DFS NASCAR Primer: Tips for DraftKings And FanDuel Success

Scott Engel supplies the ultimate DFS NASCAR guide that can maximize your chance of success on DraftKings or FanDuel regardless of experience level.

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 major celebrities such as Michael Jordan get 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.

Basic Tips for DFS NASCAR Success

Diversification is Essential: The fewer lineups you build, the lower your chances are to cash out. This is more true in DFS NASCAR than in 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 has 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 failure. This is especially true at superspeedways such as Daytona, Atlanta, or Talladega, where there can be large wrecks that can wipe out many drivers at once.

Vary your lineup-building approaches: When constructing multiple lineups, I tend to take different approaches. One type of lineup may be front-loaded with two of the favorites to win, who may be some 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 to avoid rostering drivers who likely will not finish towards the front. My third type of lineup will simply try to find the ideal drivers who can score points through Place Differential and overall finishing position without worrying how much money I might leave on the table, etc.

It’s more about building 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, Justin Carter shares his DFS picks, mentioning drivers in different pricing tiers on RotoBaller’s NASCAR page. Picking an anchor driver from every tier is a great framework to build a lineup.

RotoBaller's Top NASCAR Expert, Jordan McAbee, also shares his premium winning picks and projections every week on the NASCAR page, which many fantasy players used to great success by helping them target drivers by tier. If you are savvy enough, you can certainly build your own tiers or, as an ideal approach, combine your tiers with our content.

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!

Deeper Tips And Strategies To Note For DFS NASCAR Success

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 not have 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 sometimes 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. Other than some select tracks or specific drivers on certain teams, they won’t move very much from the back of the pack and will often be more likely not to finish a race.

For example, DraftKings drivers below $6000 or so should usually be avoided, with some exceptions that are sometimes mispriced. The very lowest-priced drivers should only be used under specific lineup builds needing cap flexibility or circumstances where they can advance through the pack, like Daytona, Atlanta, or Talladega.

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-head types of builds can yield some surprising results, especially in tournament games.

Pay attention to pre-race events: The data provided by Practice sessions are critical. 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 to also review the lap averages and the final overall results.

Watching the sessions themselves only helps your preparation if you have the time, as drivers and teams sometimes indicate how they stack up against the rest of the field.

Consider overall and recent history: Past and recent results should be combined to identify the best weekly lineup choices. 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 in his season.

Keep 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 articles, projections, 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.

Sean Engel updated and contributed to this article as a co-author. 

NASCAR DFS News and Driver Outlooks

More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis

The Keys to Weekly NASCAR Success

NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller! Our NASCAR Premium Package for DFS and betting features several heavy hitters and proven winners.

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.

Five-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. He has been nominated once again in 2024 for this award.