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The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Phoenix this weekend. Last week, Cup Series driver John Hunter Nemechek dipped down to the series and earned the victory at Las Vegas. He's in the field again this week, so can he make it two victories in a row?
William Byron also makes the trip down to Xfinity this week, so we've got a good chance to see a Cup driver in victory lane, but Xfinity regulars like points leader Austin Hill and second-place Chandler Smith will look to upset them. Both drivers are 3-for-3 this season when it comes to earning top-five finishes.
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 Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 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 3/9/24 at 4:45 p.m. ET.
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Phoenix Race Trends
The NASCAR Xfinity Series visits here twice each season, so we have a good bit to go off of with this track. For example, last time we were here, Cole Custer won while leading 96 of 202 laps, but he traded the lead off with other drivers a number of times. We had 12 lead changes in the race.
The time before that, we saw 14 lead changes, with Sammy Smith winning after leading 92 of 200 laps. In fact, the race winner here has been the driver leading the most laps in four consecutive races. The last time it wasn't that way was the 2021 fall race when Austin Cindric led the most laps but finished second.
What this suggests to me: you want to identify a driver who you think could lead a lot of laps. That doesn't necessarily mean a polesitter though—while the 2022 races here were swept by two drivers who started on the front row, those were the only times since the spring 2018 race that a driver on the front row won the race.
Drivers Who Could Dominate
Pre-qualifying Thoughts
Since starting at the front doesn't necessarily mean a driver is going to dominate here, we can take a different view of this and talk about who might win before qualifying happens.
Obviously, William Byron ($12,000) and John Hunter Nemechek ($11,500) are the favorites, as they're Cup drivers dipping down into Xfinity. Both have a great shot here, but I prefer Byron out of the two, as he won here in the Cup Series last March.
Erik Jones unloads fastest off the truck for Cup practice and Legacy teammate John Hunter Nemechek opens practice in P3. Interesting...
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 8, 2024
Cole Custer ($10,700) won here last fall in dominant fashion and finished second at Phoenix last week. He's an obvious choice to have a big race as well.
Aric Almirola ($9,300) might be the best value among drivers who could dominate. Joe Gibbs Racing has won three of the last five races here in the Xfinity Series and Phoenix is a decent track for Almirola, who has an average finish of 15.0 here in the Cup Series, a good bit better than his overall career average finish of 19.1.
Post-qualifying Thoughts
Byron starts 29th, which feels too deep for a dominant showing now. Custer and Chandler Smith start on the front row and both have a lot of upside. This could be a week to play a few of the guys in the $9,000 range, with Sheldon Creed starting sixth, Almirola in eighth, and Riley Herbst in fourth. All could wind up as the guy who leads the most laps if things fall right.
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Top Place Differential Plays
Check back after qualifying
The chalk here is Byron way back in 28th, but there's also a number of other drivers. Sam Mayer starts 21st. Shane Van Gisbergen starts 23rd. I'll have heavy exposure to both drivers.
Josh Williams in 27th is another with some really intriguing upside. I'll also play Nick Leitz, who starts 34th, and Ryan Ellis, who starts 30th, in a number of my lineups. They're super cheap and will make lineup building easier.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Deep Sleepers
Pre-qualifying thoughts
Obviously, we won't know for sure who goes here until we know how the cars will line up for Saturday's race, but here are a few early names of note:
Parker Retzlaff ($7,200) has looked really good this season, with a pair of top fives. His mechanical issue last week has also knocked a few hundred dollars off of his price for this week.
Tough day for the #31 team. Got tagged in the LR, got sideways then hit. Team worked hard to get it back together only to have the fuel cable break. Onto Phoenix 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/7XTGUG20mk
— Parker Retzlaff (@Parker79p) March 3, 2024
Josh Williams ($7,000) has struggled so far, but I'm still a believer that he's a good driver in a decent Kaulig car and that he'll be challenging for top 10s soon.
Hailee Deegan ($6,200) wasn't great in the first two races, but she delivered 41 fantasy points at Vegas last week, starting 28th and finishing 15th. If her qualifying woes continue, she'll be a solid play.
Brennan Poole ($5,900) has three top 20s this season and has started 30th or worse twice. If the car continues to lack qualifying speed, Poole will be another good play here,
Post-qualifying thoughts
Honestly, all four drivers I highlighted above are still in play. Add Leitz and Ellis and you'll find the core of most of my DFS lineups for Saturday's race.
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