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Welcome to RotoBaller's Tiered Rankings for the seventh race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. For those that are viewing these rankings for the first time, here is how the sheet works.
There are two sets of DFS tiered rankings featured below, with one set of rankings focused on DraftKings DFS contests while the other is focused on FanDuel. Every driver that will officially be starting in this week's race will be listed in a particular tier based on their salary for each site. The tiers feature drivers that have similar price ranges and are ranked based on their final outlook, which is determined by a combination of a driver's expected performance for this week's race as well as their salary.
These ranks will help you make tough lineup calls, telling you which drivers must be started over others in each tier. DFS players from any skill level can use these rankings in order to create a lineup that will cash out.
Bristol's dirt track is one of a few new courses to the Cup Series in 2021 and as a result, there is no history or loop data to rely on for the rankings this week. This means that this week's race will be one of the most unpredictable of the 2021 season. The rankings for the Food City Dirt Race will instead be based on results from practice sessions at Bristol as well as the number of experience drivers have at dirt tracks from lower series and outside of NASCAR. DFS players must create as many lineups using different driver combinations to maximize the chances of cashing out for this weekend's race. This is due to the increased chances of crashes occurring due to the track's short size as well as increased tire wear that may lead to racers having a flat tire. Good luck RotoBallers!
Premium Tiered Rankings - NASCAR DFS
Normally, you can expect these rankings to be published on Thursdays or Fridays for every week that there is a Cup Series race, depending on the schedule of pre-race events. These rankings will also be updated as pre-race events progress throughout the week when applicable and also will include an analysis of each tier of drivers at the conclusion of all pre-race events.
* = This driver will be starting from the rear in this week's race
DraftKings Rankings Analysis
DraftKings Tier 1: The four drivers in this tier are all great choices to build lineups around for Bristol this week. All four drivers here come from dirt racing backgrounds in other series while everyone but Ricky Stenhouse Jr. participated in Truck Series races at Eldora previously. Tyler Reddick ranks highest in this tier due to the most Place Differential upside in this tier from his starting position (27th). Reddick also had the third-best 10 Consecutive Lap Average in final practice earlier this week. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are both former Truck Series winners at Eldora who were both solid throughout both practices at Bristol. Although Bell offers more PD upside from his start position (15th), Larson had the best 10 Consecutive Lap Average in both practices.
DraftKings Tier 2: Three strong DFS plays for Bristol in this tier are Chase Briscoe, Stewart Friesen, & Austin Dillon. All three drivers have extensive dirt racing backgrounds and experienced success in dirt series outside of NASCAR. Briscoe and Friesen are also former Truck Series winners at Eldora Speedway and have plenty of PD upside from their start positions (25th and 32nd, respectively). Dillon won the inaugural Truck Series race at Eldora in 2013 and has four finishes of 12th or better this season so far.
DraftKings Tier 3: Chase Elliott is the top pick here for the Food City Dirt Race. Elliott provides the most PD upside based on his start position (26th) and he participated in notable dirt events in the past including this past year’s Chili Bowl. Bubba Wallace is another driver to consider for lineups from this tier. Wallace is a former winner at Eldora Speedway in 2014 where he also led 97 laps. The driver of the No. 23 Toyota will also start 19th, presenting adequate PD upside.
DraftKings Tier 4: Several drivers from this tier make for terrific DFS picks at Bristol this week. Alex Bowman is one of the more experienced drivers in the field at dirt tracks due to his Midget & ARCA car experience before NASCAR. Bowman was also fastest in first practice and second in final practice at Bristol earlier this week. Kurt Busch has plenty of PD upside from his start position (28th) and has displayed dirt experience by racing in the “Prelude to the Dream” dirt events at Eldora Speedway back in 2012. Ryan Newman has extensive dirt track experience from driving USAC midgets and Silver Crown cars before joining NASCAR. Newman also placed third in a Truck Series race at Eldora in 2013 and should compete for a top-10 at Bristol this week. The next three drivers, Chris Windom, Ty Dillon, and Shane Golobic all have plenty of experience from dirt racing outside of the Cup Series. They all start 35th or further back so the PD upside is great for all three to be considered acceptable lineup choices for Bristol.
DraftKings Tier 5: Unlike most drivers here, Erik Jones has experience racing at dirt tracks in the Truck Series at Eldora Speedway. Jones led 29 laps in his first race at Eldora and placed fourth in his last start at the site in 2015. The driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet starts 24th at Bristol this weekend, putting forward a fair amount of PD upside. Ryan Preece was 17th in both practices at Bristol and starts 22nd at the site for the upcoming race. The driver of the No. 37 Chevrolet is also having his best season to date with three finishes of 21st or better.
DraftKings Tier 6: If you need the cap flexibility, there are a few drivers here that can be considered for lineups. Ross Chastain leads this tier as a driver that was 18th in first practice and 16th in final practice. Although he is a driver that will not put forward much PD upside, he is a driver that will finish around his starting position and avoid harming lineups. Corey LaJoie is the next driver to think about here as his start position (30th) yields adequate PD upside. LaJoie was 16th in first practice while his 10 Consecutive Lap Average was 21st in final practice. Daniel Suarez was ranked 11th in final practice and he starts 18th this week. Suarez is a driver that has a small amount of PD upside and based on his final practice speed, he will compete for a top-15 finish. Front Row Motorsports teammates Michael McDowell and Anthony Alfredo are the last two drivers to recommend here. Alfredo starts 29th, supplying more PD upside than McDowell who starts 16th, but McDowell has been faster in Bristol practices earlier this week. McDowell was eighth in final practice while Alfredo was ranked 18th. Expect McDowell to compete for a top-15 position while Alfredo will compete for a top-25 finish.
FanDuel Rankings Analysis
FanDuel Tier 1: The first three drivers in this tier are all great choices to build lineups around for Bristol this week. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are both former Truck Series winners at Eldora who were both solid throughout both practices at Bristol. They also are two of the most experienced drivers at dirt tracks in the Cup Series. Although Bell offers more PD upside from his start position (15th), Larson had the best 10 Consecutive Lap Average in both practices. Chase Elliott provides the most PD upside here based on his start position (26th) and he participated in notable dirt events in the past including this past year’s Chili Bowl.
FanDuel Tier 2: Austin Dillon is the prime pick from this tier for Bristol. Dillon won the inaugural Truck Series race at Eldora in 2013 and has four finishes of 12th or better this season so far. He also has an extensive dirt racing background by racing dirt Midgets prior to joining NASCAR. The other three drivers here do not have a lot of dirt racing experience and have low PD upside from starting in the Top 10. Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin both rank in the Top 10 of all drivers for 10 Consecutive Lap Averages in both practices, but Dillon is still the preferred pick due to his dirt experience.
FanDuel Tier 3: Each of the first five drivers are great DFS options for Bristol this week. Chase Briscoe, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Stewart Friesen have extensive dirt racing backgrounds and experienced success in dirt series outside of NASCAR. Briscoe and Friesen are also former Truck Series winners at Eldora Speedway and have plenty of PD upside from their start positions (25th and 32nd, respectively). Stenhouse has placed 13th or better in the last four races this season and will start 13th at Bristol. He will finish around his starting position with a chance at a top-10 finish based on his dirt experience. Bubba Wallace is another driver to consider for lineups from this tier. Wallace is a former winner at Eldora Speedway in 2014 where he also led 97 laps. The driver of the No. 23 Toyota will also start 19th, presenting adequate PD upside. Alex Bowman is one of the more experienced drivers in the field at dirt tracks due to his Midget & ARCA car experience before NASCAR. Bowman was also fastest in first practice and second in final practice at Bristol earlier this week.
FanDuel Tier 4: Tyler Reddick is one of the best overall picks for FanDuel lineups. Reddick ranks highest in this tier due to his high PDl upside in this tier from his starting position (27th). Reddick also had the third-best 10 Consecutive Lap Average in final practice earlier this week. Kurt Busch is the next driver to keep in mind here for Bristol. He has plenty of PD upside from his start position (28th) and displayed dirt experience by racing in the “Prelude to the Dream” dirt events at Eldora Speedway back in 2012. Chris Windom is the last driver DFS players should ponder from this tier. Windom is a notable dirt-track specialist with plenty of experience in Sprint cars, Midget cars, and silver crown events. The starting position for Windom is 36th, meaning he has more significant upside than most racers in the field.
FanDuel Tier 5: Leading this tier is Roush-Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman. Newman has extensive dirt track experience from driving USAC midgets and Silver Crown cars before joining NASCAR. He also placed third in a Truck Series race at Eldora in 2013 and should compete for a top-10 at Bristol based on dirt experience this week. Shane Golobic and Erik Jones are other choices to use for Bristol. Golobic is a dirt-track specialist that competes in Sprint and Midget cars. Golobic will start 35th and his 10 Consecutive Lap Average in final practice was 28th. The driver of the No. 78 Ford will score PD and compete for a top-30 finish based on experience and his final practice speed. Jones has experience racing at dirt tracks in the Truck Series at Eldora Speedway. Jones led 29 laps in his first race at Eldora and placed fourth in his last start at the site in 2015. The driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet starts 24th at Bristol this weekend, putting forward a fair amount of PD upside.
FanDuel Tier 6: Similar to DraftKings, there are some drivers here that can be used if cap flexibility is needed for lineups. Ty Dillon is a top bargain with plenty of dirt experience from racing USAC midgets before joining NASCAR. Dillon starts in the last position this week (39th), delivering more upside than everyone else while he was 31st in final practice. Mike Marlar is a dirt-track specialist that also is a World of Outlaws late model champion making his Cup Series debut at Bristol. Marlar was 35th in final practice and will start 38th at BMS. Look for the driver of the No. 66 Toyota to gain PD and finish in the Top 35 based on experience and his final practice speed. Ryan Preece is one last driver for this week to consider. He was 17th in both practices at Bristol and starts 22nd at the site for the upcoming race. The driver of the No. 37 Chevrolet is also having his best season to date with three finishes of 21st or better.
