DFS Shopping List
Setting the most effective daily fantasy lineups each week means identifying the best drivers at several different price points. Just like shopping for groceries on a budget means identifying the best foods at the right prices.
The following represent some of the best drivers to roster at their given salaries for the race. Fantasy points for NASCAR come by way of leading laps, turning fast laps, and gaining or losing positions during the race. All three of these drivers have the potential to score you points in at least one, if not all of these categories.
This week, drivers take on the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600 from the Charlotte Motor Speedway. There are 400 laps in this race which means there are plenty of fantasy points to go around. Here are some drivers you will want in your lineup.
Spend It:
#19 Martin Truex Jr. – $9,900; Starting Position 18th
It may seem tough to justify spending this much on a driver starting mid-pack. However, Martin Truex Jr. is no stranger to finding his way to the front despite a deep start on this track. In the Fall of 2017, turned a 17th place start position into a checkered flag. Two seasons later, he rolled off the grid from 14th place en route to a second victory in Charlotte.
Overall, Truex has 13 top 10 finishes in his 31 career starts here. Nine of those have come in his last 12 races on this track. Also adding to his DFS value is his 1,059 laps led in those races. He trails only Kyle Busch in laps led at Charlotte by active drivers.
Truex currently leads all drivers with 44.3 fantasy points per race this season. His largest output of the year came at Dover where he racked up 93 points. In the Wurth 400, the No. 19 Toyota started 17th and ended the day winning the race. Along the way he led 68 laps while turning 33 of the fastest laps.
Save Some Scratch:
#84 Jimmie Johnson – $6,900; Starting Position 37th
This is no doubt a risky play given Jimmie Johnson has failed to finish either race he has appeared in this season. His return to NASCAR at the Daytona 500 was cut short by accident with just over 100 laps in the race. His second attempt lasted just a handful of turns into the Circuit of the Americas road race before a dust up with Ty Dillon ended his day.
However, as the pilot of the No. 48 Chevy, Johnson has won eight races in his former team’s backyard. No other driver, past or present, has more than six. He also sits second on the all-time list of lap leaders at Charlotte with 1,936 circuits at the front of the pack here.
The seven-time Cup Series champion will start dead last on Monday. This gives him tremendous upside by way of place differential points should he remember how to get around this track. Even in sub-par equipment, trusting that Johnson can find his way to a solid finish here is never a bad idea.
Pinching Pennies Punt Play:
#38 Zane Smith – $5,400; Starting Position 29th
All you are hoping for out of Zane Smith this week is to not lose you points. The truck series regular is running a limited Cup schedule in the Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang. So far through four starts, he is averaging 21.7 fantasy points per race. His best outing came at the Daytona 500 where he managed to finish the day with 37 points.
His last two outings have yielded just six points apiece, which does not seem promising. However, given the length of this race, Smith stands to benefit should this turn into a race of attrition near the front
