RADIO
NASCAR's back! The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum takes center stage on Sunday night. While NASCAR has run this preseason exhibition race since 1979, this is just the second year of its current iteration, which is run on a custom-built track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Unfortunately for DFS players, we won't know the actual starting lineup until just before the race, and of the 36 drivers entered in this race, just 27 will race in the main event. That means nine drivers will accumulate no fantasy points, so make sure that if you do build a lineup before the heat races, you go back in and make necessary changes before the green flag waves.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 2/5/23 at 8:15 p.m. ET. If you have any questions or want to talk about NASCAR, you can find me on Twitter at @juscarts.
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DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
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Joey Logano
Qualified 17th - DK: $10,200, FD: $12,500
You'll notice that most of the drivers I recommend this week don't have much place differential upside. Two reasons for that. First, we don't actually know the starting lineup yet, so those numbers we have for qualifying aren't actually what drivers will be building off on Sunday night. Second, with nine drivers set to miss the main race, I don't want to make risky calls here on drivers who might not even make the Clash.
The worst qualifier that I'll mention is Joey Logano, because he won this race last year, starting fourth and leading 35 laps. He's also the defending Cup Series champion.
And that's...well, that's it. I expect Logano to move up in the field a little during the heat races and to deliver a strong result on Sunday night. But because the passing is tough here, I don't expect him to start too high in the main event. Maybe just outside the top 10? Still, out of the top five finishers here last year, all started 16th or better, so we should be rooting for Logano to start above 17th.
Christopher Bell
Qualified 3rd - DK: $9,700, FD: $12,000
Bell qualified third on Saturday, which means he'll start up front in his qualifying race. And that clean air should come in handy. Three drivers led laps in this race last year. All of them started the main event in the top four.
I think Bell's a sneaky contender to dominate this one, assuming he sails to a win in the heat race. That would put him in a good position on Sunday night, where he'd just need to get past two cars.
Kyle Larson
Qualified 10th - DK: $9,500, FD: $13,000
Never count Kyle Larson out at a short track. The 2021 Cup Series champion finished fifth in the first race here after starting eighth. Larson's 2022 season wasn't as good as his 2021 season, as he dropped from 10 wins down to three. Still, Larson posted strong numbers in his second season with Hendrick Motorsports, and the tight-packed racing at this track should favor his driving style.
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Ross Chastain
Qualified 12th - DK: $8,900, FD: $10,500
While a lot of the drivers I'm writing about did well here last year, the same can't be said for Ross Chastain, who qualified 33rd for last year's race and missed the main event after a sixth-place finish in his Heat race followed by another sixth-place finish in the first Last Chance Qualifier.
But here's the thing: Chastain's grown a lot since then. He ended last season with top five finishes in four consecutive races, including the infamous Hail Melon at Martinsville. If there's someone whose aggressiveness can get him to the front tonight, it's Chastain.
A.J. Allmendinger
Qualified 8th - DK: $5,800, FD: $6,000
I have a feeling that A.J. Allmendinger is going to be priced a good bit below where he should be for the first month or so of the Cup Series season. Take advantage of that by getting him into your lineups whenever you can.
Anyway, both Kaulig cars qualified in the top 10 for this one. Allmendinger, who is running the full Cup Series season for the first time since 2018, should always be considered a threat on road courses and short tracks.
In the inaugural race here, Allmendinger started 21st in the main event, but worked his way through the field, finishing ninth. He was the only driver to finish in the top 10 after starting outside the top 20. Considering that was just a 23-car field, Allmendinger's charge was impressive. He should have less distance to travel this time around.
Justin Haley
Qualified 1st - DK: $5,400, FD: $5,500
Haley was a surprise on Saturday, turning in the fastest qualifying lap and putting himself in a prime position to lead some laps in the main race, assuming he can sustain this speed in his heat race. Last year's polesitter, Kyle Busch, led 64 of the 150 laps and finished second.
Now, there is one issue: Haley had speed here last year, too, as he started third. But 116 laps into the race, he crashed out. If he can keep the car clean this time though, Haley could be positioned to have a really strong run.
