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 $350K Engineer [$100K to 1st] (Cup)
5. Denny Hamlin ($9,900) — DFS NASCAR at plate tracks (pack races) comes down to place differential. The starting grid is unknown at the time of publishing, but history strongly suggests finishing position. The strongest suggestion is for Hamlin. His 44% top-10 rate is the second-best in the series.
2. Bubba Wallace ($8,300) — Super speedways are all about survival. To finish first, first one must finish. Wallace’s 81% survival rate in super speedway races (top-20 rate) is the highest in the Cup Series.
3. Chris Buescher ($8,600) — In the spring Atlanta race, Buescher finished 35th. He finished 33rd at Atlanta last summer. That’s not good, but it could suppress his ownership. Buescher has been optimal in seven of the last 33 plate-race contests on DraftKings.
4. Joey Logano ($10,100) — His 44% top-10 rate in the last 33 super-speedway races is tied for the second-best rate. Also, he won the spring race at his quasi-home track in Atlanta.
5. Ty Gibbs ($7,600) — He finished ninth and scored the third-most fantasy points in the spring Atlanta race. Gibbs won the first Xfinity Series race at the new Atlanta last season.
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6. Brad Keselowski ($9,000) — The RFK version is not prime Keselowski. He no longer has an elite Team Penske super-speedway car, but the fall off has not been that significant. Keselowski had a top-5 DFS score in the spring Atlanta race. Last season, he finished 12th and 10th in DKFP in the two Atlanta races.
7. A.J. Allmendinger ($6,900) — Although he has not raced in as many plate races as the leaders, his 44% top-10 rate is tied for the second-best rate. In the Xfinity Series, he was a frequent visitor to Victory Lane at Daytona.
8. Ryan Blaney ($9,700) — We don’t know where the drivers are starting, but we have a good idea where they might finish. Blaney’s 45% top-10 rate at super speedways is the best in NASCAR.
9. Ross Chastain ($9,400) — Trackhouse Racing is hot. Chastain won at Nashville. The New Zealand road ringer won the Chicago street race. Why can’t they make it three in a row? Chastain earned two runner-up finishes at Atlanta last season.
10. Corey Lajoie ($6,500) — This is the underdog’s moment. He knows pack racing, and he’s quickly figured out the feel of Atlanta. In three races at the new super speedway, Lajoie has two top-5 finishes.
11. Erik Jones ($7,000) — Legacy Motor Club always built strong plate cars under the Richard Petty Motorsports title. Jones has a Daytona win and his 41% top-10 rate at super speedways ranks third among active Cup Series drivers.
12. Austin Cindric ($7,300) — Team Penske builds great super speedway cars. They always have. And not just in the Cup Series. Cindric and each of his past and present Penske teammates have wins at Talladega, Daytona and Atlanta, and they also have Xfinity Series plate track wins.
13. Chase Elliott ($10,400) — Could this be the week that Elliott gets back in the win column? Hendrick builds great super speedway cars and last summer Elliott had an impassable rocket ship at his home track in Atlanta.
14. Aric Almirola ($7,500) — Mostly due to his unbelievable heater at Talladega, Almirola leads the series with 10 optimal lineup appearances on DraftKings in the last 33 super speedway contests. He’s cooled off, but he could heat right back up.
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr ($7,900) — Never count out Wrecky Spinhouse at a plate track. He might wreck the entire field or he could win. His 2023 Daytona 500 win was his third plate-track win. He’s not laying up. He is the quintessential GPP pick.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $350K 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.