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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

DFS NASCAR Primer: Tips for DraftKings And FanDuel Success

Denny Hamlin - NASCAR DFS Picks, Betting Picks, Daily Fantasy NASCAR Driver

Last year, many fantasy and DFS players took to NASCAR for the first time, as the sport returned when not many other leagues were active yet. There always will be those who are starting to give NASCAR Cup Racing a new chance as they either look to expand their fantasy or DFS options, are diving into the sport for the first time, or both. When major celebrities such as Michael Jordan get more involved in NASCAR, some newcomers are naturally expected to tune in or start engaging with the sport.

You may also be an experienced player who is looking to build your bankroll or win more often. The DFS NASCAR space has become much more competitive, seemingly every season since it was first introduced just over a half-decade ago.

No matter your level of expertise, these tips for success can help you gain advantages over the opposition, whether it be in tournaments or cash games.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! 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!

 

Basic Tips for DFS NASCAR Success

Diversification is Essential: The fewer lineups you build, the lower your chances are to cash out. This is more true in DFS NASCAR than in some other sports. If you only build one or two lineups, then a singular mishap can end your day. If one driver wrecks, has a tire issue or has a problem in the pits, your lineup will be doomed.

Building several lineups naturally increases your chances for success and also makes you less vulnerable to failure. This is especially true at superspeedways such as Daytona, Atlanta, or Talladega, where there can be large wrecks that can wipe out many drivers at once.

Vary your lineup-building approaches: When constructing multiple lineups, I tend to take different approaches. One type of lineup may be front-loaded with two of the favorites to win, who may be some of the highest-priced drivers for the week’s track, and I simply build around them as best as possible.

A second type of lineup may be more balanced, where I don’t spend too heavily at the top or slip too low into bargain territory to avoid rostering drivers who likely will not finish towards the front. My third type of lineup will simply try to find the ideal drivers who can score points through Place Differential and overall finishing position without worrying how much money I might leave on the table, etc.

It’s more about building the “perfect” lineup for the day. I will then repeat this exercise multiple times as I diversify lineups.

Keep usage notes: I usually would leave a Google Sheet or Word Doc open as I build my lineups for the day, marking down how many times I use a certain driver. This will help me to balance my multiple lineups and usage of drivers, and avoid some overexposure to drivers I may be less apt to depend on for the week, but without totally leaving them out.

Optimizing as a partner tool: I like to build a combination of my own lineups and ones generated by the Lineup Optimizer in the RotoBaller Season Pass. I may even throw in a lineup or two that is completely produced by the Optimizer. If you are not experienced enough to input your own preferred drivers into the Optimizer, you can input the best of our picks from the RotoBaller site every week.

Tiering your targets: Of course, you are familiar with tiers from other fantasy sports, and every week, Justin Carter shares his DFS picks, mentioning drivers in different pricing tiers on RotoBaller’s NASCAR page. Picking an anchor driver from every tier is a great framework to build a lineup.

RotoBaller's Top NASCAR Expert, Jordan McAbee, also shares his premium winning picks and projections every week on the NASCAR page, which many fantasy players used to great success by helping them target drivers by tier. If you are savvy enough, you can certainly build your own tiers or, as an ideal approach, combine your tiers with our content.

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?

Like what you're reading? You can show your support for Scott by using promo code KING when purchasing a NASCAR Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium NASCAR articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Deeper Tips And Strategies To Note For DFS NASCAR Success

Make a Research Station stop: In our Season Pass, the DFS NASCAR Research Station is the ultimate deluxe guide to advanced statistics and Loop Data stats. We feature recent long-term and full historical stats in a wide multitude of categories.

Reviewing the stats carefully will reveal certain driver trends or projections that can shape your lineup building or help you discover some nuggets you may not have otherwise considered.

Don’t avoid the Chalk: If a certain driver is projected to be widely rostered for the week, don’t avoid using him. A dominant driver can be the most important key to cashing in big. You can still set your lineups apart by anchoring with the one best pick and varying how you build around that driver. Use your other lineup spots for pivoting. Also, take a similar approach to strong value plays.

Punt plays sometimes don’t apply: In other DFS sports, you will often look for a punt play to save you a nice amount of salary room. In DFS NASCAR, though, you usually want to avoid the drivers at the very bottom of the pricing ladders. Other than some select tracks or specific drivers on certain teams, they won’t move very much from the back of the pack and will often be more likely not to finish a race.

For example, DraftKings drivers below $6000 or so should usually be avoided, with some exceptions that are sometimes mispriced. The very lowest-priced drivers should only be used under specific lineup builds needing cap flexibility or circumstances where they can advance through the pack, like Daytona, Atlanta, or Talladega.

Your contrarian squad: To set yourself apart from the rest of the field, it is often fun and sometimes productive to build a completely contrarian lineup. Or, you can also do a few contrarian builds and vary them. Some of these unusual or against-the-head types of builds can yield some surprising results, especially in tournament games.

Pay attention to pre-race events: The data provided by Practice sessions are critical. The final sessions can often give you a good picture of who may run well in the actual Cup event of the week. Make sure to also review the lap averages and the final overall results.

Watching the sessions themselves only helps your preparation if you have the time, as drivers and teams sometimes indicate how they stack up against the rest of the field.

Consider overall and recent history: Past and recent results should be combined to identify the best weekly lineup choices. Overall driver history stats are one starting point, then you can review driver results over the past few years.

Two to three-year windows are usually the best ranges to consider. Then, you must also consider recent in-season momentum, which can sometimes override historical data if a driver is in a groove at some point in his season.

Keep it simple: Don’t get overwhelmed by all the recommendations here if you are newer to DFS NASCAR or your prep time is more limited. We do a lot of the work for you with our weekly articles, projections, strategy tips, and tools. Just set aside some time to read and review our award and tournament-winning content every week, and you’ll be on the road to DFS Victory Lane!

Step up to our Premium Season Pass and tell them “The King” sent you by using promo code KING at checkout for an additional discount.

Sean Engel updated and contributed to this article as a co-author. 

NASCAR DFS News and Driver Outlooks


More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis



The Keys to Weekly NASCAR DFS Success

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

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! In 2022 DFS contests, Jordan had a +33.92% profit margin good for +$10,467.06 profit and qualified for the Fantasy Racing World Championship.

Four-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.

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Chris Sale20 mins ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal38 mins ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Paul George50 mins ago

Exits Game On Wednesday, Hyperextends Left Knee Again
Scoot Henderson1 hour ago

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson2 hours ago

Active On Wednesday Night
Zach Collins2 hours ago

Uncertain To Play On Thursday
Austin Eckroat2 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English2 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin2 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy2 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Patrick Williams2 hours ago

Likely To Miss At Least One Week
Kyle Anderson3 hours ago

Available For Matchup With Hawks
Victor Wembanyama3 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Jusuf Nurkic3 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Stephen Curry3 hours ago

Will Play Against Atlanta
De'Anthony Melton3 hours ago

To Undergo Season-Ending ACL Surgery
Tre Mann3 hours ago

Probable For Thursday Night Matchup Against Detroit
Mike Conley3 hours ago

Appears On Injury Report For Thursday With Toe Injury
Donte DiVincenzo3 hours ago

Questionable Heading Into Thursday
Josh Jacobs3 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith4 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein4 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Wednesday
Tyrese Maxey4 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
Jarace Walker4 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Ben Sheppard4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Myles Turner4 hours ago

To Play On Wednesday
Jalen Green5 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Vince Williams Jr.5 hours ago

Out Versus 76ers
Wendell Carter Jr.5 hours ago

Unavailable Versus Clippers
Seth Jones5 hours ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold6 hours ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi6 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts6 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram6 hours ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson6 hours ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen6 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb6 hours ago

Listed As Limited, Dealing With Two Injuries
Alex Tuch6 hours ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson6 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta6 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Jordan Eberle6 hours ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
George Kittle7 hours ago

Will Play In Week 12
Ludvig Aberg7 hours ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Ladd McConkey7 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Si Woo Kim7 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy7 hours ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole7 hours ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
San Francisco 49ers7 hours ago

Nick Bosa Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey7 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
George Kittle7 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Brock Purdy7 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Alexander Mattison8 hours ago

Zamir White Not Practicing On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta8 hours ago

Trending Towards Playing In Week 12
Calvin Ridley10 hours ago

Out Wednesday With Illness
Isiah Pacheco10 hours ago

To Practice On Wednesday
D'Andre Swift10 hours ago

Won't Practice On Wednesday
Brandin Cooks11 hours ago

Cowboys Open Brandin Cooks' Practice Window
Mike Evans11 hours ago

Practicing Again On Wednesday
Connor Bedard14 hours ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart15 hours ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
Mark Scheifele15 hours ago

Celebrates Ninth Career Hat Trick
Evan Bouchard15 hours ago

Rocks Senators With Three-Point Period
Connor McDavid15 hours ago

Nets Two Goals During Three-Point Night
TB15 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Exits Early With Injury Tuesday
Zach Hyman15 hours ago

Sits Out Third Period Versus Senators
23 hours ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers23 hours ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
Jonas Brodin1 day ago

Returns To Action
Joel Eriksson Ek1 day ago

Returns To Wild Lineup
1 day ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Robert Thomas1 day ago

Back For Blues Tuesday
Jose Siri1 day ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
Alexander Romanov1 day ago

Rejoins Islanders Lineup
Brayden Point1 day ago

Ready To Return Versus Penguins
Conor Garland1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
J.T. Miller1 day ago

Takes Indefinite Leave For Personal Reasons
Jake Ferguson1 day ago

"Will Be Hard-Pressed" To Play In Week 12
1 day ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
1 day ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
1 day ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
1 day ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
1 day ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil2 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes2 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer2 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
2 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
2 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler2 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva2 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy2 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez3 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
3 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title
Grayson Rodriguez5 days ago

Orioles Optimistic Grayson Rodriguez Will Have A Full Spring Training
5 days ago

Red Sox Have Productive Meeting With Juan Soto
Michael Chandler6 days ago

Set For A Rematch At UFC 309
Charles Oliveira6 days ago

A Favorite At UFC 309
Viviane Araujo6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 309
Karine Silva6 days ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy6 days ago

Looks For His Second UFC Win

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 12 Include Bo Nix, De'Von Achane, Quentin Johnston, Calvin Ridley, more

It seems as though fantasy managers were either incredibly disappointed or incredibly excited in Week 11. The output was modest for most players. However, if you had a monopoly on a select few players such as Cooper Kupp, Taysom Hill, or the Detroit Lions, you likely won your week. With the fantasy playoffs roughly three weeks […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Rookie Report for Week 12 - Searching for League Winners

We're getting awfully close to the fantasy football playoffs, and it's been an interesting year for rookies. Unfortunately, even some that seemed cemented into league-winner status have had huge drop-offs in production, but yet others have emerged. Extracting value wherever you can is vitally important. Unfortunately, there's an upcoming squeeze. With trade deadlines nearing in […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Steelers vs. Browns TNF Showdown (Week 12)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! This will be an interesting matchup between stout AFC North defenses. The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) are traveling to take on the Cleveland Browns (2-8). We have no players of significance on the injury report for this game, therefore everyone is on the table! We have been pretty successful so far with these […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Jonnu Smith Fantasy Football Outlook - Was His Big Game Legit or a Fluke?

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith had his first big game in Week 7, but he broke out in an even bigger way in Week 11 in a win against the Las Vegas Raiders. He caught six of his eight targets for 101 yards and a touchdown in the 34-19 win. His biggest play came […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

NFL Pick'em Pool Picks (Week 12) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pick'em Contests (2024)

There will be six teams on a bye for Week 12. The good news is, we still have some great matchups. That includes the Chargers hosting the Ravens and the Rams taking on the Eagles. Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who […]


Jake Bates - Fantasy Football Rankings, Kicker Waiver Wire Pickups, Streamers

Week 12 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings: Kicker Updates Include Justin Tucker, Chris Boswell, Austin Siebert, Cameron Dicker, Wil Lutz, Chase McLaughlin

If you're one of the many fantasy managers who have struggled to get production out of your fantasy kicker spot, be sure to use our Week 12 fantasy football kicker rankings for 2024 to guide you in setting optimal lineups. The kicker position has always been challenging to predict and project, so we're here to […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

Week 12 Fantasy Football Projections: Running Backs (Half-PPR) - Chubba Hubbard, Isiah Pacheco, Tyrone Tracy, JK Dobbins, Kareem Hunt, Tony Pollard

Somehow, only three weeks of the fantasy football regular season remain in most leagues. Whether you're hoping to hold onto a top seed or need to stack a few wins together to qualify for the playoffs, our initial Week 12 fantasy football running back projections for the 2024 NFL season will help you understand where […]


Xavier Worthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 12 Fantasy Football Projections: Wide Receivers (Half-PPR) - Xavier Worthy, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jayden Reed, DeAndre Hopkins, Tank Dell

The fantasy football playoffs begin in Week 15, so needless to say, time is running out if you need wins to qualify. If you're in a must-win spot down the stretch, it's critical to read our Week 12 fantasy football wide receiver projections for the 2024 NFL season. Ahead of the all-important slate, let's dig […]


David Njoku - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire

Week 12 Fantasy Football Projections: Tight Ends (Half-PPR) - George Kittle, Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Mark Andrews, more

We're back for another week of fantasy football coverage, and while rankings are a great place to start your weekly start-or-sit preparation, you can use our Week 12 fantasy football tight end projections for the 2024 NFL season for further assistance. Ahead of the Week 12 slate, let's navigate the numbers and see the projected […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Week 12 Fantasy Football Projections Quarterbacks: Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Russell Wilson, Jared Goff, C.J. Stroud, Sam Darnold, Jordan Love, Jayden Daniels

It's make-or-break time for many fantasy managers, so it's time to lock in and set optimal lineups. Our Week 12 fantasy football quarterback projections for the 2024 NFL season are here to assist. Check the projections below to see how key Week 12 QBs such as Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Jared […]


Houston Texans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Derek Stingley Fantasy Football IDP

D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 12-17)

Ahh, the good old Defense/Special Teams (DST) position in fantasy football. It is a controversial inclusion in fantasy lineups for some fantasy players, but strategizing around DSTs is one of my favorite aspects of the in-season fantasy football experience. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


Video: Week 12 Must-Start Defense (D/ST) Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Analysis

We're back and dropping fire content for Week 12! Check out our top 2024 fantasy football must-start Defenses (D/ST) and be prepared to dominate your matchups! LaQuan Jones discusses his top "Must Start" Defense (D/ST) streamers that have the potential to be game-changers in Week 12, as well as some defenses that you might want […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 12 Including Josh Downs, T.J. Hockenson, Bucky Irving, D'Andre Swift

For many fantasy football gamers, the end of Week 11 marked the last opportunity to make trades ahead of the fantasy playoffs. However, there are plenty of leagues that have a later deadline and some that have no deadline at all. This is especially true of dynasty leagues, and while this week's column will still […]