The rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for Saturday. The ordering is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.
The DraftKings NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix slate locks at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $50K Grand National Finale [$10K to 1st] (XFIN)
1. Noah Gragson ($11,400) — Everything clicked this year. Gragson became great. He earned his 2023 Cup Series ride. He’s won everywhere including Phoenix. The only thing left to do is to win the Xfinity Series Championship.
2. Justin Allgaier ($10,600) — Gragson is the driver to beat. Allgaier is the dark horse, but he’s a live dog. Gragson was great at Phoenix in the spring, but Allgaier has always been great at Phoenix. This is one of his best tracks, and he’s won in do-or-die situations in the desert.
3. Ty Gibbs ($11,000) — Daniel Hemric won the 2021 Xfinity Series Championship by driving Austin Cindric into the wall in the final turn at Phoenix. Gibbs won last week’s race by wrecking his teammate. There are no rules. Buckle up.
4. Josh Berry ($10,300) — How will the three JRM teammates battling for the championship race each other? If previous championship races or Xfinity races in general are an example, then this race will be wild and feelings are going to get hurt.
5. AJ Allmendinger ($9,900) — The Kaulig Racing cars just don’t have the extra speed. Allmendinger didn’t have the extra speed needed at Phoenix last season when he was one of the Championship 4. As an outsider this time around, it’s very unlikely that his car will have lap-leading potential.
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6. Sammy Smith ($8,500) — Is there such a thing as an ARCA superstar? Smith won six ARCA races this season. Could he play spoiler? It’s doubtful that Smith is going to threaten Joe Gibbs’ grandson’s championship chances. However, Smith could lead some laps at some point.
7. Brandon Jones ($9,400) — After last week, Jones has the green light to race like a spoiled, Xfinity brat. However, the rich kid has matured and he can’t mess around at Phoenix. His future employer (JRM) has three cars battling for the championship. Jones is best off parking and not messing anything up.
8. Sam Mayer ($9,200) — It’s lonely being Sam Mayer. He’s the only JR Motorsports driver that did not qualify for the championship. He’s also the only driver that did not win this season. It’s hard to imagine that JRM is focusing much on Mayer’s car this week.
9. Brandon Brown ($7,100) — His Bobby Dotter car was good enough for a top-20 finish last week. In his seven races at Phoenix, his average finish is 14th.
10. Sheldon Creed ($8,400) — This series has a whole lot of “don’t give a —.” It’s notorious for its disrespectful kids. They race as if one win will guarantee a career behind the wheel. Creed isn’t disrespectful. He’s just a wild man that drives on the edge, and often beyond it. Deference is not his strong suit.
11. Daniel Hemric ($9,100) — As far as track history goes, this is Hemric’s best track because it’s the only place he’s ever won. In 248 NASCAR races, he has one win (0.4% winning percentage). And that one win was not clean.
12. Jeremy Clements ($7,900) — His price should suppress his ownership. In the last nine Phoenix races, Clements has eight top-20 finishes.
13. JJ Yeley ($5,400) — There is a very good chance that his Carl Long car doesn’t make it to the finish. That being said, this is Yeley’s home track. He has a top-25 finish in three straight at Phoenix.
14. Bayley Currey ($5,200) — For the first time, Currey spent a full season in decent equipment, and he had a decent year. Currey has finishes of 20th, 31st, 7th and 15th in the last four Phoenix races.
15. Brennan Poole ($5,300) — Here we go again. The price isn’t as egregious as weeks ago, but this is the Mike Harmon car price not the JD Motorsports car price. Poole can produce in decent equipment.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $50K Grand National Finale [$10K to 1st] (XFIN)
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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.