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Last week at Daytona, the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season kicked off. The race was...well, it was a mess, as we had 12 cautions and saw 52 of the 101 laps run under the yellow. Nick Sanchez emerged victorious in a race that saw drivers like Bret Holmes, Spencer Boyd, Timmy Hill, and Bryan Dauzat all earn top 10s.
This week, the Truck Series heads to Atlanta, a track that shares a lot of similarities to Daytona. Will we end up seeing a lot more carnage on Saturday, or can we get a more clean race this week?
Here at RotoBaller, we want to help you make informed decisions about your DFS lineups, which is why I'll be breaking down the slates for the Craftsman Truck Series. Let's look at some NASCAR Truck Series DFS lineup picks for the Fr8 208 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Truck Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 2/24/2024 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
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Atlanta Race Trends
Atlanta's not Daytona, but since the last repave, it's raced like a Daytona-lite. We had 11 cautions in this race last year, but the wrecks weren't quite as bad, so we only had six drivers end up with a DNF.
Place differential matters here just like it does at Daytona, but it might not matter quite as much. For example, last week we saw six drivers start outside the top 20 but finish in the top 10. In last year's Atlanta race, just two drivers met those parameters.
Still, you don't want to go too heavy on any particular drivers, because crashes happen. Two drivers who started in the top six here last year crashed out, so spread your exposure out to avoid having one crash ruin your day.
We're also likely to have a smaller amount of leaders with more laps led by individuals. Last year in this race, four drivers led double-digit laps. Last week at Daytona, three drivers did, but none led more than 26 laps. Three drivers led 29 or more at Atlanta last year.
Drivers Who Could Dominate
So, Kyle Busch ($12,000) is in this race. Usually, he's a clear top play, but considering he costs $2,000 more than anyone else, I think there's some room to fade him. Busch will probably lead a lot of laps and contend for the win, but a track like Atlanta introduces enough chaos to make him risky.
I actually really love Christian Eckes ($9,800) as a pivot here. Eckes won this race last year, leading 35 laps, second-most in the race behind John Hunter Nemechek. I might consider him the favorite straight up against Busch considering Busch is with a new race team.
How about THAT for round 1?! @christianeckes sets the pace at the top of the board as all four teams transfer to round 2.
2. @TylerAnkrum
3. @danieldye43
8. @DriverJackWood #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/EhLsNNjBrf— Bill McAnally Racing (@BMR_NASCAR) February 23, 2024
Beyond those two, there's not really a ton of names who could dominate this thing. With a lot of expected lead changes and the importance of place differential, I'm not sure who else could lead a ton. There's Corey Heim ($10,000), but he feels more like a place differential option than like a driver who can rack up laps led and fastest laps.
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Top Place Differential Plays
Like I mentioned in the last section, Heim is my favorite place differential play. I love building a lineup with him and Eckes and then filling it with cheaper drivers.
Among the top priced drivers, I also see Ben Rhodes ($9,500) as a strong play. A starting spot of 14th doesn't offer a ton of room for place differential, but it offers enough to make him a viable option. When I'm building lineups, I just keep finding myself playing Rhodes.
As far as other place differential plays, Nick Sanchez ($8,800) stands out. The winner at Daytona last week starts 18th. I also think Layne Riggs ($8,300) has some upside. He starts 13th, but has a truck that's better than a 13th-place truck.
This truck finished fifth 🤯 @bretholmes23 pic.twitter.com/toQOnXUMcL
— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) February 17, 2024
The best place differential option in the mid-range of drivers has to be Taylor Gray ($7,700), who starts way back in 31st. I know I said not to go too heavy on a driver, but it'll be hard to resist that with Gray, even though he's never raced here in the Truck Series.
Gray's brother Tanner Gray ($7,600) is a nice play as well, especially if you don't want to play too much of Taylor. Good weekend for the Gray brothers in DFS.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Deep Sleepers
This is one of those races where any cheap driver could hit if things go right. The key is making sure there's enough place differential upside.
Dean Thompson ($6,400) starts 23rd and could have a top 10 truck, but he also seems to always be crashing. I'd call him a strong boom-or-bust play. Atlanta's a place where I'm more willing to risk playing someone like that.
Bret Holmes ($5,900) probably won't have a top-five finish for the second race in a row, but with a 24th-place starting spot, he's definitely high on my radar this week.
This truck finished fifth 🤯 @bretholmes23 pic.twitter.com/toQOnXUMcL
— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) February 17, 2024
Thad Moffitt ($5,700) is in a truck that should have decent speed, so he's worth taking a shot on in GPP lineups.
Timmy Hill ($5,50o) starts 27th and always seems to be in the mix at these drafting tracks. He might wind up being the guy I have in the most lineups, just because he knows how to finish these races. He was eighth here last year, leading two laps in the process.
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