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 $333K ENGINEER [$100K TO 1ST] (CUP)
1. William Byron ($11,000) — Excluding the All-Star race, the last four races have featured the intermediate-track package. Byron finished fourth at Dover (led the most laps), third at Kansas (three laps down at one point), first at Darlington and was the runner-up at Charlotte (led the second-most laps).
2. Kyle Larson ($11,300) — This race didn’t work out for Hendrick Motorsports last season. That’s last season. This is a different year. Larson leads the series in wins and should have a handful more.
3. Martin Truex Jr ($10,300) — The JGR Toyotas are there. At least in the intermediate-track package. Better yet, the JGR Toyotas were fast at Gateway last season and Hendrick was not.
4. Ryan Blaney ($10,100) — A poor pit stop ruined his chances at Gateway last season. Blaney rebounded and drove from 17th to fourth, and finished with the second-best driver rating. He’s got momentum on his side this week after winning the Coca-Cola 600.
5. Kyle Busch ($9,800) — A late-race caution forced an overtime restart. Kurt Busch didn’t push his younger brother and Joey Logano snuck away with the win. Busch led the most laps and scored the highest driver rating in the 2022 race at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway).
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6. Denny Hamlin ($10,500) — Imagine Dale Sr tweeting SMT data. This is where we are. There’s plenty to dislike about Hamlin, but DFS players can’t let that cloud their judgement. Play fast drivers, not drivers you like.
7. Christopher Bell ($10,700) — Early in the Coca-Cola 600, it looked like Bell might finally get his first intermediate-track win. Unfortunately, 400 laps is a long time and Bell didn’t make it. Gateway has short-track tendencies that play to Bell’s strengths.
8. Ross Chastain ($9,600) — A top-10 driver rating and finish at Gateway in 2022 was solid. The expectations are higher this season. Chastain won a Truck Series race at Gateway in 2019.
9. Tyler Reddick ($9,200) — The Toyotas look good. Surprisingly, Reddick might be the worst of the stable. It’s not that bad. At times, Reddick is the fastest of all the Toyotas. Reddick has earned a top-10 finish in three of the last four intermediate-track races.
10. Kevin Harvick ($8,900) — Before a late race wreck, Harvick looked like he could win the Coca-Cola 600. This was after looking horrible early in the Charlotte race. SHR may have figured something out with their intermediate-track program.
11. Joey Logano ($9,400) — This has not been the best season for the defending champion. However, every week offers an opportunity to turn things around. Gateway is a great chance for Logano to get back on top. He won this race in 2022.
12. Alex Bowman ($8,600) — The rust is knocked off. Bowman finished 12th last week. He earned a top-15 finish at Gateway last season, but he had a top-10 car and possibly a top-5 car.
13. Corey Lajoie ($7,400) — This is his shot. It’s Lajoie’s go-for-broke moment. Lajoie will be subbing for the suspended Chase Elliott at Gateway. If Lajoie ever earns a top-tier ride, it will be because of this race. We know it. He knows it.
14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr ($6,400) — Quietly, Stenhouse is having one of the best seasons of his career. He and his small team are chugging along. Last week, he earned yet another top-10 finish at Charlotte.
15. Harrison Burton ($5,300) — The Penske Fords were great at Gateway last season. Logano won, Blaney should have won and even Austin Cindric had a top-10 driver rating. Burton finished 25th, but maybe Penske shares setup notes with the Wood Bros. this year.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $333K ENGINEER [$100K 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.