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 NASCAR DFS Lineup for Saturday's Coke Zero 400

For the first time since NASCAR implemented a playoff format in 2004, the regular-season finale will come on a superspeedway track, that being Daytona International Superspeedway. Expect chaos.

Superspeedways are as unpredictable as racing comes, oftentimes using Darwin's Theory of Survival of the Fittest, only in terms of damage. Hell, sometimes that doesn't even work, as Erik Jones won this year's Busch Clash prior to the Daytona 500 and his car was torn to pieces.

What I'm trying to say is, I might be no help to you this week, so forgive me in advance. However, many of the same drivers lead laps at superspeedways, even if they don't win the race. That helps, right?l Thisi lineup is a total guess, especially given there are 17 drivers that could win-and-get-in to the postseason, with 13 berths already locked up. Let's give this a shot.

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 - Coke Zero 400

 

Ryan Blaney ($10,000)

Career at Daytona: 10 starts, 0 wins, 147 laps led
Average finish at Daytona: 21.6

Flashback to Talladega Superspeedway in late June, remember who won? Blaney. Flashback to this year's Daytona 500, Blaney lost out in a photo finish to Denny Hamlin. Flashback to Talladega last fall, and it was the No. 12 Ford that edged Ryan Newman for the victory. What I'm saying is, Blaney is a good superspeedway racer. Real good.

In 10 Daytona starts, Blaney has paced the field for 147 laps, granted, 118 of those came in the 2018 Daytona 500. And there's no hiding it: Talladega has suited him better than Daytona, failing to finish in half of his starts at the World Center of Racing.

But Blaney's due for a good run, having not scored a top-10 finish this season since the first race at Michigan International Speedway in the doubleheader weekend three weeks ago. Meanwhile, no driver should count on a good finish at Daytona. But over the past handful of years, Team Penske has proven to be loyal to one another in the draft, so I'd build this lineup around that blue oval team.

 

Joey Logano ($9,400)

Career at Daytona: 23 starts, 1 win, 120 laps led
Average finish at Daytona: 17.8

Again, don't expect any of these drivers to have good average finishes at the track, it's a crapshoot. Hell, in the past Trevor Bayne, Justin Haley, among others have proved drivers don't need any prior superspeedway experience to be victorious. But Logano has a lot, and arguably the best superspeedway driver in today's Cup Series.

Sure, Logano is known to be overly-aggressive, but that can help you at a place at Daytona. It can also be a detriment and start the "Big One." More times than not, though, Logano is a factor for the win, typically around at the end of Daytona races.

Now, the No. 22 car starts third on Saturday night, meaning an early wreck would lose you a bunch of points based on finishing position. But if this race plays out how I anticipate it playing out, it will favor someone like Logano, because I believe the majority of the calamity will come in the final stage. In his last 11 starts at DIS, he has six finishes of sixth or better -- including his Daytona 500 win in 2015 -- and five finishes of 22nd or worse. There is no middle ground.

 

Brendan Gaughan ($8,600)

Career at Daytona: 10 starts, 0 wins, 0 laps led
Average finish at Daytona: 19.0

Prior to the 2020 season where Gaughan made a start on the Daytona road course, he's centered his Cup career around running on superspeedways for Beard Motorsports since 2017. And that strategy has worked out well.

In February, Gaughan scored his first top-10 effort in the Daytona 500, though has two total top 10s at the 2.5-mile track. In seven races at DIS running for Beard, he has five top-20 finishes, which suits you well since he starts shotgun on the field.

There's a reason why Gaughan costs this much: he's good at pack racing, plus his last starting spot means the only way he can go is up. Expect the No. 62 car to be around at the end for another good finish.

 

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.

 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($8,300)

Career at Daytona: 16 starts, 1 win, 121 laps led
Average finish at Daytona: 18.8

If I was one of the drivers sitting on the playoff bubble, Stenhouse is a driver I'd be worried about possibly winning their way into the postseason.

Over the years, Stenhouse has proved to be the most aggressive driver on superspeedways, single-handedly worth the price of admission. His two career Cup wins have come at Daytona and Talladega -- both in 2017 -- where he's always a factor to visit victory lane.

Stenhouse loves superspeedway racing. In the most recent race at Talladega, he lost out on a victory by .007 seconds to Blaney. Expect the No. 47 car to be strong on Saturday. And even if he doesn't win the race for you, he starts 31st, so even a solid finish gains you valuable points.

 

Clint Bowyer ($7,600)

Career at Daytona: 29 starts, 0 wins, 162 laps led
Average finish at Daytona: 16.4

Quietly, Bowyer is a very respectable sueprspeedway racer, almost always in the midst late in the going. Granted, he's made recent mistakes at Daytona: getting turned on a restart in this year's 500, while triggering a multi-car incident in last year's Great American Race.

In his career, Bowyer has 13 top-10 finishes at the track, but just four of those are top fives. Most recently, he finished runner-up to Stenhouse in 2017. He did, however, place sixth in this year's race at Daytona.

Typically, Bowyer rides around at the back for most of the race, hoping to miss the "Big One." This week will likely be the same. He sits comfortably in 14th on the playoff grid, almost a near-lock for the postseason. The No. 14 car starts 14th, which is a danger position should things go wrong. But with his price, he's a steal at Daytona.

 

Ty Dillon ($6,100)

Career at Daytona: 9 starts, 0 wins, 10 laps led
Average finish at Daytona: 20.4

When thinking of solid drivers at superspeedways, most don't think of Dillon and Germain Racing. But recently, the No. 13 has been fairly good at pack-racing.

Prior to finishing 30th in this year's Daytona 500, Dillon had three straight top-10 efforts at the famed track, all better than sixth. His best outing was a fourth in the July race last season. In fact, 80% of his top-10 finishes in Cup have come at superspeedways.

Dillon starts 29th on Saturday night, and is most definitely worth the price. He's another driver that has nothing to lose, needing to visit victory lane in order to qualify for the playoffs.


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