X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

South Point 400: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy NASCAR Lineup Picks

The second round -- otherwise known as the Round of 12 -- of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs kicks off this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. And arguably, this is the most important race of the postseason, until the championship race.

Why, you ask? You see, this round is filled with two wild cards tracks: Talladega and the Charlotte ROVAL, where anything can and will happen. Because of that, teams put an added emphasis on winning at Las Vegas, assuring they'll be locked into the Round of 8, no matter what happens at the next two venues.

Last year, Vegas native Kurt Busch upset the field at his home track, stealing one of the eight spots in the penultimate round. The following week at Talladega, the No. 1 car got airborne as a result of the "Big One."

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

So yes, Sunday's race in Sin City is important. And if we go by the spring race, it's not surprise that Hendrick Motorsports will be the frontrunners. But who else should you keep an eye on?

 

DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel

Be sure to also check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles, rankings and and analysis to help you set your optimal DFS lineups. Just a reminder, qualifying isn't until Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. ET, just four hours before the scheduled green flag. 

Kyle Larson

(DraftKings $11,000 | FanDuel $14,500 | DK SportsBook +400)

Before we get down to selections, one thing I noticed for this weekend was, all driver prices are relatively high. That means you'll want to make wise picks, and picking drivers that start towards the rear could benefit you more than most weeks. But it also means you'll need to be strong at the top. And this year, you can't get any stronger than Kyle Larson.

Larson is coming off his sixth victory of the season by winning last week at Bristol. He did so by leading the most laps, though had to pull a slidejob on Kevin Harvick in the final handful of laps. Nonetheless, he earned his sixth win in 29 starts with Hendrick Motorsports, as opposed to his six previous wins with 219 starts at Chip Ganassi Racing. ...And people were worried he wouldn't pick up this package.

It all circles back to Vegas, where Larson earned his first triumph in the No. 5 Chevrolet six months ago. He will be strong this weekend, as he has been at the majority of 550 horsepower races in 2021. Look for a dominant performance on Sunday.

Denny Hamlin

(DraftKings $10,500 | FanDuel $13,000 | DK SportsBook +450)

If there's one driver who can give Larson a run for his money this weekend, it may just be Denny Hamlin. After all, the two drivers have the most top-10 finishes and best average finish on the year, and have duked it out for the last three months.

Quite simply, the fierce competition between the Nos. 5 and 11 teams has made each driver better. And in March, Hamlin led a total of 47 laps before fading to fourth at the checkered flag. But like Larson, the No. 11 has been strong on 550 tracks this season -- the best of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers.

Hamlin also starts from sixth position, which is attractive should he finish better than where he began. But surprisingly, he's never won in Sin City, despite having consecutive top-five finishes at the track. Prior to that, he had just two top fives in 17 starts at Las Vegas, with the last coming in 2015. So, it's not one of his best tracks on the schedule...

Joey Logano

(DraftKings $9,900 | FanDuel $10,500 | DK SportsBook +1500)

...But it is one of Joey Logano's best tracks, especially recently. Since 2019, the No. 22 Ford has won two of the last five races at the track -- both spring races in 2019 and 2020. He's also led laps in 11 straight Vegas races, his longest current streak in the Cup Series.

Even when Logano is off at Vegas, it's still respectable. Earlier this year, the No. 22 car finished a lousy ninth, and ran in the back half of the top 10 for the majority of the race. But both of his Team Penske teammates -- Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney -- finished inside the top five.

Logano had a solid opening round of the playoffs, with an average finish of eighth. It's possible he recreates some of his Vegas magic and finds what Penske has been looking for the second half of the season on 550 tracks.

Martin Truex Jr.

(DraftKings $9,700 | FanDuel $12,000 | DK SportsBook +1100)

Speaking of someone who had a good opening round, not many did better than Martin Truex Jr. The No. 19 Toyota won at Richmond and had an average finish of fourth in the first three playoff races. And since winning at Vegas for the first time in 2017, he's been quite solid.

On that March afternoon, Truex led 150 of 267 laps en route to his first win of the 2017 season -- the year he ended up winning the championship. In seven races since then, he's earned four additional top-five results, including another victory in the playoff race at Vegas two years ago.

On Sunday, Truex will start from fourth position, which is a cause for concern. But if recent records indicate anything, he'll be running among the top five for much of the race and be in contention late. However, all four of Truex's wins in 2021 have been on 750 hp tracks.

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?

Like what you're reading? You can show your support for Dustin by using promo code RACING when purchasing a NASCAR Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium NASCAR articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Alex Bowman

(DraftKings $8,300 | FanDuel $10,000| DK SportsBook +1600)

Alex Bowman hasn't been shy in the past regarding how much he enjoys racing at Las Vegas. However, in nine starts at the track, the Arizona native has led just a handful of laps, though rounded out the top five in this race last year.

Bowman narrowly advanced to the Round of 12 this season, but had a solid top-five run last weekend at Bristol. Forget about all the talk going into last Saturday's race that potentially two Hendrick cars would fail to advance -- all four did.

If Bowman is going to have a breakout run in this round, it's likely going to come at Las Vegas. He's won at an intermediate track before (now defunct to the schedule Chicagoland Speedway) and, as noted earlier, HMS cars are stellar on 550 tracks. The No. 48 Chevrolet starts seventh. If you want a driver that starts further back in the HMS camp, look at Chase Elliott to fill your lineup in 11th.

(DraftKings $8,200 | FanDuel $8,000 | DK SportsBook +5000)

Now, we're getting to drivers in the back half of your lineup, but even those driver are costly this weekend. That means you've got to play the top half of your lineup smart, so your not picking up backmarkers to fill out those lineups.

But I like Matt DiBenedetto here. In 2020, the No. 21 Ford finished runner-up in both races, and probably should have won the fall race as he was in prime position on a rash of late-race restarts. Nonetheless, it was another one that slipped away.

While DiBenedetto is solid at Vegas, he hasn't been great on 550 tracks this season, despite earning three top 10s: Kansas, Atlanta and Michigan. As noted above, overall Team Penske (Wood Brothers Racing is an affiliate) has struggled at such tracks in 2021. But this is a good play of the No. 21 car, as it starts from 14th position.

Chris Buescher

(DraftKings $7,300 | FanDuel $7,000 | DK SportsBook +8000)

This year, I haven't been able to get a real gauge on where the No. 17 team ranks. Yes, Buescher has recently dropped to 20th in the championship standings, but in some races, he'll pop up from out of nowhere. Last weekend, however, was not one of those, as he placed 23rd. The week before that at Richmond, 24th.

One of the bright spots of Buescher's season, though, has been worn out, intermediate racetracks. While tire wear isn't a huge deal at Las Vegas, the track is worn out. Flashback to the first month of the season when the No. 17 car won a stage at Homestead-Miami.

For the price and where Buescher starts (25th), this is a safe choice. It's a quality car with an underrated and hungry driver that finished 14th at the track in March.

Erik Jones

(DraftKings $6,500 | FanDuel $6,000 | DK SportsBook +20000)

Erik Jones had his first breakout run with Richard Petty Motorsports at Las Vegas in the spring. The No. 43 Chevrolet ran around the top 10 all race long, and ultimately took the checkered flag in 10th -- his first top 10 with the team.

Since then, Jones has shown to be competitive on a variety of different tracks, even if the results don't back that. The No. 43 team also enters the race with a strong eighth-place finish just last weekend at Bristol.

Look, for the value this deep in the field, Jones, I think has the most potential for this weekend. But he does start 16th, one of his better starting positions of the season, which is a concern. So if you don't go with the No. 43 car, maybe someone like Michael McDowell (starts 23rd) or Corey LaJoie (27th) suits your lineup better, as they have a higher potential upswing in where they finish.

NASCAR DFS News and Driver Outlooks

More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis



The Keys to Weekly NASCAR Success

NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller!
Our NASCAR Premium Package for DFS and betting features several heavy hitters and proven winners.

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.

Five-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team. He has been nominated once again in 2024 for this award.

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Aaron Nola

Pitches Seven Strong Innings
Tylor Megill

Strikes Out Nine In No-Decision
Hunter Brown

Strikes Out Nine In Win
Agustín Ramírez

Agustin Ramirez Homers Twice
Andy Pages

Homers In Four-Hit Game
Ketel Marte

Expected To Return Next Weekend
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Noelvi Marte

Has Big Game On Sunday
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Brandon Marsh

Removed Early During Rehab Game
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Looks Sharp In Rehab Start
Josh Jung

Makes Early Exit On Sunday
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Frederik Andersen

Exits Game 4 With Injury
Jake Neighbours

Shines On Sunday With Three Points
Jordan Binnington

Makes 30 Saves In Game 4 Victory
Patrik Laine

Not Expected To Play In Game 4
Sam Montembeault

Labeled Day-To-Day
Jarren Duran

Collects Four Hits On Sunday
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Aliaksei Protas

Considered A Game-Time Decision Sunday
Logan Thompson

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Clayton Kershaw

To Make Two Rehab Starts This Week
Jackson Merrill

Takes Batting Practice On Sunday
Sean Murphy

Taking A Seat On Sunday
Will Smith

Resting On Sunday
Max Brosmer

Minnesota Adds Insurance With Max Brosmer

Donovan Edwards Inks Deal With Jets
Tyler Fitzgerald

To Miss Second Straight Game
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

No Longer Facing One-Game Suspension

Nick Nash Signs With The Falcons
Cam Ward

Xavier Restrepo Reunites With Cam Ward In Tennessee
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
William Nylander

Posts Two Assists In Losing Effort
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Kyle Busch

Nearly Always Leads at Talladega, but Rarely Leads Much
Tyler Reddick

Drafting Track Record Worse Than It Looks
Daniel Suarez

Likely Motivated at Talladega Since Trackhouse Cars Likely Too Slow for Him to Win On Regular Tracks
Ryan Preece

Qualifies Fourth Due to Ford Dominance, but Don't Expect Him to Finish There
Jake Sanderson

Keeps Senators Alive With Overtime Winner
Mackenzie Blackwood

Records First Postseason Shutout
Gabriel Landeskog

Scores First Goal In Nearly Three Years
Ivan Barbashev

Gives Vegas Vital Win
Nikita Kucherov

Records Three Assists In Game 3 Win
Troy Stecher

Cleared For Sunday
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday
Quinn Ewers

Dolphins Select Quinn Ewers In Seventh Round
Brenden Dillon

Out On Sunday
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Luke Hughes

To Remain Out On Sunday
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Aliaksei Protas

Practices Fully On Saturday
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Gabriel Vilardi

A Game-Time Decision For Sunday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back A Game-Time Call On Saturday
Ross Colton

Unavailable Saturday
Miro Heiskanen

Remains Out Saturday
Riley Leonard

Drafted By Colts Saturday
Will Howard

Steelers Select Will Howard In Sixth Round Of NFL Draft
Kyle McCord

Eagles Add Kyle McCord To Quarterback Room
Ollie Gordon II

Miami Adds Ollie Gordon II To Backfield
Oronde Gadsden II

Chargers Add KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Oronde Gadsden II To Offense
DJ Giddens

Colts Add DJ Giddens To Backfield
Jaydon Blue

Dallas Cowboys Draft Jaydon Blue In Fifth Round
Jordan Watkins

49ers Add Jordan Watkins To Offense
Shedeur Sanders

Browns Trade Up To Select Shedeur Sanders In The Fifth Round
Sam Howell

Seahawks Trade Sam Howell To Vikings
Elic Ayomanor

Titans Continue To Address Offense, Select Elic Ayomanor
Jalen Royals

Chiefs Bolster Receiver Room With Jalen Royals
Jaylin Lane

Commanders Add Jaylin Lane To Wide Receiver Room
Dylan Sampson

Browns Select Dylan Sampson With 126th Pick
Gunnar Helm

Titans Use Fourth-Round Pick On Gunnar Helm
Jarquez Hunter

Rams Select Jarquez Hunter In Fourth Round
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Jrue Holiday

Classified As "Day-To-Day"
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF