The rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for Saturday. The ordering is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.
The DraftKings NASCAR Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona slate locks at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $125K Piston [$25K to 1st] (XFIN)
1. Justin Haley ($10,300) — All “Haley” the king of Xfinity Series restrictor plate racing. Haley put Kaulig Racing on the map with four plate-track wins in his short time in this series. He also has a win at Daytona in the Cup Series and a runner-up finish in the Truck Series.
2. Austin Hill ($10,500) — In his rookie season, he won two Xfinity Series plate-track races (Daytona and Atlanta). He also earned a second-place finish at Atlanta, and he won at Daytona in the Truck Series (2019).
3. Cole Custer ($9,800) — This will be one of the few weeks where Cole Custer isn’t a heavy favorite. We’ve seen this before. A fully supported SHR car in the Xfinity Series is a threat to win double-digit races (Cole Custer in 2019 and Chase Briscoe in 2020). Although he won’t be a heavy favorite at Daytona, he’ll still be a favorite.
4. Justin Allgaier ($9,600) — Xfinity Series drivers come and go. Some go on to bigger things. Others fade into oblivion. Allgaier is still here. He still has sponsorship support and the backing of a major team. If he dodges the wrecks, he’ll be a contender on the final lap.
5. John Hunter Nemechek ($10,100) — The John Hunter Nemechek resurrection story enters act two. After a successful Truck Series run with KBM, JHN now gets his best shot ever. He wanted this ride in 2022, but Gibbs passed. Nemechek patiently waited, and now he’s got his shot. Expect him to race like each one is his last.
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6. Josh Berry ($9,100) — This could be his year. JRM is loaded with talent and they are well funded. Better yet, Noah Gragson graduated to the Cup Series. Ty Gibbs exited as well. Berry finished 11th or better in three of six plate races in 2022.
7. Sheldon Creed ($9,400) — His Xfinity Series rookie season was rough, but it was very similar to his rookie season in the Truck Series. Creed was fast but too aggressive. In Creed’s second season as a Truck Series driver, he won the championship.
8. Brandon Jones ($9,300) — Development isn’t always linear. Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step backwards. Jones’ growth has been slow, but there has been growth. Jr Motorsports will be his third stint with a major team (formerly with RCR and JGR). Maybe the third time's the charm.
9. Sam Mayer ($8,600) — The young Jr Motorsports driver lacks plate-track experience but that’s a good thing. Experience means a driver is stuck in the lower series. Mayer doesn’t have a lot of super-speedway races under his belt, but he finished second in his last one (Talladega fall 2022).
10. Daniel Hemric ($8,700) — If Daytona is about luck, then Hemric might not be the guy. He’s not jinxed, but with only one win in over 200 NASCAR races, he’s definitely not lucky.
11. Chandler Smith ($8,400) — He’s more of a short-track guy, or even an intermediate-track guy, but everyone is a plate-track guy. Everyone is a plate-track guy when they race for Kaulig Racing.
12. Parker Kligerman ($9,000) — Plate racing is about luck, but it’s also a thinking man’s game. It’s not so much about equipment or driver skill. It’s about knowing when to go. When to hold them and when to fold them. Kligerman is a cerebral racer.
13. Jeffrey Earnhardt ($6,800) — His grandfather wasn’t going back to that mill, and Jeff won’t hang up the helmet. His ride with Alpha Prime (Tommy Joe Martins) is another opportunity for Earnhardt to make a name for himself. It will likely turn out like the others, but if there is a race where an Earnhardt can magically return to victory lane, it’s Daytona.
14. Myatt Snider ($7,700) — Once again, Snider is racing part time trying to prove his worth. It has not gone well for him in the past. At one point, the son of NBC NASCAR broadcaster Marty Snider, went to Europe to prove he had the chops. He did not. This is a great opportunity with JGR, but a Daytona win — something he is capable of — doesn’t mean much in terms of future rides.
15. Timmy Hill ($5,000) — Carl Long cars are slugs, but they can get down in a plate race. In Hill’s 12 races at Daytona, his average finish is 13th and his worst finish is 23rd. He has five top-10 finishes in those nine races (second, third, ninth and seventh twice).
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NXS $125K Piston [$25K to 1st] (XFIN)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.