NASCAR is back and DraftKings is offering a new way to play fantasy NASCAR. The game is simple. Build a “Pick Set” (2-6 drivers) and decide if they will outperform their stat projections. Here is some advice to help build your DraftKings Pick6 Pick Sets for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond.
Martin Truex Jr: Finishing Position – 4.5
Pick6 Play: Worse
There are knowns and unknowns heading into Sunday night’s race at Richmond. Truex is great at Richmond. It is known that he owns this short, flat track. The JGR Toyotas have always been great at Richmond. They have the best understanding of the 2024 short-track package. It’s also known that Truex doesn’t always close. He has three Richmond wins in the last decade. He’s also led 1,587 laps at Richmond. Where are the wins? He led 228 laps in the spring race but finished fourth.
The unknowns further complicate Truex’s projected finishing position. Truex is coming back from vacation with retirement on the horizon. Is he recharged, rusty or reserved for Richmond? It only takes one mistake on pit road to take a driver out. It could be a bad stop or a bad decision. There will be decisions to be made at Richmond. NASCAR is introducing an option tire this weekend. The soft tire won’t hold up at Richmond’s abrasive track. Most teams want to leave them in the garage. That might not be an option. The option tire might not be optional. Teams like to split Richmond stages into thirds. Most used nine sets in the spring race. It’s a possibility that teams will have to dip into their option set. More decisions and more action on the pit road have never been good for the No. 19 JGR Toyota Team. It’s a good team, but strategy and pit road are not the strengths of this team. Set at 4.5 on DraftKings Pick6, take the under or worse option here.
Chase Elliott: Finishing Position – 7.5
Pick6 Play: Better
Practice speeds can be misleading. Dissecting a Cup Series practice is not as simple as it once was. The Gen-7 car has created parity. Throw a blanket over the top half of the field. The difference in lap times is marginal. The analysis becomes more complicated when a team decides to delay practice laps. Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Chevy Team waited nine minutes before making their first run. The teams that rushed onto the track made quick laps on a green track. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. The option tire further complicates the analysis. It’s easy to work ourselves in knots looking at practice lap data. It’s easier to trust what we know and value race data. As Allen Iverson once said, “What are we talking about? Practice? Not a game, practice?”
Elliott’s surface-level practice data is not appealing. However, a close analysis of the lap-by-lap data reveals that Elliott is just fine. The car has speed. It always has speed. Elliott is second in the NASCAR standings. Speed and skill are not in question. The question is whether Elliott can outperform the JGR Toyotas that have dominated Richmond and mastered the 2024 short-track package. Elliott won’t dominate, but this is racing –– only the last lap matters. A fast pit crew and a clean day go quite a long away. That’s been Elliott’s approach in 2024 and his listed stat projection of 7.5 is a bit high and he should be able to cash this solid play.
For NASCAR insight and quick DFS help, follow Pearce Dietrich (@Race4thePrize) on Twitter.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2 to 6 players and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing between 2-6 players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
Apple DraftKings Pick6 App
Google DraftKings Pick6 App
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
