NASCAR DFS is back this weekend with cars hitting the track at Daytona International Speedway all week long! Yesterday evening’s NASCAR Truck Series race was entertaining as expected, and today’s should be no different.
There is rain in the forecast for today’s race and weather already put a stop to qualifying for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300 this morning, as well as the final Cup practice for tomorrow. Without qualifying, the field was set off of last year’s point standings. This will shake the field up quite a bit as a lot of fast cars will be starting in the middle of the pack and towards the rear.
Position differential will be the key to scoring tonight, just like last night’s truck race. We’re going to look at the best picks, from the highly priced to the low. Hopefully we can make some money on Draftkings this weekend!
High-Priced Plays for NASCAR DFS
Justin Allgaier: #7 | JR Motorsports – Chevrolet | $10,500
Justin Allgaier is one of the most experienced drivers in Saturday’s field. 2020 was a let down in terms of expectations, though. My expectations for Allgaier for 2021 are probably in line with last year’s results. If Allgaier is going to get a win for Dale Earnhardt Jr in 2021, the restrictor plate tracks might be his best bet. Allgaier starts the race on the outside pole, so position differential will be a non-factor in terms of scoring. Nevertheless, he should run up front most of the day, which may help him avoid the inevitable “big-one.”
AJ Allmendinger: #16 | Kaulig Racing – Chevrolet | $9,900
AJ Allmendinger is a driver most-known for his road racing abilities, however he actually runs quite well in plate races too. “The Dinger” won this race in 2019 and was on his way to another victory last year when he was wrecked by then teammate, Ross Chastain. Chastain isn’t competing in this event in 2021, and Allmendinger is looking for redemption. The most appealing thing for NASCAR DFS players is AJ will roll off starting 31st today. That means there are bonus points aplenty to be had. He’s a great pick for your lineup, but he will likely be highly owned too.
Ty Dillon: #54 | Joe Gibbs Racing – Toyota | $9,500
Younger brother to Austin Dillon, Ty has lived in his brother’s shadow so-to-speak for a majority of his racing career. The oppertunity he has in 2021 to gun for Joe Gibbs and Toyota Racing Development may be his time to shine though. It’s a limited schedule, so Dillon will likely be looking to make an impact right away.
He might be my favorite choice for today’s Xfinity race as he was fastest in the first practice session and will start all the way back in 32nd due to qualifying be cancelled because of the weather. There is no doubt Dillon has speed. Just like Allmendinger, he’ll likely be highly owned, but he’s too hard to pass up on. Make sure you attempt to use some pivots in terms of ownership when making the rest of your selections.
Justin Haley: #11 | Kaulig Racing – Chevrolet | $9,400
Justin Haley won three of four restrictor plate races in 2020, and Kaulig racing as a whole has a great plate program. There is no doubt Haley will be a major player again today. Roster him with confidence, but be aware he starts third so differential placing points will not be there.
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Mid-Range Drivers for NASCAR DFS
Michael Annett: #1 | JR Motorsports – Chevrolet | $8,700
Michael Annett is a teammate to Allgaier at JR Motorsports and there is no doubt that the Chevrolet’s have a ton of horsepower on these big tracks. Annett finished second at Talladega in 2020 and won this race in 2019. Outside of those finishes though, his plate racing resume is pretty average. He’ll roll off in 10th on Saturday. If he can avoid trouble, he could score you some decent NASCAR DFS fantasy points.
Brett Moffitt: #02 | Our Motorsports – Chevrolet | $8,300
Brett Moffitt has been around the NASCAR top three series’ for longer than you may think, and brings a lot of plate racing experience to your roster. My only issue is that Our Motorsports has struggled to find success since buying the old GMS Racing equipment last year. With that in mind, I expect Moffitt to post a respectable finish on Saturday if he can avoid trouble. He’ll take the green flag from the 15th starting spot.
Myatt Snider: #2 | Richard Childress Racing – Chevrolet | $8,100
Myatt Snider has a much-deserved full-time ride in the Xfinity series for 2021. The car he’s in is the car that Tyler Reddick had a ton of success in just two years ago, including winning that season’s championship. Snider has not run well in the plate races in the Xfinity series in the past, though. In the truck series however, he took home a 2nd and 3rd at Talladega. He’s a good sleeper pick for today and will start the race p.11.
Riley Herbst: #98 | Stewart-Haas Racing – Ford | $7,900
Riley Herbst has wrecked in 80 percent of his career restrictor plate races. Don’t let that scare you away too quickly though. He made the move from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable to Stewart-Hass Racing for 2021 in the offseason. The car he’s going to be driving has won back-to-back Xfinity Series titles with Cole Custer in 2019 and defending champion Chase Briscoe in 2020. He rolls off 4th and has a great chance to win this race if he can keep his nose clean.
Top Value Plays for NASCAR DFS
Landon Cassill: #4 | JD Motorsports – Chevrolet | $7,200
A move to JD Motorsports probably doesn’t seem like an upgrade to most people, but when you consider he was just qualifying cars for Morgan Sheppard last season — it certainly is. He rolls off 33rd and is in the best equipment he’s been in for years. It’s too early to see how this translate in terms of success on the track, but he’s got a good chance to run well this year.
Gray Gaulding: #52 | Means Motorsports – Chevrolet | $6,500
Gray Gaulding is the hands-down best value play for today’s race in my opinion. He’s starting the race in 35th and has run well on tracks of 2.5 miles or larger in the past. He finished second at Talladega in 2019 and second at Daytona in 2020. In his last four plate races, Gaulding has four top 10 finishes.
Good luck this weekend! Be sure to find continued NASCAR DFS coverage for tomorrow’s Daytona 500 at GoingFor2.com!
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