RADIO
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is in Darlington this weekend for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200. Whew, that one's a mouthful. We've got a loaded field with five Cup Series regulars dipping down. This should be a very competitive race.
Entering this race, Justin Allgaier sits atop the regular season standings. Unlike the Cup and Truck Series, the Xfinity Series playoffs are still a bit away. Counting Darlington, we still have four races left before the Round of 12.
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 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 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. This slate locks on 8/31/24 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Xfinity DFS Preview - DraftKings
Be sure to also check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles and analyses to help you set your optimal DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Top Plays
Note: This was written before qualifying. Feel free to ask me over on X if you have questions after qualifying.
Christopher Bell ($11.0K)
There was some confusion this week when the entry list came out because Denny Hamlin usually runs this Darlington race, but it wound up being Christopher Bell making the start this season.
Pre-practice Xfinity sims for Darlington:
1. Christopher Bell 22.1%
2. Justin Allgaier 8.6%
3. Cole Custer 7.9%
4. Austin Hill 7.5%
5. Chandler Smith 6.7%Full win/T3/T5 sims plus values at @FDSportsbook ⤵️ https://t.co/N17rkabHwo
— Jim Sannes (@JimSannes) August 30, 2024
Bell should rightly be considered the favorite. In his other Xfinity start this season, Bell finished with 92.6 fantasy points. This isn't his best track, but he does have two top 10s here in both Xfinity and Cup.
Chase Elliott ($10.0K)
Chase Elliott returns to the Hendrick No. 17 car this weekend. The last time he was in it was at Charlotte, when he started 30th and went on to win, scoring 81.7 fantasy points. He likely won't have that kind of place differential upside on Saturday, but he should be a threat to win.
Justin Allgaier ($10.7K)
The numerous Cup drivers in this field have gotten a lot of attention, but don't count out Justin Allgaier, who won here earlier this season and overall has three Xfinity wins at Darlington. In May, Allgaier led 119 of 147 laps in the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200.
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Mid-Tier Options
Noah Gragson ($8.3K)
Noah Gragson feels really underpriced this weekend. In three starts so far this season in the Rette Jones Racing No. 30, Gragson has three top 10s and has averaged 45.9 fantasy points per race.
We're back ‼️ ‼️@RetteJones30 and @NoahGragson have gotten the band back together again one more time to tackle @TooToughToTame on Saturday afternoon! 👊🏻
We are excited to fly the @TeamDropZoneTV colors 🎨
🔖 Race Preview: https://t.co/IlIMouGqAb#NASCAR #FordPerformance pic.twitter.com/hYtp6fdryx
— Rette Jones Racing (@RetteJones30) August 30, 2024
Sure, Gragson hasn't set the world on fire in the Cup Series this season, but he's been competitive every time he's dipped down into Xfinity. He should be again on Saturday.
Chandler Smith ($9.0K)
Looking at the weekly pricing on DraftKings, Chandler Smith's been all over the place, rising as high as $11.3K back in April. Some recent struggles have dropped that number down to $9.0K this weekend, but Smith is coming off a strong second-place run last week.
Sheldon Creed ($9.3K)
Sheldon Creed hasn't had the strongest season, but he enters this race with four consecutive top-10 finishes. He was ninth here earlier this season. Not the most exciting play, but he's likely to be a solid source of fantasy points.
Ross Chastain ($8.0K)
Ross Chastain is cheaper than the other Cup drivers in this field because he's not in top equipment, but he's done well in this No. 92 car in the past. At Iowa, Chastain started 28th and finished ninth, earning 55 fantasy points. This isn't the fastest car, so there will likely be a good amount of place differential upside.
Carson Kvapil ($7.2K)
Carson Kvapil has run seven races for JR Motorsports this season, posting four top 10s including a finish of second at Dover. I have some concern about the fact that the Darlington race in May was one of his worst races of the season, but at $7.2K I'll ignore some of those concerns.
Parker Kligerman ($7.3K)
Parker Kligerman has run very well lately in this Big Machine Racing No. 48 car. Entering the weekend, Kligerman has finished 12th or better in five consecutive races, with 43 or more fantasy points in each of those events. He was sixth at this track back in May. I love the value here.
Value Options
Joe Graf Jr. ($7.0K)
If you're willing to trust that Joe Graf Jr. won't crash out of this race, there's potentially some really good value here. Graf isn't a great driver, but he's in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this weekend. He posted a pair of top 10s for JGR last season.
Josh Williams ($6.4K)
It's mostly been an awful season for Josh Williams at Kaulig Racing, but the No. 11 team seems to have found a bit of speed lately. Williams enters this race with four top 20s in the last five races. I don't expect big things, but if he starts outside the top 25 or so, I'll probably wind up playing a good amount of him.
Leland Honeyman ($5.3K)
Leland Honeyman has performed well in this No. 42 car this season and enters this weekend with three to 20s in a row. His average finish is 22.1 and he averages 4.1 place differential points per race. If I'm looking at drivers below $6.0K, then Honeyman is the first name I'm checking on post-qualifying.
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