dominator

Starting Position: 5th

If someone other than the drivers in the championship four could steal the race win away from them, it could be Jones. Earlier at Phoenix this season, Jones finished 2nd to Gragson and led 30 laps. In that race, Jones also had an average running position of 2.4 and finished with 62 DKFP. In Friday’s practice session, Jones had the second fastest single-lap and the third best 10-lap average.

AJ Allmendinger ($9,900)

Starting Position: 16th

Allmendinger is not typically a great short track racer, but at this track type in 2022, he has been good. In three races on this track type, Allmendinger has an average finish of 11th (6th best among ful-time drivers) and an average running position of 7.1 (2nd among full-time drivers). In the spring race here, Dinger finished 7th and was top 10 in both green flag speed and speed late in a run.

Other Options: Sam Mayer ($9,200 – P13), Austin Hill ($9,600 – P14), Daniel Hemric ($9,100 – P10)

NASCAR DFS: Mid Tier

Kyle Weatherman ($7,300)

Starting Position: 35th

Weatherman has looked good week after week in this #34 car in the Xfinity Series. This week is no exception as Weatherman put up some fast laps in practice. In Friday’s session, Weatherman had the 10th quickest single-lap and the 14th best 10-lap average. Unfortunately, Weatherman had a poor qualifying effort which will make him chalky, but for his salary I can’t find a better play in this range and I wil just eat the chalk here and look to be different elsewhere.

Sammy Smith ($8,500) – Potential Dominator

Starting Position: 2nd

Trevor Bayne won the pole in this #18 car in the spring and had a great day coming home P4 in that race. Smith showed similar speed to what Bayne had in the spring. Smith put up the top single-lap and 2nd best 10-lap average. This play is risky and is only for GPP’s.

Riley Herbst ($8,700)

Starting Position: 19th

Herbst had a bad day here in the spring but he generally runs well at Phoenix. In his six career races at Phoenix, Herbst has two top 5s and three top 10s. In Friday’s practice, Herbst was 5th in single lap speed and was just outside the top 10 in 10-lap average (11th).

Other Options: Jeremy Clements ($7,900 – P28), Anthony Alfredo ($7,800 – P23), Nick Sanchez ($7,500 – P3)

Value Tier Rankings:

1. Myatt Snider ($6,900) – P36
2. Rajah Caruth ($6,000) – P37
3. Alex Labbe ($6,300) – P33
4. Joe Graf Jr. ($4,900) – P38
5. Mason Massey ($5,000) – P34
6. Bayley Currey ($5,200) – P20
7. Josh Williams ($5,600) – P30

Make sure you head to the Win DaiBly Sports Discord for up-to-date info and help directly from our pros! Head over to Twitter and give the @WinDailySports account and me (@MVecchio81) a follow for all things Fantasy Sports! You can find more FREE NASCAR content over at WinDailySports.com!

Check out my NASCAR DFS Tutorial to ensure 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/)

Welcome to the NASCAR DFS Pit Stop for Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250 from Martinsville Speedway

For those that don’t know, Martinsville is a short track and is sometimes referred to as “The Paperclip” because of its oblong shape. Since this is a short track, dominators will be extremely important in this race. For Saturday’s race, there will be a whopping 175 dominator points available in this 250-lap race.

Martinsville is its own animal, so I won’t be looking into how drivers have faired in 2022 at short tracks but instead looking at the last two seasons of Xfinity races at Martinsville. NASCAR was nice enough to hold practice and qualifying on Friday afternoon so we also have that info to look to while building lineups for this race.

This race is the cutoff race for the championship four that will be going for the title next week in Phoenix. We already know that both Josh Berry and Noah Gragson have locked themselves via wins in the last two weeks. Outside of them, nobody else is a sure thing and size drivers will be racing for two spots.

NASCAR DFS: Top Tier

Austin Hill ($9,500)

Starting Position: 36th

Austin Hill is the first of multiple chalk plays in this race. Hill had a radiator issue and did not attempt a qualifying lap so he will start 36th. I expect Hill to be over 50% owned in most contest types and potentially over 70% in cash games. Hill was incredibly fast in practice, and while it’s hard to pass here, I think we will see Hill near the front early on and be a contender for the win. For me, Hill is safe for both cash and GPP because of his top 5 upside.

Sam Mayer ($9,700)

Starting Position: 22nd

Mayer was only 14th in single-lap speed, but in the 10-lap average ranks, he was 7th. In his short career, Mayer has raced here at Martinsville twice and has finished 4th and 5th in those races. Mayer is one of the drivers that need a win to get himself into the championship four next week so he may be on a different strategy to get himself near the front. I believe that Mayer will be low-owned because of the dominator potential of the drivers above him and because of the PD upside from HIll. Mayer is a great GPP play in my book and I will have exposure to him for sure.

Ty Gibbs ($11,200)

Starting Position: 4th

Gibbs was the dominant car earlier in 2022 at Martinsville but ended up finishing 8th after a late race restart that shuffled him back. In that race, Gibbs led 197 of 261 laps but was disappointed after the race. While it is a pretty safe bet that Gibbs makes the championship four in Phoenix, he will want to win this race to secure his spot.

Other Options: Brandon Jones ($10,100 – P1) – Jones won the spring race here and will look for the season sweep on Saturday. Noah Gragson ($11,500 – P5) – Gragson is expensive and even though he’s locked in, that doesn’t mean he won’t try to win this race. AJ Allmendinger ($10,900 – P9) – Dinger is another driver who would like win this race and lock his spot in for the championship race next week. AJ has one of the best cars in the field after practice with a 3rd best single-lap time and the best 10-lap average.

NASCAR DFS: Mid Tier

Daniel Hemric ($8,500)

Starting Position: 37th

Hemric, similarly to Hill, had issues in practice and did not get to put down a qualifying time. In that session, Hemric ended up in the wall and will be going to his backup car on Saturday. Before he had his incident, Hemric had a fast car as he posted the 6th fastest single-lap speed and fourth-best 10-lap average. Hemric will be chalky, but once again I don’t see a need to fade him in any contest type and he will be in the majority, if not all, of my lineups.

Nick Sanchez ($7,700)

Starting Position: 24th

Sanchez is still very young but has made some strong strides in his limited Xfinity action this season. After two straight finishes of 12th or better, Sanchez had a disappointing 25th-place finish last week. That finish is a little misleading though since Sanchez as he spent over 50% of the race running inside the top 15 and was involved in a late race wreck on the front stretch that sent him back and 2 laps down.

Landon Cassill ($8,800)

Starting Position: 16th

Here is yet another driver who is starting a lot further back in the field than his practice speed would indicate. Cassill was 5th in single-lap speed and was even better 3rd, in the 10-lap average. Along with a fast car, Cassill is on a bit of a hot streak with four straight finishes between 3rd and 12th. Cassill also had a great day at the Martinsville race in the spring race where he finished 2nd.

Other Options: Stefans Parsons ($7,300 – P20), Ryan Sieg ($8,200) – P17,

Value Tier Rankings:

1. Kyle Weatherman ($6,900) – P38
2. Bayley Currey ($5,700) – P20
3. Blaine Perkins ($5,300) – P23
4. Rajah Carruth ($6,100)- P18C
5. Chad Finchum ($4,500) – P18
6. Ryan Vargas ($5,000) – P29
7. CJ McLaughlin ($6,300) – P34

Make sure you head to the Win DaiBly Sports Discord for up-to-date info and help directly from our pros! Head over to Twitter and give the @WinDailySports account and me (@MVecchio81) a follow for all things Fantasy Sports! You can find more FREE NASCAR content over at WinDailySports.com!

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/)

Welcome to the NASCAR DFS Pit Stop for Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway!

Unlike the race before it on Saturday, this isn’t the cut-off race for the Xfinity that comes next week in Martinsville. Last week in Sin City, Josh Berry clinched the first spot in the final four for Phoenix. Berry is the first and only driver locked in for Phoenix, but it’ll be tough for Noah Gragson not to make his way there.

Friday afternoon, we had an abbreviated 10-minute practice session because of rain. Luckily the rain dissipated early enough to allow the Series to qualify. This is a traditional 1.5-mile track where the race will run 167 laps, leading to 113.9 dominator points being available, so using multiple dominators is recommended.

NASCAR DFS: Top Tier

Noah Gragson ($11,300)

Starting Position: 2nd

Gragson has been the class of the Xfinity Series this season, and I am sure I’ve already said that, but it is the truth. In four races on similar track types (Auto Club, Kansas, Charlotte, & Darlington), Gragson has two wins and has finished top 5 in all four races. Gragson is the only driver with multiple wins and four top 5’s, but not only that, Gragson has an average finish of 2nd and is 11 points better than 2nd place in DKFP P/race. Gragson had the fastest car in practice on Friday, if all that wasn’t enough.

Justin Allgaier ($10,700)

Starting Position: 20th

Allgaier has been great in the same four races I mentioned in my Gragson breakdown. Allgaier has finished top 10 in all four and has two top 5s. Allgaier is also a driver who can put up some dominator points, as he has averaged 10.75 dominator points per race in the four races at similar tack types.

Trevor Bayne ($10,000)

Starting Position: 1st

Bayne has shown that he can wheel a car with the best of the Xfinity Series when he is in a great car. In only eight races in 2022, Bayne has five top 5 finishes but is still looking for his first win. Bayne is no stranger to being upfront, though. In his eight races this season, Bayne has led at least 13 laps led in five races. Bayne didn’t run ten consecutive laps in practice, but he did have the 6th fastest lap.

Other Options: Ty Gibbs ($11,100 – P3), Josh Berry ($10,300 – P12), Sam Mayer ($9,300 – P6)

NASCAR DFS: Mid Tier

Parker Retzlaff ($7,600)

Starting Position: 29th

Retzlaff has been good in all his seven starts in 2022, and Saturday should be no different. If you take out Phoenix, where he had a fuel pump issue, Retzlaff has an average finish of 15.5 and a place differential of +35. Those are the two things we need from a driver like Retzlaff, as it is doubtful he will give us dominator points.

Sheldon Creed ($8,800)

Starting Position: 7th

Creed is an ideal GPP play for this race. It has not been the season this team envisioned when they started, but it is ending much better as they bring fast cars weekly. This week is no different, as Creed put down a top 10 lap in practice and has the quickest 10-lap average.

Ryan Sieg ($8,200)

Starting Position: 25th

Before having steering issues early at Las Vegas, Sieg had been on a role of quality finishes. Prior to Vegas, Sieg had four straight top 10s and six straight finishes of 18th or better. Sieg had a fast car in Friday’s practice posting the 13th-best single-lap time and a top 10 10-lap average. I like the upside of Sieg here; looking at him for a solid top-15 finish.

Other Options: Anthony Alfredo ($7,200 – P35), Landon Cassill ($8,400 – P16)

Value Tier Rankings:

1. CJ McLaughlin ($6,100) – P38
2. Stefan Parsons ($6,500) – P18
3. Jeb Burton ($6,700) – P21
4. Kyle Sieg ($6,300) – P33
5. Matt Mills ($4,700) – P36
6. Kris Wright ($5,800) – P34
7. Josh Williams ($5,200) – P32

Make sure you head to the Win Daily Sports Discord for up-to-date info and help directly from our pros! Head over to Twitter and give the @WinDailySports account and me (@MVecchio81) a follow for all things Fantasy Sports! You can find more FREE NASCAR content over at WinDailySports.com!

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/)