The rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for that day. The ordering is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.
The DraftKings Go Bowling 250 NASCAR slate locks at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
1. Justin Allgaier ($9,700) — Not only did he sweep the Richmond doubleheader last season, but he led 213 laps. The only person standing in the way of his third straight Richmond win is the boss man, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Ty Gibbs ($11,200) — Chris Gayle is the crew chief for the No. 54 JGR Toyota. When Erik Jones got fired, Gayle got demoted. He was not pleased, but he swallowed his pride and vowed to destroy the Xfinity competition. Gibbs has never raced at Richmond before, but he’ll have a fast hot rod on Saturday.
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr ($12,000) — Is he racing because he loves it or is it to please his Jr Motorsports sponsors? Let’s pretend the former and root for the Hall of Famer. Against this field of less-than-quality drivers, Junior could win.
4. Austin Cindric ($10,300) — The pole position will give Cindric a great opportunity to score fantasy points, but it won’t be long before Allgaier is nipping at his heels. Cindric was disappointing at Richmond last season, but he was conservatively racing for the season championship bonus points.
5. Riley Herbst ($7,900) — At New Hampshire, Herbst was involved in an earlier race wreck on a restart. His car was not in good shape and Herbst is not the most talented driver in the series, but he was somehow able to battle his way to a 10th place finish.
6. Justin Haley ($8,100) — Allgaier was the car to beat at Richmond last season, but the Kauling Racing cars were fast. Haley could not quite match Allgaier’s long run speed, but he looked very comfortable at the short track. He could earn his first non-plate track win this weekend.
7. Noah Gragson ($8,700) — Bad luck cost Gragson the first Darlington race and several others too. Last week, luck swung in his favor and he earned his first win of the season. A Gragson heater could be on the horizon.
8. Harrison Burton ($8,900) — In the Truck Series, Burton was a consistent top-10 driver, but he was not a winner. He has been the same driver in the Xfinity Series. There is nothing wrong with top-10 finishes, unless you’re driving JGR equipment.
9. Myatt Snider ($7,200) — The last short, flat track race was at New Hampshire and Snider finished seventh. He struggled at Richmond last season, but he was in the No. 93 car for those races.
10. John Hunter Nemechek ($10,700) — In his first race in the Sam Hunt No. 26 car, Nemechek wrecked at Dover. This car has earned top-15 finishes with lesser drivers, so Nemechek could finish inside the top 10, if he’s patient.
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11. Josh Berry ($11,600) — The Jordan Anderson car may be done. The No. 31 car earned five top-15 finishes in its first six races. Since then, it has one top-15 finish in eight races with an average finish of 25th.
12. Daniel Hemric ($10,000) — At New Hampshire, Hemric revealed that he has struggled at short tracks in the Xfinity Series. He’s a winless driver, so that’s not surprising, but it’s shocking to hear Hermic — a notable grass roots short track racer — admit as much.
13. Ty Dillon ($8,300) — The story is not over yet. Dillon was disappointing in his opportunity with the No. 54 JGR Toyota, but he’s been given a second chance. The Our Motorsports No. 02 car isn’t quite the same, but it’s a top-10 car and Dillon finished 13th in it last weekend with zero preparation.
14. AJ Allmendinger ($9,100) — Short, flat tracks share some similarities with road course racing, but short tracks also share similarities with short tracks. Road racers have a little bit of an edge this weekend, but short track racers have an enormous advantage.
15. Michael Annett ($7,100) — His salary is low enough that he is in play on Saturday afternoon. Annett has earned a top-10 finish in three consecutive Richmond races. He finished 13th in 2019 and 14th in 2018 against much stiffer competition.
16. Brandon Jones ($9,400) — At the tracks where Jones has been successful, he still manages to struggle. At Richmond, he has always struggled and he will continue to struggle no matter what rocket ship Joe Gibbs gives him.
17. Sam Mayer ($8,500) — Some of his poor results are due to bad luck and some are due to bad driving. Most DFS players are down on Mayer, but those same players were excited about Mayer the previous two seasons in the Truck Series, so which is it?
18. Jeb Burton ($7,600) — It’s extremely unlikely that Burton is in the winning lineup based on his price and starting position, but a top-3 finish isn’t out of the question. The Kaulig Racing cars were great at Richmond last season and Burton finished second in the Jr Motorsports No. 8 car at Richmond.
19. J.J. Yeley ($7,400) — The Rick Ware No. 17 car has not been very consistent this season, but that’s not surprising given the revolving door of drivers jumping behind the wheel. Perhaps more surprising is that Yeley has been uncharacteristically inconsistent in his Xfinity Series races this season.
20. Brandon Brown ($6,900) — Over the last four races his average finish is 34th. This team needs to forget about making the playoffs and just put together a good race. His seven top 10s this season are the most by Brown in a single season, and there are still nine races left.
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