RADIO
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Phoenix this weekend for the final race of the 2023 season. Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes, and Grant Enfinger enter this race with a shot at the title. Whoever finishes highest wins it.
With qualifying happening so late in the afternoon before a night race, the format of today's piece is a little different. I'll take a look at the top contenders and their performance here, then give some general thoughts on other drivers in the field.
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 CRAFTSMAN 150 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 11/3/2023 at 10:09 p.m. ET.
Editor's Note: Win more with our NASCAR DFS Premium Pass! Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order. Get VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station and Cheat Sheets for NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Trucks contests. Join in on the fun with our other NASCAR DFS winners! Go Premium, Win More!
Truck Series DFS Preview - DraftKings
Be sure to also check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles and analysis to help you set your optimal DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Championship 4 DFS Preview
This race is a lot different from the usual race. For whatever reason, the four championship contenders tend to do really well in the championship race. Not quite as well as in the Cup Series, where the Phoenix winner and the title winner are almost always the same, but there's a good shot one of these drivers wins.
Carson Hocevar ($11,200): Hocevar comes into the title race with four wins this season, including a victory at Homestead in the most recent race. He has 14 finishes in a row of 12th or better. That might make you think Hocevar is the favorite here, but I'm worried. He's never finished better than ninth at this track in the Truck Series. Might fade him in DFS.
Corey Heim ($11,000): Heim might have half as many wins this year as Hocevar, but he seems better positioned for this race. He only has one Truck Series start here, finishing seventh last year, but he's also run three NASCAR/ARCA West races, including a second-place finish in 2021.
Grant Enfinger ($10,800): Enfinger brings a lot of experience into this race, as he's run six Truck Series races at this track. That includes a pair of top-five finishes. Hocevar and Heim should be viewed as a step ahead of the other two if you're betting on this race, but Enfinger really could get this done.
Ben Rhodes ($10,500): Rhodes brings the most Phoenix experience into this race as he has eight Truck Series starts here. That includes three top 10s in a row, including a runner-up finish last year. I feel like a broken record here, but don't count Rhodes out.
In fact, as a strategy call, I suggest building lineups with all four of these drivers. I might go a little lighter on Hocevar just to differentiate some lineups, but all of these guys can win.
Non-Championship 4 Top Plays
Zane Smith ($10,200): If a non-championship driver wins this race, it'll probably be Zane Smith. He won this race last year, leading 77 laps. He was fifth in the 2021 race, second in the 2020 race, and even had a top-five finish in a 2019 Xfinity Series race at this track.
Derek Kraus ($9,000): Kraus will be piloting a second Spire Motorsports truck in this one. He previously ran Milwaukee in the other Spire truck, finishing seventh. He was 11th in the Truck Series race here last year and he brings a good bit of Phoenix experience to the table, including multiple top-five results in the NASCAR/ARCA West series.
Stewart Friesen ($8,700): Stewart Friesen has three Truck Series wins in his career. One of those came at Phoenix, as he led 44 laps in the 2019 race here. Overall, he has run seven Truck Series races at this track, finishing sixth or better six times.
Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?
Like what you're reading? You can show your support for Justin by using promo code CARTER 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!
Potential DFS Values
Tanner Gray ($7,500): Tanner Gray ran well here in 2022, finishing eighth in the Truck Series race after qualifying eighth. He also had a 15th-place finish in the 2020 Truck Series race. Think Gray has a great shot to challenge for a top 10 on Friday night.
Stefan Parsons ($5,800): Parsons, who is in the 25 truck this week, crashed in practice. If he has to go to a backup truck and start from the rear, there's a lot of upside here. Remember: Matt DiBenedetto landed this truck in the playoffs. Parsons might not be as good as DiBenedetto, but he's a solid driver who can get a good finish out of this truck.
Sean Hingorani ($5,300): Risk/reward play here with Sean Hingorani. He's shown speed in the lower series before, but he's also shown a propensity for getting into incidents. In his only Truck Series start this year, he finished back in the mid-pack in 23rd. But he's running the 75 for Henderson Motorsports this weekend, which is a pretty quick truck. At $5,300, there's a lot of upside here if he can keep the truck clean and run close to where Parker Kligerman has put this truck this season. (Kligerman had three DNFs, but in the races he finished, he was 22nd, 18th, and ninth.)
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.
