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 ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond slate locks at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $80K Piston [$20K to 1st] (XFIN)
1. Ty Gibbs ($11,500) — A barrage of cautions turned last season’s Richmond race upside down. Before the cautions, Gibbs had the best car. He led the most laps (67) and ran the second-most laps inside the top 5.
2. John Hunter Nemechek ($10,400) — At Phoenix, JHN finished fifth in the Sam Hunt No. 26 Toyota. Last fall, he finished third at Richmond in this same car. This time, he gets an upgrade and will be driving the No. 18 car for JGR.
3. Justin Allgaier ($10,600) — In 2020, Allgaier swept the double header at Richmond. Last fall, he struggled in stage 1 and 2, but as usual, he and crew chief Jason Burdett figured it out and Allgaier was in contention at the end.
4. Noah Gragson ($10,900) — He didn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat when he won at Richmond last fall, but he benefited from the handful of cautions in stage 3. Gragson had a top-5 car, but he wasn’t going to get to Victory Lane based on merit alone.
5. Josh Berry ($9,100) — Short, flat tracks are his thing. The late model legend was out of his element last week at COTA, but now he’s back in his comfort zone. Berry nearly earned a top-10 finish in the Jordan Anderson car at Richmond last season.
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6. Daniel Hemric ($9,600) — JGR had the best cars at Richmond in 2021, but that didn’t seem to help Hemric. He ran the third-most laps inside the top 10 but only the sixth-most inside the top 5. His Kaulig Racing car will be noticeably slower this time around.
7. AJ Allmendinger ($10,200) — In stage 2, Allmendinger enjoyed clean air and led nearly every lap in the stage. In dirty air, he was a top-10 driver, but “All-trimmed-out-er” wasn’t as competitive.
8. Sam Mayer ($8,700) — Good finishes were few and far in between last season for the 18-year-old. Mayer finished 12th at Richmond, but his 2021 misfortune was present in that race. Mayer earned two speeding penalties last fall. A top-5 finish is a possibility if he watches his tack on Saturday.
9. Ryan Preece ($9,800) — This is a BJ McLeod car, but it’s likely an SHR car. Preece should have a car similar to what Cole Custer won with at Fontana. Preece is SHR’s simulator driver and reserve driver. He was also promised a handful of Xfinity races.
10. Sheldon Creed ($9,000) — In the Truck Series, Creed struggled at Richmond. However, those were races without practice, and Creed had never raced at this challenging short, flat track. With practice and RCR equipment, a top-5 finish is never out of the question for the 2020 Truck Series Champ.
11. Ryan Sieg ($6,700) — Outside of an eventful Las Vegas race, Sieg is having the best season of his career. In the other five races this season, he’s finished eighth, 10th twice and 11th twice. The RSS cars have been fast across the board.
12. Brandon Brown ($6,900) — The last two weeks have not worked out, but Atlanta and COTA are not leading indicators. At Las Vegas, a flat tire ruined what could have been a top-10 finish. In his other three races, Brown has earned three top-15 finishes.
13. Austin Hill ($8,400) — He answers the doubters every week. Hill won at every type of track in the Truck Series. In his rookie season in the Xfinity Series, he has a win at Daytona and second-place finishes in the last two races (Atlanta and COTA).
14. Brandon Jones ($9,300) — He struggled at Richmond last season, but this should not be a surprise. His best Richmond finish is eighth and his average finish is 18th in 11 races.
15. Parker Retzlaff ($6,400) — In his NASCAR debut, Rezlaff was fast in practice and qualifying, but a mechanical failure took him out early. Retzlaff isn’t a highly decorated ARCA racer, but this RSS car (Sieg) has produced solid results for Kyle Sieg.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $80K Piston [$20K to 1st] (XFIN)
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