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On Saturday, we get the first double-header of the year, with both Truck Series and Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Xfinity has been fun this year. Five races, with four winners, none of them Cup Series drivers. Let's see if the fun continues this week at Atlanta, plus if Noah Gragson can get moving in the right direction. Or, will Martin Truex Jr. -- starting 18th in the 54 car -- spoil the fun?
Here at RotoBaller, we want to help you make informed decisions about your DFS lineups, which is why I'll be breaking down the slates for the Xfinity Series. Let's look at some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the EchoPark 250 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Xfinity Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station.
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Xfinity DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings
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Noah Gragson #9 ($11,500) - Starting 30th
2021 has been terrible for Noah Gragson. Through five races, Gragson is 19th in points. He was fifth in the points last season.
Gragson is bound to not have mechanical issues or get into accidents at some point. He finished second in this race last season, leading six laps. He was a really fast JR Motorsports car. He should move through the field quickly. And at some point, this string of bad luck has to stop. Crashing from the lead when the car in front of you has a tire blowout isn't a driver error. Gragson's not necessarily doing anything wrong, which is another reason I'm bullish on him this week and going forward.
Martin Truex Jr. #54 ($11,300) - Starting 18th
Truex doesn't run a lot of Xfinity races. The two-time series champion last ran an Xfinity race way back in 2010. He hasn't won a race since 2006.
But we're talking about a Cup Series champion. A driver who has never won at Atlanta in Cup but who has six consecutive top 10s here, including three top fives in a row. Despite the lack of a victory, this is a good track for Truex, and he's driving the 54 that Ty Gibbs has run exceptionally well in this season.
Truex offers some nice place differential upside and he does it at a price point that feels like a mistake. If Kyle Busch was in this car, it would be two or three thousand more, right? Look for Truex to get up front quickly, lead some laps, and contend for the race victory.
Ryan Sieg #39 ($9,400) - Starting 35th
Sieg has had a disappointing start to the season, but I still believe in this 39 car, which finished 10th in points last season.
Sieg has only been running at the finish in two of five races this year. If we take the 27th-place road course out of the equation, the best analogous race for Sieg is Homestead, when he didn't get into trouble and finished eighth.
This is still a top-15 car. The place differential opportunity here is huge, and you should definitely be in on Sieg this week. A good price. Some really nice upside. Play Sieg.
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Alex Labbe #36 ($7,300) - Starting 36th
Labbe is a lot like Sieg in that both drivers have had rough starts and aren't running as well as they should be. The difference is that Sieg has higher upside, as Labbe was 14th in points last year.
Like Sieg, Labbe has only been running at the finish twice this year. He was 15th at Homestead, which is probably close to his ceiling most weeks, with Labbe probably being more like an 18th-place car. But hey, that's still good for DFS when he starts 36th! I'm not as sold on a Labbe turnaround as I am with Gragson and Sieg, but I do think for now, he's worth a spot in your lineup.
David Starr #61 ($5,900) - Starting 38th
Starr has three top-30 finishes this week, including a 28th-place run in this 61 car last week. Hattori isn't as good in Xfinity as they are in Trucks, but of the teams that usually finish near the back, this is one of the better ones.
I don't love playing David Starr because more often than not, his results are disappointing. But starting 38th offers some nice place differential upside if he can get this car to 25th or so. Not an exciting play, but Starr is someone who can give you some decent points.
Cody Ware #17 ($4,500) - Starting 28th
Alright, this is a scary play, but you have to take some risks if you want to play Gragson and Truex, which I think might be the right play this week.
This 17 car has run well this year with J.J. Yeley piloting it. Ware ran the first two races, crashing at Daytona then finishing 25th at the Daytona road course. Since then, Garrett Smithley had a 24th in it and then Yeley has an average finish of 12.5 in two races.
At this rock-bottom price, you almost have to bet on this Rick Ware car being a top 20 car that's just had bad luck when someone other than Yeley was driving it.
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