X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Building an Optimal DFS Lineup for Sunday's YellaWood 500

Every year, the playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most entertaining races of the season. It almost never disappoints.

This year should be no exception, with it being the middle race in the Round of 12 and third through 12th in points -- excluding Kurt Busch, who's already locked into the next round by winning last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- is separated by just 39 points. That, my friends, is tight.

Surely, Team Penske is going to be a factor for the victory, having won eight of the past 12 races at the 2.66-mile track. This lineup will be centered around those Fords. Expect a race similar to the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway last month where, the first two stages are relatively tame until the end with stage points being up for grab and a chaotic final stage.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

My DFS Lineup - YellaWood 500

 

Joey Logano ($10,300)

Career at Las Vegas: 23 starts, 3 wins, 352 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 16.2

Anything can happen when it comes to pack racing, but I'm surprised Logano only costs $10,300 this weekend. The No. 22 Ford starts eighth and will surely be at the front in no time. Did you watch the regular season finale? He swept both stages and led a race-high 36 laps. And that's Daytona...

Statistically, Logano is much more dominant at Talladega than Daytona (three victories at Talladega, one at Daytona). When it comes to present day superspeedway racing, no driver is more aggressive than the Connecticut native. And honestly, it's really fun to watch, though some of those daredevil moves can cause havoc, and ultimately the "Big One."

The No. 22 Ford has paced the field for at least 33 laps in four of the past eight Talladega races. No he hasn't made any friends on the racetrack in the first four races of the playoffs, but expect his Penske teammates to work with him, as they have a methodical approach to superspeedway racing.

Denny Hamlin ($9,700)

Career at Talladega: 29 starts, 1 win, 320 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 17.2

You can't think of Logano being among the best current superspeedway drivers without having Hamlin far behind, if not in front. Hell, he's won three of the past five Daytona 500s.

When it comes to Talladega, his numbers aren't as impressive with just one victory (2014), eight top five-finishes and 12 top 10s in 29 races. But more times than not, Hamlin is fighting in the lead pack come the checkered flag: Just think back to last fall when he was involved in multiple crashes and still finished third.

The No. 11 Toyota will be fast on Sunday, no doubt. Hamlin's playoffs haven't gotten off to the start he was hoping for, though he did round out the podium last week. Entering the race 58 points above the cutline, he might take it cautious in the first two stages, but that sets up for a good finish. Oh by the way, he is the polesitter, which will likely earn you early points.

Brendan Gaughan ($9,500)

Career at Talladega: 10 starts, 0 wins, 20 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 19.2

This Sunday is set to be the final time Gaughan straps inside of a NASCAR Cup Series car. Unfortunate if you ask me, as the sport will miss one of its biggest personalities and a straight wheelman, especially on superspeedways with Beard Motorsports.

Since 2017, Gaughan has competed in 16 Cup races, 15 of which have been at either Daytona or Talladega with Beard. In those races, the No. 62 Chevrolet has been mighty impressive, scoring half of his career top-10 total (four). Two of those came this season at Daytona (finished seventh and eighth).

The strategy is plain and simple for the No. 62 team: Ride around until the end, as the team isn't fighting for points. So don't get discouraged if you see Gaughan in the 30s for much of the race because by the end of it, he'll be in the mix. His shotgun starting position -- 39th -- is also a great setup for you to score points.

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?

Get winning DFS Lineup advice with RotoBaller's Premium DFS NASCAR Subscription, and use promo code RACING to get 10% off. You'll get access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, and Premium Content that is proven to help our experts and subscribers take down tournaments.

 

Ryan Blaney ($9,100)

Career at Talladega: 12 starts, 2 wins, 153 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 17.5

Over the past two races at Talladega, nobody has been better than Blaney, winning both times. Combined, that was two wins by a total margin .014 seconds. Impressive.

Over the years, Blaney has become one of the better superspeedway racers in Cup, having been in contention to win multiple Daytona 500s have and always impressive at Talladega. Like Logano, part of that is his Penske allegiance, who always bring fast cars to the four superspeedway races every year.

The No. 12 Ford starts 14th on Sunday, and I don't expect him to stay there long. The pressure of running for a championship is off, getting eliminated in the opening round of the postseason. Blaney's led 98 laps over the past two Talladega races, including a race-high 63 in June. This is a sure bet for your lineup.

Michael McDowell ($5,700)

Career at Talladega: 19 starts, 0 wins, 1 lap led
Average finish at Talladega: 29.1

When it comes to superspeedway racing, McDowell's stats are far more impressive at Daytona than they are Talladega; six of his 12 career top-10 finishes have come at the famed racetrack. But he's not a pushover at Talladega.

Sure, McDowell only has four top-20 finishes in 19 starts at NASCAR's largest track, but he's riding a high of consecutive such results. In fact, last fall he placed fifth, his lone top five of the 2019 season. Plus, Talladega allows the underdogs to shine, and Front Row Motorsports is in the midst of its best season at the Cup level.

The No. 34 Ford lines up 24th on Sunday, but is in need of a good day. McDowell sits 22nd in points, just 30 markers outside the top 20, which would be quite the accomplishment should it crack the top 20. McDowell's underrated, especially on superspeedways, he's worth the price.

John Hunter Nemechek ($5,600)

Career at Talladega: 0 starts, 0 wins, 0 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 8.0

Speaking of Front Row, we're going all in on them this weekend, as Nemechek rounds out this lineup. He was in contention to win the spring race, having a huge run to the checkered flag but was put into the outside wall.

Seemingly, that race has led to a frustrating few months for Nemechek where the No. 38 car would show flashes of real speed, but also get caught up in countless incidents. Regardless of the results, he's still a sporty driver and has helped propel FRM to a respectable season.

Nemechek starts mid-pack in 23rd on Sunday, and should he keep his nose clean will be around for a finish that could duplicate his performance from June. After all, he has three top-11 finishes in three superspeedway starts at the Cup level.


NASCAR DFS News and Driver Outlooks


More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis



The Keys to Weekly NASCAR Success

NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller!
Our NASCAR Premium Package for DFS and betting features several heavy hitters and proven winners.

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.

Five-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team. He has been nominated once again in 2024 for this award.

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Ceddanne Rafaela

Tallys Five RBI In Rout Of Guardians
George Kirby

Set To Throw Live Batting Practice On Monday
Connor Norby

Collects Three Hits, Homers
Ivan Demidov

Has Historic Outing In Game 4
Timo Meier

Records Two Points Sunday
Andrei Svechnikov

Nets Hat Trick In Game 4 Win
Parker Messick

Strikes Out Eight On Sunday
Leon Draisaitl

Caps Off Four-Point Effort With First Postseason Overtime Goal
Connor Hellebuyck

Gets Pulled Again
Brice Matthews

Stays Hot On Sunday
Alexandre Carrier

Fails To Finish Game 4
New York Mets

Jonah Tong Tallies Season-High 10 Strikeouts
Tyler Tucker

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Marcelo Mayer

Stays Hot At The Plate On Sunday
Matt Shaw

Goes Deep On Sunday
Jacob Misiorowski

Strikes Out Nine In Latest Start
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Aaron Nola

Pitches Seven Strong Innings
Tylor Megill

Strikes Out Nine In No-Decision
Hunter Brown

Strikes Out Nine In Win
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice
Andy Pages

Homers In Four-Hit Game
Ketel Marte

Expected To Return Next Weekend
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Noelvi Marte

Has Big Game On Sunday
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Brandon Marsh

Removed Early During Rehab Game
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Looks Sharp In Rehab Start
Josh Jung

Makes Early Exit On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Max Brosmer

Minnesota Adds Insurance With Max Brosmer

Donovan Edwards Inks Deal With Jets

Nick Nash Signs With The Falcons
Cam Ward

Xavier Restrepo Reunites With Cam Ward In Tennessee
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
William Nylander

Posts Two Assists In Losing Effort
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Kyle Busch

Nearly Always Leads at Talladega, but Rarely Leads Much
Tyler Reddick

Drafting Track Record Worse Than It Looks
Daniel Suarez

Likely Motivated at Talladega Since Trackhouse Cars Likely Too Slow for Him to Win On Regular Tracks
Ryan Preece

Qualifies Fourth Due to Ford Dominance, but Don't Expect Him to Finish There
Jake Sanderson

Keeps Senators Alive With Overtime Winner
Mackenzie Blackwood

Records First Postseason Shutout
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores First Goal In Nearly Three Years
Ivan Barbashev

Gives Vegas Vital Win
Nikita Kucherov

Records Three Assists In Game 3 Win
Troy Stecher

Cleared For Sunday
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Quinn Ewers

Dolphins Select Quinn Ewers In Seventh Round
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Riley Leonard

Drafted By Colts Saturday
Will Howard

Steelers Select Will Howard In Sixth Round Of NFL Draft
Kyle McCord

Eagles Add Kyle McCord To Quarterback Room
Ollie Gordon II

Miami Adds Ollie Gordon II To Backfield
Oronde Gadsden II

Chargers Add KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Oronde Gadsden II To Offense
DJ Giddens

Colts Add DJ Giddens To Backfield
Jaydon Blue

Dallas Cowboys Draft Jaydon Blue In Fifth Round
Jordan Watkins

49ers Add Jordan Watkins To Offense
Shedeur Sanders

Browns Trade Up To Select Shedeur Sanders In The Fifth Round
Sam Howell

Seahawks Trade Sam Howell To Vikings
Elic Ayomanor

Titans Continue To Address Offense, Select Elic Ayomanor
Jalen Royals

Chiefs Bolster Receiver Room With Jalen Royals
Jaylin Lane

Commanders Add Jaylin Lane To Wide Receiver Room
Dylan Sampson

Browns Select Dylan Sampson With 126th Pick
Gunnar Helm

Titans Use Fourth-Round Pick On Gunnar Helm
Jarquez Hunter

Rams Select Jarquez Hunter In Fourth Round
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Jrue Holiday

Classified As "Day-To-Day"
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF