RADIO
We've got the rare Sunday Xfinity race this week at Pocono Raceway, as the series will be the warmup act for the second of two Cup Series races at the track.
Because this race is the same day as the Cup Series race, we're looking at a fun field of drivers. Ty Gibbs. Sam Mayer's Xfinity debut. Another race for Austin Hill. Lots of cool storylines!
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 Pocono Green 225 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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Austin Cindric #22 ($11,000)
Starting 13th
The two highest-priced drivers in this race start just outside the top 10. That leaves some room for place differential points while also still seeing them start close enough to the front for us to assume that one of those drivers gets up front and leads some laps.
But which will it be?
Let's make the case for Cindric.
First, he has Xfinity experience here, racing three times at the track. He was fourth in 2018 and seventh in 2019 before he crashed out of last year's race, finishing 29th. But Cindric led 11 laps last year despite starting ninth, showing that he can move through the field here.
Cindric also has three wins already this season, plus 11 top 10s. He's the best driver in the Xfinity Series and a favorite to win.
Ty Gibbs #54 ($10,800)
Starting 14th
Now, the Gibbs case. He's $200 cheaper and has one more place differential position available than Cindric, but other than that, the drivers are in similar spots.
Gibbs is in the 54 car, which has been dominant this season. Gibbs has won twice in it and has six top fives in his seven races. Kyle Busch has also piloted the car to three wins. Joe Gibbs Racing is really, really good in Xfinity.
Now, the place Gibbs is at a disadvantage is that he doesn't have Xfinity laps here.
What he does have is ARCA experience here! Last season, he won here, leading 65 of the 80 laps. Sure, the level of competition there is nothing like Xfinity, but Gibbs hasn't really had any trouble adjusting to Xfinity this season. He's a strong contender to win.
A.J. Allmendinger #16 ($9,500)
Starting 3rd
Let's look at someone who I think could go a little overlooked this week but has the potential to get out front early and lead some laps.
There's always been a lot of talk about Pocono being the original roval -- each of the three turns is different, so a lot of the skills that make a good road racer makes for a good Pocono racer. And hey, who's better at road racing in Xfinity than A.J. Allmendinger?
Now, Allmendinger's Cup Series results here might suggest that he isn't going to find success here, as he has two top 10s in 22 races, with an average finish of 22.9. But a lot of Allmendinger's Cup numbers are mediocre because of the cars he was running. We haven't seen him pilot an Xfinity car here, but he's been driving really well this season, with 10 top 10s in 15 races. He's showing that he can find success at all track types, so I'll take the bet on him finding success at a place like Pocono.
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Brett Moffitt #02 ($6,700)
Starting 17th
Alright, we looked at some high-priced drivers. Now for some more affordable plays.
We start with Brett Moffitt. The owner of five top 10s this season, Moffitthas hit a rough spot lately, with a 31st at Mid-Ohio because of a fuel pump issue, plus a 23rd last week at Nashville.
But Moffitt also has had some strong showings sprinkled in. Eight at Texas. Five consecutive top 20s earlier in the season. There's not a ton of upside here, but there's enough for me to use Moffitt in some GPPs, because I think he'll go a little overlooked.
Let's also not forget he finished seventh here last year, though! Maybe there's some more upside than his 2021 results suggest!
Landon Cassill #4 ($6,100)
Starting 23rd
While I might have liked to see Cassill start a little deeper in the field, I can't ignore a driver whose worst non-DNF finish is 25th.
Cassill has been a solid driver all season, very often running in the top 20 and completing 96.8 percent of the laps run.
He should gain five to eight spots by the end of the race provided he doesn't crash out. He's never raced here in Xfinity, but he has 19 starts in Cup here and considering the equipment he runs, he had some decent showings. He put a Joe Falk car in 14th here once, for example. He finished 28th here for StarCom in 2019. Cassill knows his way around this track, even if the results were never great.
Jade Buford #48 ($5,900)
Starting 29th
This might be my favorite play of the week.
Buford finished 33rd last week after crashing. But before that, he put this 48 in the top 20 four races in a row. In fact, when Buford stays out of trouble, there's an extremely good chance he winds up with a top 20.
With a 29th place starting spot and a salary of just $5,900, Buford has a ton of upside this week. His recent results suggest to me that his salary should be at least a bit higher, but hey -- I'll take it.
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