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 United Rentals 200 at Phoenix slate locks at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $100K Piston [$20K to 1st] (XFIN)
1. Justin Allgaier ($11,500) — Austin Cindric is in the Cup Series, so Allgaier is back to being the best Xfinity driver at Phoenix. Allgaier has earned at least 23 hog points (fast laps and laps led points) in five of the last seven Phoenix races.
2. Ty Gibbs ($10,900) — John Hunter Nemechek ($9,200) teamed up with crew chief Chris Gayle and drove the No. 54 JGR car at Phoenix last fall. He almost played spoiler by winning the championship race. Gibbs finished second at Phoenix last spring. He was not a top-5 driver in that race, but it was the second Xfinity race of his career.
3. Josh Berry ($10,200) — The JR Motorsports cars are hooked up. Berry has finished fourth in the last two races. Phoenix’s long, flat turn 1 and turn 2 may play to Berry’s late model experience.
4. Noah Gragson ($11,200) — After calling his shot at Martinsville, Gragson laid an egg in the championship race at Phoenix. He didn’t have the car or the knack for this track. He could figure it out, but he’s not a favorite at this unique circuit.
5. Trevor Bayne ($9,700) — The game of musical chairs continues. Truex is out and Bayne is back in the No. 18 JGR Toyota at Phoenix. Switching drivers cannot help the development of this car, but how much development does it need?
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6. Daniel Hemric ($10,000) — He only has one win, but Hemric won the right one — the 2021 Championship Race at Phoenix. Hemric didn’t have a shot in that race, but a shootout finish and a lackadaisical turn 4 from leader Austin Cindric paved the way to a big win. He’ll likely need to get lucky again to matter on Saturday.
7. AJ Allmendinger ($10,400) — This short, flat track should play to Allmendinger’s strengths. He was decent at Phoenix in the Cup Series. Unfortunately, the resin applied to the track has shifted the preferred groove off the bottom and has thrown Allmendinger for a loop.
8. Brandon Jones ($9,500) — In the spring of 2020, Brandon Jones had a hot rod in the desert. In stage 3, he passed Kyle Busch on the long run and earned a win. Like most of Jones’ wins, it was followed by disappointing performances at Phoenix. Was the win just a mirage in the desert?
9. Sam Mayer ($8,700) — A lot of JR Motorsports cars were torn up by Mayer last season (it wasn’t always his fault). One place where Mayer didn’t DNF was Phoenix (13th). Without a doubt, JR Motorsports has the best cars this season. Anything less than a top-10 finish by Mayer would be a disappointment.
10. Sheldon Creed ($8,400) — With the help of new tires, Creed won the 2020 Truck Series Championship at Phoenix. When the RCR cars have not been in the wall, they’ve been fast this season.
11. Kyle Sieg ($6,700) — The RSS cars have been fast, and Kyle has taken care of his car unlike his brother, Ryan. Each race, Kyle seems to be more comfortable and he’s been smart. He’s deftly navigated the minefield that is the Xfinity Series.
12. Landon Cassill ($8,900) — Top-10 finishes have been rare in Cassill’s career. Making his Las Vegas finish even more impressive, is that a week earlier, Cassill’s car was a fireball. Within a week, Kaulig got a new car to Las Vegas and Cassill finished sixth.
13. Ryan Ellis ($6,300) — Just as predicted, Joey Gase was in the optimal lineup at Las Vegas. Slow and steady wins the race, or slow and steady finishes the race. He’s a team owner taking care of his car, while the other small team drivers aggressively wreck out. Ellis is not a team owner, but a similar reserved approach landed him a top-15 finish in a Tommy Joe Martins car last week
14. JJ Yeley ($6,500) — Phoenix is Yeley’s hometown track. He tends to give a little more effort, and he receives a little more support in his races in the desert. Yeley has been consistent this season, and he’s avoided the chaos that has unfolded (average finish of 18th).
15. Bayley Currey ($5,900) — Last spring, Phoenix turned into a junk yard in stage 3. Currey did not have a top-10 car, but he escaped the carnage with a seventh-place finish. Currey has been a top-20 driver in each race this season. With a couple wrecks, he could elevate to a top-15 driver at Phoenix.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $100K Piston [$20K to 1st] (XFIN)
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