RADIO
Let's get ready for some more NASCAR action! These daily fantasy NASCAR rankings for Sunday's O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 were determined by a combination of DraftKings and FanDuel prices, and the projected DFS points each driver is expected to earn in this week’s race.
Each week, we'll present you the weekly rankings, followed by some key analysis of those rankings.
Be sure to also check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles and analysis to help you set your optimal DFS lineups.
Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!
Fantasy NASCAR Driver Rankings
| Driver Name | DraftKings Rank | FanDuel Rank |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 1 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 2 | 2 |
| Chase Elliott | 3 | 3 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 4 | 5 |
| Kyle Busch | 5 | 4 |
| Alex Bowman | 6 | 10 |
| Joey Logano | 7 | 6 |
| Denny Hamlin | 8 | 7 |
| Brad Keselowski | 9 | 8 |
| Kevin Harvick | 10 | 9 |
| William Byron | 11 | 11 |
| Matt DiBendetto | 12 | 12 |
| Chase Briscoe | 13 | 14 |
| Kurt Busch | 14 | 13 |
| Erik Jones | 15 | 15 |
| Kyle Larson | 16 | 16 |
| Chris Buescher | 17 | 23 |
| Aric Almirola | 18 | 17 |
| Christopher Bell | 19 | 19 |
| Tyler Reddick | 20 | 18 |
| Ryan Newman | 21 | 24 |
| Cole Custer | 22 | 20 |
| Michael McDowell | 23 | 22 |
| Daniel Suarez | 24 | 26 |
| Bubba Wallace | 25 | 21 |
| Ross Chastain | 26 | 25 |
| Ty Dillon | 27 | 27 |
| Anthony Alfredo | 28 | 28 |
| Austin Dillon | 29 | 30 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 30 | 29 |
| Justin Haley | 31 | 32 |
| Ryan Preece | 32 | 31 |
| Corey LaJoie | 33 | 33 |
| James Davison | 34 | 35 |
| Timmy Hill | 35 | 34 |
| Scott Heckert | 36 | 36 |
| Quin Houff | 37 | 37 |
| Josh Bilicki | 38 | 39 |
| Cody Ware | 39 | 38 |
| Garrett Smithley | 40 | 40 |
Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?
Like what you read today? You can show your support for Justin by using promo code CARTER 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!
NASCAR Rankings Analysis
Chase Elliott is the clear favorite to win this race. He starts on the pole. He's won four road course races in a row. But because Ryan Blaney starts 27th and Martin Truex Jr. starts 19th, I just can't rank Elliott above them. That place differential upside is huge, and a reason why I think that they've got a higher floor and a better mid-range projection than Elliott, even if Elliott offers the highest ceiling among the three.
I was conflicted about A.J. Allmendinger. A road-racing expert who starts 34th? There's a clear path here to Allmendinger being the top driver in this race, but the fact that this is the first-ever Cup race for Kaulig Racing at a non-superspeedway gives me pause. Are we sure this car will have competitive speed?
Alex Bowman is one of my favorite plays. A 36th-place starting spot will offer a ton of place differential upside, and while he's not necessarily a threat to win at a road course, he's a threat to get into the top 10.
Overall, the fact that this lineup is set by a formula that's heavily influenced by the Daytona results means that there's definitely more upside from our high-end drivers than usual. That makes me slightly lower on guys like Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick than I would be most weeks, just because they're on the wrong side of the PD divide, and as we saw in the Truck race on Friday, things can get messy.
That potential for messiness is why I love Erik Jones this week, who starts 37th. Keep the car clean and you're going to end up with a great fantasy day. He was 11th here last year and has an average finish of 14.3 on road courses.
Michael McDowell is a decent road racer, but starting second makes him almost a full fade. Austin Dillon starting third is really far down my rankings and could have gone down farther, but I do like that he won't be starting mid-pack at a track where a first lap mid-pack crash seems likely.
As for the deep, deep guys, I wouldn't say avoid them all, but you need some chaos for any of the guys ranked from Corey LaJoie down to give you anything. LaJoie would be a good play if he started at the back, but he rolls off seventh. Just like with Ryan Preece who starts sixth, there's probably a better chance that these guys score in the negatives than that they're part of a winning lineup.
Giving James Davison or Timmy Hill a shot as they start 39th and 40th isn't terrible, but again, you'd be betting on chaos.
I wish Cody Ware started 35th or worse. He's a good road racer who I think can get a top 30 finish, but when he starts 21st, there's just too much downside.
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.
