The DFS NASCAR rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings Fantasy NASCAR salaries. The order is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the DFS value of each driver.
The DraftKings NASCAR Cup Series NOCO 400 at Martinsville slate locks at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $350K ENGINEER [$100K TO 1ST] (CUP)
1. William Byron ($10,800) — After two races in the 2023 short-tack package, it’s become clear that Byron and Kyle Larson are the two best drivers. Byron recorded the second-quickest lap times at Phoenix and won the race. He had the fastest lap times at Richmond but got wrecked while battling for the win in a late-race restart.
2. Kyle Larson ($10,600) — Short, flat tracks were Larson’s final weakness. They’re no longer a weakness. He won the 2021 championship at Phoenix. He nearly won at Martinsville last fall. He did win at Richmond two weeks ago and probably should have won at Phoenix earlier this season.
3. Kevin Harvick ($8,400) — If it wasn’t for a late-race caution, Harvick would have won at Phoenix. His lap times ranked third at Phoenix and sixth at Richmond. Only Larson, Byron and Bell have been faster.
4. Christopher Bell ($10,500) — Calling Bell a short-track expert downplays how good he is at road courses, intermediate tracks and of course dirt tracks. He’s a racer, plain and simple. However, he truly is a remarkable short-track racer and that cannot be emphasized enough. He won the last race at Martinsville.
5. Denny Hamlin ($10,100) — He did not win the last race at Martinsville, but he led the most laps (204). Hamlin has been a half of a step behind Byron and Larson this season, but he’s close and Martinsville is one of his best tracks.
For NASCAR insight and quick DFS help, follow Pearce Dietrich (@Race4thePrize) on Twitter.
6. Ross Chastain ($8,800) — The garage has never respected Chastain. They might not like him, but that does not change the fact that he’s fast. Fans do not respect Chastain either. It’s time to sing a new tune. Chastain was the third-fastest driver at Richmond. He almost won a Truck Series race at Martinsville in 2019, but lost to the King of Trucks — Kyle Busch.
7. Kyle Busch ($9,700) — It’s been a long time since Busch won at Martinsville. It’s also been a long time since NASCAR raced low-downforce cars at Martinsville. In the low-downforce packages at Martinsville from 2017 to 2018, he earned a win, two runner-up finishes and a fourth-place finish.
8. Joey Logano ($9,900) — He last won at Martinsville in the fall of 2018 on the way to his surprise championship. In the last six races at The Paperclip, Logano has a top-5 DFS score in three races.
9. Chase Elliott ($9,300) — Josh Berry earned a top-10 finish at Phoenix and Richmond. He finished second at Richmond. Berry caught some lucky breaks, but the No. 9 Hendrick Chevy, just like the other Hendrick Chevys, had a lot of speed in those races.
10. Martin Truex Jr ($10,300) — At Richmond, Truex had the fourth-fastest car. He’s one of the best short-track racers in the Cup Series. The JGR Toyotas are inching closer to the Hendrick Chevys in the new low-downforce package.
11. Ryan Blaney ($9,500) — In the last 12 Martinsville races, Blaney has finished 11th or better 11 times. He has seven top-5 finishes over that span, but he is yet to win at the short, flat track in Virginia.
12. Brad Keselowski ($7,700) — From 2017 to 2020, he earned a top-10 finish in all eight Martinsville races with an average finish of 3.6 (seven top-5 finishes). He’s no longer with Penske but the RFK Fords are starting to show a lot of speed. BK had top-10 speed at Phoenix and Richmond.
13. Alex Bowman ($8,200) — The Hendrick No. 48 Chevy won at Martinsville in the fall of 2021. Bowman’s lap times ranked 11th at Phoenix and seventh at Richmond. He may not win, but a top-5 finish could work at his price.
14. Aric Almirola ($10,900) — After wrecking out at Phoenix, Almirola was disappointed because he believed his car had top-5 speed. His lap times ranked 15th at Richmond. Over the last five Martinsville races, his average finish is 13th.
15. Corey Lajoie ($5,000) — Why is Lajoie one of the cheapest drivers on the board? Martinsville has been one of his best tracks. He has finished 22nd or better in four of the last seven Martinsville races.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $350K ENGINEER [$100K TO 1ST] (CUP)
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
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.