RADIO
Welcome back, y'all! Another season of NASCAR is here, which means another season of Xfinity Series DFS action is here as well.
No major changes to how I'm doing these pieces this season, except to add that for the occasional races with qualifying -- like this one -- where I might have to publish before the starting lineup is out, I'll try to come back and add a "post-qualifying notes" section at the end of the piece. So, if you're reading this before qualifying, check back later for some updates!
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 Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Xfinity Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station.
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Xfinity DFS Post-Qualifying Updates
So, qualifying was canceled and the order was set by last year's owner points.
What that means: while you'll read about why I like Riley Herbst below, I'm pivoting off of him in some lineups because he starts fourth. I think Gragson and Haley are in good enough spots to justify lineup spots while starting that high, but Herbst scares me, though I still love his pricing.
Some drivers priced near Herbst you should consider instead: Josh Berry ($8,000, starts 9th), Brandon Brown ($7,600, starts 14th), and Jeremy Clements ($7,400, starts 16th). Herbst has the higher ceiling of those guys, but a low floor.
Someone like Timmy Hill starting 37th and costing $6,100 is super appealing.
Also, A.J. Allmendinger starting 31st and Ty Dillon starting 32nd are the best plays in this field.
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.
Noah Gragson #9 ($10,100) - Starting 5th
Fresh off failing to qualify for the Daytona 500 despite showing a lot of speed in his Duel race, Gragson will look to win at Daytona for the second time.
Gragson's an aggressive driver, which can be a problem at superspeedway tracks, as it's really easy to push too hard and cause a major wreck. But Gragson won this race a year ago, then finished 10th at Talladega before crashing in the second Daytona race and finishing 31st. He's got a car that's capable of winning this race, plus he'll likely be slightly less rostered than Justin Allgaier and Austin Cindric, if you're looking for an edge that way in a GPP.
Ty Dillon #54 ($9,500) - Starting 32nd
Like Gragson, Dillon missed the 500, though he gave it a valiant effort. Now, he starts a part-time season in the 54 for Joe Gibbs that will see him running four races, including two superspeedways.
Dillon is just 2-for-9 when it comes to getting Xfinity top 10s at Daytona, but his Cup experience should help. While he crashed out in both of his Cup races here last year, he had a string for three top-six finishes before that. Dillon's an experienced racer at this track who'll be in one of the best cars in the field.
Justin Haley #11 ($9,400) - Starting 3rd
Kaulig Racing is ready to show once again that they're a top team in Xfinity, especially on superspeedways.
The winner of three of the four superspeedway races last season, Haley hasn't been dominant in terms of laps led but has managed to consistently keep the car clean and strike at the right moment. It almost feels wrong to see him priced at $9,400 when you factor in just how much success he's had on these tracks over the past year, but take advantage of that! Arguably no one in Xfinity is better at staying out of trouble here, as Haley has never finished off of the lead lap in an Xfinity superspeedway race.
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Myatt Snider #2 ($8,100) - Starting 11th
After splitting time for RCR last year, Snider enters 2021 as the full-time driver for this 2 car.
Snider split the full season between two teams in 2020, with six top 10s, three of them coming in the RCR 21 car.
I'm expecting big things from this team in 2021. The last time one driver ran a full season for Childress in Xfinity was 2019, when Tyler Reddick had six wins, 27 top 10s, and won the championship. While last year's four-driver rotation only produced 15 top 10s, some consistency should work in Snider's favor this year.
Riley Herbst #98 ($7,900) - Starting 4th
Herbst is no longer with Joe Gibbs Racing, but he does move into a really fast 98 car. His pricing seems low when you consider he's arguably in a better situation now as the only driver for this team, which means they can put their full effort behind him.
Herbst was fourth in the second Daytona race last year, but he ended up with DNFs at the other three superspeedway races. That's worrisome, but I think Herbst is priced in such a way that some of the risk of playing him is taken out. Qualifying will really determine how good a play he is, as a top-five starting spot might introduce too much downside in terms of place differential.
Gray Gaulding #52 ($6,500) - Starting 35th
Gaulding will run the full season for Jimmy Means Racing this year.
Last year, Kody Vanderwal drive this car and only had an average finish of 30.2. There's nothing really encouraging from what the 52 did last year that would suggest Gaulding is going to have a good year in this car.
But Gaulding is also an upgrade over Vanderwal from a talent perspective and the team has sponsorship from Panini. Gaulding's also no stranger to finishing well at superspeedways, with four of his six top 10s in the Xfinity Series coming at this type of track, including a pair of runner-up finishes, including the second Daytona race last year.
I'd like his price to be a tad lower, but if he starts far enough back, I think there's lots of carnage-related upside here.
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