RADIO
Last year, many fantasy and DFS players took to NASCAR for the first time, as the sport returned when not many other leagues were active yet. There always will be those who are starting to give NASCAR Cup Racing a new chance, as they either look to expand their fantasy or DFS options, are diving into the sport for the first time, or both. When you have major celebrities such as Michael Jordan getting more involved in NASCAR, some newcomers are naturally expected to tune in or start engaging with the sport.
You may also be an experienced player who is looking to build your bankroll or win more often. The DFS NASCAR space has become much more competitive seemingly every season since it was first introduced just over a half-decade ago.
No matter your level of expertise, these tips for success can help you gain advantages over the opposition, whether it be in tournaments or cash games.
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Tips for DFS NASCAR Success
Diversification is Essential: The less lineups you build, the lower your chances to cash. This is more true in DFS NASCAR than some other sports. If you only build one or two lineups, then a singular mishap can end your day. If one driver wrecks, has a tire issue, or a problem in the pits, your lineup will be doomed. Building several lineups naturally increases your chances for success, and also makes you less vulnerable to failures. This is especially true at superspeedways such as Daytona or Talladega, where there can be large wrecks that can wipe out many drivers at once.
Vary your lineup building approaches: I tend to take different approaches to lineup building when constructing the multiple lineups. One type of lineup may be front-loaded with two of the highest priced drivers for the week’s track and I simply build around them as best as possible. A second type of lineup may be more balanced, where I don’t spend too heavily at the top or slip too low into bargain territory. My third type of lineup will simply try to fit in the most ideal drivers I can without worrying how much money I might leave on the table, etc.. It’s more about trying to build the “perfect” lineup for the day. I will then repeat this exercise multiple times as I diversify lineups.
Keep usage notes: I usually would leave a Google Sheet or Word Doc open as I build my lineups for the day, marking down how many times I use a certain driver. This will help me to balance my multiple lineups and usage of drivers, and avoid some overexposure to drivers I may be less apt to depend on for the week, but without totally leaving them out.
Optimizing as a partner tool: I like to build a combination of my own lineups and ones generated by the Lineup Optimizer in the RotoBaller Season Pass. I may even throw in a lineup or two that is completely produced by the Optimizer. If you are not experienced enough to input your own preferred drivers into the Optimizer, you can input the best of our picks from the RotoBaller site every week.
Tiering your targets: Of course, you are familiar with tiers from other fantasy sports, and every week six-time DFS NASCAR tournament winner Sean Engel shares his driver ranks by tier on RotoBaller’s NASCAR page. Picking an anchor driver from every tier is a great framework to build a lineup. If you are savvy enough, you can certainly build your own tiers, or as an ideal approach, combine your tiers with ours.
Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?
Like what you're reading? You can show your support for Scott by using promo code KING when purchasing a NASCAR Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium NASCAR articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!
Make a Research Station stop: In our Season Pass, the DFS NASCAR Research Station is the ultimate deluxe guide to advanced statistics and Loop Data stats. We feature recent long term and full historical stats in a wide multitude of categories. Reviewing the stats carefully will reveal certain driver trends or projections that can shape your lineup building or help you discover some nuggets you may have not otherwise considered.
Don’t avoid the Chalk: If a certain driver is projected to be widely rostered for the week, don’t avoid using him. A dominant driver can be the most important key to cashing in big. You can still set your lineups apart by anchoring with the one best pick and varying how you build around that driver. Use your other lineup spots for pivoting. Also take a similar approach to strong value plays.
Punt plays don’t apply: In other DFS sports, you will often look for a punt play to save you a nice amount of salary room. In DFS NASCAR, though, you usually want to avoid the drivers at the very bottom of the pricing ladders. For the most part, they won’t move very much from the back of the pack and will often be more likely to not to finish a race. As an example, any drivers on DraftKings below $6000 or so should usually be avoided, with some occasional exceptions. The very lowest priced drivers should not be used at all.
Your contrarian squad: To set yourself apart from the rest of the field, it is often fun, and sometimes productive to build a completely contrarian lineup. Or, you can also do a few contrarian builds and vary them. Some of these unusual or against the herd type of builds can yield some surprising results.
Pay attention to pre-race events: Practice sessions are very important. The final sessions can often give you a good picture of who may run well in the actual Cup event of the week. Make sure you also review the 10 Consecutive Lap Averages as well as the final overall results. Watching the sessions themselves only helps your preparation if you have the time.
Consider overall and recent history: Past and recent results should be combined to identify the best lineup choices every week. Overall driver history stats are one starting point, then you can review driver results over the past few years. Two to three year windows are usually the best ranges to consider. Then you must also consider recent in-season momentum, which can sometimes override historical data if a driver is in a groove at some point of his season.
Keeping it simple: Don’t get overwhelmed by all the recommendations here if you are newer to DFS NASCAR or your prep time is more limited. We do a lot of the work for you with our weekly rankings , strategy tips and tools. Just set aside some time to read and review our award and tournament winning content every week and you’ll be on the road to DFS Victory Lane. Step up to our Premium Season Pass and tell them “The King” sent you by using promo code KING at checkout for an additional discount.
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The Keys to Weekly NASCAR DFS Success
NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win big with RotoBaller! Our DFS NASCAR Premium Package features several heavy hitters and proven winners.Sean Engel recently won his 7th career DFS tournament, and had the top lineup in seven contests and 10 top-two finishes. Be sure to use his weekly NASCAR DFS rankings and DFS lineup picks, updated regularly.
Three-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team.
