RADIO
Ahh, Darington. The Lady in Black. The Track Too Tough to Tame. The...idk, there's probably a third nickname that I just don't know.
Anyway, the Xfinity Series is at Darlington on Saturday and this is either going to be a chalky race that everyone hates or the opposite, with it all hinging on Denny Hamlin. Hamlin's the only Cup star in this field and starts 37th. What that means is that he's being priced as the most expensive driver by far, that he has the most upside of anyone in the field, and that if he hits his projected total, it'll be really tough to have much of a chance at a GPP win without him. But anything can happen at this track, including a wreck that knocks Hamlin out. In today's piece, we're going to look at how to build a non-Hamlin lineup that can hit big if anything happens to him.
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 Xfinity Series. Let's look at some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Xfinity Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station.
Xfinity DFS Lineup Picks - 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.
Austin Cindric #22 ($10,700) - Starting 4th
If you don't get Denny Hamlin, you pretty much have to get the other car that's projected to be dominant in this one, which is the 22 of Austin Cindric. The winner of five races this season and the fourth-place finisher, Cindric is running even better now than he was back in the early part of the season.
Before an eighth place finish at Daytona, Cindric had nine top fives in a row, including his five victories. He won at road courses. He won at intermediate tracks. He had a pair of top three runs at Dover, leading 50 laps between the two events.
Cindric is the most dominant driver in this series right now. If Hamlin's not the top fantasy scorer, there's a good chance Cindric is.
Justin Allgaier #7 ($10,400) - Starting 16th
There's some good JR Motorsports place differential upside in Saturday's race, starting with Allgaier, who rolls off 16th.
He's only had 12 top 10s this year, half of his total from last year. But the season's not over yet, and Allgaier still has chances to get close to his 2019 total.
One thing about Allgaier is that if you subtract every accident he's had since Talladega, he hasn't finished outside of the top 10. So if this car actually finishes the race, there's a very good chance he finishes in the top 10. Allgaier was also third in the first Darlington race and has seven top 10s in 10 races here.
Noah Gragson #9 ($8,800) - Starting 14th
Another JRM car starting outside of the top 10, Gragson's price seems insanely low this week when you factor in the place differential upside. Yes, Gragson's aggressive driving style adds in some risk this week, as he could easily wind up in the wall, but I love the upside.
Gragson was fifth here earlier in the year, leading 46 laps. Before a 31st place finish at Daytona, this 9 car had been running well and Gragson had managed to stay out of trouble. Good price. Good upside. This is a good week to play Gragson.
Myatt Snider #93 ($8,400) - Starting 20th
I was worried after an ownership change to the 93 car, but it seems that the Louisiana Hot Sauce machine is still running fine, so that's good.
Snider has finished in the top 20 in four consecutive races, including one top 10. He probably won't have top 10 speed in this one, but he's a solid driver to add to your roster from this price range and as long as he doesn't crash, you shouldn't end up very disappointed.
Austin Hill #61 ($6,900) - Starting 26th
Austin Hill is the most fascinating driver in the field in my opinion.
This is his fourth start in the Hattori 61 this year. He crashed twice, finishing 35th at Daytona and 33rd at Charlotte. He finished 16th at Charlotte in the other race, with an average position of 15th. That was a pretty solid day for this car.
When Hill hasn't been in the 61, a rotating duo of Timmy Hill and Stephen Leicht have piloted the car. They've combined for just four top 20 finishes.
Meanwhile, Austin Hill has spent his season in the Truck Series, driving a Hattori truck to 12 top 10s and a win in 14 races. He's currently the points leader in that series.
The 61 isn't a great car, but there's significantly more upside to it with Austin Hill in it. Starting 26th, there's a good amount of place differential upside. Hill's a good enough driver to get a top 15 out of this car.
Dexter Bean #90 ($4,700) - Starting 35th
I love the price on Dexter Bean this week, because it allows you to pay up elsewhere. Heck, if you do a Denny Hamlin lineup, Bean's going to be incredibly useful to your build.
This is Bean's fourth start of the year, with the first three coming in the 36 car. He finished 11th at Pocono before a pair of DNFs at Texas and Kansas.
The Mario Gosselin cars have been a mixed bag this year, but the 90 has mostly run well lately, with Alex Labbe recording four top-21 finishes over a five race stretch before Caesar Bacarella crashed it at Daytona. Is it possible that Bean falls victim to a mysterious mechanical issue after 40 laps? Sure, but he could also be in a car that's better than most of the cars that he's starting around, giving him solid place differential at a rock-bottom salary.
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