RADIO
The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for some Friday night short-track racing under the lights. Which driver will conquer the half-mile track?
Last weekend, the Xfinity Series was in Watkins Glen. The Mission 200 at the Glen saw Connor Zilisch take the win in his first career Xfinity Series start. He led 45 of the 90 laps.
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 NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 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. This slate locks on 9/20/24 at 7:38 p.m. EDT.
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Xfinity DFS Preview - DraftKings
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Top Plays
Note: This was written before qualifying. Feel free to ask me over on X if you have questions after qualifying.
Justin Allgaier ($10.8K)
Justin Allgaier won this race last year, leading 110 laps in the process. That marked the seventh consecutive Xfinity Series race at this track, where Allgaier paced the field for at least 92 laps. Somehow, he only has one win to show for it in that span, but he's still been the best driver in the series here since at least 2019.
Repost to congratulate Justin Allgaier on his WIN at Bristol! https://t.co/2SmgCLVBEe pic.twitter.com/fY4g7XDnzp
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 16, 2023
Overall, Allgaier has made 23 Bristol starts in this series, winning twice and finishing in the top five 11 times. He's led 1,114 laps at Bristol in Xfinity, almost double what he's led at Phoenix, his second-best track by laps led.
Cole Custer ($10.3K)
Cole Custer hasn't won at Bristol, but he came close in this race last year. After qualifying on the pole, Custer went on to lead 109 laps and ultimately finished fourth. That was his fifth top-10 in seven Xfinity Series starts at the track. He was also eighth in his most recent Cup Series race at the track in 2022.
Chandler Smith ($10.5K)
Chandler Smith comes into this race on a hot streak, posting four top 10s in a row. He was fifth in his only Xfinity Series start at Bristol in 2023 and won here in 2021 in the Truck Series. He's almost certainly going to be among the top contenders for the win on Friday.
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Mid-Tier Options
Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($8.8K)
It's time for the yearly Dale Jr. start, which is rumored to be his final NASCAR start ever. Last season, Junior ran two races, leading 47 laps at Bristol before a mechanical failure ended his day and then finishing fifth at Homestead.
Last year at Bristol I’m convinced Dale Jr wins if he doesn’t catch on fire. Going into tonight’s race I got him at +1000, why do I feel like this is a trap? I expect the boss to show up with similar speed tonight. 🪤 🏁💰✅🤑. #NASCAR @DaleJr
— Dave Green (@nascarprophecy) September 20, 2024
This No. 88 car won last week at Watkins Glen with Connor Zilisch behind the wheel. Carson Kvapil has four top 10s in it. Connor Mosack and Bubba Pollard have one each. This is a very fast machine. Can one of the legends of NASCAR go out on top in what's likely his final farewell?
Ryan Truex ($9.0K)
Ryan Truex has already won twice in his nine starts this season for Joe Gibbs Racing, taking victory at Dover and Daytona. His ability to win on two very different track types makes him a top driver to watch on Friday night. He had a top-10 here back in 2018 while racing for Kaulig Racing.
Sheldon Creed ($9.8K)
Sheldon Creed keeps coming so close to that first Xfinity Series win. He's finished in the top five 12 times already this season, with five of those being second-place finishes. He doesn't have a top-10 in either of his Xfinity Series races here, but he was on his way to one in 2022, leading 34 laps before crashing out of the race.
Value Options
Parker Kligerman ($7.8K)
Sadly, Parker Kligerman announced that this is his final full-time season, with Nick Sanchez set to take over this car next year. While I'm not sure Kligerman can send off his career with a win, he can still end it on a high note by continuing to run as he has lately. This No. 48 car has eight top 15 finishes in a row, with five top 10s in that span.
Joe Graf Jr. ($7.4K)
If DraftKings is going to keep pricing a Joe Gibbs Racing car this low, I'll keep playing it. Joe Graf Jr. is back in the No. 19 for this fourth start of the season. He hasn't been great in it, but his average finish of 13.3 is significantly better than his career average finish of 25.5. He can get a top-10 if things break right.
Austin Green ($6.5K)
Austin Green is averaging 48.8 fantasy points per race, but all his starts so far have come at road courses. Can he succeed at an oval this weekend?
It'll be tough, but it's not like he doesn't have some oval experience, winning in the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series twice at Myrtle Beach in 2018 and recording an ARCA top 10 at Toledo in 2020, his only start in that series.
Logan Bearden ($5.8K)
I'm really intrigued to see what Logan Bearden does this weekend. His average finish this season is 27.6, but his five previous starts have come for either Bobby Dotter or Emerling-Gase Motorsports, two teams that simply lack speed.
Here is a really cool story: During the week, @LoganBearden_ works as an underneath mechanic for @AMRacingNASCAR, but on Friday he'll get the opportunity to drive the team's No. 15 Ford Mustang in the #NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Bristol.https://t.co/wJ6NDHgZCE
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) September 17, 2024
This week, Bearden is driving the AM Racing No. 15 for the first time. It's not elite equipment, but Lawless Alan and Joey Logano have delivered consecutive top-15s in the car. If Bearden starts outside the top 25, he'll be one of my favorite value plays.
Leland Honeyman ($5.4K)
I continue to love the value of Leland Honeyman. His average finish is 5.4 spots better than his average start, showcasing that he usually has some place differential upside. He enters this race with top-20 finishes in five of the past six races.
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