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 New Holland 250 at Michigan slate locks at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $80K Piston [$20K to 1st] (XFIN)
1. Justin Allgaier ($10,500) — Since the beginning of May, Allgaier has three wins and seven top-5 finishes in those 11 races. This is his year.
2. Ty Gibbs ($10,900) — This has been a great rookie season for Gibbs, but he hasn’t been the best at the ovals. This is no slight to Gibbs. It’s just that JRM is better than JGR this season.
3. Josh Berry ($10,300) — If anyone is going to challenge Justin Allgaier this season, then it’s going to be one of his teammates. This might seem like another forgettable midseason matchup in Michigan, but this is a big race for Berry to make a statement.
4. AJ Allmendinger ($10,100) — He says it every week. The Kaulig Racing cars do not have the speed to win a championship. He’s telling us to fade him.
5. Noah Gragson ($10,700) — After a hot start to the season, Gragson cooled off. He was beginning to look like the weakest link at JRM, but then he won at Pocono. Gragson is back.
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6. John Hunter Nemechek ($9,600) — This isn’t the No. 18 JGR Toyota but it’s prepared by TRD (Toyota Racing Development). Nemechek always gets the most out of the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota. He could win if there is a late race caution.
7. Austin Hill ($9,800) — In terms of Real Rating (my proprietary statistical creation that comprehensively synthesizes a driver’s laps), Austin Hill is the sixth-best driver in Saturday’s field. Hill is the most underrated driver in NASCAR. Don’t be surprised when he wins the Xfinity championship.
8. Sheldon Creed ($8,600) — The box scores are misleading. He’s running a lot better than his results indicate. Creed is going to sneak up on a lot of people soon. At New Hampshire he had a Real Rating of 0.89 and at Pocono he had a Real Rating of 0.95.
9. Brandon Jones ($9,200) — Michigan is not one of the most demanding tracks on the circuit. This is not a driver’s track and that’s good news for Brandon Jones. This track favors equipment and that’s really good news for Brandon Jones.
10. Sam Mayer ($9,400) — The summer schedule is challenging for a rookie driver. Mayer and his team are bouncing back and forth between road courses, a plate track, flat tracks and an intermediate concrete track. This isn’t easy for a veteran driver. Despite the difficulty, Mayer has three top-10 finishes in the last six races and his worst finish is 17th.
11. Daniel Hemric ($9,000) — The Kaulig Racing cars can’t compete at the intermediate tracks. Daniel Hemric can’t either. He tweeted that he was garbage. That doesn’t sound like a good driver to roster.
12. Sammy Smith ($8,400) — He wrecked the No. 18 JGR Toyota at Pocono. Before that wreck, he ran 49 of 53 laps inside the top 15. He’ll get extra reps in the ARCA race at Michigan.
13. Mason Massey ($5,800) — Rule No. 1: Mario Gosselin cars should never be priced below $6,000. Rule No. 2: Massey is a decent driver when he is not driving junk. Massey has a top-25 finish in five straight with an average finish of 20th.
14. Kyle Sieg ($6,100) — The secondary RSS (Sieg) cars have been solid this season. Whether it’s Kyle Sieg or C.J. McLaughlin ($6,200) driving, these cars have been top-25 cars. Despite only running a handful of races, both drivers have been in the optimal lineup twice.
15. Kaz Grala ($7,800) — The Truck Series and road courses have been where Grala is most commonly found after his JGL Racing team went south in 2018. A chance in the Big Machine No. 48 is another opportunity to break through. Tyler Reddick won in this Chevy at Texas.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $80K Piston [$20K to 1st] (XFIN)
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