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The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Bristol on Thursday night for the start of the Round of 8 of the Truck Series playoffs. Just four races remain in the Truck Series this season, with eight drivers still alive in the title race.
Last week at Kansas, John Hunter Nemechek won his second race of the season, while Carson Hocevar and Matt Crafton were eliminated from championship contention.
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 Truck Series. Let's look at some NASCAR Truck Series DFS lineup picks for the UNOH 200 Presented By Ohio Logistics on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Truck Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 9/15/2022 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
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Post-Qualifying Update Thread
I absolutely hate to write these pieces before qualifying, but the schedule today makes it pretty impossible not to. Check back pre-race and you should find a Twitter thread linked below with my post-qualifying thoughts, though no promises, since Thursdays are tough for me.
Update: Brief thoughts after qualifying.
How The Top Drivers Have Done Here
Let's compare the expensive drivers. This week, we have six drivers who cost at least $10,000.
John Hunter Nemechek ($12,000): Nemechek won last week. He was third in this race last season. I think it's pretty easy to think that JHN can win this race, but it's also maybe...too easy? Nemechek hasn't been dominant this season like a lot of people expected, so I might fade him if he starts between third and 10th?
Zane Smith ($11,600): Smith was eighth in this race last year. Unlike a lot of the high-priced options, Smith doesn't have a great track record here, but he's run well this season and was recently third at IRP, another similar track. This might not be Smith's week, but it's hard to ever count him out, as he's won three races this season.
Corey Heim ($11,100): Heim is a little "checkers or wreckers" this season. In 12 starts, he has two wins and seven top 10s, but he also has three DNFs and all of his finishes outside the top 10 have been lower than 20th. Heim hasn't led a lap since Mid-Ohio, but he's finished fourth, fifth, fifth and seventh in the last four races. He'll be a solid play, but I'm not sure the upside is there like it might be for other drivers.
Chandler Smith ($10,700): Smith's track record here is pretty weird. In three Bristol starts, his worst finish is fifth, and he won last year's race. But he also has led just five total laps on the paved Bristol track. Still, Smith has consistently gotten better, so I think this might end up being your dominant truck on Thursday night, pending a good qualifying run.
Grant Enfinger ($10,500): Enfinger has never finished lower than 10th here, but he's only led laps in one of his five starts, leading 57 in 2019 and finishing fifth. He was second last year. Enfinger could be an intriguing play, especially if he qualifies outside of the top 10.
Ty Majeski ($10,200): Looking for consistency? Majeski's streak of top 12 finishes now sits at eight races in a row. He led 71 laps at IRP and 73 at Richmond. Majeski's first Truck Series win is coming, and it could happen on Thursday, since he excels at short tracks.
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Mid-Priced Driver Options For Kansas
Here are some drivers between $7,000 and $10,000 to monitor.
Stewart Friesen ($9,300): Friesen has had some bad runs at Bristol, but he's also got three top fives here. He's never led at Bristol, but Friesen is someone who can have a strong run on Thursday.
Matt Crafton ($8,500): Surprisingly, Crafton has never won here, but he's had top fives in his last five Bristol starts and almost won in 2017, when he led 90 laps and finished second.
Tanner Gray ($7,600): Gray is really interesting this week. He crashed out here last week, but in 2020, Gray finished a shocking third in this race. Gray also has finished top 20 in four of the last five races this season.
Potential Value Options
Obviously, qualifying will impact this, but here are some drivers under $7,000 that I have my eyes on.
Rajah Caruth ($6,500): The up-and-coming ARCA driver will make his third Truck Series start on Thursday. He was 11th in his first start, but 25th at Richmond. This truck has speed and Caruth is a solid driver.
Timmy Hill ($6,300): Hill has been solid this year. He doesn't have a top 10, but he has an average start of 27.5 and an average finish of 21.3. If he qualifies around or worse than his average start on Thursday, he'll have upside.
Jesse Little ($6,000): Little has announced that this is his last Truck Series race. He finished 15th in his most recent short track race at IRP and should be in contention for a top 20 here. Hopefully, he qualifies poorly enough for there to be place differential upside.
Kaden Honeycutt ($5,500): Honeycutt will make his sixth start of the year and his fourth in this 30 truck for On Point. And, well...the numbers since he moved into this truck are decent. Honeycutt has top 25s in all three of his starts in the 30.
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