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The second race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of 12 is here. Chase Briscoe has clinched a spot in the next round via win and now it's time to see if another driver can lock his way in.
Of course, since we're at Talladega, literally anything can happen on Saturday, from a non-playoff driver winning to someone like Ryan Sieg or Brandon Brown winding up with the surprise win that would get them into the next playoff round.
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 Ag-Pro 300 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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A.J. Allmendinger #22 ($12,000) - Starting 36th
Yes, this is the chalkiest thing you can do and you should make sure you have a good number of lines that don't have Allmendinger, but how can we not start here?
The place differential upside makes Allmendinger the highest upside play on this whole slate by a wide margin. He has seven top 10s in eight starts this season and finished third at Daytona last year before he was disqualified.
His only non-top 10 this year was in the last Daytona race, when he finished 15th after being caught in a wreck at the end of the race. Before that crash, he'd led 58 laps and had 10 fastest laps.
Justin Haley #11 ($9,600) - Starting 8th
Let's stick with Kaulig Racing here. Haley starts eighth and has won the past two superspeedway races that the Xfinity Series has run.
The fact that six drivers cost more than Haley this week seems a little wild. Like...if this race goes how superspeedways have been going, how are Noah Gragson and Justin Allgaier outscoring Haley? Expect the 11 to be up front for much of this race, with a chance to finish with a good number of laps led and at east some fastest laps.
Michael Annett #1 ($8,600) - Starting 9th
I was torn between Annett -- a good plate race -- and Timmy Hill, whose place differential could be great. But I think building a lineup solely around PD is risky, plus Hill's driving a car that could lose the main pack too quick.
As for Annett, he's a solid superspeedway driver with top 12 finishes at all the races we've run this season. He won at Daytona in 2019, leading 45 laps in that race. I think the mix of top 10 upside and salary here is nice, and am going to have a good bit of Annett in my lineups.
Ryan Vargas #6 ($7,700) - Starting 29th
Alright, back to place differential.
Vargas -- driving a nice-looking TikTok sponsored 6 car for JD Motorsports -- starts really far back in a solid car that should be able to keep up with the pack. His complete lack of superspeedway experience scares the hell out of me, but I think his upside makes him worth at least some exposure. You aren't really going to find a better car starting this far back aside from Allmendinger.
Joe Nemechek #47 ($6,700) - Starting 34th
I wish Nemechek was in a better car, but at least we know the 47 isn't a start-and-park? I don't expect Nemechek to spend much time up in the front of the pack or, really, even in the big pack, but he's a reliable veteran who knows how to finish races at superspeedways and has won here in the (very) distant past.
He was 15th at Daytona in this car and Tim Viens was 18th in this car at the second Daytona race. If Nemechek drives a safe race, he'll find himself competing for a top 15 finish at the end of the day. That would be a great DFS day for anyone who rosters him.
Garrett Smithley #07 ($5,400) - Starting 26th
Really interested in Smithley's salary this week, because it's almost criminally low. Only five drivers are priced lower than him, and the other SS-Greenlight car is $800 more despite having an arguably worse driver.
Smithley has three career superspeedway top 10s in this series. Gray Gaulding had two top 10s in superspeedways in this 07 car this season. I mean...look, Smithley isn't winning this race, but he's an underrated driver at this track who is in a car that has enough speed to keep up with the pack. Survive a few wrecks and he'll be challenging for a top 10 like Gaulding did when he was in this position.
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