F1 Fantasy Racing Rankings: DFS Picks on DraftKings for Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023

The Formula 1 season resumes with Round 3 and DraftKings Fantasy F1 is back with another large fantasy racing contest that pays $25K to first place. With the Australian Grand Prix taking place on the other side of planet Earth, the DFS slate locks late Saturday night.

The DraftKings Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023 slate locks at 1 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Set your DraftKings Fantasy F1 lineups here: F1 $125K Grand Prix [$25K to 1st]

1. Max Verstappen ($14,000) — Round 2 in Saudi Arabia went to Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez. Let’s not overreact. Checo started on the pole and Max started 15th. Despite spotting Perez a head start, Verstappen finished second and recorded the fastest lap.

2. Sergio Perez ($11,400) — The Jeddah street circuit played to Perez’s strengths. Also, his lone challenger started in the back of the field. Perez held off Max — the Round 1 winner — for the win in Round 2. Round 3 might go back to Max, but Perez should be standing next to him on the podium at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.

3. Fernando Alonso ($10,200) — Red Bull owns the top two steps of the podium, but step three belongs to the new Aston Martin driver. Alonso has finished third in the first two GPs to begin the 2023 season. He can’t beat the Red Bulls straight up, but mistakes and mechanical failures are not out of the question.

4. Charles Leclerc ($9,400) — What a difference a season makes. Leclerc led every lap and won the Australian Grand Prix in 2022. He won two of the first three races last season, and very nearly won the first three. After that he only earned one more win, but he did secure plenty of podiums and runner-up finishes.

5. Carlos Sainz ($7,800) — It’s only two races. Sainz isn’t worried. Of course, he’s not going to tell the F1 media Ferrari is in panic mode heading into Round 3, but he has a point. A month ago, everyone picked Ferrari to be Red Bull’s only real threat. Has that much changed?

For F1 insight and quick DFS help, follow Pearce Dietrich (@race4theprize) on Twitter.

6. George Russell ($8,800) — A podium is not guaranteed and a win seems unlikely, but this is F1 DFS. Salary and points are all that matter. Russell was affordable in Round 2 at Jeddah and he found his way into the optimal lineup. Speaking of optimal lineups, Mercedes was the optimal constructor pick in the 2022 DFS Formula 1 lineup for the Australian GP.

7. Lewis Hamilton ($8,200) — This isn’t 2021 Lewis Hamilton. He’s not a championship contender. His Mercedes can’t run with the Red Bulls. However, he can beat his teammate, Ferrari and Fernando Alonso.

8. Yuki Tsunoda ($4,400) — The Alpha Tauri driver is 2-for-2 to begin the 2023 Formula 1 season. Tsunoda was an optimal DFS F1 pick in the Bahrain GP and the Saudi Arabian GP. He has scored top-10 finishes in back-to-back races — a feat he did not accomplish in 2022 (just four top-10 finishes total).

9. Lance Stroll ($7,000) — Aston Martin may be the second-fastest constructor in 2023. It’s too early to tell. Two races are not enough to assess speed or dependability — Stroll retired early in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

10. Lando Norris ($5,600) — This will likely be Lando’s last week in the rankings. He was the top driver in the mid-pack in 2022, but McLaren does not have a competitive car in 2023. Norris finished fourth at Melbourne last season, so he cannot be completely counted out.

Set your DraftKings Fantasy F1 lineups here: F1 $125K Grand Prix [$25K to 1st]

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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.