The rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for that day. The ordering is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.
The DraftKings NASCAR Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona slate locks at 5:17 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $150K Piston [$50K to 1st] (XFIN)
1. AJ Allmendinger ($10,400) — The Kaulig Racing cars are the cream of the crop at the plate tracks in the Xfinity Series. Allmendinger has not won a plate race for Kaulig, but he has finished on the podium with his Kaulig teammates.
2. Daniel Hemric ($10,300) — Not only did Hemric get the monkey off his back with his first career win at Phoenix last fall, but he won the Xfinity Series championship, too! With the advantage of driving for Kaulig Racing, he has the opportunity to pick up right where he left off.
3. Noah Gragson ($9,800) — Outside of the Kaulig Racing stable, Gragson might be the best Xfinity Series plate racer. He’s earned a top-10 finish in five of his six Talladega races. At Daytona, he has been less consistent, but he does have a 2020 win at this track.
4. Landon Cassill ($9,400) — This has been a long time coming. Cassill has driven inferior equipment and struggled across all three series for a decade, but he never gave up. Now, he’s driving for Kaulig Racing, and this Daytona race is the best shot he’s ever had at getting a win.
5. Justin Allgaier ($9,900) — During a rough stretch of plate races from 2018 to 2021, Allgaier did not earn a single top-15 finish and his average finish was 28th. However, it appears that his luck has turned around, as he has finished third in the last two plate races.
Refer a friend and get $20 DK Dollars! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!
6. Ty Gibbs ($10,100) — The legend is just beginning. In a part-time role last season, Gibbs scored four Xfinity race wins along with nine top-5 finishes. This should not come as a surprise. The 19-year-old has 27 ARCA wins.
7. Myatt Snider ($8,300) — Jordan Anderson has built quality trucks for Daytona and Talladega, and he’s built quality cars for these tracks in the Xfinity Series (fifth at Talladega last fall). Myatt Snider finished seventh and eighth at Daytona last season, and his two best finishes in the Truck Series were a second and third place finish at Talladega.
8. Riley Herbst ($9,100) — His equipment is good enough to win at Daytona, and Herbst is good enough to win at Daytona (it doesn’t take much talent to win a plate race). He’s been close before. Herbst finished fourth at Daytona (2020) and fourth at Talladega (2021).
9. Austin Hill ($8,100) — RCR is back. After Tyler Reddick won the 2019 Xfinity championship, there was a revolving door of pay-to-play drivers at RCR. Now, RCR has two full-time drivers, and they’re two of the best young drivers around. Hill won the Daytona 2019 Truck Series race.
10. Sheldon Creed ($8,700) — It’s all-or-nothing all of the time with Sheldon Creed. He’ll use up a car. He’ll knock down a wall. He’ll celebrate in victory lane. This is Daytona, if there was ever a race to make unwise gambles, then this is it. Checkers or wreckers for Creed on Saturday night.
11. Josh Berry ($9,600) — The late model and iRacing legend finally got a shot at making it last season, and he took full advantage of his opportunity. Now, he’s a full-time Xfinity driver for Jr Motorsports and one of the favorites to win the championship. Daytona does not play to his strengths, but Berry is a driver and he can win anywhere.
12. Brandon Jones ($9,300) — When it comes down to the end of the race, equipment will matter. The late dash at the end will require power and his JGR Toyota will have it, but will Jones still be around at the end of the race?
13. Sam Mayer ($8,900) — This is a race that involves a high degree of luck and Mayer was one of the unluckiest drivers in the Xfinity Series last season. Still, it’s hard to deny his talent, and his Jr Motorsports equipment automatically places him inside the top 10.
14. Drew Dollar ($7,800) — Last season, Dollar took a step up into the Truck series after 14 top-10 finishes and a win at Talladega in the ARCA Series in 2020. In eight races with Kyle Busch Motorsports, his best finish was 10th place. With practice and a JGR car, hopefully his Xfinity debut goes better.
15. David Starr ($4,600) — Salaries don’t often matter in plate races, but Starr offers relief if needed. The No. 08 car is back after a season away, and SS Greenlight Racing has joined a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing. This should be a decent car and Starr is a seasoned veteran.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $150K Piston [$50K to 1st] (XFIN)
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
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.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.