The DFS NASCAR rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings Fantasy NASCAR salaries. The order is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the DFS value of each driver.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $125K Engineer [$25K to 1st] (Cup)
1. William Byron ($11,200) — A mechanical issue ruined his spring race at Martinsville. Before that poor finish, Byron had earned a top-10 finish in seven straight at Martinsville. That includes a win (2022) and four top-5 finishes.
2. Martin Truex ($10,700) — Hendrick Motorsports is a monster at Martinsville. Joe Gibbs Racing knows this track, too. Truex has three wins at Martinsville since 2019.
3. Denny Hamlin ($11,500) — Is this the annual choke job? Hamlin wins races but not championships. He said he didn’t care because of the format. Suddenly, he did care earlier this season when he looked like a favorite? Which is it? Does it matter if he’s just going to choke again?
4. Kyle Larson ($11,000) — It might be time to start looking ahead. No one faults Larson and the No. 5 team for trying to put on a show at their favorite track on the circuit last week. Homestead didn’t work out. Martinsville probably won’t either. It’s time to focus on Phoenix.
5. Ryan Blaney ($10,400) — He needs it. He’s capable of it. Blaney can qualify for the Cup Series Championship by having a good points day at Martinsville. Points shouldn’t be a problem at one of his best tracks. Blaney has led over 100 laps twice at The Paperclip.
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6. Christopher Bell ($10,100) — A year ago, Bell snuck into the championship with a win at Martinsville. This year he can take it easy. He can look ahead to Phoenix. Also, JGR is suddenly scrambling to get Truex and Hamlin back into the playoff picture.
7. Brad Keselowski ($9,500) — It’s hard to trust BK for RFK. Drivers get old and struggle. If old drivers on good teams struggle, then what about old drivers on smaller teams? The beauty of age is experience. BK has plenty of experience at Martinsville. His 17 top-10 finishes are the most that he has at any track.
8. Tyler Reddick ($9,200) — In the spring, Reddick had the best car in practice. That’s practice. In the race, he did what he normally does at Martinsville — he struggled. His average finish in seven races at the short, flat track is 20th.
9. Joey Logano ($9,800) — His Martinsville numbers are very strong. He has a top-10 finish in 10 of the last 11 Martinsville races. That includes a win (2018) and runner-up finishes in two of the last three Martinsville races (both in the Next Gen car).
10. Chase Elliott ($8,800) — Is the winless season fait accompli? It’s not over yet. Elliott — a non-championship driver — will not win next week at Phoenix, but he’s got a shot at Martinsville. In 2021, his Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman ($) was a non-playoff spoiler and won the fall Martinsville race.
11. Kyle Busch ($9,000) — Martinsville is one of Busch’s best tracks. His 17 top-5 finishes is second to his 19 at Richmond — coincidentally another short, flat track. It’s been half a decade since Busch has led a significant amount of laps at Martinsville, and he no longer enjoys the privilege of driving a JGR rocketship.
12. Aric Almirola ($7,400) — The SHR Fords are no longer top-tier cars every week. Their status is still significant at the short tracks. Almirola won at New Hampshire in 2021, and he has a top-20 finish in six straight at Martinsville with an average finish of 12th over that span.
13. Chase Briscoe ($7,300) — Shifting became a thing in the Next Gen short-track package. Briscoe transformed from a terrible driver at Martinsville to a top-10 talent. In each of the last three Martinsville races (all in the Next Gen car), Briscoe has a top-10 finish.
14. Kevin Harvick ($8,300) — Martinsville has always been a struggle for Harvick. But with only two races left in his career, he deserves an honorable mention. Harvick has not earned a top-10 finish at Martinsville since 2021 and his one win was with RCR in 2011 — and he only led six laps in that race.
15. Austin Dillon ($6,400) — His appearance in the rankings last week was surprising but earned. His track history suggested a top-10 finish, and he earned a top-10 finish. Dillon’s Martinsville track history is being undervalued this week. He has a top-20 finish in five of the last six Martinsville races with an average finish of 12th in those races.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $125K Engineer [$25K to 1st] (Cup)
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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.